Asked to comment on a big at-bat by Keegan in the second inning, Pittsfield Manager B.J. Jefferson misheard and jumped straight to a big at-bat by Keegan in the seventh. The former was Pittsfield’s first hit of the game and sparked a five-run rally to tie the game. The latter produced the baserunner who scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Americans the extra-inning victory over Swansea and the ultimate prize for 10-year-old Little Leaguers in the commonwealth. In between, Keegan delivered 3-⅔ innings of one-run relief that allowed Pittsfield to right its ship after a rough start at the Andover Little League complex.
The last practice we had, 10 players in a row missed the bunt, Jefferson said after the Pittsfield Little League American Division 10-year-old All-Stars defeated Holden, 10-0, in five innings on Friday. Couldn t get a bunt down to safe our life. And all of a sudden . thank God they re game players and not practice players. Bunts were critical to the Americans in opening the double-elimination Section 1 tournament with a victory at Deming Park. In the second inning, Jacob Welch and Jacob Knauth laid down back-to-back sacrifice bunts in a four-run rally. In the third, Kydd Kearns bunted for an RBI and a base hit in the middle of another four-run rally. In the fifth, Jack Wendling sacrificed to move Cooper Brown into scoring position with the run that eventually ended the game on Ryan Albuquerque s walkoff basehit.