PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The final score mattered to the players, but the true victory came well before the first pitch.

 

The annual John Codey Jimmy Fund Classic brought together players from Adams-Cheshire and Pittsfield on the same field with a shared purpose: raising money to support cancer research and patient care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The evening combined competitive baseball with community spirit, reminding everyone in attendance that the game was about something much bigger than wins and losses.

 

On the field, Adams-Cheshire used a fast start and held off a late Pittsfield rally to earn a 12-8 victory in the week-long tournament's finale.

 

Adams-Cheshire struck first with six runs in the opening inning before adding five more in the second to build an 11-0 lead. Pittsfield responded in the bottom of the first when Charley Bianchi singled to start the rally. Oscar Fabino followed with an RBI double, and Easton Tatro added another double as Pittsfield got on the scoreboard.

 

The visitors answered with another productive inning in the second. Joey Milesi opened the frame with a double before Ashton Ackerman reached with a single. Roman Rochelo delivered one of the biggest swings of the game, lining a two-run double to the outfield. Hudson Ziter and Abel Lysko each added RBI singles during the inning as Adams-Cheshire extended its advantage.

 

Max Bialis started on the mound for Adams-Cheshire before Ziter came on in relief later in the contest. Offensively, Ziter collected two singles and drove in a run, while Milesi reached base three times with a double, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Rochelo’s two-run double highlighted a balanced offensive attack that saw contributions throughout the lineup. Ackerman, Avery Joiner, and Lysko also recorded hits in the win.

 

Despite the early deficit, Pittsfield continued to compete. Grayson Garner drove in a run with an RBI single in the third inning, and Preston Woodard finished with multiple hits, including an RBI single in the sixth. The hosts scored four runs in the final two innings to cut the deficit to 12-8 and brought the tying run closer to the plate before Adams-Cheshire escaped a bases-loaded situation to secure the win.