Westfield 10-Year-Olds Top Pittsfield in Sectional

By Leland BarnesiBerkshires.com Sports
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hunter Werman threw four innings of shutout baseball as the Westfield 10-year-old Litte League All-Stars defeated Pittsfield, 9-5, in the Section 1 Tournament on Thursday.
 
In his strong outing, Werman recorded eight strikeouts.
 
Pittsfield used six different pitchers in the loss.
 
“We really just wanted to test our arms tonight,  and we learned a lot from what we called a 20/20 pitcher,” Pittsfield coach Matt Stracuzzi said.
 
“This means we put a new pitcher in every 20 pitches just to get to see how they perform and I was not disappointed despite the loss.”
 
Caleb Tierney of Pittsfield came up big offensive. He recorded a key RBI single in the fifth to spark his team’s energy late in the game.
 
Werman, who pitched 68 total pitches, led his team through the deeps of the game getting out of bases loaded trouble.
 
The Westfield crowd really came out to support their 10u on Thursday.
 
Meanwhile, Pittsfield had a very strong crowd as well. The players could feel both sides' energy and it propelled a strong first round game.
 
Colton Rowe had a single, double, and a triple as well as recording four runs had the bat for Westfield.
 
For Pittsfield, the production came with good at bats at the plate drawing full count walks late in the game.
 
“I’m not happy with the result but I am pleased with how the team responded late in the game,” Stracuzzi said.
 
“Being down 9-0 did not discourage the kids at all, they came out to play and just came up short. Not much we can do about it now, we just need to focus on our game on Friday.”
 
Despite this loss for Pittsfield in a double elimination tournament it has a chance to survive in a losers bracket. That road begins at home on Friday at 5:30 back at Deming Park.
 
On the flip side, Westfield continues in the winner’s bracket on Friday.
 

 

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Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
 
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