Holden Little League defeated Westfield, 3-2, to claim the Section 1 Little League Major Division championship and advance to the state tournament.
HOLDEN — After a celebratory dogpile and a postgame pump-up speech from Holden Major Little League manager Matt Gull, Brennan Ford sounded like he was coughing up a lung and was asking teammates for a bottle of water.
Ford, who batted last in the lineup, was still catching his breath after he scored from second following a well-hit single by teammate Andrew Surrette in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Holden a 3-2 walk-off victory over visiting Westfield to win the Section 1 Little League Major Division championship on Saturday, July 19.
Holden advances to the state to the state tournament to face Braintree American at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24 at Harry Ball Field in Beverly.
“They’ve ended our season in the 10-year-old year and the 11-year-old year," Gull said. "Each team knows the other team so well and us to go out to Westfield where we’ve had trouble winning and take that game and then win on a walk-off in the bottom of the sixth, boy, special times.”
Gull was reminising about Holden's 6-3 win over Westfield on Friday, July 18 that forced Saturday's winner-take-all championship game. Westfield defeated Holden, 8-4, in the first meeting of the teams on Wednesday, July 16.
With the game tied, 2-2, with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Ford reached with an infield single on a 3-2 pitch, then took second after Brendan Michaud walked. Surrette stepped in and ripped the second pitch he saw just inside the foul line a few feet past third base. The ball bounced sideways toward the fence and Ford narrowly beat a throw from third baseman Lucas Harrington.
“I was just waiting for my good pitch and then it came,” Surrette said.
The team was presented with the championship banner and just like the Charlton Little Leaguers did on July 11, the Holden squad tripped with the banner during their victory lap, much to the chagrin of the parents.
Surrette started on the mound for Holden, and after surrendering a two-run double in the top of the first, he settled in and only allowed one hit for the rest of the game. Surrette finished with two strikeouts, both in the first inning, in 4⅔ innings.
Surrette gave credit to his defense.
“I think we all helped out around the field, which carried us to win the game,” he said.
Holden's Luca Dellovo came into the game and stuck out Westfield's Christopher Paros in three pitches, the third strike came curiosity of a a deadly changeup which left Paros looking.
Dellovo said he developed the changeup by practicing in the backyard with his father and playing catch every day.
With the score still tied at two entering the sixth, Dellovo gave up a leadoff triple to Eric Dean, but settled in and stuck out Liam Purdy looking, thanks to another nasty changeup for the first out of the inning.
"When he hit that triple, I knew I had to lock-in super quick," Dellovo said. "Have the mental toughness and I did that.”
Dellovo then forced a line out and a fly out to end the inning, and was swarmed by his teammates as he entered the dugout, with Dellovo's yells of excitement echoing all over the field.
“They’re a tight group," Gull said, "and becoming tighter as we go.”
Holden scored its first two runs in the second and fourth innings. Cole Pare crossed on an error and Bryce Makela tied it when he scored on a passed ball.
Holden managed only four hits and Westfield finished with five.
“As we get deeper we’re just seeing a lot more good pitching and our kids are fighting," Gull said. "and pitchers are going to beat good hitting sometimes and we just got to capitalize on our opportunity.”
—Contact Michael Shattuck at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Surrette's walk-off single gives Holden Section 1 Little League title
Category: General Sports
