Force 16U Softball Takes Second Loss in Bracket Play at Nationals

iBerkshires.com Sports11:24AM / Thursday, July 30, 2026Print Story | Email Story

SALISBURY, Md. -- New York's Orange County Bombers Thursday morning handed the Berkshire Force 16-and-under travel softball team a 12-0 loss in the losers bracket of the United States Specialty Sports Association's Eastern National Championship.

Alliah DiPietro had the lone hit for Berkshire, a single, as it was outhit, 8-1, in the three-inning game.

Ava McMahon and Amelia Polidoro split time in the circle for the Force, allowing just two earned runs.

An error opened the door to an eight-run second inning for the Bombers to take control after a scoreless first.

Berkshire went 3-6 at the Eastern Nationals, which began on Monday.

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Q&A with State Representative Challenger Andrew Fitch

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
10:01AM / Sunday, August 23, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — On Sept. 1, voters in the First Berkshire District will decide whether they want to send a new representative to Beacon Hill in Boston.

Andrew Fitch, currently a city councilor in the district's largest municipality — and the commonwealth's smallest city — is challenging former North Adams Mayor John Barrett III, who won the First Berkshire seat in a 2017 special election, in the Democratic Party primary.

There is no Republican on the primary ballot for the First Berkshire seat so the primary will effectively be the election for the seat.

The two candidates met for their only debate on Aug. 13 at Williams College. iBerkshires.com reached out to both candidates to follow up on some of the points raised in the debate and get their thoughts on some other issues facing the district.

Below are excerpts from a conversation with challenger Andrew Fitch:

Question: From the very beginning, you talked about the campaign as a listening experience, and this week you're continuing that with the bike tour …

Andrew Fitch: Knocking on doors that have never been knocked on before. … I was riding through, I believe it was Hinsdale coming into Windsor, and they started to yell at me, 'No!' And then the guy was like, 'Wait a second. That's Andrew Fitch.' They actually knew who I was, and they were actually wanting to chat with me.

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