PITTSFIELD — Trailing by three runs after two innings in the Western Massachusetts Division 4 semifinal didn’t faze the Smith Academy baseball team.
The Falcons started the season 0-9 yet qualified for the tournament and reached the final four. A three-run deficit vs. McCann Tech seemed conquerable.
They put runners on base in four of the next five innings but couldn’t come up with the clutch hit.
McCann Tech escaped a bases-loaded jam with a pop out to end the top of the seventh inning and win 4-2 to advance to the Western Mass. final.
The Hornets (18-4) will play Lenox (16-6) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at UMass for the title.
Smith Academy (10-11) won the championship last season and reached the state title game.
The Falcons returned five players from that roster, and after the slow start to the season, they went 10-1 to reach the semifinals.
The small deficit appeared manageable early in the game.
“I wasn’t worried about us going down a little bit in the second inning,” Smith Academy coach Jeff Pluta said. “Nobody was counting us out.”
The Falcons struck first in the top of the first inning.
John Ferrara opened the game with a walk against McCann starter Robert Matte, then Liam Pitrat reached on a fielder’s choice.
Kevin Banas smashed a ball to left field and slid into third with a triple, an RBI and a 1-0 lead.
“I think I had a 3-1 count,” Banas said. “I just knew it was going to be a fastball.”
The Falcons couldn’t drive him in with one out.
That lack of timely hitting become problematic for Smith Academy.
More pressing, immediate concerns arose in the second inning.
Charles Bohl reached on an error and Connor Guyette tied the game at 1 with a double.
Guyette moved to third on a wild pitch by Pitrat then scored on another one to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead.
A walk, fielder’s choice and single followed to load the bases.
That ended the outing for Pitrat.
Pluta went to Banas after 1 innings.
“It makes (Banas) more effective (pitching in relief). It made him more effective at Granby, certainly, to have a junkballer throwing three quarters then Kevin throwing hard over the top,” Pluta said. “I think it would have worked today if we weren’t making errors. There’s no second guessing.”
Banas walked the first batter he faced to make the score 3-1.
“I usually walk about one guy a game, and unfortunately it came at the (worst) time,” Banas said.
Collin Racette then grounded out, bringing in another run.
That was all the scoring McCann needed.
“Getting up early on any team in any time of the season is huge,” McCann coach Pat Ryan said.
Smith Academy pulled within two in the fifth inning.
John Ferrara doubled with one out and advanced to third on a Pitrat single.
Banas picked up his second RBI on a sacrifice fly that scored Ferrara and cut the Falcons’ deficit to 4-2.
Meanwhile, in the bottom halves, Banas kept the Hornets bats at bay.
He struck out six in 4 innings, allowing just two hits and a walk.
The Falcons had opportunities to cut the deficit.
Jack Hession walked to start the sixth inning, then Matt Bouley was hit by a pitch.
Colin Ferrara then popped out, and John Ferrara hit into a double play to end the inning.
“The runners were there, we just couldn’t get the clutch hits,” Banas said. “We were hitting the ball hard, it was just right at people.”
The top of the seventh nearly set up perfectly for Smith Academy.
Banas opened with a single before Ben Bruscoe popped out and Chris Darragh struck out against McCann closer Austin Miller.
Thomas Hammond drew a walk to bring Hession to the plate with the tying run on first.
Hession hit a high pop into foul ground that McCann catcher Bohl tracked down to send the Hornets to the final.
Hammond took off his helmet and threw it into the dirt near home plate.
The loss was Smith Academy’s first since May 10 against Palmer.
Seniors Banas and Bruscoe played their final game for the Falcons, who will also lose Pluta after six seasons.
He’s moving to Maine.
“Last year was supposed to be my last year, but then we won Western Mass., and I didn’t want to bail,” Pluta said. “We started a bunch of sophomores in the field. They all come back, they all get that much better. I think they win Western Mass. next year, but I thought so this year.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.