PEPPERELL, Mass. -- The Lanesborough Bulldogs 11-and-under Cal Ripken Baseball All-Stars got off to a strong start in the state tournament on Saturday, winning their first two games by scores of 14-3 and 12-0.

 

Both games were decided by the mercy rule, but the 'Dogs figure to face a tougher test on Sunday morning when they face host Pepperell, which also sports a 2-0 record heading to the last game of pool play.

 

Lanesborough (8-4) and Pepperell each already have qualified for Sunday afternoon's semi-finals. The state championship game is scheduled for Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Kyle Bartelson Youth Baseball Complex.

 

In Saturday's tournament opener, Lanesborough defeated Turners Falls, 14-3, in a game that ended with a fifth-inning home run by Roberto Barron.

 

Derek Paris went 3-for-4 with a double and scored three runs. Landen Jamula went 2-for-3 with a double, four RBIs and three runs scored.

 

Caleb Greene and Alex Axt each got a two-out base hit to drive in a run, and the team made putouts at the plate to end the first and second innings.

 

Jamula got the start on the mound and struck out two while allowing one earned run in three innings. Jack Cangelosi closed it out with two innings of scoreless relief, striking out five.

 

Game 2 was against Westminser, and the Bulldogs scored eight runs in the top of the fifth to put the game away.

 

They also got a combined one-hitter from Barron, Cangelosi and Jamula, who tallied 11 strikeouts among them.

 

Jamula went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Panayoitis Constantopoulos doubled in a run and scored twice. The Bulldogs' 10 hits were scattered among seven players, and the team collected four doubles all told.