New's Pitching, Generals Pound Hoosac

Chad Shade finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs batted in. See more photos here.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A week that started with a whimper ended with a bang for the Pittsfield High School baseball team.

Actually, several bangs, as the Generals batted around in the bottom of the sixth to break open a three-run game en route to a 13-2 win over Hoosac Valley on Friday afternoon at Clapp Park.

Pittsfield started the week in North Adams, where their bats were silent in a 4-2 loss to Drury. By week's end, it looked like the Generals had figured things out at the plate.

"We did it with the bat in the last inning, but it took us a while to get going," Pittsfield coach Bob Moynihan said.

Kevin Donati, Chad Shade and Dominic Traversa each doubled in the rally to chase Hoosac Valley starter Austin Milesi. Shade finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs batted in; Traversa went 2-for-5 with three RBIs.

"We started to hit the ball today, and we really haven't been hitting the past few games," Traversa said. "We really got it going today, and I think that will carry over.

"This is definitely the kind of game that can be a springboard. Hopefully, we'll go into the next game and keep hitting like that."

The Generals hope they can keep getting pitching like the performance Bobby New turned in on Friday afternoon.

New allowed just one earned run in six innings of work. He scattered five hits and struck out four before Ryan Grande took the hill to finish the game.

"[New's] curve ball was right on point," said Traversa, the Pittsfield catcher. "He was getting it right over the top of the plate — down and away from lefties and busting it in on righties.

"That's the best he's looked all year. He was hitting his targets inning after inning. It was just a really good performance."

A one-out error led to Hoosac's first run in the top of the first, but Pittsfield (5-6) responded with two in the bottom of the inning. Kevin Donati reached base when he was hit by a pitch and came around to score when Shade's single was bobbled in the outfield — the first of six Hoosac errors on the day.

Shade eventually came in on Traversa's single, and it stayed a 2-1 game until Pittsfield added three insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Shade had the big hit in that rally, a two-run single to center field. But three Hurricane errors were the real story as the Generals jumped out to a 5-1 lead.

Hoosac Valley (6-5) got back within three runs in the top of the fifth. Sean-Ryan Kut (2-for-2) singled, moved up on a fielder's choice and a fly ball and came home when John Lewis got hung up between first and second after New tried to pick off Lewis at first.

Pittsfield squandered three baserunners in the fifth, allowing one to get caught in a rundown and failing to get another man home from third with one out.

But in the sixth, the Generals made the most of their chances and made it a very satisfying end to the week.

But Moynihan, as coaches do, was already looking ahead.

"We haven't gotten the big hit, and today we got the hit to drive some runs in," he said. "Sometimes it just takes them relaxing a little bit. Maybe it will be a confidence builder for the next couple of games.

"That's what we need. We've got good players. We just haven't been scoring enough runs. ... We're 5-6, but we've got a big week next week. We've got Monument on Monday, Taconic Wednesday and St. Joe, Friday. That's a big week. We have to play good ball."