Pittsfield American 11-Year-Olds Defend Home Field, Win Title
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Pittsfield Little League American Division 11-year-old All-Stars are back at the top of District 1.
This time, with a little help from their rivals.
Two days after watching the rival Pittsfield Nationals take a convincing 10-run win in the second game of their best-of-three series, the Americans blasted their way to a 12-2, five-inning win at Deming Park.
“It got them hungry again,” Pittsfield manager Derek Demary said of Thursday’s loss. “They realized that’s not the way to play an all-star game, especially here on their home field. That was the main focus of last night’s practice and today: We don’t lose twice on our home field, and we’ve got to fight because that’s a good team over there.
“Last game, [the Nationals] showed us how good they really are. … Our bats were flat the first two games. Today they came alive. Hats off to the National League. That’s a good team over there.”
Mason Brbovic delivered a single to right field with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 10-run margin and end the game.
It was one of just three hits the Nationals’ pitching staff allowed after the first inning, but the Americans made the most of their six hits by using aggressive base-running and working pitch counts for walks.
The first two hitters for Pittsfield American did each get a hit and also score a run in the bottom of the first.
Landon Marquis led off with a single up the middle, and Jacob Knauth put runners at first and second with an infield single.
A pitch that got to the backstop allowed both runners to advance, and Marquis scored the first run on Will Nichols’ RBI groundout. Knauth scored on another pitch to the backstop to give Pittfield American a 2-0 lead.
That Nats struck back in the top of the second.
Spencer Kotski led off with a double and eventually scored when Troy Maloy reached on a fielder’s choice. Maloy ended up coming home on a wild pitch, but Landon Marquis ended the rally by stranding a runner at third with a called third strike.
Marquis finished with six strikeouts and allowed just three hits to a Pittsfield National team that collected 12 hits in Thursday’s Game 2 win.
“I think his changeup today kind of kept them on their toes a little bit more,” Demary said of Marquis’ outing. “We moved the ball a little bit more around today – picking the corners.
“And I told him, he needs to trust his defense. … Once he knows he can trust his defense, he can relax a little bit on the mound. And that’s what got him so deep. He was relaxed today.”
Marquis’ offense got him back a lead in the bottom of the second.
Brbovic and Livermore each earned walks to start the inning. Michael Ressler hit a sacrifice fly to center, and the Americans came out of the inning with a 5-2 advantage.
They added two more in the fourth when Lennon Greene hit a two-run single to center field.
Then came the fifth, when the Americans scored five times to end it.
Knauth started things off by reaching on an error and stole second ahead of a base hit by Jeremiah Bullett to set up first and third.
Nichols again drove in a run with a ground ball, this time reaching on an error. And Brennan Lyon reached on a fielders’ choice that saw Bullett cross the plate. It was 10-2 with runners on second and third when Brbovic stepped into the box, and he ended the game with his first hit of the game to send Pittsfield to the Sectional Tournament.
The hit that clinched the title came from a player who was not even on the original Americans’ roster.
“Mason Brbovic came in to replace an injured player, and all I ask from him is to put the ball in play,” Demary said. “No matter what you do, put the ball in play. And that’s what he did all day. And he drove in the winning run.
“That’s what I emphasize for all our boys: Put the ball in play. We don’t need home runs. Put the pressure on them. And that was the difference today.”
