The 4×400-meter relay team of Guy Rice-Lesure, Quinton Romer, Oscar Cassin and Bennett Boucias sealed the deal, running to a victory in the final event of the day to help Mohawk Trail Regional High School edge Greenfield, 74-71, in a battle of Intercounty League boys track & field teams, Friday afternoon in a wet Buckland.
The quartet crossed with a time of 3 minutes, 52.5 seconds, scoring the points that helped the host Warriors improve to 4-1 overall, 4-1 in the IL. Greenfield dropped to 4-2 overall, 3-2 in the league, as both teams trail league-leading Frontier (6-0, 5-0) with one regular-season meet remaining.
Close events were the name of the game, Friday.
Michael Harrison picked up his first win of the season in the discus for the Warriors, topping the field with a heave of 88 feet, 11 inches.
In the javelin, Emanuil Rahubenco of Greenfield edged Mohawk’s London Summers by five feet, posting a winning throw of 148-7. Cullen Brown won both the triple jump (38-9½) and high jump (5-2) for the Warriors, with Cassin taking the win in the long jump at 17-9.
In the 800 meters, Aaron Do, Emanuel Rosca and Romer all finished within 0.7 seconds of each other to go 1-2-3. Do was first across with a time of 2:16.8.
Rice-Lesure (400 hurdles, 61.1) and Boucias (400, 53.8) qualified for the Cental/West Division 2 championship meet in their respective events for Mohawk. Summers was first across for the home team in the 200 (24.8), with teammate Dennis Simmons sweeping both distance events. The freshman captured the victory in the mile (5:20.9) and 2-mile (11:59.5).
Greenfield’s Theo Popusoi was also a double-winner on the afternoon. The freshman bested the field in the 110 hurdles (17.2) and pole vault, with teammates Crescens Iavorschi (100, 11.3) and Izaak Vigil-Sagan (shot put, 35-1¼) rounding out the Green Wave individual winners.
Frontier 15, Belchertown 3 — To be a good team, you have to be able to respond to adversity. Frontier showed a bit of resiliency Friday, and the result was another lopsided victory.
After visiting Belchertown tied the game, 3-3, in the fourth inning, the Red Hawks responded with seven runs in the home half of the frame. Thanks to an offensive explosion that equated to 12 unanswered runs, Frontier rolled to a 15-3 victory in a Hampshire League West contest at G.T. Valiton Field in South Deerfield.
Trailing 3-1, the Orioles (4-7 overall, 0-5 HL West) pushed two across to tie the game in the top of the fourth.
“We had a sloppy inning defensively, got caught off-guard with some good small-ball tactics by Belchertown,” Frontier coach Chris Williams said of the top of the fourth. “We were a little frustrated.”
After a meeting of the minds on the Frontier bench, the Red Hawks (11-1, 5-0) got to work offensively. At one point in the fourth, the team rattled off six straight hits. Mixed in with a plethora of stolen bases that put the pressure on the Belchertown defense, the hosts scored seven runs to regain a 10-3 lead.
“It was an incredible inning,” Williams said. “We made a point that the standard here is we’re trying to remain an elite team as we get later in the season. They answered the call on that one.”
The offense, which racked up 16 hits including two each from Connor Waitkus, Garrett DeForest, Matt Hildreth, Kalen Evans and Corbin Blight, provided plenty of support for Hildreth on the mound. The senior right-hander struck out five and walked two in five innings to capture the win. Xavier Santiago came on to finish the deal yet again, tossing a pair of scoreless innings with three strikeouts out of the pen.
Frontier’s schedule amps up next week. The Hawks take to the road to play Belchertown, Monday, before staying on the road to play night games against Greenfield (Tuesday) and Turners Falls (Thursday). They play their fourth game on the week at home, Friday against Northbridge.
FC Tech 25, Duggan 2 — It was a busy day for the Franklin County Technical School offense on Friday.
Using an 18-hit attack the Eagles scored 25 runs and cruised past Duggan, 25-2, in a five-inning Tri-County League South Division baseball game in Springfield.
The Eagles scored at least three runs in every inning en route to the lopsided victory. Sim Maniatty had three hits including a triple and four RBIs, and Garret Cole had two singles, a double and five RBIs. Max Leh had two hits and four RBIs, and Max Charest had three hits including a triple and four RBIs. Jared Vielmetti-Perusse had three hits and two RBIs, and Nate Pelletier had a pair of RBIs. Kyle Bergmann played his first baseball game since sixth grade and picked up his first two career varsity hits.
Leh earned the win, striking out two and walking five. Chris Taylor struck out five in two innings of relief.
FC Tech 22, Renaissance 9
Renaissance 24, FC Tech 22 — The Franklin Tech softball team was nothing if not consistent on offense on Friday afternoon.
The Eagles scored 22 runs against Renaissance School in a pair of games but wound up splitting the doubleheader as they dropped a 24-22 decision to the Phoenix in the first game, beforing taking a 22-9 victory in the second game in Turners Falls.
The Eagles had to complete a game that was started back in April before the teams could play their regularly scheduled game.
In the opener, Eagles’ pitching walked 27 Renaissance hitters en route to the loss. Brianna Snyder had two hits and three RBIs for the Eagles, while Renee Reed had a single, double and two RBIs. Hailey Jackson had one hit and two RBIs.
In the second game, Abi Corey struck out six and allowed just four hits and 11 walks in five innings to earn the victory.
Jocelyn Crowningshield singled, tripled and drove in three runs. Corey had three hits including a double and plated one run, and Reed had three hits and four RBIs. Samantha Currier had four hits and two RBIs, while Jackson, Snyder and Mackenzie Martel each had two hits and three RBIs.
Emily Eastman had one hit and two RBIs.
Mohawk 74, Greenfield 71
100 — Iavorschi (G), 11.3.
200 —Summers (M), 24.8.
400 — Boucias (M), 53.8.
800 — Do (G), 2:16.8.
Mile — Simmons (M), 5:20.9.
2 Mile — Simmons (M), 11:59.5.
100 HH — Popusoi (G), 17.2.
400 LH —Rice-Lesure (M), 61.1.
4×100 relay —Greenfield, 48.0.
4×400 relay — Mohawk, 3:52.5.
Long jump — Cassin (M), 17-9.
Triple jump — Brown (M), 38-9½.
High jump — Brown (M), 5-2.
Discus — Harrison (M), 88-11.
Javelin — Rahubenco (G), 148-7.
Shot put — Vigil-Sagan (G), 35-1¼.
Pole vault — Popusoi (G), n/a.
Baseball
Frontier 15, Belchertown 3
Belchertown …………. 100 200 0 — 3 9 2
Frontier ……………… 120 732 x — 15 16 2
Hits: (B) Kupinsky, Torna 3, Buffone, Mankowski, Bohnet, Caramet. (F) Waitkus 2, Jarvis, Baumann, Freeman, Renaud, DeForest 2, Hildreth 2, Evans 2, Blight 2, Barnes.
2B: (F) Hildreth.
RBI: (B) Mankowski, Bohnet. (F) Waitkus 2, Baumann, Freeman, Renaud, DeForest 2, Hildreth, Evans, Blight 2, Barnes.
WP: Hildreth (5ip, 5k, 2bb), Santiago (2ip, 3k, 0bb).
LP: Bohnet (2ip, 2k, 2bb), Buffone (1ip), Mankowski (2ip), Delaney (1ip).
FC Tech 25, Duggan 2, 5 innings
FC Tech …………… 437 56 — 25 18 0
Duggan ………… .. 002 00 — 2 2 11
Hits: (FT) Maniatty 3, Mallet, Charest 3, Cole 3, Patnode, Leh 2, Vielmetti-Perusse 3, Fritz, Shaw, Bergmann 2. (D) Sherokow, Velez.
2B: (FT) Cole, Patnode.
3B: (FT) Maniatty, Charest.
RBI: (FT) Maniatty 4, Pelletier 2, Leh 4, Cole 5, Shaw, Patnode 2, Charest 4, Vielmetti-Perusse 2, Mallet, Fritz. (D) Baillargeon, Velez.
WP: Leh (2 1/3ip, 2k, 5bb), Maniatty (2/3ip, 2k, 0bb), Taylor (2ip, 5k, 1bb).
LP: Sherokow (3ip, 0k, 2bb), Velez (2ip, 0k, 2bb).
Softball
Renaissance 24, FC Tech 22
Renaissance ………… 453 403 4 — 24 8 2
FC Tech ………………. 280 801 3 — 22 7 3
Hits: (R) Almonte, R. Curly, Gushman, Hemmingway 2, I. Franco, G. Franco, M. Curly. (FT) Doane, Reed 2, Corey, Snyder 2, Jackson.
2B: (FT) Reed.
RBI: (R) M. Curly 2. (FT) Reed 2, Snyder 3, Corey, Jackson 2.
WP: M. Curly (7ip, 4k, 27bb).
LP: Corey (4ip, 2k, 8bb), Currier (3ip, 2, 19).
FC Tech 22, Renaissance 9, 5 innings
Renaissance ………… 100 17 — 9 4 2
FC Tech …………. 27(11) 2x — 22 22 1
Hits: (R) Hemmingway, Gushman, I. Franco, R. Curly. (FT) Crowningshield 2, Corey 3, Martel 2, Jackson 2, Snyder 2, Reed 3, Gadreau, Eastman, Currier 4, Winship 2.
2B: (R) Gushman. (FT) Corey, Martel.
3B: (FT) Crowningshield.
RBI: (R) R. Curly. (FT) Crowningshield 2, Corey, Martel 3, Jackson 3, Snyder 3, Reed 4, Eastman 2, Currier 2.
WP: Corey (5ip, 6k, 11bb).
LP: M. Curly (4ip, 1k, 14bb).