GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – Kevin Smith struck out 10 in a complete-game, four-inning win Wednesday as the Pittsfield Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Stars knocked off South Berkshire, 16-, in the Western Massachusetts playoffs.
Smith gave up no hits as Pittsfield bounced back from Monday’s loss to Westfield and improved to 1-1 in the three-team round-robin to determine who goes to Sunday’s Western Mass final at Bullens Field.
Smith helped his cause by going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI at the plate, and Jonathon Parsons was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs in a 12-hit attack for Pittsfield.
The South Berkshire Knights worked a couple of walks against Smith in the bottom of the second, but he got the final out of the inning with a called third strike to leave runners at second and third.
“Smith pitched a gem,” Pittsfield coach Phil Bock said. “I’ve had him for the last few years in baseball, and you can’t get much better. He throws the ball extremely well. Very well controlled.”
His offense spotted him an 8-0 lead after batting around in the top of the first.
Jace Coco had an RBI double, and Parsons, Jack Wendling and Aiden Arseneau each drove in a run during the rally.
Smith then got his team back in the dugout by striking out the side in order in the bottom of the frame.
And Pittsfield effectively put the game out of reach with five more runs in the top of the second.
Bryce Hoff got things going with a leadoff single, and Smith and Parsons each drove in a run to help push the lead to 13-0.
Starting in the third inning, Bock got his reserves into action, pinch-hitting for five straight batters. The second unit produced two more runs, and Austin Decker doubled to right-center.
“I do not hesitate to put any man I have on my roster at the plate,” Bock said. “They’re very good players. Very happy for them. They all put their time in. They all show up. And they all work hard.”
Lincoln Fisher and Mason Bailey split time on the mound for the Southern Berkshire Knights, combining to strike out five while allowing 10 earned runs.
Southern Berkshire (0-1) will finish the round-robin phase of the tournament on Friday when it visits Westfield.
Westfield is sitting at 1-0 atop the pool standings after rallying for eight runs in the top of the seventh on Monday to beat Pittsfield, 11-6.
“We amped them up the last couple of days in practice,” Bock said. “I’m very proud of them. They work hard. We do double sessions every day and a couple of hours worth of hard practices. I’m very pleased with the whole squad.
“The other night, it was just four ridiculous errors on the infield and they scored [eight] runs on us. It was heart-breaking. But they battled back. They came to play today. They always do. Great group of kids.”
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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.
Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, and a little bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.
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A 700-square-foot outdoor water attraction is planned for the 2.1-acre park at 30 John Street. City officials hope to have it operational by summertime.
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Jewish Federation of the Berkshires President Arlene Schiff opened the festivities with a recognition of the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Australia and praise for a hero who helped stop the killing.
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