Few sides have had a better start to the season than the Greenfield softball team, and that was reflected in the MIAA’s Power Rankings, which released for the first time this spring on Friday.
The Green Wave found themselves in the top position in Division 5, holding a 7-2 record with a plethora of impressive wins already on their resume.
Greenfield swept its series with Franklin County League West foe Mount Greylock, which came in at No. 6 in the Div. 5 rankings. The Green Wave also beat rival Turners Falls (No. 5, Div. 5), helping them reach the No. 1 spot. With the pitching of freshman MacKenzie Paulin and a lineup of players who can hit the ball, it certainly won’t be a surprise if Greenfield holds onto its ranking and the path to a Div. 5 title goes through Vets Field.
Franklin Tech joins the Green Wave and the Thunder in the top 10 of the Div. 5 Power Rankings, coming in at No. 7. Athol (No. 23), Frontier (No. 25) and Mohawk Trail (No. 32) would earn automatic bids to the state tournament if everything holds, while Mahar (No. 57) has some work to do to qualify for a postseason spot.
Greylock comes in at No. 6 and Taconic is ranked No. 9, while Wahconah is currently the No. 5 team in the Division 4 rankingsi, showing just how strong the FCL West is this spring.
FCL East squads Hopkins Academy (No. 21) and Smith Academy (No. 40) will be fighting for spots in the Div. 5 field throughout the remainder of the season.
Last week’s Frontier-Greenfield showdown lived up to the hype.
With aces David Carey and Tyler Baranowski on the mound, most folks expected a pitcher’s duel, and that’s exactly what happened. Frontier scored on a passed ball for the lone run of the game, earning a 1-0 victory at Vets Field.
The Redhawks slotted into No. 3 in the first installment of the Div. 5 Power Rankings, the top ranking amongst Suburban League West squads. Hopkins is ranked No. 7, Greenfield checks in at No. 12 and Athol at No. 49 while Easthampton (No. 30) and Hampshire (No. 32) are in the Div. 4 field.
Pioneer is the top-ranked team in the Bi-County North, earning the No. 19 spot after its blistering start to the season. Smith Academy (No. 35), Turners (No. 42), Franklin Tech (No. 46), Mahar (No. 66) and Mohawk Trail (No. 71) round out the rankings for the remainder of the North division.
The Thunder have the best win on the resume of any local team after beating Wachusett — currently ranked No. 4 in Division 1 — last week. It’s not often Turners goes into a game as an underdog, but the Mountaineers were undefeated going in and with Providence-bound Riley Quirk in the circle, the Thunder needed to play their best to get a win.
They did just that. Emily Young came up with a clutch hit late, and Madi Liimtainen keept Wachusett at bay at the plate to pull out a 2-1 win in extra innings. In a career full of great wins, it’s one Gary Mullins will certainly remember for a long time. It also showed that it’ll take a big effort to take down the defending state champs come postseason play.
The win should also go a long way in keeping the Thunder near the top of the Power Rankings, as strength of schedule is a big determiner in the state’s formula.
• Both the Frontier volleyball (8-0) and boys tennis (6-0) teams were still unbeaten this season (as of Monday) despite both programs just in their inaugural seasons.
• The Greenfield girls tennis team (5-0), as well as both the Frontier boys (3-0) and girls (3-0) track teams round out the list of area teams still without a loss.
• Two players who played high school football in Massachusetts were drafted to the NFL last week and both attended the same high school.
Georgia’s Lewis Cine — picked No. 32 overall by Minnesota — and Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely — selected No. 139 by Baltimore — both attended Everett High School, with Cine transferring to play a final year in Texas before heading to college.
It was also the first time in three years a UMass player wasn’t selected, which is no surprise after the Minutemen failed to look competitive in 2021. Defensive back Bryce Watts did sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent.
Thomas Johnston is a Recorder sports reporter. He can be reached at tjohnston@recorder.com