NORTH ADAMS — Two communities joined together through America’s pastime once again on Saturday night.
The LaFesta Baseball Exchange celebrated its 30th year with the North End Dodgers of Boston notching a 7-5 victory over the North Adams Babe Ruth team at Joe Wolfe Field.
A ninth inning rally came up short for North Adams. The two teams played a competitive game, but the friendly nature of the contest was apparent throughout. A lot of banter and high-fives led to a great atmosphere for baseball.
Logan Crockwell picked up MVP honors for North Adams, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases.
“They are good sports,” Crockwell said of his opponents from Boston. “We were having fun the whole time. We were goofing around the entire game even though we just met. It was an exciting experience.”
Founders John Romano and George Canales envision the players forming lifelong bonds that go far beyond the baseball diamond.
“Who knew that 30 years later we would still be doing this,” Romano said. “The kids are having a good time. Baseball is a good excuse for us to get together. They all love baseball. Baseball is the universal language. In the meantime, we have all become lifelong friends.”
Romano shared a story about players recognizing each other years after playing in the exchange.
“Kids have gone to college and run into kids they played with in the exchange,” Romano said.
30 years ago, Italian street festivals in both communities began the connection between the two towns. But Romano and Canales wanted to expand the relationship to include a younger generation and decided on youth baseball.
“We thought about how to get the youth involved,” Canales said. “Baseball was perfect. We have played 104 games and a little over a thousand kids have gone through the program.”
The North End players enjoyed a road trip atmosphere, staying at the local Holiday Inn.
The teams played nine innings in front of a vibrant crowd under the lights. The decision to play nine innings came with rain threatening Sunday’s game. Sunday’s game was eventually canceled due to rain.
Tito Sniezek is in his seventh season coaching in the exchange for North Adams.
“This is a friendship game,” Sniezek said. “Both teams have respect for each other. Both teams like to cheer for one another on good plays. Great bunch of kids. But you still get geared up for the game. It’s great baseball.”
North Adams will play for the visiting portion of the tradition with games in the North End next weekend. The team will stay in a hotel near TD Garden.
“It’s a very nice experience because as a kid you don’t really travel,” Sniezek said. “Going to Boston, we will do some landmarks. It’s interesting to see the kids experience Boston.”
Alex Parisi won MVP honors for the North End after a dominant performance on the mound. The southpaw struck out 12 hitters in seven innings.
“It was fun, it was definitely different than playing before,” Parisi said. “Usually, you hate the other team. It was just fun to get to know everybody.”
The weekend included a picnic at Windsor Lake that saw some whiffle ball as well as touch football between the two teams. North End coach Kevin O’Sullivan drove his club in a van early Saturday morning.
“We met the kids on the other team and had a nice little cookout,” O’Sullivan said. “The kids were stoked.”
Rich Bova drew a walk in the first inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Bova drew a walk with the bases loaded in the third inning to give the North End a 2-0 lead.
After drawing a walk, Pat Keefe eventually scored on an error in the third inning for the North End.
Crockwell picked off two runners playing catcher during the game for North Adams. Crockwell had an RBI single for North Adams in the fourth.
Walter Mazza singled home Crockwell later in the inning to cut the lead to 3-2. North Adams eventually tied the game on an RBI hit by Vance Kobelia.
The North End quickly took the lead back.
Bova’s RBI single gave North End the lead again, 4-3, in the fifth. Oliver Barca delivered an RBI double later in the inning for the Dodgers to increase the lead to 5-3.
Two more runs scored on an error and a passed ball to make the score 7-3.
North Adams made some noise in the bottom of the ninth with Jack Dolan and Paul Dale driving in runs but the comeback fell short.
Mazza pitched five innings for North Adams, picking up six strikeouts.
The LaFesta Baseball Exchange celebrated its 30th year with the North End Dodgers of Boston notching a 7-5 victory over the North Adams Babe Ruth team at Joe Wolfe Field.
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North Adams, North End speak universal language of baseball in LaFesta Exchange at Joe Wolfe Field - Berkshire Eagle
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