Pittsfield Little League Stays Alive at State Tournament
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| Hector Reyes-Colon struck out 10 in 4 and two thirds Innings to earn the win on the mound. |
HOLDEN, Mass. – Less than 24 hours after committing three errors and allowing four earned runs in a 15-14 loss at the State Tournament, the Pittsfield Little League All-Stars returned to form.
Pittsfield was perfect in the field and got solid pitching and contributions up and down the lineup in a 7-2 win over Boxford to stay alive in the state’s “Final Four.”
On Saturday, Pittsfield gets a rematch against Bridgewater, which dropped a 5-2 decision to Roxbury’s Parkway in Friday’s late game.
The winner of Saturday morning’s game will face Parkway on Sunday for the right to represent Massachusetts at the New England Regional Championships and play for a trip to Williamsport, Pa.
“At the end of last night’s game, there were no hung heads,” Pittsfield coach Joe Skutnik said of the extra-inning loss in the tournament opener. “And they hit the ball [against Bridgewater], and they felt good about the way that the played.
“It was one bad inning that we could have put it away, but it didn’t happen. But they knew that. And today, they came out and kept hitting, and I like the way that we put the runs on at the end of the game.”
Pittsfield scored two runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed. It also answered both Boxford runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
Hector Reyes-Colon kept Boxford’s hitters off the basepaths for the most part, striking out 10 in 4 and a third innings to earn the win on the mound.
“Just pure heart,” Skutnik said of Reyes-Colon’s performance. He had some troubles at the end, but coach Tanner [Hanford] asked him if he could get through the last 12 pitches, and he said he could.”
Earlier in the all-star season, Skutnik talked about the need to help the hard-throwing Reyes-Colon find his groove on the mound. One noticeable difference between his approach in the district tournament and Friday’s win was his pace; Reyes-Colon appeared more comfortable on the bump, not taking the time between pitches that sometimes caused batters to frequently step out of the box during at-bats against him.
“We’ve been working on that,” Skutnik said. “A lot of bullpens. And we got him out last night [against Bridgewater] for 20 pitches. So the more we could get him out, I think the more comfortable he is.”
Mason Fox took over in the fifth and struck out three without allowing a runner to close out the win.
Pittsfield’s offense gave the pitchers support right out of the gate.
Myles Morrison-Gould led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. He was erased when Fox reached on a fielder’s choice, but, with two out, Colton Smith singled to get Fox into scoring position.
An infield single from Shaun Boehm loaded the bases, and Sean Rozak singled to center to drive in Fox and Smith to make it 2-0.
In the third, Brody Hamilton hit a one-out home run deep to center field.
After Boxford scored in the top of the fourth, Thomas Lacatell doubled to drive in Reyes-Colon to again make it a three-run margin in the bottom of the inning.
Boxford pulled back within two in the fifth, but Pittsfield took control for good in its next time at bat.
Maizen Erichetto got things started with a leadoff single. Will Knauth bunted him into scoring position, and Chase Albano was hit by a pitch before Hamilton (2-for-2) singled to load the bases and bring up the top of the order.
Morrison-Gould (2-for-3) and Fox delivered back-to-back RBI singles, and Reyes-Colon hit a sacrifice fly to left to make it 7-2.
Six different Pittsfield hitters scored a run, and every player reached base safely save Knauth, who had a sac bunt in his second at-bat.
No one had a bigger night at the plate than Hamilton.
“That’s nice nice from your No. 12 hitter,” Skutnik said. “But he had two hits today, so maybe he’s coming around. We’re gonna half to find out. Another person, Thomas Lacatell, finally broke out with a nice double. So a good all-around effort today.”
