GREENFIELD — Greenfield Post 81 stayed unbeaten after a 9-4 win over Belchertown Post 239 on Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Field. Greenfield (4-0) scored six runs in the first inning to pull away early.
Arthur Fitzpatrick got the win on the mound, pitching three innings. Fitzpatrick gave up four runs with five strikeouts in three innings of work. After walking consecutive batters in the fourth inning, Aidan Shea relieved Fitzpatrick.
“Arthur (Fitzpatrick) is a really great pitcher but I don’t think he had his best stuff today,” Greenfield coach Alex Siano said. “Scoring six runs in the first inning was a great buffer. I give Belchertown credit, they made a game out of it. When we got up by six runs I think we go a little relaxed in the field and and on the bases. I’ve talked with the kids about that, you have to play all seven innings.”
Shea pitched four innings, giving up only one hit in relief with four strikeouts.
“Aidan was excellent,” Siano said. “I’ve coached Aidan since he was nine years old on travel teams. He’s always been a very, very consistent pitcher. He hammers the strike zone and as he’s getting older he is getting stronger and throwing harder.”
After falling behind by six runs, Belchertown cut the lead down to three runs on two separate occasions but couldn’t quite get itself all the way back into the game.
“That’s one thing we talked about, not digging ourselves too big of a hole,” Belchertown coach Todd McDonald said. “It was a pretty good game aside from that first inning. I was very pleased that we didn’t roll over. We battled and put together some good at bats. We need to buckle down a little bit defensively.”
Brodie Funk took the loss on the mound. Funk pitched three innings and gave up five hits and five walks with a strikeout. Belchertown made three errors in the game. Ethan Mauthe went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs for Greenfield. Nolan Ingram went 1-for-4 with two RBIs for Belchertown.
In Greenfield’s six-run first inning, there were five walks and three hits along with three stolen bases. Hunter Donahue got the first RBI hit for Greenfield. Mauthe followed with a single that plated two runs to give Greenfield a 3-0 lead. Luca Siano added an RBI groundout later in the inning to make the score 6-0.
Canyon Charron and Dustin Braide had hits in the top of the second for Belchertown, a run would later score on an error. Nate Marino led off the top of the third with a double for Belchertown. Ingram later connected on a two-run single for Belchertown, cutting the Greenfield lead to 6-3.
Nick Prasol registered an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning for Greenfield. Marino hit a sacrifice fly of his own in the fourth four Belchertown, bringing home another run.
Conner Bergeron notched an RBI with a groundout in the fourth before a sacrifice fly by Sam Connors. After the sacrifice fly by Connors, Greenfield pushed the lead to 9-4. Shea pitched the first 1-2-3 inning of the game for either team in the top of the sixth, collecting two strikeouts.
Greenfield stole 11 bases in the game. Donahue and Bodie Burke each had three stolen bases for Greenfield.
