Burega Pitches Legion Team to Win over City Rival

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Matthew Burega struck out nine and scattered three hits Saturday in leading the Post 68-1 squad to a 3-0 win over Post 68-2 in American Legion Baseball action on Buddy Pellerin Field.
 
This is the first year the successful youth program has fielded two teams in the American Legion Senior Division, and Saturday was the only regular season meeting on the schedule between the two city rivals.
 
Burega was in control throughout, sitting down the first 10 hitters he faced.
 
He kept the Post 68-2 lineup off balance all afternoon by mixing up his pitches.
 
“When you can spin [curve balls] for strikes, it opens up so many things,” Burega said. “You get guys to roll over. It makes you so much more confident on the mound.
 
“It’s like pitching on ‘plus’ counts every [at-bat] if you can spin your curveball for a strike.”
 
The recent Pittsfield High graduate allowed just two runners in scoring position, both after his offense spotted him a lead.
 
It took a while to get that lead against Post 68-2 starter Colby Robb, who allowed just two runners in the first three innings.
 
In the fourth, though, Jack Abel led off with a double to left field. Then, with two out, Jason Codey ripped a single up the middle to score Abel with the game’s first run.
 
Post 68-1 tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth to take a three-run lead.
 
Simon Mele’s leadoff single got things started, but an error allowing Ethan O’Donnell to reach opened the door for Post 68-1.
 
After Robb sat down the next two hitters, Abel again delivered, doubling to left to drive in two runs.
 
Wahconah grad Robb ended up on the short end of the pitcher’s duel, striking out six, walking one and allowing one earned run.
 
Post 68-2 did challenge in the bottom of the seventh, when Gavin Maffuccio reached on a leadoff error and moved up on a ground ball to the right side for the first out.
 
But Burega got a swinging third strike and a groundball to Abel at short to end it.
 
“I was really hoping that we got that one,” Burega said of the final out. “I didn’t know if it was gonna be too deep in the hole to make the play, but he did it and kept the shutout.”
 
Post 68-1 (5-0) hosts Sheffield Post 340 on Sunday morning at Deming Park.
 
Post 68-2 (1-5) hosts Greenfield Post 81 on Sunday afternoon at Clapp Park.
 
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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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