NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – North Adams Police Department jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 win over Lee’s Wildcat Sports Group Wednesday in the semi-finals of the Berkshire County Cal Ripken minors division tournament at Kemp Park.

 

David Atwell had an RBI single at the plate and was one of three NAPD pitchers to combine for 16 strikeouts in the six-inning win.

 

Balls in play were hard to come by for either team, but Atwell and Ben Vivori each singled in the bottom of the first as Police scored a run that proved to be the difference in the game.

 

“We switched our lineup for the first time this year for this game, and our goal was to get some runs in that first inning,” NAPD coach Patrick Wood said. “And we got the one.

 

“We put Ben Vivori at the top. He’s been our most solid hitter. He has not been leading off. We put him up first just to try to get him on, move him along the basepaths and try to get the ball in play.”

 

The tactic worked. Vivori delivered an infield single and moved up on a couple of balls that got to the backstop before Atwell hit a one-out infield single of his own to make it 1-0.

 

NAPD then scored three times without the benefit of a base hit in the bottom of the second.