FLORENCE — Greenfield Post 81 defeated Northampton Post 28, 18-2, on Monday at sunny Arcanum Field. Greenfield ended the game in the fifth inning due to the mercy rule. It was the season opener for both teams.
Greenfield pounded 16 hits in the win. By the fourth inning, Greenfield had a 9-0 lead. Northampton scored twice in the bottom of the fourth and had the bases loaded but couldn’t close the deficit any further. Greenfield scored nine runs in the fifth.
“That was great to see,” Greenfield coach Alex Siano said. “I was kind of surprised. Not that they are not good players, it’s just the first time they some of them have played in a while. To see everyone get a hit and put the bat on the ball was pretty exciting.”
Hunter Donahue of Greenfield makes contact against Northampton, Monday in Florence. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
James LaValle of Northampton delivers a pitch against Greenfield, Monday in Florence. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Matt Walko of Northampton makes contact against Greenfield, Monday in Florence. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Nick Prasol of Greenfield turns the corner at third base against Northampton, Monday in Florence. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Greenfield’s Luca Siano comes home to score next to Northampton’s Matt Walko, Monday in Florence. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Jake Kostek of Northampton (left) takes a look next to Nick Prasol of Greenfield, Monday in Florence. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Conner Bergeron of Greenfield comes home to score against Northampton. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo
Bodie Burke got the win on the mound for Greenfield. Burke pitched into the fourth inning, giving up two runs on three hits with four strikeouts. Burke’s fastball topped out at 80 miles-per-hour.
“The first three innings I found the zone,” Burke said. “I was locating my fastball pretty well…in the fourth inning I kind of lost command.”
Burke gave up two hits and three walks in the fourth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Aidan Shea relieved Burke and induced a pop out to get Greenfield out of the inning with a 9-2 lead.
Greenfield had six players with multiple hits. Hunter Donahue (two RBIs) and Luca Siano (three RBIs) led the way for the offense, going 2-for-4. Siano had a double and a triple for Greenfield.
“That was great, I don’t think I’ve played in a game with that many hits,” Burke said. “It was great for them to back me up on the mound and put up that many runs.”
James LaVallee took the loss on the mound for Northampton. LaVallee pitched two innings, giving up five hits and five runs with two strikeouts. Cody Keel had an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth for Northampton. LaVallee scored a run on a wild pitch.
“Losing is a much better teacher than winning,” Northampton coach Adam Krol said. “I am proud of the guys that they continued to battle. Early on in the season we are figuring out our identity and figuring out who we are. Learning to play as a team.”
Northampton is set to get players from Hopkins Academy once the Golden Hawks finish their high school postseason.
“I believe in every player we got,” Krol said. “We have a really good team. It just wasn’t reflected today. Sometimes you are going to have those days.”
Conner Bergeron registered an RBI in the second inning for Greenfield. Bergeron got plunked with the bases loaded. Later in the inning, Donahue laced a two-RBI double to give Greenfield a 3-0 lead. Ethan Mauthe pushed home another run on a fielder’s choice.
Donahue scored the fifth run on a double steal, covering himself with a massive amount of dirt on the slide. Siano tripled all the way to the greenery in left field at Arcanum in the third before an RBI single by Nick Prasol. Sam Connors hit an RBI double to make the score 7-0 in the top of the fourth. Siano had a double that scored two more runs later in the inning.
Arthur Fitzpatrick, Jackson Campbell, Bergeron and Ben Caron had RBI hits in Greenfield’s nine-run fifth inning. Bergeron pitched the fifth for Greenfield, giving up a single with two strikeouts. Bergeron reached 83 miles per hour on his fastball.
