Pittsfield Knocks Off Great Barrington in District 1 Tournament
ADAMS, Mass. – The Pittsfield Little League All-Stars Saturday overcame a rocky start to earn a 19-8 win over Great Barrington in the Don Gleason District 1 Tournament at Willard “Beaver” Bard Park.
Mateo Hererra went 3-for-3 with two triples and three runs batted in as Pittsfield improved to 2-0 in the four-team round-robin.
Pittsfield scored in each of the game’s five innings and jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 9-4, but it took a few innings to quiet Great Barrington’s bats and eliminate some mental mistakes which helped GB generate some of its early runs.
“We were a little sloppy in the beginning,” Pittsfield coach Matt Mazzeo said. “Our first at-bat, being the visitors, we drew first blood. We started off right.
“But that one inning, we were sloppy – throwing to the wrong base, not making the right plays, not fielding, letting it go through. But that’s not going to happen anymore. We’re on top of it.”
Mateo’s leadoff triple to right kick-started Pittsfield in the top of the first, which saw Will Nichols lay down a bunt single for an RBI and Ryder Froio drive in a run with a line drive out to right field.
Great Barrington got a triple of its own in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Warren launched the extra-base hit to center to score Camden King with the South County squad’s first run.
After GB put two more runners on base without an out, Mazzeo opted to go to his bullpen, bringing in Will Nichols from third base.
Nichols allowed both inherited runners to score on RBI singles by Luke Saupe and Harlan Kohler but limited the damage and got out of the inning with the game tied, 4-4.
Pittsfield regained the lead with a five-run second that featured five walks, a hit batter and an error.
But Great Barrington cut into the 9-4 deficit with a three-run second that saw Warren hit his second RBI triple of the game. King, Ivey Weller and Saupe also each had a hit in the inning for GB, which managed just two hits in the first six innings of Thursday’s extra-inning win.
Nichols left the bases loaded, though, getting the final out on a ground ball to the left side.
In the top of the third, Bradley Charow drove in a run with an RBI groundout, and then Matt Klinger and Adam Tanner each drew a walk ahead of Herrera, who hit his second triple of the game to stretch Pittsfield’s lead to 12-7. Shayne Clairmont then drove in Herrera to give Pittsfield a six-run lead.
Charow started the bottom of the third on the mound and retired Great Barrington in order in two straight innings, allowing Pittsfield to build a commanding 19-7 lead going to the bottom of the fifth.
GB managed to put a run across in the fifth, but Charow struck out the side around a couple of walks to give him five Ks in three innings of work.
“Bradley pitched a phenomenal game,” Mazzeo said. “He pitched 44 pitches, a phenomenal game. He was hammering that strike zone.”
Pittsfield (2-0) plays Dalton-Hinsdale (0-2) on Sunday at 4 p.m. Great Barrington (1-1) faces Adams-Cheshire (1-1) at 2 in a game that will decide who will meet Pittsfield in Thursday’s championship round.
