BELCHERTOWN — Northampton Post 28 held strong despite a late comeback effort from Belchertown Post 239 for a 16-5 win on Wednesday night.
The bats got going early for Northampton, jumping out to an early lead and extending it to 14-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. Belchertown was determined not to lose due to the run rule, rallying for five runs in the frame to keep the night going.
“Our backs were against the wall, and we could have gone home early, but it showed that they wanted to play more baseball,” Belchertown head coach Todd McDonald said. “I love it. We extended the game, and anytime we can play more innings, I’m happy.”
Despite the late surge, Northampton’s sizeable lead was too much to surmount. Patrick Millin and James Lavalle each led the way with four RBIs apiece for their squad, along with Jeremiah Scanlon-Dean driving in three of his own.
Harrison LaFlamme got the start for Northampton on the mound, giving his team a solid four scoreless innings before running into some trouble in the fifth. His final line ended with 4 2/3 innings pitched, allowing five runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Andrew Gagne came to the rescue in relief, finishing off the final 2 1/3 innings for Northampton. The southpaw was efficient out of the bullpen, tallying three strikeouts without allowing a single baserunner.
“[Gagne] attacked the zone,” Northampton head coach Adam Krol said. “He was throwing well. He had a really good rhythm [on Wednesday]. We’re building every single game to game, outing to outing, and [Gagne] made some great strides, so did [LaFlamme]. I’m proud of our performance.”
Northampton’s pair of pitchers got more than enough run support on Wednesday, with big contributions throughout the lineup. The team tallied 12 hits as a team, with five different players picking up at least two.
The top half of the order made a huge impact for Northampton, driving in seven of the team’s 11 total RBIs on the night, accounting for eight hits as well. Millin was huge in his spot in the two-hole, smashing a three-run home run in the fifth inning.
“Our guys are leaders out there, especially the guys at the top [of the order],” Krol said. “Every guy that steps in the batter’s box, we have confidence in, and they have confidence in themselves. I’m just proud of the guys, one through nine. This was just a great win for our program.”
Joshua Misiaszek led Belchertown’s offensive effort, going 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs in the loss. On the mound, Belchertown threw four different arms, with Nolan Ingram getting the start and being credited with the loss.
Belchertown will look to bounce back on Friday, June 26, at 5:45 p.m., back at home for the third contest of a five-game homestand against West Springfield Post 207.
“As long as we can have some successes and guys feel good about some of the things that they do when they walk away from the ballpark, then we’re making progress,” McDonald said.
Up next for Northampton, they’ll be on the road again on Friday, June 26, at 5:45 p.m. to take on Greenfield Post 81. Halfway through the season, they’ll look to build off the positive momentum down the stretch.
“[We’re] continuing to improve where we can and just being focused every single game, in and out,” Krol said. “We’re [going to] face a lot of really good baseball teams, but we’re a really good baseball team, so it’s about staying focused, working hard and playing hard.”
