Durant Dominates as Adams-Cheshire Opens Little League Tourney with Win
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Brayden Durant did it all for the Adams-Cheshire Little League All-Stars on Monday night.
Durant struck out 14 hitters in a complete-game effort on the mound.
And he homered, doubled and drove in four runs at the plate to lead his team to a 7-1 win over Great Barrington in the opening game of the Don Gleason District 1 12-year-old Championship at Deming Park.
Adams-Cheshire joins the Pittsfield Little League American Division All-Stars atop the standings in the five-team round-robin after the Americans walked off with a win against their cross-city rivals at Chamberlain Park, home of tournament host Dalton-Hinsdale.
At the Americans’ home field, Durant made himself right at home, striking out the side in order twice and launching a ball over the left field fence in his first at-bat for all the offense his team needed.
“Brayden has been dominant all year,” Adams-Cheshire manager Steve Albareda said. “He’s fantastic. He just gets better every night.
“The fastball is dominant, and if we can mix in the changeup and slider, get guys off balance just to know he has it, the fastball is even more powerful.”
Durant allowed just three hits in the win. One led to Great Barrington’s lone run of the night.
Gavin Fol led off the top of the third by dropping a single into left field. He went to third when Landon Havens reached on an error. Noah Inthirath then laid down a sacrifice bunt with nobody out to bring Fol home and make it a 3-1 game.
GB was in a hole because Adams-Cheshire plated its first two hitters.
Jaden Wells-Vidal worked a leadoff walk, and No. 2 hitter Durant crushed a pitch high and deep to give his team a 2-0 lead.
Adams-Cheshire picked up an insurance run in the second when Carson Ellsworth got a leadoff walk, moved up on a couple of fielder’s choices and eventually scored by stealing home.
The designated home team put the game away with four runs in the top of the fifth.
Owen Manning and Cooper Stentiford got it going with a single and a walk to bring up the top of the order, and Wells-Vidal walked to load the bases for Durant.
Durant, (2-for-2, walk) hammered a line drive to left center to make it a 5-1 game.
Julius Valentine then hit a two-run double to give Adams-Cheshire a six-run lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fol (2-for-2) hit a one-out single, but Durant struck out the next two hitters to reach the maximum 85 pitches for the game and strand Fol.
Henry Palazzo, Thomas Kreis, Christian Tonetti and Landon Fisher split time on the mound for Great Barrington, combining to strike out nine, walk six and allow just three hits.
After a day off for the holiday on Tuesday, the tournament resumes Wednesday when Great Barrington (0-1) faces Dalton-Hinsdale (0-0). Adams Cheshire (1-0) will play the Pittsfield Nationals on Thursday in Dalton.
Pittsfield American 4, Pittsfield National 3
DALTON, Mass. – Brodi McCormack worked a five-pitch RBI walk in the bottom of the seventh inning on Monday night to give the Pittsfield Americans a 4-3 win over the Nationals in their 12-year-old District 1 Tournament opener at Chamberlain Park.
The Nationals scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to come back from a 2-0 deficit and take a one-run lead into the bottom of the seventh.
The Americans used a one-out walk to get the winning rally started. Matt Keegan and Jack Wendling followed with singles to bring the tying run home and put the winning run at third.
With runners on second and third, the Nationals issued an intentional walk to set up the force plays, but McCormack’s patience paid off to give his team the win.
Aavan Matos drove in the tying run in the top of the sixth.
Kody Lesser hit a solo home run to put the Nats on top, 3-2, in the top of the seventh.
Lesser, Kevin Smith and Weston Wigglesworth each went 2-for-3 at the plate for Pittsfield National.
Cooper Reed struck out 10 and allowed one run in five innings of work on the mound for Pittsfield. Bryce Hoff was credited with the win with one inning of work in relief.
Pittsfield American (1-0) plays Adams-Cheshire on Friday at Clapp Park.
Pittsfield National (0-1) plays Adams-Cheshire on Thursday at Chamberlain.
All weeknight games are at 5:30.
