Owen Phelps is in a groove.
The Greenfield High School senior notched his second consecutive shutout, striking out nine and walking just one in seven innings of work as the host Green Wave blanked rival Turners Falls, 6-0, in a Hampshire League East baseball game under the lights at Vets Field, Wednesday night.
Phelps, who also blanked Hampshire, 6-0, in an independent game last week, limited Turners to four hits in the complete-game outing.
“Another good outing, he pitched well,” Greenfield skipper Tom Suchanek said of Phelps. “He threw his curveball for strikes. And he only walked one guy, which is obviously a big part of it.”
Greenfield (7-4 overall, 2-2 East) jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning before doubling the advantage to 4-0 with two more in the third.
David Carey and Kyle Devlin smacked two hits apiece, with Carey tripling and Devlin driving in a run. Phelps helped himself with a single and two RBIs, while Joel Peabody (hit, RBI) and Cam Baird (single) also contributed offensively.
Turners (6-5, 3-2) received two hits from Jon Fritz, while Jaden Whiting and Dom Carme also added singles.
Cayden Lehtomaki took the loss for the Powertown, striking out four and walking three in five innings of work. The Thunder committed five errors on the night.
Frontier 9, Hopkins 2 — The bottom of the lineup provided plenty of offense, as a well-balanced Frontier continued to roll past opponents on Wednesday. The visiting Red Hawks scored in every inning but the sixth en route to a 9-2 win over Hopkins Academy in a Hampshire League West matchup in Hadley.
“The bottom of our order drove in six of our nine runs so for us to have that depth, that’s what separates us from other teams around here, I believe,” Frontier skipper Chris Williams said.
Corbin Blight, Matt Hildreth and Connor Waitkus all had two hits for the Red Hawks (10-1, 4-0), which qualified for the postseason after picking up win No. 10. Blight and Kalen Evans each drove in two runs.
Evans picked up the win on the mound, striking out five in five innings of work before steady Xavier Santiago tossed two scoreless innings of relief (four strikeouts).
Andrew Ciaglo took the loss for Hopkins (7-5, 3-2), which fell 1½ games behind Frontier for first place in the HL West.
“Now that we’re in (the postseason), we move on to our next goal of winning the West,” said Williams. “This was a good step in that direction.”
FC Tech 18, Gateway 6 — Sophomore Nate Sciandra did it on the mound and at the plate, striking out nine in four innings to earn the win and smacking three hits and three RBIs at the dish to help Franklin Tech thump Gateway, 18-6, in an independent baseball game Wednesday in Turners Falls.
“We’re starting to hit the ball and hopefully we can continue the momentum going forward,” Franklin Tech coach Dan Prasol said.
The Eagles led 6-2 into the fourth before scoring 10 times in the frame to more than put things out of reach.
Max Charest and Mike Patenode registered three hits each for Franklin Tech, with Charest clubbing a home run and a triple along with four RBIs. Max Leh (two hits, three RBIs), Shawn Telega (two hits, RBI), Garret Cole (two hits, three RBIs) and Sim Maniatty (two hits, RBI) all had big offensive outings in the win.
Tim Fritz (two innings, two strikeouts) and Maniatty (one inning, three strikeouts) closed out the win on the mound for the Eagles, which did not commit an error in the field.
Easthampton 6, Mohawk 5 — Seven errors doomed visiting Mohawk, which led 3-2 in the third inning but allowed three runs in the frame and couldn’t climb back in a 6-5 HL East loss, Wednesday in Easthampton.
Easthampton (6-4, 4-0) managed just four hits on the day, but defensive miscues plagued the Warriors (2-8, 2-1) in a battle of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the East.
Jackson Hicks paced the Mohawk offensive effort with three hits and a pair of RBIs. Cam Lococo, Tyler Dubreuil and Reuben Bassett all added singles, with Lococo and Bassett driving in runs.
Jared Jacobs took the loss in relief, striking out two in three innings after coming on for starter Lococo (three innings, three walks).
Matt Arroyo picked up the win in relief for the Eagles.
Mahar 9, Smith Academy 1 — Freshman Liam O’Donnell tossed a gem, striking out five and walking four in seven strong innings to lift host Mahar to a convincing 9-1 victory over Smith Academy in a Hampshire League East game, Wednesday in Orange.
O’Donnell limited Smith Academy to just five hits – all singles – and just a lone unearned run in the top of the sixth.
The Senators backed their young starter with four runs in the second inning. The lead was 5-1 before they put it away with four more in the bottom of the sixth.
Will Peredina (RBI) and Charlie Barnes (two RBIs) had three hits apiece for Mahar (5-5, 1-2), which won its first league game of 2019. Jacob Berry was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Logan Dodge was 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Smith starter Sam Dobson was chased from the game in the second inning, and he took the loss after allowing four earned in 1 2/3 innings.
Greenfield 10, Mohawk 2 — Samantha Smith launched a pair of home runs, and the Greenfield offensive machine rolled through Buckland, Wednesday.
The visiting Green Wave made it three straight games with double-digit runs, winning their sixth in a row overall behind a 10-2 victory over Mohawk in a Franklin County League tilt.
Smith drove in four RBIs to pace the Greenfield offense, which scored a pair in the first inning and pushed across five in the fourth inning to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Rachel Dodge was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the victory, while Audrey Bresciano added two hits, including a triple, and a run scored. Racquel Provost, Gianna Conte and Kaitlin Lavoine all drove in runs for the Wave (8-1 overall, 6-0 FCL).
The offense provided plenty of support for Greenfield ace Olivia Joy. The senior struck out 13, walked two and allowed five hits – all singles – to pick up the win. The Warriors scored both runs in the bottom of the seventh, with Ashley Reynolds and Sophia Guy registering RBIs. Nola Bloomer had two hits to pace Mohawk (5-6, 1-5).
The Warriors host Franklin Tech this afternoon at 3:30 while Greenfield hosts Turners at 4.
Frontier 11, Mahar 6 — The offensive fireworks continued in Orange, where visiting Frontier rolled up 19 hits en route to an 11-6 win over Mahar in an FCL game, Wednesday.
Natalie Denkiewicz and Maddie Fifield had four hits apiece to lead the Red Hawks (9-3, 5-2), which firmly entrenched themselves as the No. 3 team in the league behind unbeaten Turners and Greenfield. Olivia Deane hit a three-run home tun in the top of the sixth inning, while Ariana Walker had three hits. Charlotte Doulette and Mandy Fuller each had two hits in the win, while Lily Spencer singled and drove in a pair of runs.
Frontier led just 4-3 until Deane’s three-run bomb, and Fifield followed with an RBI double to give the visitors an 8-3 advantage.
Mahar (5-7, 2-5) made things interesting in the seventh, scoring three runs to cut into an 11-3 deficit. Skylar Dodge, who was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, got the rally started with an RBI single, while Keanna Thompson also drove in a run on a ground out. Megan Rich singled to pull the hosts within 11-6, but Deane escaped further damage and capped off the win in the circle with six strikeouts on the afternoon.
Jordan Fournier doubled and Lani DeDiego drove in a run to aid the Senators’ cause. Rich struck out six and walked one in seven innings inside the Mahar circle.
Frontier hosts Athol on Friday and Mahar entertains Putnam on Monday.
Frontier 115, Pioneer 29 — Jack Vecellio set a personal best in the pole vault, winning the event with a clearance of 13 feet even, and host Frontier moved within one victory of capping a perfect dual meet season, Wednesday. The Red Hawks cruised to a 115-29 win over Pioneer in an Intercounty League meet in South Deerfield.
Phaelon Koski won the 100 meters (11.3 seconds), 400 hurdlers (61.0) and triple jump (35-10½) in another standout performance for Frontier (6-0, 5-0).
Jackie Phong (discus, 88-5), KC Mattson (shot put, 35-3) and Jesse Kurkulonis (javelin, 109-7) all took field event wins for the Hawks.
Pioneer’s Scott McDonough powered to an impressive victory in the long jump, with his best leap measuring in at 21 feet, 1 inch. He also added a win in the 200 meters (23.8), while teammate Jake Wallace won the high jump in 5-4.
Greenfield 4, Frontier 1 — Three of the five matches went the distance, but host Greenfield had just enough in the tank to hold off Frontier in a 4-1 Tri-County League North victory, Wednesday at the Davis Street Courts in Greenfield.
“We had some really long matches but I told the girls, you can be tired once you get home,” Greenfield coach Alexis Silk said. “They stuck to it, finished the job.”
Greenfield (5-1, 4-0) swept the singles matches, including a pair of three-setters. At No. 1, Lilya Georgitsa held off Frontier’s Tori Speth, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, while the third singles match saw Greenfield’s Ngawang Tridytsang edged singles debutant Sophia Patten, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Jenna Keith was a 6-0, 6-0 winner at No. 2 for the Wave, blanking Kayleigh Aucoin.
Frontier (4-4, 2-3) took its win at No. 1 doubles, with the tandem of Cassidy Bardwell and Coleman Hartner picking up a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Estera Covalenco and Kaitlyn Phillips.
At second doubles, Greenfield’s Eva Pruitt-Dahl and Dina Samake defeated Frontier’s Jalen Sullivan and Erin Senn, 6-1, 6-3.
Pope Francis 5, Turners Falls 0 — A solid match at No. 2 doubles highlighted a tough day for the Powertown. Turners Falls dropped a 5-0 decision to Pope Francis in a TCL North match, Wednesday.
Turners’ Mercedes Bailey and Emily Dennison played well but dropped a 6-4, 6-2 decision to Pope Francis’ Gabby Rivera and Carolyn LaCroix.
At third singles, Daniela Martinez-Duran knocked off Turners’ Steph Peterson, 6-3, 6-0.
BASEBALL
Frontier 9, Hopkins 2
Frontier ……………….. 111 230 1 — 9 12 2
Hopkins ………………. 200 000 0 — 2 5 2
Hits: (F) Waitkus 2, Baumann, Freeman, DeForest, Hildreth 2, Evans, Barnes, Blight 2, Tillona. (H) Tudryn, Ishida, Feltovic, Scanlon-Dean, Higgins.
2B: (F) Waitkus, Barnes. (H) Scanlon-Dean.
RBI: (F) Baumann, Evans 2, Barnes, Tillona, Blight 2. (H) Scanlon-Dean, Higgins.
WP: Evans (5ip, 5k, 0bb), Santiago (2ip, 4k, 0bb).
LP: Ciaglo (4ip, 2k, 2bb), Beck (3ip, 2k, 1bb).
Greenfield 6, Turners 0
Turners ……………….. 000 000 0 — 0 4 5
Greenfield ………….. 202 011 x — 6 7 0
Hits: (TF) Whiting, Fritz 2, Carme. (G) Carey 2, Phelps, Baird, Peabody, Devlin 2.
3B: (G) Carey.
RBI: (G) Phelps 2, Peabody, Devlin.
WP: Phelps (7ip, 9k, 1bb).
LP: Lehtomaki (5ip, 4k, 3bb), Robison (1ip, 1k, 0bb).
Mahar 9, Smith Academy 1
Smith Academy ……. 000 001 0 — 1 5 2
Mahar …………………. 041 004 x — 9 11 4
Hits: (SA) Ferrara 2, Bassett 2, Smiarowski. (M) Peredina 3, Barnes 3, Herk, Dodge, Berry 2, Chabot.
RBI: (M) Peredina, Barnes 2, Dodge 3, Berry.
WP: O’Donnell (7ip, 5k, 4bb).
LP: Dobson (1 2/3ip, 2k, 3bb), Bassett (3 1/3ip, 0k, 0bb), Smiarowski (1ip, 2k, 0bb).
Easthampton 6, Mohawk 5
Mohawk ……………….. 102 100 1 — 5 6 7
Easthampton ……….. 023 001 x — 6 4 2
Hits: (E) Kugler 2, Lloyd, Morse. (M) Lococo, Dubreuil, Hicks 3, Bassett.
RBI: (E) Kugler, Morse. (M) Lococo, Hicks 2, Bassett.
WP: Arroyo (1 2/3ip, 1k, 0bb), Patel (4ip, 4k, 4bb), Burke (2/3ip, 0k, 3bb).
LP: Jacobs (3ip, 2k, 0bb), Lococo (3ip, 0k, 3bb).
FC Tech 18, Gateway 6
Gateway ………………. 200 022 0 — 6 8 3
FC Tech …………. 411 (10)02 x — 18 18 0
Hits: (G) Bonefante 2, Piquette 2, Heeter, Sakaske, Iacovelli, Nakaya. (FT) Maniatty 2, Sciandra 3, Charest 3, Cole 2, Pelletier, Leh 2, Patenode 3, Telega 2.
2B: (G) Bonefante. (FT) Sciandra, Cole, Patenode.
3B: (FT) Charest.
HR: (FT) Charest.
RBI: (G) Bonefante 2, Heeter, Piquette, Sakaske, Iacovelli. (FT) Maniatty, Sciandra 3, Charest 4, Cole 3, Pelletier 2, Leh 3, Telega.
WP: Sciandra (4ip, 9k, 3bb), Fritz (2ip, 2k, 1bb), Maniatty (1ip, 3k, 0bb).
LP: Piquette (4ip, 1k, 0bb), Orr (1ip, 2k, 0bb), Luck (1ip, 0k, 0bb).
SOFTBALL
Greenfield 10, Mohawk 2
Greenfield …………. 200 512 0 — 10 10 1
Mohawk ……………. 000 000 2 — 2 5 6
Hits: (G) Bresciano 2, Smith 2, Hickey, Lavoine, Dodge 3, Conte. (M) Lesieur, Johnston, Ward, Bloomer 2.
2B: (G) Dodge.
3B: (G) Bresciano.
HR: (G) Smith 2.
RBI: (G) Provost, Smith 4, Lavoine, Dodge, Conte. (M) Reynolds, Guy.
WP: Joy (7ip, 13k, 2bb).
LP: Lesieur (7ip, 0k, 3bb).
Frontier 11, Mahar 6
Frontier ……………… 110 114 3 — 11 19 4
Mahar ………………… 100 020 3 — 6 8 3
Hits: (F) Denkiewicz 4, Deane 2, Spencer, Doulette 2, Fifield 4, Ring, Walker 3, Fuller 2. (M) Berry, Dodge 3, Rich, Fournier, Mitchell, Dupont.
2B: (F) Deane, Denkiewicz, Fifield, Ring. (M) Fournier.
HR: (F) Deane.
RBI: (F) Denkiewicz 2, Deane 4, Spencer 2, Doulette, Fifield, Vecellio. (M) DeDiego, Dodge 2, Thompson, Rich.
WP: Deane (7ip, 6k, 2bb).
LP: Rich (7ip, 6k, 1bb).
BOYS TRACK
Frontier 115, Pioneer 29
100 — Koski (F), 11.3
200 —McDonough (P), 23.8
400 — Dejnak (F), 56.2
800 —Falla (F), 2:12.0
Mile —A. Sharp (F), 5:28.7
2 Mile — Balis (F), 11:33.0
110 HH — McGranaghan (F), 18.8
400 LH —Koski (F), 61.0
4×100 relay — Frontier (Vecellio, B. Robinson, Falla, Tsaplin), 46.9
4×400 relay — Frontier (Alber, B. Robinson, Roberts, Dejnak), 4:06.7
Long jump — McDonough (P), 21-1
Triple jump — Koski (F), 35-10½
High jump — Wallace (P), 5-4
Discus — Phong (F), 88-5
Javelin — Kurkolonis (F), 109-7
Shot put — Mattson (F), 35-3
Pole vault — Vecellio (F), 13-0