Blue Sox Routed at Home, lose to Pittsfield 14-0

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HOLYOKE, Mass. - The Blue Sox, coming off of their most important win of the year, hosted the Pittsfield American Defenders and were handed a very rough go of it, losing 14-0 at MacKenzie Stadium.
 
The Blues were never truly at the helm of any momentum, really, after giving up a run in the second and third innings to start things off.
 
Along with giving up the early lead, Holyoke did not capitalize when they put men on the base paths, leaving a combined six runners on base through the first four innings.
 
With the game still in reach at 5-0 in the sixth, it looked like reliever Maxx Catapano (Southern Conn. St.) was about to get out of the inning unscathed and get the Blue Sox back into the dugout.
 
But the pitch that was the fifth in the at bat of shortstop Virgil Chavira (Azusa Pacific U) barely missed the inside corner and kept the at bat alive. Chavira then walked, which started the trend of four straight Defenders reaching base, with three of them crossing the plate. The game quickly turned very much in favor of Pittsfield at 8-0, and the Defenders did not look back.
 
Along with the valiant effort from the offense, the Pittsfield starter had quite the ball game as well. The left-hander Robert Young (Dartmouth) went seven innings, but walked six batters and hit two men as well. The silver lining of his outing, though, was that he only gave up two hits, which were all the Blues could muster up on the evening.

 
Those two hits came off of the bat of left-fielder Alex Hilliard (Vanderbilt), who smoked both shots into the right-center field gap to give himself two doubles on the evening. The performance was one of the only ones of note on the side of the Sox.
 
One more outing sticks out in the box score, and your eyes do not deceive you. The big first baseman/designated hitter Murray Watts (Arkansas State) came on to pitch the last out of the top of the ninth inning. Despite giving up a hit, Watts consistently threw strikes and ultimately got the Blue Sox back into the dugout after a frustrating inning.
 
But the outing was far too little, too late as the Blue Sox did not have a grip on the game from the start, losing to the Defenders for the third time this season.
 
The Blue Sox (13-11) head to Vermont to face the division-leading Vermont Mountaineers (17-10) tomorrow night.
 
For more information about sox players, coaching staff, personnel or tickets, visit the team’s website at www.holyokesox.com.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is  appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years. 

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve  a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

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