Adams Police Takes League Title
In a hard-fought three-game championship series, Adams Police saved its best performance for last.
Behind a dominant outing from Lador Lawson and an offense that capitalized on nearly every opportunity, Adams Police defeated Adams Community Bank 10-0 in five innings Saturday to capture the Adams-Cheshire League championship.
Lawson was in command from the opening pitch, retiring the first two batters he faced with a strikeout and a fly ball before working around a two-out double by Maddox Milesi. The right-hander stranded the runner with another strikeout, setting the tone for a championship performance in the circle.
The Police offense answered immediately in the bottom of the first.
Hudson Ziter led off with a single before Lawson drew a walk and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Avry Decker followed with a two-run hit to open the scoring. Danny Collins added an RBI single later in the inning, and another run came home during an aggressive baserunning sequence as Adams Police built a 5-0 advantage before Adams Community Bank recorded the third out.
Lawson continued to cruise in the second, striking out all three Adams Community Bank batters he faced.
The Police added to their lead in the bottom half of the inning when Ziter collected his second hit of the day. Moments later, Lawson drove a two-run home run to left field, extending the advantage to 7-0. Decker later reached with another base hit, while Adams Community Bank pitcher Mason Kucka settled in to record consecutive strikeouts and prevent further damage.
Adams Community Bank mounted its best scoring opportunity in the third. Lukas Benson opened the inning with a single before additional base hits put runners in scoring position with two outs. Lawson remained composed, however, recording the final out of the inning to preserve the shutout.
Adams Police continued to apply pressure offensively in the bottom of the third. Ziter reached base once again before Lawson advanced into scoring position, and a sacrifice fly from Decker brought home another run to make it 8-0.
The Police defense continued its strong play in the fourth inning. Lawson struck out two more batters around a routine groundout, sending Adams Community Bank back to the dugout in order.
In the bottom half, Ashton Akroman reached safely and advanced around the bases before scoring to extend the lead to 8-0.
Lawson returned to the circle needing just three outs to secure the championship. He added two more strikeouts in the fifth before inducing the game’s final out, completing five scoreless innings in a commanding championship effort.
Adams Police wasted little time ending the contest in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff single, followed by aggressive baserunning, put the winning run at third. Lawson then delivered the final blow with an RBI single, bringing home the 10th run and ending the game by mercy rule.
For Adams Community Bank, Milesi’s first-inning double and Benson’s third-inning single highlighted a determined effort, while Kucka battled through the early innings and recorded several key strikeouts to keep his club within reach.
After a series that required all three games to determine a champion, Adams Police delivered its most complete performance of the postseason, combining outstanding pitching, timely hitting and disciplined defense to earn the league title.
