Staff reports
One of the best seasons in Northampton Little League history was capped with a city championship on Saturday.
Coopers Corner beat Noel’s Rendezvous, 2-0, to win the Minors Division championship at LaRiviere Field.
Cooper Corner finished the season 18-1-1.
In the title game, Trey Kuzmeski and Liam Flynn combined for 16 strikeouts in the one-hit six-inning shutout.
Coopers Corner took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Flynn knocked in Kuzmeski. The team doubled its lead in the third when Kuzmeski doubled home Jacob Paasch, who walked and stole second prior to the hit.
Aiden Zera and Kuzmeski each had two hits in the win.
Michael Rubeck worked all six innings for Noels and allowed four hits in defeat.
Coopers Corner was made up of 11 7- to 11-year-old players from Northampton and surrounding towns. Several of the players are now competing in the Little League All-Star tournaments.
Coopers Corner’s tie came during the third game of the season, 5-5 to Riverbend Animal Hospital.
The team lost 9-2 to Noel’s Rendezvous in the double-elimination tournament. Coopers Corner came back to beat Noel’s 15-5 prior to the title game.
The team was coached by Jon Zera, Aiden Zera’s uncle.
Amherst 2, Northampton 1 — Levi Constant had two hits and J.B. Mills and Eli Hirsh each had an RBI for Amherst in the win at home.
Brett Evans struck out five over six innings to pick up the win at the mound.
Constant hit a triple with one out in the first and scored the first run on a sacrifice hit from Mills. Amherst’s second run came in the second inning, when Evan Perry crossed the plate on an RBI single by Hirsh.
Northampton scored in the seventh and had the tying run at third, but the rally fell short.
Christian Hodgson singled and moved to third on a double by Aiden Chapdelaine.
Nick Heafey plated Hodgson on an RBI single as Chapdelaine moved to third.
With one out, Devontay Edmunds flied out to right field. Chapdelaine tagged and raced home with what would have been the tying run. Amherst appealed to third that Chapdelaine left early and the runner was called out for the game-ending double play.
Northampton 7, Greenfield 1 — Joe Afflitto and Andrew Serio both had three hits and an RBI for Post 28 (11-1), which won its eighth straight game. Pat Grygorcewicz and Hector DeJesus both drove in two runs on two hits each.
Zac Brittain pitched seven innings for Northampton, allowing four hits and one earned run.
Noah Barnes took the loss for Post 81, allowing six earned runs and 11 hits in 4 innings.
Seth Gewanter had a hit and an RBI for Greenfield.