Durant Pitches North Adams to Win in LaFesta Opener
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| Carson Durant struck out 11 in eight innings for North Adams. |
Update: Event organizers announced a little after 8 a.m. on Sunday that Sunday morning's game was canceled due to rain.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Carson Durant struck out 11 hitters in eight innings Saturday to lead the North Adams All-Stars to a 13-1 over the North End in Game 1 of the 34th annual LaFesta Baseball Exchange at Joe Wolfe Field.
Durant also helped his cause with a triple in an eight-hit attack for North Adams in the first of four scheduled games between the cross-state rivals.
Three times, Durant sat down the North End Dodgers in order, needing just three pitches to do so in the seventh inning.
“He pitched fantastic,” North Adams coach John Marlowe said. “He didn’t want to come out of the game, but he hit his pitch count.
“He pitched great. He was very demanding on the mound. He executed every pitch. Couldn’t ask more of him.”
Game 2 of the LaFest Exchange is scheduled for Sunday morning at Joe Wolfe Field, but that game is in doubt due to the expected deluge. With the weather forecast in mind, a scheduled seven-inning game on Saturday night was expanded to nine innings.
The two teams will hook up again Aug. 9 and 10 in Boston for the final two games of the series.
Despite the 14 runs scored, Game 1 was dominated by the pitchers on both sides.
While Durant was the more efficient of the pair, walking just two hitters and allowing four hits before giving the ball to Cade Morrell to pitch the ninth, North End starter Aiden Previte struck out 15 in six innings of work.
Unfortunately for Previte, he also walked seven, and a combination of pitches to the backstop and three errors by the Dodgers helped North Adams build its lead, scoring at least a run in six of eight innings at the plate.
“Their starting pitcher also pitched great,” Marlowe said. “We had some baserunners and we took advantage of some errors and passed balls. I think that was the difference in the game. We had more baserunners.”
Mason Fierro had a big night at the plate for the home team. He went 3-for-3 with a double, drove in a run, walked and scored twice.
Hunter Lancto walked three times and scored three times for North Adams. Jayden Wells-Vidal went 2-for-2 with a double, walked and scored three runs.
Marlowe was hoping for the best in terms of the schedule as the teams pitched in to get the field ready for the rain.
“We’re gonna tarp the field, and we’re hoping that works out,” he said. “But we always look forward to going out [to Boston]. They treat us really well, and it's a lot of fun. Just a little bit more baseball.”
LaFesta officials plan to announce the status of Sunday morning’s game on the event’s Facebook page when a decision is made.
