Chicopee extended their losing streak to ten on Monday, dropping their season record down to 1-12 in the process. They came up short against the Belchertown Orioles, falling 12-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Pacers of the 5-3 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2024.
As for Belchertown, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 6-4. The result was nothing new for the Orioles, who have now won four games by seven runs or more so far this season.
For Belchertown's part, Evan Ferguson and Ian McDonald were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Ferguson didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, McDonald pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. At the plate, Ferguson went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one double, while McDonald went 3-for-4 with four RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Thatcher Rudnik, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Belchertown is undefeated when Rudnik posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Brady Jolly, who earned three runs and two stolen bases.
Chicopee and Belchertown could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Massachusetts Rankings. The Pacers will take on Agawam at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday with a big rank disadvantage (290 vs. 140). Meanwhile, Belchertown (ranked 127th) will meet Pittsfield (ranked 19th) at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
