CHICOPEE — Top-seeded Greenfield Post 81 advanced with a 14-1 win over Aldenville Post 337 in the Western Mass. American Legion playoffs at Fortin Field on the grounds of Szot Park on Thursday night.
Greenfield gets a rest day on Friday and will take the field again at Veterans Memorial Field on Saturday against Monson Post 241 at noon. Thursday’s game moved to Szot Park after a play-in game had to be suspended due to darkness on Wednesday night. Aldenville completed its game in Longmeadow before driving over to Szot Park to play Greenfield.
Aldenville gave Greenfield a slight jolt in the first inning, connecting on three singles and taking a 1-0 lead. An avalanche of runs followed from Greenfield and Arthur Fitzpatrick settled in nicely on the mound. Fitzpatrick got the win on the mound, giving up three hits with four strikeouts in three innings of work.
The mercy rule ended the game in the fifth inning.
“I wasn’t expecting that after the first times we played them,” Fitzpatrick said. “We beat up on them pretty good. But they had four or five new players that we haven’t seen yet. It caught me off-guard. I could tell after the first inning they were sitting fastball. The second time around I started to pitch backwards. Start off-speed with fastballs up, I thought that worked pretty good.”
Greenfield has a one of the deeper, more experienced group of players in the Legion ranks. Luca Siano had an RBI with a run scored for Greenfield. Getting to the state tournament is a goal of the team.
“Everyone is expecting to keep it rolling,” Siano said. “We are having fun and putting work in. We care about the game this year. We want to keep going with the energy that we’ve had. We want to step on team’s throats. We want to make the state tournament.”
The game against Monson on Saturday could feature Bodie Burke starting on the mound. It could also be Evan Tsipenyuk. The team will decide on Friday.
“I have to talk it over with the coaches,” Greenfield coach Alex Siano said. “But it’s one of those two. They are both capable. They are both capable of good outings four us. We will decide in the morning who want to go with. They will probably both end up pitching.”
Aidan Shea pitched the final two innings for Greenfield. Greenfield tied the game in the bottom half of the first inning when Hunter Donahue knocked in a run on a fielder’s choice.
Six runs in the bottom of the second gave Greenfield a comfortable 7-1 lead. Siano opened the inning with a walk before Sam Connors got plunked. Hayden Girard followed with a single that loaded the bases for Bodie Burke. The designated hitter delivered a two-run single for Greenfield. Nicholas Prasol clobbered a two-run double to right field later in the inning, scoring two more runs. Two additional runs scored on wild pitches.
Shawn Baumann had a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth for Greenfield. Siano’s RBI groundout scored the final run of the game. Prasol and Baumann both finished with two RBI. Ethan Mauthe and Conner Bergeron added an RBI each.
Burke, Connors, Donahue and Mauthe had stolen bases for Greenfield.
