Wigglesworth, Pittsfield Nats Stay Alive in 12-Year-Old Tourney
Wigglesworth struck out 10 and allowed just one hit in a 16-1, four-inning win over Dalton-Hinsdale that kept the Pittsfield Little League National Division (1-2) alive for a shot at next year’s district title game.
The Nats need some breaks along the way, but Friday’s dominant performance makes Sunday’s game against Great Barrington mean something as the Nationals try to emerge from the five-team round robin.
Jace Coco hit a two-run home run, and the Nats pounded out 15 hits.
But Wigglesworth did not need nearly that much offensive support as he ran into just one hiccup in the bottom of the second.
He followed up that inning by striking out the side in order on nine pitches one inning later, and he retired eight batters in a row to end the game cut short by the mercy rule.
“He came dialed in today,” Pittsfield Nationals manager Dan Beattie said. “We’ve lost two tough games. And he went out tonight and gave us an outstanding effort from an 11-year-old kid.
“When he’s pumping that fastball in for a strike, he’s got a really good curveball to follow up with it. He really keeps hitters off balance.”
The Nationals, who lost their first two games in the district tournament by scores of 4-3 and 6-5, jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first and never looked back in Game 3.
Kevin Smith, Wigglesworth and Danny Hoffmann started the game with three straight singles to load the bases.
With one out, Cody Lesser singled in a pair of runs to gave the Nationals all the runs they would need. Aavan Matos drove in a run to make it 3-0, and Sawyer Lane capped the inning with a two-run double to right-center.
Pittsfield National ran its lead to 11-0 with a six-run second inning that featured a two-run single by Austin Decker and an RBI double by Hoffman (3-for-3, two doubles).
Dalton-Hinsdale (1-1) was able to scratch out a run in the bottom of the second.
Calvin Wilds got things started by singling up the middle with one out.
He moved up when Jack Furlong worked the only walk Wigglesworth allowed and went to third on a pitch that went to the backstop.
Beau Sanders drove Wilds home with a groundout to the right side to make it 11-1.
Brayden Heath, the third Dalton-Hinsdale pitcher of the game, got out of a first-and-third jam in the top of the third to keep the Nationals off the board.
But the Nats tacked on five runs in the top of the fourth to put the game away, the big blow coming on Coco’s no-doubt round-tripper over the fence in left-center.
“The bats got going,” Beattie said. “This was the first game that the bats came alive and they hit the ball like we expected them to hit the ball.
“We’re still alive by the slimmest of hopes here, but we’re still alive, and we have to go out and take care of business.”
On Friday at Clapp Park, the Pittsfield Little League American Division 12-year-olds earned a win over Adams-Cheshire to remain the only unbeaten team in the round robin.
Here is how things stand heading into the weekend: 1. Pittsfield American (2-0); 2. Adams Cheshire (2-1); 3. Dalton-Hinsdale (1-1); 4. Pittsfield National (1-2); 5. Great Barrington (0-2).
On Saturday afternoon at Chamberlain Park in Dalton, Great Barrington faces Pittsfield American. On Sunday at Chamberlain, it will be a double-header with Great Barrington against Pittsfield National and Adams-Cheshire against Dalton-Hinsdale. Pittsfield American and Dalton-Hinsdale will finish pool play on Monday evening.
