A five-run second inning helped propel Athol High School past Mahar Regional School, 8-3, in a Franklin County League softball game Friday afternoon in Orange.
The Red Raiders (7-6) earned eight hits and six walks off Mahar starter Hallie Meeker, including two hits and two RBIs from Rozlyn Nelson, as well as two hits and one RBI from Sadey Lehtomaki. Lindsey Leblanc struck out nine and allowed five hits and two walks in the complete-game effort in the win
Skylar Dodge belted a solo home run for Mahar, while Sarah Graeff doubled. Meeker had a hit and an RBI. Meeker finished with eight strikeouts in six innings.
Turners 23, Mohawk 4 — Have a day, Cassidhe Wozniak.
The Turners Falls senior shortstop has been heating up in recent games. On Friday, she officially exploded.
Wozniak hit for the cycle and drove in eight runs, helping the visiting Thunder roll past Mohawk Trail, 23-4, in a Franklin County League softball game played in Buckland.
Wozniak’s big day helped Turners improve to 15-0 overall, 10-0 in the FCL. The Powertown led 7-0 after two innings and 11-0 after three. Mohawk (8-8, 3-7) cut the deficit to 12-3 in the fourth inning, but Turners pushed nine runs across in the top of the seventh to put an exclamation mark on the contest.
Jade Tyler finished with three hits, including a double and a home run, to go with five RBIs in another big outing for Turners. Taylor Murphy (two hits), Hailey Bogusz (two hits, three RBIs), Juliana Rode (two hits, two RBIs) and Lexi Lacey (two hits, RBI) all registered multiple hits in the win.
Tyler struck out nine in 6⅓ innings of work to capture the win. Rode struck out a pair in ⅔ of an inning.
Isis Moon had two hits and an RBI for the Warriors. Ashley Reynolds tripled and drove in a run.
Frontier 8, Pioneer 6 — Lily Spencer and Charlotte Doulette smacked back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, turning a 6-5 deficit into an 8-6 Frontier victory in FCL action against Pioneer, Friday at Zabek Field in South Deerfield.
Trailing 6-5, Spencer drilled a two-out, two-run home run over the fence in left field that also plated Natalie Denkiewicz. Doulette followed with a solo shot, the team’s third home run of the day (Macy Ring in the third).
Pioneer (2-10, 1-8) had taken a 6-5 lead in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a three-run home run by Olivia Rowe. The senior finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate.
Ariana Walker had two hits for the Red Hawks (12-4, 8-3). Freshman Chloe Cutting picked up another victory in the circle, striking out eight and walking one in seven innings.
Pioneer hurler Steph Scoville recorded eight strikeouts in a complete-game outing, and added a single and an RBI at the plate.
Easthampton 2, Greenfield 0 — A pitcher’s duel ended abruptly as Abby McClaflin slugged a two-out, two-run home run to left field in the seventh inning and Easthampton defeated Greenfield, 2-0, in an independent softball game Friday in Easthampton.
Neither team was able to plate a run until the seventh inning when Olivia Joy walked Tessa Pond to lead off but still had her on base with two outs and the top of the order at the plate in McClaflin. The eighth-grader blasted an offering from Joy over the fence in left field to give the Eagles the walk-off win.
“It was a good pitch. It was an inside fastball. It was a great swing on a good pitch,” Green Wave coach Rian Lovett said. “We just couldn’t get a big hit ourselves. We had runners in scoring position in multiple innings, we just couldn’t plate the run.”
Greenfield (11-4) outhit the Eagles, 5-4, but was unable to score a run off Eagles’ pitcher Rachael Robinson. Robinson did not help out the Green Wave either, as she did not walk a batter and her defense played flawlessly behind her. Robinson finished with five strikeouts. Olivia Downer had two hits including a double.
Joy finished with eight strikeouts and two walks in the loss. Nikki Miner had two hits, Audrey Bresciano had a double, and Kelsey Richardson and Raegan Hickey each had a hit.
FC Tech 22, Westfield Tech 12 — A 21-hit attack helped Franklin Tech get back in the win column with a 22-12 victory over Westfield Tech in a Tri-County League softball game Friday in Turners Falls.
Hailey Jackson had four hits including a pair of triples and eight RBIs. Jocelyn Crowningshield had three hits including a double and two RBIs, and Renee Reed doubled and drove in three runs. Emily Eastman had two hits and three RBIs, and Abi Corey and Summer Gadreau each had two hits and two RBIs. Corey earned the win with four strikeouts and 13 walks in the complete-game victory.
Athol 4, Easthampton 0 — Mark Ferrari gave Athol exactly what it needed Friday afternoon against Hampshire League East Division-leading Easthampton.
The hurler struck out 12 and allowed just three hits and two walks and Athol handed the Eagles their first league loss of the season with a 4-0 victory in Athol.
Ferrari allowed only one hit until the seventh inning. It helped the Red Raiders not only get back in the win column after a tough, 1-0, loss to Mohawk on Thursday, but also qualify for a postseason berth with five games still remaining.
“We were looking for an answer, someone to steup up after a tough loss yesterday,” Athol coach Josh Talbot said. “It was vintage Mark. He was dominant from the start.”
Talbot said that getting into the postseason was a nice reward for the win but it still felt a little bittersweet due to the hole his team has dug in the league this season. While Athol improved to 10-5 overall, it is still only 4-3 in league play and two games back of the Eagles.
“It’s great to be in (the postseason), but we almost forgot because we’ve been a little frustrated with the way we are playing,” he said. “It doesn’t have that special feeling today because of how our league schedule has gone and our desire to make some noise in the tournament.”
Athol scored twice in the fourth. Ferrari and Maysin Tarbell each singled to put runners on the corners and Athol attempted to get into a pickle play to get Ferrari home with the game’s first run. On the play, however, Eastampton pitcher Nicholas Jolicouer threw the ball away, allowing Ferrari to score. and Tarbell to reach third. Later, after Riley Paine walked to put runners on the corners with two outs, Athol again attempted to get into a pickle play to sneak another run across, and this time the throw home was high and Tarbell scored safely.
Athol tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Jack Bonenfant picked up a two-run single
Jolicouer struck out four and walked one in five innings in the loss.
South Hadley 6, Mohawk 5 — Will Guyette pulled host Mohawk Trail within a run thanks to an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning, but South Hadley stranded him at second base, enabling the Tigers to leave Buckland with a 6-5 victory in an independent contest, Friday.
Trailing 6-4 in the seventh, Guyette doubled home Cam Lococo (single) with two outs, putting the tying run in scoring position at the same time. South Hadley reliever John Sherwood induced a fly ball to left field to end it, however.
The loss dropped the Warriors, which committed seven errors on the night, to 5-10 overall.
Lococo, Tyler Dubreuil, Jared Jacobs and Guyette had two hits apiece for Mohawk, with both of Guyette’s going for doubles. Guyette, Jacobs, Lococo and Dubreuil all drove in runs.
Matt Pollen took the loss, striking out three and walking seven in five innings. Jordan Grenier finished up with two innings on the mound.
Westfield Tech 6, FC Tech 0 — Toby Barlow struck out four and allowed two hits and two walks over seven innings of shutout ball as Westfield Tech beat Franklin Tech, 6-0, in a TCL South baseball game Friday night in Westfield.
Westfield Tech scored five times in the third inning as it took advantage of three Franklin Tech errors. Trent Adam had two hits including a double and two RBIs in the win, while Mike Durkee had one hit and two RBIs.
Garret Cole and Max Leh each had a hit in the loss. Cole struck out two and walked three in 4 1/3 innings to suffer the defeat.
Greenfield 3, Sabis 0, forfeit — It wasn’t the conventional path to a postseason berth, but the Greenfield boys tennis team punched its ticket to the WMass Division 2 tourney on Friday.
Visiting Sabis did not have enough players to officially compete in a match, allowing the Green Wave to pick up its eighth win of the season via forfeit. The win puts Greenfield 8-3 overall, 7-1 in the Tri-County League League, and it assures the squad of a .500 record or better and a spot in the postseason field.
Athol 8, Mahar 3
Athol ……………………. 050 200 1 — 8 8 0
Mahar …………………. 000 210 0 — 3 5 2
Hits: (A) Lehtomaki 2, Nelson 2, St. Cyr, Leblanc, Bigwood, Forte. (M) Graeff, Dodge, Berry, Fournier, Meeker.
2B: (A) Bigwood. (M) Graeff.
HR: (M) Dodge.
RBI: (A) Nelson 2, Lehtomaki, Leblanc, St. Cyr. (M) Dodge, Meeker, Mainville.
WP: Leblanc (7ip, 9k, 2bb).
LP: Meeker (7ip, 8k, 6bb).
Turners 23, Mohawk 4
Turners ……………. 344 102 9 — 23 17 1
Mohawk …………….. 000 300 1 — 4 6 2
Hits: (TF) Wozniak 4, T. Murphy 2, Morales, Tyler 3, Whittier, Bogusz 2, Rode 2, Lacey 2. (M) Moon 2, Lesieur, Johnston, Ward, Reynolds.
2B: (TF) Tyler, Wozniak, Bogusz, Rode.
3B: (TF) Wozniak. (M) Reynolds.
HR: (TF) Wozniak, Tyler.
RBI: (TF) Wozniak 8, Tyler 5, Whittier 2, Bogusz 3, Rode 2, Lacey. (M) Moon, Reynolds, Allen.
WP: Tyler (6⅓ip, 9k, 2bb), Rode (⅔ip, 2k, 1bb).
LP: Bloomer (7ip, 0k, 9bb).
Frontier 8, Pioneer 6
Pioneer ……………….. 200 040 0 — 6 5 2
Frontier ………………. 401 003 x — 8 9 5
Hits: (P) Sadowski, Scoville, Rowe 3. (F) Denkiewicz, Spencer 2, Doulette 2, Fifield, Walker 2, Ring.
2B: (F) Walker.
HR: (P) Rowe. (F) Doulette, Ring, Spencer.
RBI: (P) Rowe 3, Johnson, Scoville. (F) Spencer 2, Doulette, Walker, Ring.
WP: Cutting (7ip, 8k, 1bb).
LP: Scoville (6ip, 8k, 1bb).
Easthampton 2, Greenfield 0
Greenfield ……………. 000 000 0 — 0 5 2
Easthampton ………. 000 000 2 — 2 4 0
Hits: (G) Richardson, Hickey, Bresciano, Miner 2. (E) McClaflin, Morse, O. Downer 2.
2B: (G) Bresciano. (E) Morse, O. Downer.
HR: (E) McClaflin.
RBI: (E) McClaflin 2.
WP: Robinson (7ip, 5k, 0bb).
LP: Joy (6⅔ip, 8k, 2bb).
FC Tech 22, Westfield Tech 12
Westfield Tech ……… 311 106 0 — 12 7 3
FC Tech ………………. 653 206 x — 22 21 1
Hits: (WT) A. Levere 2, K. Serano, Kukucka, Nelson 2, Sanders. (FT) Crowningshield 3, Corey 2, Martel 2, Snyder 3, Reed, Jackson 4, Eastman 2, Winship, Charleton, Gadreau 2, Trudeau.
2B: (FT) Crowningshield, Corey, Snyder, Reed, Gadreau.
3B: (FT) Jackson 2.
RBI: (WT) Cerrono, Kukucka 2, Nelson 3, Sanders. (FT) Crowningshield 2, Corey 2, Reed 3, Jackson 8, Eastman 3, Winship 2, Gadreau 2.
WP: Corey (7ip, 4k, 13bb).
LP: Parker (3ip, 1k, 7bb), Marsh (3ip, 0k, 1bb).
Baseball
South Hadley 6, Mohawk 5
South Hadley ……….. 103 011 0 — 6 5 4
Mohawk ………………. 120 100 1 — 5 9 7
Hits: (SH) Evans, Tirone, Daugherty, Garvin 2. (M) Dubreuil 2, Lococo 2, Guyette 2, Jacobs 2, Moffatt.
2B: (SH) Daugherty, Evans. (M) Guyette 2.
RBI: (SH) Daugherty 2, Ortyl, Garvin. (M) Dubreuil, Lococo, Guyette, Jacobs.
WP: Sherwood (3 2/3ip, 1k, 0bb), Quinn (3 1/3ip, 2k, 2bb).
LP: Pollen (5ip, 3k, 7bb), Grenier (2ip, 0k, 0bb).
Athol 4, Easthampton 0
Easthampton ………… 000 000 0 — 0 3 3
Athol ……………………. 000 202 x — 4 7 0
Hits: (E) Kugler, Colpack, Morse. (A) Fountain 2, Lutz, Ferrari, Tarbell, Bousquet, Bonenfant.
2B: (E) Kugler. (A) Fountain.
RBI: (A) Bonenfant 2.
WP: Ferrari (7ip, 12k, 2bb).
LP: Jolicouer (5ip, 4k, 1bb), Arroyo (1ip, 0k, 2bb).
Westfield Tech 6, FC Tech 0
FC Tech …………………. 000 000 0 — 0 2 3
Westfield Tech ……… 005 010 x — 6 7 0
Hits: (FT) Cole, Leh. (WT) Adams 2, Barlow, Sullivan 3, M. Durkee.
2B: (WT) Adams.
RBI: (WT) Adams 2, D. Durkee, Barlow, M. Durkee 2.
WP: Barlow (7ip, 4k, 2bb).
LP: Cole (4⅓ip, 2k, 3bb), Sciandra (1⅔ip, 2k, 2bb).