NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—Gianna “G” Witek threw 12 strikeouts in the Greylock Thunder’s 11-7 win over Dalton Monday as the Thunder captured the 10-year-old Berkshire County Travel League title.

Witek pitched the entire game, also giving up four walks in her six innings in the circle. In the batter’s box, Witek struck out once, walked twice, and scored two runs for the Thunder.

“They played really well,” Thunder coach Mike Ameen said.

The Thunder scored all 11 of their runs on errant pitches, showing its skill on the basepaths.

“We run the bases really well,” Ameen said. “I teach them not to swing at pitches that are out of the zone, and they get on base, and they wreak havoc on the bases.”

Witek gave up three quick runs in the first inning on a double, a pair of singles, and a walk, but she turned it around in later innings, only giving up four more runs for the remaining five innings.

“What I was telling them in the dugout was, ‘Look, just because we’re down a couple innings, couple runs, doesn’t mean we can’t come back,’” Ameen said. “And when we did come back, they get a little more excited.”

For Dalton, Mallory Radwitch scored twice in three at-bats. She doubled in the first inning and tripled in the fifth. Pitcher Harper Keay also made good contact twice, hitting singles in the third and fifth innings. She scored in the fifth to lead off the inning.

Dalton coach Eric Payson was optimistic about the loss.

“Greylock has been phenomenally coached,” Payson said. “I think the girls did great, I’m so proud of them.

“We always chant ‘family’ at the end, and it’s been like that the whole season.”

Payson also noted that the Warriors’ two pitchers, Keay and Julia McComish, likely are going to refine their skills with age and be contenders as they get older.

Ameen echoed Payson’s praise of his pitchers.

“They have two great pitchers,” Ameen said. "For 10 and under, they throw hard.”

The Thunder’s biggest inning was the third. It scored five runs, all on pitches to the backstop, demonstrating its heads-up baserunning. While Greylock only had one hit throughout the game, it ran the bases well, including Bailey Tatro’s two stolen bases.

Those runs all came after scoring none in the first two innings. Ameen said that this “was a good learning experience for them.”

Keay had 10 strikeouts for the Dalton through three innings. McComish, came on in relief and struck out six.

After scoring three runs in the first, Dalton went the next three innings without scoring, as Witek found her groove. Dalton scored two runs in each of the final two innings.

Photos from this game here.

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