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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Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder. 

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma. 

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024. 

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero. 

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. 

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said. 

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