Berkshire Reign's 1791 Classic Gets Underway
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The Berkshire Reign White 14-and-under baseball team opened the 1791 Classic with a 13-4, come-from-behind win over Rip City in a game shortened to five innings by the tournament's time limit.
The Reign got a triple and four runs batted in from Fernando Vasconcelos and a triple from Ryder Raifstanger in the win.
After trailing, 4-3, after three innings, the Reign took the lead with a three-run fourth and broke the game open with a seven-run fifth.
Rip City struck first in the bottom of the opening inning. After a leadoff single from Jeremiah Bullett and a walk to Ryder Froio, a wild throw allowed Froio to advance and eventually come around to score. Sebastian Ricchi followed with an infield single, giving Rip City an early advantage.
Berkshire answered in the second. After Raifstanger's triple put a runner in scoring position, a wild pitch brought him home to tie the game. Mikey Ireland later singled and moved a runner to third before Shayne Clairmont grounded out to bring another run home, putting Reign ahead 2-1.
Rip City threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but the Reign escaped the inning without allowing another run.
The game continued to swing back and forth in the third. Berkshire added to its lead after a single by John Naventi and an infield single from Fernando Vasconcelos put runners in scoring position. A walk to Camden Sievers brought another run across, extending the Reign lead to 3-1.
Rip City then produced its biggest offensive inning of the game.
Bullett opened the bottom of the third with a flyout before Froio doubled to put a runner in scoring position. Rip City followed with a single, bringing one run home and moving another runner to third. With runners on second and third, Rip City used aggressive baserunning to manufacture two more runs, including a steal of home, taking a 4-3 lead.
The momentum shifted again in the fourth.
The Reign began the inning with a walk before Clairmont singled, moving the runner to third. A passed ball allowed the tying run to score, and Reign continued to threaten with runners on first and third. After a stolen base put another runner in scoring position, a single drove in the go-ahead run to give Berkshire a 5-4 advantage.
After a rain delay, Vasconcelos drove in a run with an infield single to give the Reign a 6-4 lead.
And, in what turned out to be the game's final inning one inning later, Michael Ressler hit an RBI double and Vasconcelos tripled home a pair of runs. Raifstanger drove in a run with a single to center in the seven-run rally.
In the bottom of the fifth, Vasconcelos struck out the final two hitters to strand a runner on second and end the game
Vasconcelos was the third Reign pitcher. He combined with Ressler and Clairmont to strike out eight.
Four pitchers took the hill for Rip City. Ryder Froio and Bradley Charow threw two innings apiece, combining to strike out five and allow five earned runs.
Berkshire Reign 14U 14, ENY Blackhawks 3
DALTON, Mass. – Camden Sievers went 2-for-2 with a triple to lead the Berkshire Reign to a win in the other pool play game in the 14-and-under division on Friday night.
Avery Powell was 2-for-3 with a triple, and Kody Lesser went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in.
Spencer Kotski doubled and drove in three runs.
Kotski and Gavin Fol split time on the mound in the four-inning win. They struck out six hitters and allowed no earned runs.
16-and-Under Division
Berkshire Bananas 2, Rip City 2
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The Bananas rallied for two runs in the top of the third to erase a two-run deficit in a game that ended after four innings due to rain.
Emery Rotter singled and drove in a run in the rally, which also saw Kieran Johnson walk, steal second and score a run.
Rip City got an RBI double from Michael Devylder in the bottom of the first inning.
In the second, Jacob Herzberg worked a two-out walk and came around to score on a double by JJ Prenguber.
Eli Kristensen struck out three in four innings on the mound for Rip City.
Lucas Hamilton handled the pitching for the Bananas.
The coaches agreed to call the game a tie after waiting out a rain delay.
Berkshire Reign 16, Diamond 17U 0
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The Reign capped a double-header at Joe Wolfe Field with a three-inning win to open its inaugural home tournament.
Weston Wigglesworth doubled, and the Reign needed just four hits to earn the double-digit win.
Jake McAllister, Sawyer Layne and JJ Schneider each singled, and Berkshire collected 11 walks and took advantage of four errors by the visitors.
Cooper Bunce and Trevor Leonard split time on the mound, striking out eight and not allowing a hit while walking a pair.
