Luke Fenig of the Great Barrington All-Stars is recognized for being the top individual fund-raiser of the John Codey Jimmy Fund Classic.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The battery of Cam Sievers and Jack Furlong powered the Dalton-Hinsdale Little League 10-year-old All-Stars to a 10-9, come-from-behind victory over the Pittsfield Americans in Thursday's title game of the John Codey Jimmy Fund Classic.
At the plate, they combined to go 5-for-7 with two walks and five RBIs.
In the field, they combined on a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth to preserve their team's slender lead.
Sievers, who moved from second base to the mound with one out in the fourth inning, struck out seven in 2 2/3 innings, including the game's final out to touch off his team's celebration.
"That kid knows how to perform under pressure," Dalton-Hinsdale Manager Fred Santora said. "He's amazing. He's got ice water in his veins. He's gonna be a great ballplayer."
Sievers ended the fourth with a strikeout with the bases loaded and the fifth with a called third strike with runners on first and second.
Dalton-Hinsdale catcher Furlong had three hits, including a two-run double in a pivotal five-run fifth inning. He also threw out a runner at second after Pittsfield American put they tying run aboard with one out in the sixth.
"Jack's another one," Santora said. "I've got a whole team full of great kids, but Jack's probably one of the hardest working kids I have on the team. He's amazing.
"They're all amazing."
The Pittsfield Americans, who had an amazing run of their own to the Massachusetts State Championship, jumped on top Thursday with a four-run second inning.
Pittsfield took a 4-0 lead without a base hit, working six walks off Dalton-Hinsdale starter Eli Kristenson.
Kristensen settled down and ended up striking out six, including the last batter he faced, in 3-⅓ innings before handing the ball to Sievers.
Dalton-Hinsdale's offense, meanwhile, responded to Pittsfield's big second inning with a pair of runs in the top of the third.
After Sievers hit a one-out infield single and stole second, Furlong drove him home with a single to left for Dalton-Hinsdale's first run. Furlong ended up scoring on an RBI single from Lucas Lussier to make it 4-2.
Dalton-Hinsdale cut the deficit to one run in the top of the fourth. Matthew Hurley led off with a single and came home on Furlong's RBI single to make it 4-3.
In the bottom of the frame, the Pittsfield Americans scored three times. Jack Wendling got the one-out rally started with a single to left, and the Americans worked three walks off of Sievers on their way to a 7-3 lead.
Dalton struck right back with a five-run fifth keyed by that Furlong two-run double and a double by Lussier as their team went ahead for the first time, 8-7.
But the Pittsfield Americans responded in the bottom of the fifth, getting another one-out single by Wendling and a triple by Aiden Arseneau, who scored when Matthew Keegan reached on an error to make it 9-8, Americans with one inning to play.
Lussier (3-for-4) led off the top of the sixth by dropping a single into left field, but he was erased when Pittsfield catcher Alec Houghtaling threw out his second runner of the game at second base.
Dalton-Hinsdale then got consecutive walks from Kayden Renderer, Hurley, Payton LeClair and Sievers -- the last scoring Renderer to tie the game, 9-9. Hurley hustled home on a pitch that got to the backstop to put Dalton-Hinsdale up, 10-9.
Another ball to the backstop nearly gave the designated visitors a two-run cushion, but Houghtaling retrieved the ball and fired to pitcher Arseneau covering the plate for the inning's third out.
In the bottom of the sixth, Sievers wrapped two strikeouts around the caught stealing by Furlong to end the game.
Afterward, players from both teams were recognized for their accomplishments on the field.
But perhaps more important on this night were the honors handed out to the youngsters who did not make the final.
Great Barrington's Luke Fenig was honored for raising more than $3,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Center, the most by an individual player in the tourney. The leading fund-raising team in the tournament was the Pittsfield Little League National Division All-Stars, which raised more than $10,000 for the cause.
"We had a big talk about how we were going to go out there and play for kids that can't be out here to play," Dalton-Hinsdale's Santora said. "I think it really set in on these guys and really made them push themselves a little harder so they can enjoy the game for other kids who can't. It's a great experience for them all."
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Traveling 40 mph down a section of Bailey Road is no longer permitted.
The Select Board on Monday voted to change the "questionable" 40 mph zone to a 35 mph speed limit.
Police Chief Robert Derksen came to the panel with the request, as there are currently three speed limits on the road.
It was hard to tell where the 35 mph and 40 mph speed zones were, he said, and there's a section that's 25 mph.
"From Route 7, there's a 25 mph zone and it also depends on what direction you're traveling so if you're traveling, I guess westbound towards Brody Mountain Road, it's 25, 35, and 40. At about Noppet Road is when it changes to 40," he explained.
"Now, the thing I did notice is traveling it from Brodie Mountain towards Route 7, it's not marked until that first sign, and if you're eastbound, right around where it changes from 40. If you're westbound, it's 35 so it's two different speed limits depending on the direction you're traveling."
The Police Department placed radar in the area hoping to gather data but the file was corrupted and unable to be used, Derksen said.
Select Board member Timothy Sorrell was ready to make a recommendation without the data, motioning to change the 40 zones to 35.
"I think keeping it 25 is going to be unrealistic for that road," he said.
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