Lanesboro Bulldogs make push for New England Championship
MARLBORO— The Lanesboro Bulldogs, a Cal Ripken Jr. 12 and under baseball team with players from throughout Berkshire County coached by Mt. Greylock’s varsity head man Steve Messina, are making a run at the New England Championship tournament this week in Marlboro, Mass.
The local all-star team, which qualified as one of two teams represented by the State of Massachusetts along with host team Marlboro, has won two games in the double elimination tournament despite losing their opener to Maine last Friday, 9-4.
The Bulldogs, who reached the New England regional tournament last year before quickly bowing out after the first two games, appeared to have turned the tide this season after beating New Hampshire on Sunday, 3-0, and Rhode Island on Monday, 11-7, despite trailing 6-2 before erupting with five home runs.
“We feel pretty good about that,” Messina said in a phone interview from Marlboro. “In the first game the kids were a little tight; we weren’t making contact like we normally do and a couple blunders in the field that we normally don’t do, and it cost us quite a few runs.”
Against Maine, a grand slam against the Bulldogs with three of the four runs being unearned cost the Lanesboro team in the 9-4 loss. However, the “kids” bounced back to shut out New Hampshire behind the pitching of Russ Gates, Phil Guest and Matt Tibbetts.
“They obviously did a great job — they were around the plate,” Messina said of his pitchers. “[Gates] is a little crafty, he has a nice knuckleball and he changes speed, it really keeps them off-balance.”
Gates pitched two and one-third innings on Sunday while Guest went a one and a third and Tibbetts finished up, going the final two innings for the save. Messina has had to be careful with his pitching rotation as the pitchers have a limited inning count every two days.
The offense was provided by Tom Fraser, who hit a solo shot in the first, while Guest scored on a passed ball before Tibbetts added a solo shot late for the 3-0 final.
On Monday against Rhode Island, the Bulldogs fell behind early but quickly made up for the slow start by pounding out five home runs, including two sets of back-to-back home runs by Guest and Tibbetts. Their back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning were the icing on the cake as they took down Rhode Island, 11-7.
Eli Ostheimer added the fifth home run in the comeback victory that kept Lanesboro’s championship hopes alive with possibly three games left.
“The kids are doing great,” Messina said. “I think they are a little bit nervous – which was apparent in the first game. Getting that first win kind of got that monkey off their backs and they relaxed – you could see the tension leave their bodies after that first win.”
With an explosive offensive output on Monday night against Rhode Island, the kids appear to have the confidence to make a deep run for the rest of the tournament.
“It’s kind of contagious like anything else – when one starts to hit, they all seem to relax,” Messina said. “It was a good win [Monday night].”
Currently in the tournament, Quincy and Vermont remain undefeated in the winner’s bracket while Lanesboro was scheduled to play Maine in a rematch on Tuesday night. The game was rained out and was rescheduled for Wednesday night just before press time. If the Bulldogs advance, they will play the loser of Vermont and Quincy with a chance to play in the Championship game on Friday night.
“[The kids] are all playing well and they are all into it, and we have the greatest fans in the world who are picking the kids up, so it’s a great time and a great experience for the kids,” Messina said.
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