Cam Donahue’s two-out RBI single in the fifth inning plated the eventual game-winning run and Methuen Post 122 defeated Greenfield Post 81, 3-2, during Day 2 of the 2016 Massachusetts American Legion Junior Division Tournament Sunday night at Veterans Memorial Field in Greenfield.
Greenfield is relegated to the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will take on Somerset Post 228 today at 4:30 in an elimination game. Methuen advances in the winners’ bracket to take on Whitman Post 22 tonight at 7.
Greenfield and Methuen entered the game after opening the tournament with victories on Saturday night. Greenfield scored twice in the fourth inning on Adam Hallenbeck’s two-run single to take a 2-1 lead, but Methuen came back with two decisive runs in the fifth.
Jacob Thibeault led off the fifth with a single, stole second and went to third on a passed ball. He came around to tie the game on a double by Ian Ferris. Later, with Ferris at third and two outs, Donahue delivered in the clutch with a single that put Methuen ahead to stay.
Brendan Shea made the lead stick as he went the distance, striking out six and walking three to pick up the victory. Thibeault finished with three hits, while Ferris, Donahue and Joe Rogan each had a pair.
Tyreece Younger struck out three and walked one in six innings in the loss. Owen MacPhee had two hits while Tionne Brown, Ben Arnold, Kyle Spencer and Luke Viens each added a hit.
Greenfield 4, Norwood 3 (9) — Viens beat out an infield single with two outs in the ninth inning and Greenfield Post 81 went on to defeat Norwood, 4-3, in nine innings during Day 1 of the tournament Saturday night.
Greenfield actually tied the game in the seventh inning to force extras and then won it in the ninth when Tyler Miner reached on a one-out bunt single and went to second on a throwing error. He moved to third on Spencer’s groundout, and then scored when Viens hit a swinging bunt for an infield single.
Norwood was the designated home team due to a pregame coin toss and got the chance to try and tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Norwood got runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but Greenfield pitcher Josh Obuchowski got Norwood’s cleanup hitter to pop out to end the game. That finished off a complete-game, five-hitter for Obuchowski, who struck out three and walked two.
Greenfield took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Arnold led off with a walk, moved to third on a Spencer single, and scored on Owen Phelps’ ground out. In the fourth, Greenfield made it 2-0 as Tyler Townsley tripled and scored on an Arnold ground out.
Norwood came back with an unearned run in the fifth and then took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Down to its final at-bats, Greenfield tied the game in the top of the seventh. Colin Cloutier reached on an error and went to second on an obstruction call. Miner came on to pinch run and he scored the tying run on Spencer’s RBI double.
Greenfield shortstop Eliot Mousseau and second baseman Brown each had excellent defensive games.