Pittsfield American 11s, 12s Dominate Little League Tourney Openers
Pittsfield American’s 12-year-olds beat Adams-Cheshire.
And the grounds crew beat Mother Nature.
After letting the 10-year-old All-Stars take center stage over the weekend, the older brackets of the Don Gleason District 1 Little League Championships got underway on Tuesday evening.
Sebastian Herrera started the post-season with a bang – actually two of them – for the 2021 state finalists in the Williamsport Tournament.
Herrera homered twice, the second time a grand slam, and combined with Brendan Merwin on a three-inning no-hitter as the Americans knocked off the hosts, 22-1.
In Tuesday’s opener, Cooper Reed went 2-for-4 at the plate, struck out seven in 3-? innings and made a couple of strong plays in the field to lead the Americans’ 11-and-under All-Stars to an 11-1 win over the Nats in five innings.
11-Year-Old Tournament
The Americans rallied for a pair of runs in the first inning, taking advantage of two walks and Bryce Hoff’s RBI single to go ahead, 2-0.
It was 4-0 midway through the third after Matt Keegan and Reed delivered back-to-back singles, the latter bringing Keegan in from second base.
In the bottom of the third, Dan Hoffman reached on a one-out error, moved into scoring position when Ty Laccas was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a pair of pitches to the backstop to trim the Nats’ deficit to 4-1.
But the Americans scored a run in the fourth on Kydd Kearns’ double and a Jackson Boehm’s RBI single and six more in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
Reed had the start on the mound, allowing two hits in 3-? innings of work.
In the third, he came off the mound to make a diving catch for the inning’s first out. In the fourth, after he moved to third, he went to the ground for a ground ball and threw out the hitter from one knee.
Matteo Fox, Keegan and Hoff handled the rest of the pitching for the Americans.
Weston Wigg, Kody Lesser and Hoffman threw for the Nationals.
The Pittsfield Americans face Great Barrington on Wednesday. The Nats on Thursday will face the loser of Wednesday’s game in an elimination game in the three-team tournament.
12-Year-Old Tournament
The Pittsfield Americans went to bat in the bottom of the first in a 1-0 hole.
It did not take long for them to dig their way out.
Ben Sykes worked a leadoff walk, and Herrera hit a blast over the fence in left center to give Pittsfield American a 2-1 lead, and it never looked back.
Herrera finished the abbreviated game 3-for-3 with a pair of homers and six RBIs. The only time he did not hit his way on base, he drew an intentional walk in his second plate appearance of the first inning.
Mario Zerbato went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs, and Aiden Arseneau and Mason Daley each went 2-for-2 with a free pass, the latter doubling in a pair of runs in the 13-run first.
Pittsfield American batted around in both its offensive innings.
Defensively, Herrera and Merwin combined to strike out eight. Herrera had four Ks in the first inning, but a ball to the backstop accounted for one of his baserunners and Adams-Cheshire’s lone run.
Anthony Trzcinski, who led off the game with a walk and moved to third on a passed ball and wild pitch, scored when Ben Cachet reached on a swinging third strike.
Adams-Cheshire worked five walks in the game. Trzcinski and Brayden Durant each put the ball in play – the former a second-inning groudout and the latter a fly ball to the right side in the third.
Durant, Aiden Medonca and Cachet split time on the mound for Adams-Cheshire.
The Americans face Great Barrington on Thursday. Adams-Cheshire faces Dalton-Hinsdale on Friday. The 12-year-old district tournament continues Wednesday when Pittsfield National takes on Dalton-Hinsdale.
10-Year-Old Tournament
DALTON, Mass. -- Lennon Greene and Brennan Lyon each tripled to lead the Pittsfield Americans to a 9-4 win over Great Barrington in a game shortened to five innings due to rain.
Jowell Malave earned the win on the mound.
Christian Tonetti doubled, and John Naventi had a single for Great Barrington.
