Pittsfield Rallies Late to Hand Hoosac Valley Its First Loss

ADAMS, Mass. – Trailing by two runs with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Pittsfield softball team came alive.

 

The Generals got four straight hits, including a two-run double by Nevaeh Lopez, in a six-run rally to take the lead and went on to a 14-10 win over Hoosac Valley on Wednesday afternoon.

 

The victory pulled Pittsfield to within a game of the .500 mark and handed the Hurricanes their first setback after a 10-0 start.

 

Gionnah Levardi went the distance in the circle to earn the win and got the winning rally started by drawing a one-out walk.

 

After the Hurricanes recorded a fly ball out, Mia Dejesus (3-for-4, two doubles) singled to left field and moved up on an error to put two runners in scoring position.

 

Lopez then doubled to left to drive in both runs and tie the game, 8-8.

 

“I think it was really our energy in the dugout that helped us hit and do as well as we did,” Lopez said of the winning rally.

 

PIttsfield coach Brian MacDonald agreed.

 

“They just brought the energy,” he said. “This is kind of what we were missing at the beginning of the season, the energy that they wanted to bring.

 

“I know that a couple of those games were against some really good teams, but if they brought the energy, they hit the ball like this, they backed up their pitcher like this – we can win those games.”

 

Ella Bassi followed Lopez with a single to drive her in, and she came home when Sadie Aitken singled for Pittsfield’s fourth straight hit.

 

Ava McMahon then drew a walk, went to third on Kayla Crupi’s single and scored on an error to give Pittsfield a 12-8 lead.

 

After Levardi worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth against the top of Hoosac Valley’s lineup, the Generals tacked on a couple of runs in the top of the seventh, including a sacrifice fly from Lopez, who drove in four runs on the day.

 

The Hurricanes (10-1) made one last stand in their last at bat.

 

Izabela Tart (3-for-4) and Gianna Witek each tripled, and Alayna Shears hit an RBI double to get the deficit to four runs with two out.

 

But Pittsfield’s Paxton Ebling ended the game by jumping up from behind the dish and catching a foul popup to leave a runner in scoring position.

 

Levardi ended up with six strikeouts against two walks and allowed five earned runs in her second win of the spring.

 

“Gionnah does a great job of making adjustments,” MacDonald said. “She let them hit the ball, and she did not let that get to her. She just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.

 

“She’s got an arsenal out there. She’s got a nice fastball, she’s got a crazy change-up, crazy delivery. She’s got a nice drop ball. She gets them moving. She gets those batters on their front foot. That’s why we’re getting the pop-ups.”

 

Hoosac Valley did get some solid hits, especially in the second inning, when it scored five times to take a 6-2 lead.

 

Gracelyn Wright and Tart each doubled in the rally, which also saw Lagess hit an RBI single.

 

Pittsfield started its comeback with a run in the fourth and three more to tie it in the fifth, when Lopez hit an RBI double and scored on Bassi’s hit to right.

 

Hoosac Valley answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

 

Lagess led off with a single and Tart doubled to put two runners in scoring position for Hannh Lord, who delivered a single to right to give the ‘Canes an 8-6 lead.

 

Despite the loss, Hoosac Valley coach Mike Ameen was focused on what his team has accomplished and still has ahead of it this spring.

 

“I feel good that I’m 10-1 after 11 games,” he said. “We lost to a good team. I do like the challenge, to be honest with you, but … I enjoy the fact that we’re 10-1, and we should do well.

 

“If you told me at the beginning of the year I’d be 10-1 talking to you on April 30, I’d be like, ‘Yea! We’re a good team.’ You’re gonna get beat sometimes. They’re high school kids. They played a good game, and we played a good game, and we tanked in one inning. You can’t give a good team extra bases. That’s really what it was.”

 

The Hurricanes will look to get back in the win column on Saturday when they visit unbeaten Lenox.

 

Pittsfield (4-5) will look to get to .500 on Friday when it visits Minnechaug.

 

Photos from this game to come.