Another Tough Loss for Post 320

It feels like the summer is just beginning, but as July 4th trails behind, so begins the final leg of the American Legion Baseball season.

For Westwood Post 320, this season had some growing pains, as the team heads into Friday’s finale against Franklin with a 5-11-1 record overall.

Thursday, the team faced a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to tournament hopeful Foxborough (8-9), who will try to pull off a win against Medfield on Friday, coupled with a Canton loss that would punch their post-season ticket.

Post 320 has not been as fortunate.

Thursday evening’s game at Russell Downes Field in Westwood proved to be a microcosm of Post 320’s season, as a few mental errors gave Foxborough a chance to put two runs on the board and spoil a great pitching performance by pitcher Will Smith.

“Will pitched great,” said Post 320 manager Dick Paster following the defeat. “He has pitched great all season long for us. He should have won; we made some mistakes.”

After four errors caused them seven runs in Wednesday’s loss to Norwood, Westwood started out of the gate sluggish, with two errors in the first inning that led to Foxboro’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Aiden Farrell that scored Steve Fitzmaurice.

Smith worked himself out of jam in the second as well, after two more infield errors put runners on at first and third with one out. Smith got the next two Foxborough hitters to pop up and appeared to settle down after that.

Westwood best inning was the third when Chris Hoyt lined a leadoff double to center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gerard Florentino who pounded the ball to the deepest part of the ballpark. In fact the next three batters pounded the ball to the outfield resulting in two singles and a fly out to center that left two runners stranded.

“We haven’t been able to hit the ball with runners in scoring position and that has hurt us again tonight,” said Paster.

For Foxborough, pitcher Tom Sauageau pitched brilliantly after the third, holding Post 320 scoreless the rest of the night. He finished with a complete game victory going seven innings and scattering nine hits in what his coach called a must win for his team.

“(Tom) pitched a great game, he's been struggling,” said Foxborough manager Bill Travers. "He’s had a bad ankle. His second best game of the year. He beat these guys two weeks ago 5-1 then turned his ankle.”

Another bright spot for Foxborough was first baseman Chris Johnson, who hit a sinking liner to center in the sixth that skipped by the Westwood center fielder and allowed Andy Bukuras to score the winning run from first base.

“Big hit,” said Travers. ”He has been one of our best relievers all year and I thought about keeping him in the pen . . . good for him.”

Post 320 hoped to make a late season run but fell short of that goal, however they have lots of returning players next year giving Coach Paster reason to be optimistic.

“We will finish up tomorrow strong and come back next year,” said Paster.

Coach Travers summed up Thursday’s game accurately when he said, "It was a really good legion game, it was sad someone had to lose a game like this.”