Only one run was scored on Monday evening, but that’s because Northampton Post 28 ace James Lavallee and Monson Post 241’s Brayden Mega traded punches on the mound at Legion Field in Palmer.
Lavallee pitched seven shutout innings on just 85 pitches as he struck out 12 batters and allowed only two hits (both singles), while Post 28 plated the game’s lone run in the fourth inning. With how Lavallee, a recent graduate of Smith Vocational, was dealing, that one run was enough for Northampton to pull out the 1-0 victory — improving to 7-2 on the season.
Pat Millin led off the fourth inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Andrew Gagne. Millin then stole third before stealing home to give Northampton a 1-0 advantage.
Mega went on to no-hit Post 28, but Millin’s base running efforts were enough to get the job done as they won in dramatic fashion.
Northampton Post 28 (7-2) will next play Pittsfield 68 No. 2 on the road at Clapp Park.
Amherst 10, Whitingham, Vt. 5 — In an out-of-state Pioneer Valley Youth Baseball League battle, the Hurricanes doubled up their opponents score in a win last week.
The teams came into the contest as the only remaining one-loss teams in the PVYBL Koufax Division, and Amherst, returning to full strength after a week of missing players to vacations, was able to throw the winning combination of Oscar Reich (starter) and Brady Klaes (reliever), both dealing to catcher Cyrus Arwade.
Whitingham jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the ‘Canes answered right back in the first inning. From there, Reich settled in and Amherst was able to build its largest lead to 8-3 in the fifth.
In the first, down 2-0, the ‘Canes brought home Daniel Lebron and Klaes from second and third with a ground out from Arwade and a sacrifice fly from Oliver Howard. Klaes had a monster double to center in the fourth, plating Tristan Feeley and Lebron. Reich helped his own cause with a double to deep right field in the second, driving home Drew Holland. Other runs were scored by Julian Park and Gus Garrett Peltier.
Northampton 8, West County 7 — In an extra-inning PVYBL contest on Saturday, the Blue Devils prevailed for a thrilling win at Mohawk Trail Regional High School. The game was tied at seven in the top of the ninth inning when Oliver Yau singled, driving in what would turn out to be the winning run. Jack White, pitching for the Blue Devils, worked around a single and a walk in the bottom of the frame and struck out the final batter with runners on second and third to secure the win.
Trailing 3-0, Northampton flipped the game on its head in the top of the fifth, scoring five runs on three hits to take the lead 5-3. The runs all came with two outs in the frame thanks in part to some clutch hitting from Adrien Melly-Wright and heads up base running from Austin Sojkowski.
West County tied the game at seven in the bottom of the seventh behind a pair of singles, setting the stage for some wild extra innings.
Jack White earned the win for Northampton. The pitcher allowed four hits and four runs (three earned) over 4 1/3 innings, striking out eight and walking four. Yau earned the start on the mound for Northampton, as he gave up three hits and three runs over 4 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking four.
Alex Visentin Laing led Northampton with three hits in four at bats. Nicholas Theroux, Yau, Adrien Melly-Wright, Austin Barcomb and Emmett Stith each drove in one run for the Blue Devils.
Northampton 4, Hatfield 1 — The Blue Devils made it a perfect 4th of July weekend, as they earned a low-scoring win on Sunday behind strong pitching efforts from Dylan Lawrence-Riddell and Nicholas Theroux.
Last year, Theroux and Lawrence-Riddell faced each other twice in two All-Star matchups between Northampton and Southampton. This summer, the two are enjoying playing on the same squad and not having to pitch against each other. The Northampton team is made up of roughly 50 percent players who were on Northampton Little League and 50 percent players who were on Southampton Little League growing up. The opponents-turned-teammates have loved teaming up this summer, according to coach Michael Lawrence-Riddell.
Hatfield was the first team to score, a single by Gavin Kukucka on a 3-0 count put Hatfield in the lead in the top of the third.
Northampton captured the lead, 3-1, in the bottom of the third when Bradyn Rios doubled, scoring two runs, and a wild pitch scored one run.
Theroux earned the win on the mound for Northampton. The hurler was brilliant, allowing two hits and zero runs over 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking three. Callan Payne took the loss for Hatfield, but went six strong innings where he allowed four runs on six hits while striking out two and walking five.
Lawrence-Riddell started the game for Northampton, giving up four hits and one run over 2 2/3 frames, striking out four and walking two. Rios led Northampton with two RBIs, the Blue Devils’ 7-8-9 hitters showcased the depth of the team’s lineup, with Austin Barcomb (two hits), Adrien Melly-Wright (double) and Emmett Stith (1-for-2) all chipping in. Stith was also at the start of a brilliant 9-4-2 putout at home plate to end the top of the fourth inning and preserve a 3-1 Northampton lead.
Northampton is currently in fourth place in the PVYBL with a record of 5-4-1.
