Minnechaug Pitcher Stymies Pittsfield in Title Game

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Pittsfield High softball team got the first batter of the game to second base.

 

It was the farthest Minnechaug’s Katelyn Thompson would allow an opponent to go.

 

In fact, Thompson allowed just one more baserunner at all the rest of the day as the Falcons (23-0) earned a 4-0 win over Pittsfield in Saturday’s Western Massachusetts Division 1 title game on Sortino Field.

 

Thompson struck out six and walked one while allowing just a pair of hits.

 

Brittney Perkett had one of those hits, a single up the middle to lead off the game. Natasha Shade bunted her into scoring position.

 

But Thompson got the next hitter looking at a called third strike and the final out on a fly ball to the left side of the infield.

 

The other hit for PIttsfield (18-3) came in the fourth inning, when Erin Murphy singled with two out. But Thompson picked up the third out on a ground ball to close the door that time.

 

She pitched 1-2-3 innings from there to keep Minnechaug perfect going into Tuesday’s state semi-final against the Central Mass champion.

 

She got all the offensive support she needed in the first inning.

 

Minnechaug also put its leadoff hitter on base when Nina Langone singled up the middle. She went to second on an infield single from Rachel Crafts and scored on a two-out single to left by Calli Murray.

 

The Falcons added some insurance runs in the fifth with a three-run home run off the bat of Thompson, who drove in Langone and Taylor Sanborn.