BARRE — While on the Chuck Stone Little League All-Stars team, Branden Engelke-Aiken instilled such confidence in his coaches they had him replace Jenna Bonenfant after 50 pitches during the team’s District 3 group play elimination game.
Now playing for the Chuck Stone Little League Sinclair Jimmy Fund team, Engelke-Aiken gave ample reason why his coaches should continue to trust him on the mound, pitching 4 ⅔ innings and striking out 11 in his team’s 11-4 win over Quabbin in both team’s season opener on Wednesday.
Athol coach Tony Vitello inserted Engelke-Aiken into the leadoff spot in the lineup as well, where he went 2-for-3 with one double and two runs scored. He scored his team’s first run of the game when the team’s No. 3 hitter Trevor Bullock knocked in two with a single during the first inning. Engelke-Aiken then doubled in a run and later scored on a double by Morgan Softic as part of a five-run second inning to put Chuck Stone up 7-3.
Chuck Stone’s five-run second inning wiped out an unsettling start to Engelke-Aiken’s pitching performance. Quabbin was able to tag him for back-to-back singles to start the game while an error at short had put Quabbin up 3-2 in the bottom of the first.
Engelke-Aiken then settled for the rest of his start. He did not give up another hit the rest of the way and only allowed one other run on a walk and error after his team had already built a 9-3 lead.
Engelke-Aiken left in the fifth after striking out Quabbin’s Landon Bissenette. Softic took over the rest, pitching the final 1 ⅔ innings while striking out four and allowing only two walks on two separate occasions.
Chuck Stone’s hitting chased Quabbin starter Alex Armstrong after three innings, after giving up seven hits. Carter Chambers came in for the fourth and fifth innings and gave up three runs on three hits, three walks and one error.
Chuck Stone’s Connor Cox scored Cooper Smith (two hits, one run) to put his team up 11-4. Cox ended the night 2-for-3 with one run scored.
Chuck Stone will put its 1-0 start against Winchendon on Saturday, who started its season off 1-0 as well, defeating North Leominster 14-9 on Wednesday. The two will face off at James H. Salevan Field in Athol at 4 p.m.