WESTFIELD, Mass. -- A game delayed 90 minutes by heavy rain, a rainout that forced a double-header on one of the hottest days of the year, a game that began on one field and ended on another because of darkness -- there have been plenty of distractions for the Pittsfield Babe Ruth 14-year-olds this week at the World Series.

 

But to describe the thing that ultimately may have ended their national title hopes, the word “distraction” does not quite cut it.

 

“It was less of a distraction and it was more like we lose the heart and soul of the team,” Lucian Lamerall said of the moment Christian Womble left Saturday evening’s 8-1 loss due to distress brought on by the hot, humid weather.

 

“He’s someone who gets all motivated every time, every at-bat. When we left, we knew we had to pick up our game. We tried our hardest, but we couldn’t.”

 

After Pittsfield lost its first two outings in the World Series, Womble took the hill for a must-win pool play contest against Mid-Atlantic champion Atlantic Shore, N.J.

 

And for two innings, Womble appeared to be just what the Western Massachusetts champions needed. He retired the side in order both innings, striking out two batters. And at the plate he doubled in the leadoff spot in the top of the first.

 

When he went out for the bottom of the third, he had a 1-0 lead, but it was clear during his warm-up throws that he was in some distress.

 

An on-site paramedic was called to the field, and after he gave Womble a quick check, the Pittsfield ace departed. He later returned, but by then the Garden Staters had a 5-1 lead.

 

New Jersey touched him for three runs in the bottom of the fifth, the last frame played at Jachym Field before the umpires suspended play due to darkness. Fortunately, the game next door at Bullens Field, where there are lights, was just finishing up, so Pittsfield and Atlantic Shore picked up and moved next door for the final two innings.

 

Pittsfield got two men aboard with one out in the top of the first but ended up stranding both. Womble pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, and New Jersey closed the deal with a shutout seventh to improve to 3-0 in pool play.

 

Pittsfield (0-3) finishes pool play Sunday at 4:30 against Sarasota, Fla., and Monday against Maine. But it will be a very tall order to climb out of sixth-place in its six-team pool, move into the top three and earn a spot in the championship bracket that begins on Tuesday.

 

The co-leaders in the National division of the World Series are Atlantic Shore and Tri-Valley, Calif., the Pacific Southwest champion. Those two teams play Sunday at noon, a day after each defeated Pittsfield.

 

Tri-Valley, which won last year’s 13-year-old World Series, found itself in 1-0 hole against Pittsfield on Sunday afternoon.

 

Womble led off Pittsfield’s first game of the day with a double as well. This time, he moved up on Nick Taylor’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Jett Steinman’s sacrifice fly.

 

But that was all the offense Pittsfield could muster as the Californians went on to a 13-1 win that ended after five innings.

 

Tommy Gavello did most of the damage for Tri-Valley, going 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run. Asher Golden and Jaden Sheppard also homered in the win.

 

After struggling through a game that ended via the “mercy rule,” Pittsfield knew what was at stake in the nightcap, delayed until a 6 p.m. start by the time Atlantic Shore finished its Saturday opener -- everyone played two due to Friday’s washouts.

 

“We cooled down, calmed down and we knew we had to win this game,” said Lamerall, who went 2-for-3 and was named Pittsfield’s player of the game in the nightcap. “We just tried to come out and do the best we could. We took the lead, and then after that we just fell off a little bit.”

 

It probably was not entirely due to Womble’s struggles, but the impact of his departure was undeniable.

 

“They were more concerned with Christian at that time -- as some of us coaches were -- then the game itself,” Pittsfield coach Steve White said. “He’s our leader.”