Photo By Beckie Bragga

By Joshua Koch
Blue Sox Media Director

With both teams going into Saturday’s game tied for first place in the Western Division, their would be expected fireworks between the two squads in their first meeting of the season.

The Blue Sox, as a team, entering the game was batting .195 as a whole but that average was helped out a little as Holyoke pounded out 14 hits against the Westerners pitching staff.

“Everybody’s just playing, having fun,” Blue Sox outfielder Matt Tenaglia said following the game. “It’s summer ball, it’s made to have fun. All these guys are great hitters, great pitchers obviously or they wouldn’t be here. We’re just going out, playing our game, having fun and we’re winning as a result of it.”

Blue Sox coach Darryl Morhardt was unavailable for interviews following the game.

For the first time this season the Blue Sox (4-1) put double digit runs on an opponent, and solidified themselves in sole possession of first place in the Western Division.

Just like the previous few games, the Blue Sox jumped on the scoreboard and did so in bunches.
In the bottom of the second inning it was a batting carousel for the Blue Sox as they batted around scoring five runs.

Matt Tenaglia got the scoring started for the Blue Sox as he singled in Trey Mancini from third to take the 1-0 lead. Tenaglia finished the night 3-for-5 driving in four runs.

Following an error that loaded the bases for the Blue Sox, Chris McGowan hit a stinger up the middle which ricocheted off the glove of the shortstop allowing Tom Murphy and Sam Eberle to score.

After tacking on another run in the bottom of the third inning, extending the Blue Sox lead to 6-0, it seemed like the game was out of reach for Danbury.

In the top of the fourth, the Westerners would not only answer some of the Blue Sox runs, but all of them. The Westerners ran Chris O’Hare from the game as they kept singling in run after run and some costly errors also hurt the Blue Sox.

Kevin Crumb came into the game, gave up one more run before setting down the Westerners, and this would be the last time Danbury would tie the game as the Blue Sox took back the lead in the home half of the fourth inning. At the end of the night Crumb was the winning pitcher.

Mancini, who finished the night 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk, drove in DeSico and Eric Smith to take a 8-6 lead.
Smith would make his own statement in the sixth inning as he hit a towering shot over the right field fence to give the Blue Sox a 9-6 lead.

“I was just more happy that I hit a couple of balls hard today, luckily I was able to get under that one, get a little backspin and put it out,” Smith said about the home run. “I had another good at-bat, tha’s all it is about quality at-bats and hitting the ball hard consistently.”

Holyoke would add two more runs in the inning to take a commanding 11-6 lead. The Westerners would score one more run, but that would be it for the night.

The Blue Sox are back in action on Sunday at North Adams with first pitch at 4:30 p.m.