GREENFIELD — It was a thriller at Vets Field with a spot in the Massachusetts Junior American Legion state tournament between Greenfield Post 81 and West Springfield on Thursday. 

Leading 6-5, Post 81 loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning with no outs but was unable to get a run across. 

Third-seeded West Springfield made the hosts pay, scoring twice in the top of the seventh to take the lead. No. 2 Greenfield was unable to get the tying run across in the bottom of the frame, and West Springfield advanced to states with a 7-6 victory. 

“You can’t take anything away on how these kids battled,” Post 81 coach Dan Prasol said. “Unfortunately we made some mistakes. They made mistakes too. It came down to timely hitting and they had a few more hits than we did.” 

Michael Hioe was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the sixth before Nick Prasol and Austin D’Urso singled to load the bases with no outs. A squeeze bunt didn’t go to plan, as the pitch bounced in the dirt and Hioe was tagged out trying to take home. A strikeout and a groundout ended the inning, with no runs coming across. 

Michael Spaulding singled for West Springfield in the seventh and with two outs, Grayson Kearney was hit by a pitch. Wiatt Bolduc singled up the middle to score Spaulding to tie the game before a Post 81 error allowed Kearney to score, giving West Springfield the 7-6 lead. 

Cody Yetter reached on an error to open the bottom of the seventh for Post 81 and with two outs, Wade Bardwell and Hayden Girard drew walks to load the bases. The West Springfield third baseman made a diving stop at third and tagged the base to close out the game and send the visitors to states. 

“I said last game that coaches lose games and players win games,” Prasol said. “Called the squeeze [in the bottom of the sixth] and it didn’t work out.”

Greenfield took a 3-0 lead after one. Girard walked and later scored on a wild pitch, Luca Siano singled and scored on a wild pitch before Arthur Fitzpatrick hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Hioe, giving Post 81 the early advantage. 

West Springfield got a run back in the top of the second on an error and in the fourth, West Springfield took the lead. Kearney singled to drive in a pair that tied the game at three before an RBI single from Higby put West Springfield ahead, 4-3. 

Greenfield answered right back in the bottom of the inning. Post 81 quickly loaded the bases after Conner Bergeron singled, Yetter put down a perfect bunt and Bardwell walked, with Girard smashing a single to score Bergeron. Siano hit a sac fly to deep left field to drive Yetter in, putting Greenfield ahead 5-4. 

Yetter saved a run in the fifth, throwing out Rafael Rivera from right field after Rivera tried scoring from second off a Spaulding base hit. 

A Bardwell single in the fifth scored Bergeron, giving Greenfield a 6-4 lead. A single from Herlihy drove Nolan Longo in to cut the lead to 6-5 in the top of the sixth. 

After losing leadoff hitter Grayson Bishop to injury early in the game and playing without starter Shaun Baumann, Post 81 was shorthanded on Thursday. 

“Bishop’s our No. 1 hitter and he goes out with a knee injury,” Dan Prasol said. “Baumann is our starting second baseman and he’s injured today but these kids buckled down and played hard.”

Fitzpatrick pitched the opening 3⅓ innings for Greenfield, striking out seven. Bergeron went the rest of the way, striking out five. 

With a young team, Dan Prasol said he’s seen his team grow and make strides all summer. 

“I could not be more proud of how these kids played all season long,” the skipper said. “It’s been an absolute privilege to coach this group. I hope they all come back because they’re all junior legion eligible next year. I hope they come back and we have another shot at it.”