PITTSFIELD, Mass. – McKinley Bushika struck out 12 Thursday to lead the Berkshire Force 10-and-under travel softball team to a 12-0 win over Northern Berkshire in the championship game of the Berkshire County summer league.

 

Bushika went the distance in the circle for the Force, which ended the game in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Sophia Tardibuono that brought home Mila Ostellino.

 

Bushika struck out six in a row at one point and did not allow a hit.

 

But she also dealt with runners on base in three of the game’s five innings, including the top of the first, when Northern Berkshire loaded the bases with one out before Bushika closed the door with two straight Ks.

 

“She did her thing,” Force coach Tom DiPietro said. “She’s been our ace all year. It didn’t start off like that. But she definitely earned it by putting that work in in the off-season. So she’s been our ace all year.

 

“I gave her the ball and gave her a chance to finish the game, and she did exactly what she wanted to do. We struggled with this team early in the season, so I’m glad she was able to redeem herself and show that she’s an ace.”

 

Bushika took a couple of batters to find the strike zone on Thursday night.

 

She hit two batters and walked another to load the bases with one out before she picked up her second and third strikeouts to end the inning.

 

Bushika then struck out the side in order in the second to establish herself in the circle.

 

Meanwhile, her offense gave her a four-run lead in the bottom of the first, when C.C. Clark led off with a double, Tardibuono (3-for-3) drove in a run with a double and Camille Dascanio hit an RBI single.

 

After Bushika powered through the top of the second, the Force exploded for six more runs in the bottom of the inning.

 

The big blow came from Bushika herself. She lofted a two-run double to cap the rally and give the Force a 10-0 lead.

 

It looked like the league’s No. 1 seed would put things away early when Tardibuono led off the third with a single, stole second and scored on Dascanio’s single. Tardibuono stole a pair of bases to put the potential 12th run at third base, and Jocelyn Fox worked a walk to give the Force two runners with nobody out.

 

But Northern Berkshire did not give in so quickly.

 

NB pitcher Avery Quick struck out the next two hitters, and with runners at second and third, third baseman Ella Wilson fielded a ground ball and tagged out the runner coming from second to end the inning.

 

In the fourth, the Force got back-to-back two-out base hits.

 

But Northern Berkshire got the second out on a throw from catcher Gianna Briggs to catch a runner trying to steal third. And with two out, another steal of third led to the runner attempting to score, but Wilson fired home, and Briggs got the tag down in time to end the inning and keep it an 11-0 game.

 

“I thought the fielders’ gloves started coming alive,” Northern Berkshire coach Mike Quick said. “They started making some plays.” 

 

Quick said he was proud of the way his team played, pushing the tournament-tested Force team to five innings.

 

“It’s a big difference for our girls because our house league is a little different,” Quick said. “I think getting the kids into this environment with a lot of different things here that we don’t do in house, it was hard for them to adjust. But I think they made the adjustment.

 

“Last year, I don’t think we won a game, so to be in the championship game is really good. The kids came together as a team, had a great time and played their hearts out.”

 

After not putting the ball in play the first three innings, Northern Berkshire did get solid contact from Izzy Harrington in the top of the fourth.

 

With two out, she hit the ball hard to third base, but Dascanio made the stop and fired a strike across the diamond to preserve the no-hitter.

 

Bushika pitched around a couple of walks to keep it 11-0 going to the bottom of the fifth, and Ostellino got the Force offense going with a single to left. Bushika then dropped a single into center to move Ostellino into scoring position, and Tardibuono finished things off with her third hit of the night.

 

“It’s great,” DiPietro said. “I’ve been with some of these girls since I started building the 10U team last county season. And I have five of them moving up to 12U. It was great to finish up county as the two-time champs.

 

“It definitely meant a lot. It definitely finishes strong.”