Through three games, there has been no slowing down the Frontier Regional School softball team.
The host Red Hawks were at it again on Wednesday. They toppled the double-digit run mark for the third time in as many games, and rode a combined no-hitter from pitchers Olivia Deane and Natalie Denkiewicz to thump Ludlow, 12-0, in a five-inning, run-shortened independent contest at Zabek Field in South Deerfield.
Frontier improved to 3-0 on the young season. So far this year, the squad has outscored its opponents (Ludlow, West Springfield and Belchertown) by a 32-5 margin.
Deane struck out three and walked three in four innings of work, before Denkiewicz struck out a batter in a scoreless fifth frame to seal the deal.
The Hawks took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Macy Ring reached on an error with two outs, and Charlotte Doulette made Ludlow pay. She drilled a two-run home run to left field to get the hosts off and running.
Doulette wasn’t done, however. In the third inning, Denkiewicz singled and scored when Doulette blasted her second home run of the afternoon, another one to left, to make it 4-0.
The advantage was 6-0 into the bottom of the fifth, when Frontier pushed six runs across to secure the 12-0 shutout.
Olivia Vecellio finished with two hits to help the team’s offensive attack, while Lily Spencer doubled and drove in a run. Mandy Fuller added a single and a pair of RBIs, while Skyla Burniske also singled and drove in a run.
Next up is the Franklin County League opener, set to be played today at 4 p.m. against Mahar Regional School.
Turners Falls 13, Belchertown 0 (5 inn.) — Aly Murphy and Jade Tyler smacked home runs, and visiting Turners Falls put up a crooked number for the second day in a row en route to a 13-0 five-inning independent win over Belchertown, Wednesday afternoon.
Murphy helped the Thunder (2-0) get off and running in the top of the first inning, lifting a two-run shot over the fence as the visitors took a 4-0 lead after one.
Tyler drilled a three-run home run in the fifth inning, helping put the game out of reach and finish it off in five innings due to the run-rule.
Taylor Murphy, Mercedes Morales and Olivia Whittier all finished with two hits in the win, with the trio all registering a double as well. Lexi Lacey finished with two singles and an RBI, while Tyler wound up with four RBIs to pace the offensive attack.
“We look for extra base hits, and we had five of them so that’s nice to see,” Turners head coach Gary Mullins said.
Danae Weldon had the lone hit for Belchertown, a second-inning single. That was all she wrote against Tyler in the pitching circle. The Turners sophomore struck out 10 and walked a pair to earn the shutout.
The Thunder are set to open FCL play today against Athol.
Greenfield 5, St. Mary’s 0 — A gutsy effort from Brandon Siow helped visiting Greenfield finish off a 5-0 sweep of St. Mary’s in a Tri-County League match Wednesday at the Municipal Courts in Westfield.
Siow overcame a second-set loss to St. Mary’s Joe Wilcox at No. 2 singles, roaring back to take all 10 points in a 10-point third-set tiebreaker for a 6-4, 4-6, 10-0 victory that finished off the Green Wave victory.
Greenfield’s Victor Ivancev was an easy 6-0, 5-0 (retired) winner over Kevin Lu at No. 1 singles, while the first doubles tandem of Daniel Pena-Chadee and Petru Cocojaru took care of business in a 6-0, 6-1 victory over St. Mary’s Aaron Kielbasa and Tom Young.
Greenfield (2-2, 1-1) took forfeit wins at No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles, as the Saints had just four players available.
The schedule stays busy for the Wave this week with TCL matches against Sabis (today) and Sci-Tech (Friday).
Sabis 5, Turners Falls 0 — Haleigh Greene battled hard at first singles, but she and the Turners Falls girls tennis team were unable to capture a victory in a 5-0 loss to Sabis, Wednesday in Springfield.
Greene dropped a 6-2, 6-4 decision to Sabis’ Emma Smith in the No. 1 spot. Sabis also took the match at second singles, where Remy Girard was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Turners’ Izzy Farrick.
The Bulldogs made it a singles sweep at No. 3, as Danielle Atayan swept Turners’ Steph Peterson, 6-0, 6-0.
The short-handed Thunder had to forfeit both doubles matches.
Frontier 12, Ludlow 0 (5)
Ludlow ……………….. 000 00 — 0 0 7
Frontier ……………… 204 06 — 12 10 0
Hits: (L) none. (F) Spencer, Doulette 2, Fifield, Denkiewicz, Vecellio 2, Fuller, Deane, Burniske.
2B: (F) Spencer.
HR: (F) Doulette 2.
RBI: (F) Doulette 4, Spencer, Ring, Fuller 2, Burniske.
WP: Deane (4ip, 3k, 3bb), Denkiewicz (1ip, 1k, 1bb).
LP: Sunderland (5ip, 5k, 2bb).
Turners 13, Belchertown 0 (5)
Turners ……………….. 405 13 — 13 10 0
Belchertown ………. 000 00 — 0 1 4
Hits: (TF) Whittier 2, Tyler, A. Murphy, Lacey 2, Morales 2, T. Murphy 2. (B) D. Weldon.
2B: (TF) T. Murphy, Morales, Whittier.
HR: (TF) Tyler, A. Murphy.
RBI: (TF) Tyler 4, A. Murphy 2, Lacey, T. Murphy, Morales.
WP: Tyler (5ip, 10k, 2bb).
LP: Ouimette (5ip, 0k, 4bb).