PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Twenty-four hours after falling victim to a dramatic sixth-inning comeback, the Pittsfield National Little League All-Stars Friday found themselves needing to do the same thing.

 

But after putting two men on base with two out and a four-run lead, Leominster was able to get the final out on a swinging strike and secure a 6-2 win that ended the Nats’ run in the Major League sectional tournament.

 

“I said to them, ‘We have the recipe for coming back because we just had it done to us,’ “ Pittsfield NL coach Darren Lee said. “But we weren’t able to execute.”

 

Cal Lewis and Johnny Crawford each singled around a pair of strikeouts to start the home half of the sixth. That prompted Leominster to bring in its fifth pitcher of the ballgame, Louis Ciccolini, who struck out the only batter he faced to end the game.

 

Pittsfield already successfully came back from one deficit in the elimination game.

 

In the top of the first, Thomas Rupp homered with two out and a man aboard to give his team a 2-0 lead.

 

In the third, Nick Guachione hit a one-out single down the third-base line, and Adam Lazits followed with home run to center to tie the game.

 

Starting pitcher Nate Murphy was able to shut door after that first-inning blast, allowing no more hits before departing the hill after the fifth inning.

 

He finished with eight strikeouts, two hits and the two runs.

 

In the top of the sixth, a pair of singles and an error loaded the bases with nobody out. Brandon Ciccolini doubled in the left-center gap to give his team a 4-2 lead, and Reece Lora followed with a two-run single.

 

The combination of Adam Sears and Louis Ciccolini held the Nats off the board in the bottom of the inning, and Leominster moved into Saturday’s championship round against Holden, which dropped Leominster into the losers’ bracket with a win in Wednesday’s opening round.

 

Lee said the Nationals will take some time off before possibly finding another tournament. Whatever happens from here, there is no taking away from what the District 1 champions accomplished this summer.

 

“We’ve been together 45 days, and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it,” Lee said. “I’m proud of all these guys. They’ve all come a long way. They showed some heart when we needed it. We fell a little short tonight, but that was a good team we just played.”