Codey, Generals Top Taconic

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Pittsfield baseball team Thursday defeated the Taconic Thunder behind a strong pitching performance by Jason Codey.

 

On Thursday the Generals made the short trip to Taconic to face off in a rematch with the Thunder.

 

Pittsfield going into this game had not beaten the Thunder since the 2022 state tournament, and the Thunder had outscored its city rival, 16-0, in their last three meetings, including a 10-0 win earlier this spring at Buddy Pellerin Field.

 

Taconic sent to the bump Damon Pause, a senior who got a five-inning no-hitter the first time around.

 

The Generals answered with Codey, a sophomore who made his first varsity appearance a week earlier to get a win in relief on Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y.

 

Pause looked to continue his reign of terror on Pittsfield.

 

But that was cut short immediately when Ben Jacob led off the game with a hit. He then stole second and scored on a single by Nick Brindle.

 

Then the bats went silent as it was a pitching duel for Codey and Pause.

 

Codey struggled to hit the strike zone at first but picked up the pace after a first inning strikeout.

 

Pause found his groove after the first-inning run, throwing a total of nine strikeouts through six innings. 

 

Codey threw seven strikeouts while only allowing three hits.

 

The game went silent for 5 innings after the score from Pittsfield until Pittsfield drew a series of walks that led to a two-RBI single by Simon Mele.

 

This would only spark the Generals’ run production as the very next inning Nick Brindle hit a three-run home run to blast the game open for the Generals.

 

Brindle also had three stolen bases during the game.

 

“It honestly just felt good,” Brindle said. “I saw the pitch Ii wanted to hit. I was seeing the ball well all game. It felt really good [to hit a homerun].”

 

For Taconic’s offense Christain Salzarulo hit a deep home run to left field to put his team on the board in the sixth to make it 3-1.

 

The Thunder’s Ethan O’Donnell had himself a day, going 2-for-3 and accounting for two of his team’s three  total hits.

 

The eight hits for the Generals made the difference.

 

“They really woke up, and a team like Taconic is never easy to face,” Pittsfield coach Drew Pearce said. “Their coaching staff is great, facing a pitcher that dominant [Pause] is always a challenge. Their team is great. Winning a game like this always feels good.” 

 

Pittsfield (9-5) will face Wahconah on Friday.

 

Taconic (10-5) faces Minnechaug Regional on Saturday.