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Blake's Three Homers Power Pittsfield Americans at State Little League Tourney
By Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires.com Sports
08:28PM / Saturday, July 28, 2018
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MILLBURY, Mass. -- When Evan Blake steps into the batter’s box, his teammates’ chant -- the Little League equivalent of “walk-up music” -- is “Blake, the Beast.”
 
On Saturday, he proved them right.
 
Blake homered in his first three at-bats, the last a towering grand slam to left that helped lift the Pittsfield American Little League All-Stars to a 14-3 win over Medford at the state 12-year-old championships.
 
Pittsfield finishes pool play in the three-team state tourney with a record of 3-0. On Sunday at 2 p.m., the Americans take on Danvers for the state championship and a berth in the New England Regional in Bristol, Conn.
 
After he hit solo shots in his first two at-bats, Blake dug into the box with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the third.
 
Blake was not expecting to see a pitch he could drive.
 
“I’m actually pretty surprised,” he said of Medford’s decision to pitch to him. “Because a lot of other teams have been walking me. They’re a good team, though.”
 
On this day, Pittsfield’s offense was better -- a whole lot better. And after four first-inning walks led to a couple of Medford runs, Pittsfield’s pitching was nearly lights out.
 
Cam Zerbato, Roshan Warriar and Tommy Mullin combined for a one-hitter. Starter Zerbato struck out four over three innings to earn the win.
 
But it was a 3-2 game after an unearned run in the bottom of the second allowed Medford to go on top.
 
Blake led off the top of the third with his second homer of the game to tie it, 3-3.
 
“We started off the game kind of slow,” Pittsfield coach Joe Skutnik said. “But Evan took care of that.”
 
Antonio Scalise followed with a single up the middle but was erased on a fielder’s choice. After Zerbato’s infield single put men on first and second, Owen Salvatore pounded a triple into the right-center gap to drive in two and make it 5-3.
 
Walks to Walker Abdallah and Ben Jacob wrapped around a Nick Brindle single to load the bases for Blake, who hit a ball so deep that even the fans outside the fence in left field turned and looked skyward to see it sail over their heads.
 
It was 10-3 after three innings, and Pittsfield tacked on four more runs in the top of the sixth.
 
Salvatore got things started with a leadoff walk, and Warriar and Jake Duquette singled ahead of a two-run double by Scalise.
 
Mullin worked around a walk and a catcher’s interference call in the bottom of the sixth to strand two runners on a come-backer to the mound that ended the game.
 
“They gave up three runs -- I’m very happy with our pitching,” Skutnik said. “I’ve been happy with our pitching the whole tournament. I really thought we would come and throw the ball well, and we’ve done that.”
 
Blake is the likely starter in Sunday’s final against Danvers (2-1), a 2-0 winner over Westboro on Saturday. Pittsfield beat Danvers, 5-3, on Friday afternoon in pool play.
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