STAMFORD, Conn. – Eastern Massachusetts Champion Taunton strung together three two-out hits to score two runs in fifth, breaking open a one-run game and sending it on to a 4-1 win over Pittsfield at the 16-year-old Babe Ruth New England Championship on Monday morning.

 

Logan Severino struck out five and allowed just one hit in a complete-game effort on the mound to pitch Taunton into Tuesday’s regional semi-finals.

 

Pittsfield’s Cooper Reed was nearly as effective in a losing effort.

 

An outfield error led to Taunton’s two first-inning runs. And, in the fifth, Taunton scored two runs on an infield single for the insurance that took the pressure off Severino for his last nine outs.

 

“He pitched a gem,” Pittsfield coach Phil Bock said. “I don’t know exactly where he was in the pitch count. But I believe he was under 80. To throw seven innings the way he did under pressure – great job, excellent. Very proud of the kid.

 

“Proud of the whole team.”

 

And after a 2-0 run through the Western Massachusetts Tournament and a 2-1 performance in pool play in Stamford, the Pittsfield 16s have a lot in which to take pride.

 

But Pittsfield’s offense, which generated double-digit runs in each of its pool play games, stalled out after the first inning on Monday.

 

Taunton drew first blood in the top of the first.

 

Ryuji Fantasia reached on an infield single, and Jackson Pickard singled to left to put runners on the corners.

 

Then, with one out, an outfield error allowed Fantasia to score and sent Pickard to third. He then scored on a sacrifice fly from Quinn Buffington to make it 2-0.

 

Pittsfield got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first.

 

Kevin Smith led off with a walk and stole second before Bryce Hoff singled to right to make it 2-1.

 

But Hoff was erased when he tried to steal second, and, despite a two-out error that allowed Cooper Reed to reach base, Severino got away without any further damage.

 

He allowed just one more base runner – a sixth-inning walk – the rest of the way.

 

Pittsfield flew out 10 times, including all three outs in the bottom of the seventh.

 

“We hit a lot of baseballs right to players, unfortunately,” Hoff said. “So you get that. It happens. They did their best, but, you know, it’s going to be tough.

 

A tight pitching duel turned in the top of the fifth.

 

Cam Carle started things with a two-out single to left and moved up on a single by Fantasia (3-for-4). A passed ball put both runners in scoring position. And Pickard’s single deep in the hole at second was smothered by a diving Kydd Kearns; both runners were off on contact and were able to score on the play, giving Taunton a 4-1 lead.

 

While the first-inning misplay loomed large on the scoreboard, Pittsfield also got a stellar defensive play in the fourth, when center fielder Hoff dove for a catch to prevent an extra-base hit with one out.

 

“Defensively, we’ve been spot on,” Bock said. “We’ve had a couple of really, really great games the last couple of days. It’s such a great group of guys, and they play well together.”

 

Afterward, in the postgame meeting in right field, Bock made a point to shake every player’s hands before they broke up.

 

“That group will probably disband after this year, and they have high school [seasons] to look forward to,” he said. “I’ll probably have a new group [next summer].

 

“The whole team, I can’t say enough good about them. It’s been a pleasure to be a part of them. I hate to see them go away.”