Pittsfield Squads Roll Up Double-Digit Wins
In the 11-year-old division, the Pittsfield American Division All-Stars scored 10 first-inning runs en route to a 26-0, three-inning win over Great Barrington.
In the 12-year-old tourney, the Pittsfield National Division scored 13 times in the top of the sixth to break the game open and cruise to a 20-0 win over Dalton-Hinsdale.
Mateo Fox gave up one hit in a three-inning “complete game” shutout for the Americans.
For the Nats, Jason Fields and Kevin Smith combined to strike out 16 while allowing just two hits in their win.
12-Year-Old Division
The Nats scored two runs in the first and two in the second, but the game was still within reach heading to the fifth, when the Pittsfield squad tacked on three more.
The winning run back in the first was particularly costly for Dalton-Hinsdale.
The Nats got a leadoff single from Jace Coco, and No. 2 hitter Fields drilled a hard shot up the middle that caught Dalton starter Lucas Lussier in the leg.
Lussier recovered to retire Coco at second for the game’s first out, but it ended up the only out he got as he left the game, forcing Dalton-Hinsdale to tax its pitching staff earlier than planned.
Fields, who had reached on the fielder’s choice, came around on three balls to the backstop for the game’s first run, and the Nationals never looked back.
Fields had an RBI double in his team’s two-run second and ended up going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a pair of walks. Coco went 3-for-6 with a double and three RBIs, and Kobe King went 4-for-4 with three RBIs.
Kalvin Phillips went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a single and two-run double in the Nats’ 13-run sixth.
For Dalton-Hinsdale, which ended up going through seven pitchers, Ryder Shove lasted the longest, going 2-? innings and allowing just one run.
Jack Furlong finished with both of Dalton-Hinsdale’s hits.
Fields started on the mound and went four innings for the Nationals, striking out 11 against a walk and a pair of hits allowed. Smith struck out five and walked a pair.
Both teams have the day off on Thursday. On Friday, the Nationals (1-0) continue round-robin play against Great Barrington while Dalton-Hinsdale (0-1) takes on Adams-Cheshire (0-1).
On Thursday, Great Barrington finally sees its first action in the five-team tourney when it faces Pittsfield American (1-0).
11-Year-Old Tournament
Fox was almost unhittable.
His offense made sure Great Barrington did not get too many chances to prove otherwise.
Matt Keegan drove in a pair of runs with a single to left before the Americans took their first out, and Bryce Hoff added an RBI double in a 10-run top of the first.
Cooper Brown, Oren Lewis and Cooper Reed each had a hit in the inning, which saw the designated visitors send 15 batters to the plate.
The Americans tacked on eight more in the second and another eight in the third, collecting 17 hits in all.
Keegan and Jacob Welch each had three of those hits.
Magnus Libetti had a two-out infield single in the second for Great Barrington, which also had a base-runner in the first when Henry Palazzo drew a one-out walk.
Fox finished with five strikeouts, including the last four batters he faced.
The Pittsfield Americans (2-0) advance to Saturday’s championship round of the double elimination tournament, where they will face either Great Barrington (0-1) or the Pittsfield Nationals (0-1) at 3 p.m. If a winner-take-all final is necessary, it will be Sunday at noon.
The Nats and Great Barrington play the tournament’s first elimination game on Thursday at 5:30.
