Hilltop Happenings

The Salisbury Knights are the 2022 Western New England Connatonic League Champions! Salisbury rode timely hitting, highlight-reel defense, and the sturdy arms of Thomas Galusha and Liam Chamberlain on Sunday afternoon to claim a 9-2 victory over Williston Northampton School on the Hilltop’s Gardner Field. An appreciative crowd, many under canopies and sun-umbrellas, lined the embankments along the first- and third-base lines to enjoy the action and, after Chamberlain struck out the final batter, to salute the only Salisbury team to win a championship this spring.

Galusha worked out of trouble in the first inning thanks to a bang-bang defensive play. After retiring the first two batters, the junior righthander gave up a single and a walk to put runners at first and second. The next batter sent a drive to the base of the leftfield fence, which was retrieved by Jacob Risedorf. Both runners were off at the crack of the bat. As the lead runner raced home, Risedorf’s relay cut down the runner advancing from first trying to reach third for the final out of the inning. The umpire behind the plate ruled that the tag-play at third had preceded the first runner’s touch of home by a split-second. The Wildcat run was nullified.

Jake Benedict worked a four-pitch walk to open the bottom of the first. Brother Sam Benedict’s infield single put runners on first and second with no outs. Hayden Miller followed and, after a couple of long foul balls to left, sent a drive to deep center that just missed going out. The Benedicts tagged up on the play, moving to second and third. When Risedorf followed with a low drive down the first-base line that was misplayed by the Williston first baseman, both runners scored, staking the Knights to a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the second, the Wildcats again rallied with two outs, putting runners on first and second. Galusha induced a ground-out to the right side of the infield, however, to escape the jam. In the home-half of the second, Salisbury plated another pair of runs to increase their advantage to 4-0. Ben Rosen singled to deep right to open the inning and came in to score when Jake Brink followed with a triple to deep left. Brink came home on a wild pitch.

Both pitchers had 1-2-3 innings in the third, but Williston finally put a run on the board in the fourth. A pair of brilliant catches – by centerfielder Jake Benedict for the first out and by Rosen in right for the second out – prevented further damage.

The Knights got the run back in the fifth, reestablishing a four-run lead, 5-1. Miller led off with a double and eventually came home on a sacrifice fly by Emmett Coco.

Then in the sixth, Salisbury used a four-run rally to put the game out of reach. Jake Benedict had an r.b.i. double in the inning, and Risedorf knocked in two more with a single. Anthony Torreso’s ground-out brought in the last run. Three of the first four batters for the Knights drew walks, and all three came in to score.

Chamberlain gave up a pair of singles and two walks in the seventh, leading to the Wildcats’ second run of the game. With two down and the bases loaded, the Knights’ closer induced a swinging third strike to end the game and set off a wild celebration between home plate and the pitcher’s mound. Once decorum was restored, the two teams lined up for traditional congratulatory handshakes.

Galusha pitched five innings, allowing five hits and a pair of free passes while whiffing eight. In two innings’ work, Chamberlain gave up three hits and three walks while also K-ing three. Each Knight hurler allowed one earned run.