PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Raynham softball team Sunday scored an unearned run with two out in the bottom of the seventh to spoil a comeback bid by the Berkshire Force and take the Babe Ruth 16-and-under New England Regional, 8-7.

 

The Force had its back to the wall going into the top of the seventh but scored four runs to tie the game, 7-7.

 

Berkshire pitcher Mary Lee got two quick outs to start the bottom of the seventh, but Lindsey Shearestone drew a seven-pitch walk, moved up on a single and came home on a base hit that was bobbled in the outfield as Pittsfield took its third one-run loss of the regional tournament.

 

The first two one-run losses came against the Greylock Thunder of Adams, who faced off against the Force earlier Sunday in a game continued from Saturday afternoon.

 

The Thunder lost, 23-10, but refused to go down easily in that game.

 

Greylock trailed early, 17-2, and ended up rallying for two runs in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth -- each time getting exactly what it needed to avoid the 10-run “mercy” rule.

 

The win sent the Force out of the losers bracket and into the championship round, where it needed to beat Raynham twice in order to claim the title.

 

Berkshire got off to a strong start, scoring its first two times at bat to take a 2-0 lead.

 

In the first inning, Jenica Ostelino led off by getting hit by a pitch, moved up on Brianna Clary’s infield single and scored on a single to left by Emma Parkington.

 

In the second, Lee led off with a single, and courtesy runner Evelyn Fuls ended up scoring from second on Tori Ostrander’s single to make it 2-0.

 

Raynham rallied with five in the fourth, taking advantage of a couple of Berkshire errors.

 

After Sarah McMahon drove in a run to make it a 5-3 game, the visitors from the North Shore added two more in the fifth to go ahead, 7-3, setting the stage for a furious Force comeback.

 

It started when Ostrander legged out an infield single. Ostelino then reached on an error ahead of Clary’s RBI single to score Ostrander.

 

Emma Parkington then singled to send Ostelino to third.

 

After a fly ball out, Delaney Ivas drove in Ostrander to make it 7-5 with runners on second and third with one out.

 

Lee launched a two-run double to center field to tie the game, but Raynham’s Ally Reed was able to stop the bleeding and get her team in the dugout.

 

Reed got the win, allowing 12 hits and striking out one.

 

Lee struck out one and allowed five earned runs for the Force.