Joel Peabody shut down a late rally from East Springfield Post 420, getting the final two outs in the top of the seventh inning with the tying run at the plate to earn the save, and Greenfield Post 81 held on for a 9-6 victory in an American Legion Baseball Senior Division game Monday night at Vets Field in Greenfield.
Despite holding an 8-0 lead into the sixth inning, Post 81 (7-2-1) had to buckle down for a tenuous final couple frames. East Springfield (4-7) scored five times in the sixth and once more in the seventh to eventually get within 9-6 after Greenfield scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on second and third and one out, Greenfield manager Kyle Phelps went to the bullpen and called upon Peabody to seal the deal.
The Greenfield High School right-hander got a strikeout and a ground out to third base to end the game and keep Post 81 near the top of the Zone B standings.
“We had to bring Joel in to get the final two outs but the bullpen held on,” said Phelps. “We’re putting these guys in a lot of tough situations and hopefully that’s going to help the team as a whole over the course of the long season.”
Adam Hallenbeck earned the win on the mound, striking out three and walking a pair in 4 2/3 shutout innings.
“Adam was in total control,” said Phelps. “We got him out under the pitch count.”
Greenfield took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning before putting up six runs in the third to open things up, 8-0.
“Our bats came alive in that third inning. Just one hit after another,” Phelps lauded.
Tionne Brown paced Greenfield’s 12-hit attack with three hits, including a triple and a double, to go with a pair of RBIs. Owen MacPhee, Ben Arnold and Kalen Evans all had two hits, with Evans and Arnold driving in runs as well. Brian Allen and Kiernan Freeman both had a hit and an RBI in the victory.
Post 81 takes to the road today when it visits Longmeadow for a 5:45 game at Longmeadow High School. After a day off for the Fourth of July, the team hosts Longmeadow at Vets Field for a 7 o’clock contest on Thursday.