By By Howard Herman The Berkshire Eagle
ADAMS — It was a day later than expected, but the Adams-Cheshire age 8-10 Little League All-Stars did their job Wednesday night.
The host team broke open a first-inning tie with seven runs in the second inning and Dalton-Hinsdale couldn’t catch up. Adams-Cheshire ended up with a 14-5 win in the rain-delayed opener of the three-team tournament at Beaver Bard Park.
“We were a little nervous,” Adams-Cheshire manager Marty Durant said. “We just scrimmaged these guys the other day, and we knew each other.
“A day late, we wanted it last night and they wanted it last night. We got it tonight instead.”
The game was tied 2-2 after one inning but the hosts — who had lost a pregame coin toss and were the designated visiting team — parlayed two hits, two errors, four walks and a hit by pitch into seven runs that put the squad from Dalton-Hinsdale behind the proverbial 8-ball.
It all started when Adams-Cheshire’s Caleb Gladu, Oliver Singer and Logan O’Neill all walked on 3-2 pitches. And when Murphy Duquette hit Adams-Cheshire’s Joey Milesi with a pitch, it was time for a pitching change.
Graylan Milano came on to pitch and gave up an RBI double to left by Caden Stump, who plated Milesi. Stump then scored on a single by Danny Collins with an error tacked on. Collins later scored on a passed ball. When Milano got Bentley Martin on a pop fly to shortstop John Morrow, it was 9-2.
“That was a huge momentum changer for us,” Dalton-Hinsdale manager Brian Duquette said. “Hats off really to Adams. They made a lot of great plays in the field, and we gave them extra outs. That was really the deciding point in the game.”
Stump, who went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in for Adams-Cheshire, settled in on the mound after the first inning and threw 3 2/3 more shutout innings. When Stump’s night was done, he had given up four runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out five.
“He brings that house league experience with him,” the Adams-Cheshire manager said of his starting pitcher. “He’s been pitching all year like that in house league. He may get a little rattled, he settles right back down.
“The bat came alive for him too. You put runs on the board and that settles him down.”
Bentley Martin came on to finish the night on the bump for Adams-Cheshire. Martin did walk in a run in the fifth that was charged to Stump, but got out of a jam by striking out Morrow.
In the sixth, Martin walked Duquette and Alex Dearborn. The runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Duquette scored on a fielder’s choice by Weston Dietlin. Martin came back and got Theo Smith swinging and Jayson Haskins looking to end the game.
With the win, Adams-Cheshire will play Pittsfield in Thursday’s 5:30 p.m. game.
Adams-Cheshire 270 104 — 14
Dalton-Hinsdale 200 021 — 5