It was a strong start for Williamstown Cal Ripken baseball this summer, with the 8-and-under team taking first place in a tournament in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. 

 

Made up of players from Williamstown, Lanesborough and Pownal, Vt., the team traveled to New York Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

After an inauspicious first inning Friday night, where Bennington, Vt., outscored “Yellow” 6-1, the team fought hard and chipped away at the lead to lose 12-8.

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Saturday saw different fortunes, with Williamstown defeating Brunswick, N.Y., in a tough match, 9-7 and earning the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The team dispatched host Hoosick Falls, 25-1, concluding Saturday’s games before the onslaught of the rain.

 

The weather rallied for Sunday, and Williamstown took care of top seeded Greenwich, N.Y., 13-3, to advance to the finals, which featured a rematch with Brunswick, who had knocked out the No. 2 seed Bennington the night before, 17-7.

 

Sunday’s championship was a hard fought game.  Brunswick scored four in the top of the first, which was immediately answered by three from Yellow. The game was tied at 5-5 after three innings, when Williamstown pulled ahead for good by holding Brunswick scoreless in the top and putting up six in the bottom.

 

Stellar defense closed out the game, with Coach Booth and the team winning 11-5.