PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Pittsfield American Little League 12-year-old All-Stars Thursday jumped out to a 7-0 lead and held on for a 7-4 win over Worcester Joe Schwartz in the Massachusetts Section 1 tournament.

 

Pittsfield AL picked up its second win in the winners' bracket and advanced to Saturday's championship round of the double-elimination tournament.

 

The Americans Saturday at Deming Park will face either Joe Schwartz or Amherst, who play the losers' bracket finale on Friday evening. If necessary, a winner-take-all title game on Sunday would be either in Worcester or Amherst.

 

On Thursday, Ben Jacob hit a one-out single and scored in the bottom of the first on Evan Blake's double.

 

The Americans tacked on four runs in the second.

 

Owen Salvatore drew a one-out walk to get things started. Walker Abdallah hit a two out single, and Nick Brindle and Jake Duquette each followed with hits in the rally.

 

In the third, Cam Sime and Abdallah each scored to push the lead to 7-0.

 

Blake, Salvatore and Roshan Warriar combined to strike out nine. Blake, who had the start on the hill, struck out the side in the top of the second.

 

More photos from this game here.

 

VIDEO: Evan Blake spears a line drive at short for the final out of the Pittsfield American Little League’s 7-4 Section 1 tournament win on Thursday.

 

VIDEO: The Pittsfield American League Little Leaguers douse coach Joe Skutnik after Thursday’s Don Gleason District 1 Championship win.

 

11-Year-Old Tournament

 

AGAWAM, Mass. -- The Pittsfield American League 11-year-old All-Stars Thursday defeated Agawam, 11-1, to claim the Section 1 title and advance to the state tournament.

 

The Americans, who dropped a 6-3 decision to Agawam on Wednesday at Deming Park, came back to take the winner-take-all finale of the double-elimination tournament.

 

The Pittsfield AL will face the Milton National League on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Braintree in the semi-finals of the four-team state tournament. The winner of that game goes to Sunday's 2 p.m. state final, also in Braintree.