North Adams Transcript
NORTH ADAMS -- North Adams Post 125 got off to a quick start and put three runs on the board in the first inning. Those three runs were all they got.
Pittsfield Post 68 pitcher Liam Nolan settled in on the mound and allowed his offense to get rolling. After giving up two hits and a walk in the first inning, he let just four Post 125 batters reach base in the final six innings.
Post 68 was able to squeeze only three runs across the board in the first six innings, then exploded for six in the seventh, for a 9-3 win.
"About the third inning was when he started to find his groove," Pittsfield coach Jim Mazzer said. "He really kicked it in about then. His curveball had more snap to it. That’s really the key to his game. When he has that curveball working and he’s mixing his change of speed in."
North Adams took advantage of two first inning errors to help get the early runs. Two of its three runs were unearned.
"The bats just went dead after the first inning," North Adams coach Bob Rumbolt said.
Starter Chase Preite held Post 68 in check for much of the game. He allowed two runs in the second before allowing the tying run in the fifth.
In the seventh, fatigue appeared to play a role in the Post 68 rally. Preite walked two batters and allowed a hit, before giving way to Nate Alibozek with the bases loaded and one out.
Preite threw more than 100 pitches in the
Myles Candelet laid down an important sacrifice bunt to start the rally. Rory Slattery then put his team ahead with an RBI single.
"Rory is kind of like our captain," Mazzer said. "When he gets going, everybody does. We’ve been waiting to have an inning like that."
Post 68 sent 10 men to the plate in the inning and recorded four of its seven hits in the frame. Zach Neary had two RBI in the inning. Hunter Stanton chipped in one of his two RBI in the inning as well.
Robert Jutras had the only RBI for Post 125. North Adams sent more than three batters to the plate only three times in the game and struck out seven times. It attempted a rally in the seventh, by putting two men on base. However, Nolan struck out Rik Brown and forced Preite to line out to end the game.
Post 68 has now won three of four games between the two teams. With the playoffs set to begin on July 16, the next time Post 68 and Post 125 could meet is in the semifinals.
"We’ll just take it to the next game and fight," Rumbolt said. "Like I tell the pitchers after they make a bad pitch or walk somebody, that’s gone. We have to forget about it. We can afford to forget about it, we’re going to make the playoffs, we’re still No. 2."
Post 68 sits in first place with a 10-2 record, while North Adams has a 6-4 mark. Tyler Aces is in third, while both Lenoxdale and Southern Berkshire have had difficulties fielding teams this season. North Adams is scheduled to play Lenoxdale on Friday and a doubleheader against Southern Berkshire on Sunday. So far, North Adams has played just one of three scheduled meetings with Lenoxdale, and none of the four scheduled matches with Southern Berkshire.
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Pittsfield Post 68 9,
North Adams Post 125 3
Post 68 020 010 6 -- 9 7 3
Post 125 300 000 0 -- 3 4 4
Liam Nolan and Brian Bonacquisti (6), Andrew Ringie (1). Chase Preite (6 1/3), Nate Alibozek (2/3) and Conner Tworig. 2B-- Post 68 2 (Zach Neary, Hunter Stanton) Post 125 1 (Zach Brassard). 3B-- Post 68 1 (Peter Gregory).
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