GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Post 81 Junior Legion team is ready for a busy week ahead.
They got things started on the right foot the past two nights.
With all the rain hitting the area this summer, Post 81 — and every other American Legion team in Western Mass. — has had a slew of games postponed. With all Junior Legion regular season games needing to be played by July 19, Greenfield was faced with the task of playing eight games in a nine-day span, all of them mattering as Post 81 fights for one of four postseason spots.
Greenfield got things started on the right foot with a 9-5 triumph over Longmeadow on Monday and on Tuesday, earned a 9-2 victory over West Springfield in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Vets Field. Results from the second game of the doubleheader were not available at print deadline.
Arthur Fitzpatrick got the win on the mound against West Springfield in Game 1, going all five innings in the five-inning doubleheader where he struck out four while scattering just one hit.
“I felt like I pitched well during the first two and the last two innings, but I didn’t pitch well in the third,” Fitzpatrick said. “We still made the plays and got it back together to win the game.”
Post 81 put two runs on the board in the first. Logan Moore singled, Jackson Campbell reached on a walk and both were driven in off a base hit from Ethan Mauthe to give Greenfield a 2-0 lead.
Post 81 exploded for four runs in the third to take command of the game. Caleb Thomas kicked it off by launching a double to deep left field before Mauthe drew a walk and Malik Moore reached on an error, loading the bases. Will Ainsworth was hit by a pitch to bring Thomas in, Luca Siano got on with an error to score Mauthe, Shawn Baumann cracked a single to knock in Malik Moore and Fitzpatrick helped himself with a single to bring Ainsworth in and give Greenfield a 6-0 going into the bottom of the third (Post 81 was the away team for the first game of the doubleheader).
A pair of walks and an error allowed West Springfield to put two runs on the board in the bottom of the third but Greenfield got a run back in the top of the fourth after Thomas walked, moved his way around the bases and scored on a passed ball.
Two more runs plated for Post 81 in the fifth to make it a 9-2 lead. Logan Moore reached on an error, Campbell was walked and Malik Moore was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Ainsworth, who also walked to bring Logan Moore in. Tyler Yetter then reached on an error that sent Campbell home to close out the Greenfield scoring.
Post 81 (7-3) would have a spot in the playoffs if the season ended today, and coach Alex Siano said there’s more than enough talent on the roster to earn a bid.
“The goal is to make the playoffs,” Siano said. “From game one I knew we had a good team as long as we have everyone here. Summer baseball is tough. Kids have lives and it is what it is. When the kids come they play well.”
Greenfield made it to the Western Mass. Junior Legion finals last year, and with experience on the roster this summer, the goal of hoisting a trophy isn’t out of reach.
Post 81 has five players — Thomas, Campbell, Malik Moore, Fitzpatrick and Luca Siano — who started for the Greenfield varsity team this spring. Throw in Ethan Mauthe and Ben Werner who started for Pioneer’s varsity team, Logan Moore who started for Mohawk Trail’s varsity team and Yetter and Ainsworth who played for Franklin Tech’s varsity team and it’s no surprise that Greenfield has had success on the diamond this summer.
“For this league we have some strong players,” Siano said. “We have a lot of kids who played varsity baseball, made runs in the state tournament and now are on this roster. Almost everyone on our roster is a varsity player. We have a team that can compete.”
With so many games in a short period of time, Post 81’s pitching will be tested, as players have to follow the pitch count rules that will force a multitude of hurlers onto the mound during the closing stretch of the season.
With the way the team’s bats are going, that shouldn’t be much of an issue.
“We’re low on pitching but we’ve been getting through it with what we have,” Fitzpatrick said. “We have a lot of games and we have a player on vacation. We’ll have to put some position players on the mound but we’ll be fine. We’ll just have to have our bats going to get in the playoffs.”
Greenfield will get a break this weekend to rest up, and Siano said he likes the position his team is in.
“We have it mapped out pretty good,” Siano said. “We have the weekend off which is lucky. If we can get through Friday — we have another doubleheader against Westfield who is always a good team — and get through this week, we’ll be in really good shape.”