BELCHERTOWN – They hadn’t run that play since their days together at Belchertown High School.

Sheffield Post 340 had cut Belchertown Post 239’s lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning, and now the bases were loaded for their No. 3 hitter. Post 239 replaced starter Brady Perkins with his old Orioles teammate, Jake Waller, and Perkins moved over to first.

But before Waller even threw a pitch, the pair of old teammates combined to rescue Post 239 from its biggest jam of the day.

“We say something,” Perkins said. “And then ‘catch on’ and even though I’m not holding the guy on at first, I just sneak up behind him and he throws it, perfect timing.”

Led by a successful pickoff and a pair of double plays – including one at the plate – Belchertown beat Sheffield 5-1 and extended its undefeated season to 16-0-1. Top-seeded Post 239 advances to Tuesday’s American Legion Senior Division semifinals, where it will host Wilbraham. Belchertown won the tournament last season to earn a state tournament invite.

Belchertown got out of more than just a bases-loaded jam with its sharp defense. In the second inning, Sheffield put runners on first and second with one out, before Post 239 ended the inning in spectacular fashion. 

Spencer Waite grabbed a fly ball for the second out of the inning, and Post 239 caught both Post 340 runners in rundowns. Second baseman Dom Aloisi tried to gun down the lead runner at third, but his throw was high and the runner was safe. Third baseman Pat Fitzgibbons tried to catch the trail runner at second, but he was also safe. Aloisi quickly gathered the throw and fired a laser to catcher Jacob Smith at the plate, nailing the lead runner and ending the frame. 

“It doesn’t happen much,” Aloisi said. “But we really executed on it. It had all to do with communication, really, just letting me know if someone is going home.”

In the sixth inning, Sheffield managed another baserunner, but Chace Earle started a smooth 6-4-3 double-play to end another threat.

Just a game after what Post 239 coach Todd McDonald called the worst defensive outing of the season – a five-error affair against Northampton that ended in a 7-7 tie due to darkness – Belchertown turned in a stellar defensive effort. And at bat, they capitalized on several Sheffield errors to put runners on base.

Belchertown scored twice in the first inning thanks to RBI hits from Cooper Beckwith and Perkins. 

And after they escaped the bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth, they capitalized on it in the bottom of the frame when Pat Fitzgibbons hit a two-run homer well past the fence in straightaway center field.

After Fitzgibbons cleared the bases, Belchertown loaded them up again, and Waller hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

Belchertown faces Wilbraham next, a team they beat 4-3 in the opening game of the season back on June 10. McDonald said Cody West will be the starting pitcher.