PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Berkshire Force 12-and-under softball team allowed just three runs in four games in this weekend’s Babe Ruth New England Regional.
So the team knows a thing or two about defense … as in defending its regional crown.
The Force did just that, closing out Burlington, Mass., 11-1, in five innings in Sunday afternoon’s title game.
Mia Arpante struck out five and allowed just one hit to go the distance in the circle, and Bella MacDonald and Paxton Ebling each had a pair of hits in a nine-hit attack as Berkshire finished the tournament 4-0 and picked up its second win of the weekend against Burlington.
In both those games, the Force played error-free softball while its opponents committed seven miscues -- four in a 2-0 Berkshire win on Saturday morning.
“Our defense is excellent,” Berkshire coach Jess Glebus said. “This team, they come together. What I do love about this team is if they do make that error -- we get a passed ball or make a little fielding error -- we’re right back at it.
“We get the girl running at second base, our catcher throws her out at second base, we turn a double play. That girl often doesn’t advance when we make that defensive error. So what I like is they just come together. They really have each others’ backs.”
It was a win-win afternoon for the Berkshire Force program, which also earned a New England title in the 10U division, taking regional crowns in the only two age brackets in which the host program participated.
Actually, it was a win-win-win for Pittsfield Girls Softball, whose volunteers kept the five-division, 18-team tournament on schedule despite weather challenges throughout Saturday and Sunday at the Doyle Park complex.
The final game for the hometown team got off to a great start when Arpante retired the side on seven pitches in the top of the first, getting a called third strike and a pair of comebackers to the circle to get her offense up to bat.
Arpante then led off the bottom of the frame with a walk, igniting a rally that saw the first four Force batters reach base and score.
Kamryn Renata, Audrina Maloney and MacDonald each singled, with MacDonald reaching third on an outfield error. A wild pitch then brought her home to give Berkshire a 4-0 lead after one.
The Force tacked on a pair in the second with singles by Amanda Pou and Arpante and sacrifices from Renata and Maloney.
In the fourth, Burlington’s Morgan Ryan led off by drawing a walk and stole a pair of bases before Maddie King delivered her team’s only hit of the game, a single to left that made it 6-1.
MacDonald drove in a run in the fourth to push the margin back to six runs, and after Arpante retired the side in order in the top of the fifth, the Force put the game away in the bottom of the inning.
Michaela Hinckley started it with a walk and moved up on a couple of wild pitches before Ebling’s infield single brought her home. After Pou reached on an error that scored Ebling, Arpante drew a walk and pulled off a double-steal with Pou.
Renata’s ground ball to the right side scored Pou to make it 10-1. And Maloney’s grounder to the left side was misplayed, allowing Arpante to score easily with the run that kicked in the 10-run mercy rule.
Arpante, Hinckley and Pou had no mercy on opposing offenses all weekend, giving the Force a rotation in the circle that was tough beat.
“It’s really nice,” Glebus said of her options in the circle. “And especially with Babe Ruth, pitchers can only pitch nine straight innings. So it’s nice to know that if this one is struggling, we can really pull any of the other pitchers off the field or off the bench … and we’re all confident that they can get the job done.
“They’ve all proven they can do it. They’ve all done an excellent job all year. So it’s a nice feeling to have that we’re not saying, ‘Oh, no, what are we going to do now?’ It’s easy. Boom. Let’s go with this person.”
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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages
By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners.
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families.
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field.
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning.
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households.
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs.
A large limb from a 32-foot sugar maple in the park fell next to the fountain area over the weekend. Caution tape and traffic barrels now surround the aftermath.
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The last estimate for construction was overly optimistic because, at the time, it was unclear how long obtaining the two easements would take, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said.
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Full cost estimates have not been completed but based on recent repairs made to the Clapp Park splash pad, it is estimated to cost between $350,000 and $450,000.
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King Kone had a soft opening at the end of the week, offering the frozen treats on a "pay what you will" basis while employees perfected the craft.
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