SOUTH DEERFIELD — Make it 11 wins in a row to open the season for the Pioneer baseball team.

After rolling in their last three victories, the Panthers knew they were in for a fight against Frontier on Wednesday in a battle between the last two Suburban League West champions.

Pioneer looked like it was going to run away with it when it took a 5-0 lead in the top of the fourth but the Redhawks didn’t go down without a fight, cutting the deficit to 6-4 going into their final at bat.

After putting two on with walks with two outs in the final frame, Panther Ben Werner recorded a strikeout to hold on and move Pioneer to 11-0 on the season with a 6-4 victory.

“Coming in we knew we were facing a well-coached team and a good group of players with Frontier,” Panther coach Kevin Luippold said. “We knew it was going to be a dog fight. Luckily we came out on top thanks to some early runs on the board. They played hard over there but luckily we made the plays behind our pitcher when we needed to.

“We gave up a little too many walks and to come out on top by two runs, it’s kind of lucky sometimes,” Luippold added. “We were lucky to get out of the jams we were in.”

The win puts the Panthers in the drivers seat to capture the Suburban League West title for the second straight season, with Pioneer focused on keeping this rolling to bring more hardware back to Northfield in the postseason.

“I’m proud of the guys,” Luippold said. “They’re proud of themselves and each other. The culture we’re building is built on a lot of camaraderie and that helps in these tough situations we get into on the bases, in the field, at the plate. The guys pick each other up and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

While disappointed to take the loss, Redhawk coach Chris Williams said he was proud of his team for battling back and not getting down after falling behind early.

“It’s good knowing just because we’re down in a baseball game, it doesn’t mean we can’t come back,” Williams said. “We were down 5-0 to a team that has been scoring a lot of runs. That game was in a spot where it could have gotten out of hand fast. I give the guys credit. They were taking good pitches and putting the ball in play and making their defense make plays.”

It was scoreless after two innings before the Panthers took the lead in the third.

Brody Welcome started things with a single before Jackson Glazier drew a walk. Braeden Tsipenyuk bunted them over a base before Jackson Campbell used his speed to earn an infield single and drive Welcome home and Alex McClelland followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in Glazier and give Pioneer a 2-0 lead.

The hits kept coming in the fourth for the Panthers. Ethan Mauthe, who went 3-4 with two doubles, opened the inning with a base hit and Evan Tsipenyuk followed with a hit of his own.

Welcome cracked a base hit to drive in Mauthe and following a walk to load the bases, Braeden Tsipenyuk cracked a hit to drive in two and give Pioneer its 5-0 lead.

Brady Poreda walked to open the bottom of the fourth and later scored on an error to put Frontier (8-5) on the board.

Mauthe led off the top of the fifth with a double and after Ben Werner was caught in a pickle at first, was able to steal home to make it a 6-1 game going into the bottom of the fifth.

“I felt great out there,” Mauthe said. “I just go out there, try not to overcomplicate things in my head and do damage every time with hard contact. I love playing good competition like this.”

After the Redhawks put a pair on in the bottom of the frame, Brady Poreda singled to drive in Jack Cusson before Kaden James hit a sac fly to bring in Ben Caron to cut the lead to 6-3 going into the sixth.

Henry Drinker walked and Shawn Baumann reached on an error to open the sixth and later in the inning Grayson Bishop, running for Drinker, scored on an error throw down to third to cut the lead to 6-4.

James and Braeden Dion drew consecutive walks in the seventh with two outs but Werner got the strikeout to close things out.

“It felt great getting this win,” Mauthe said. “They’re a tough team. You just come out and try to play hard each time. When guys get down, you have to pick them up. This was a great win.”

Glazier pitched the first five innings for the Panthers, striking out six and giving up three hits. Werner struck out two in the final two innings.

Joey Hutkoski struck out three in 4⅓ innings work before Carter Miller went the rest of the way, striking out one and allowing three hits.

“It was a good game,” Williams said. “I’m happy the guys didn’t give up in the beginning. We got in a dark spot there but we stayed positive, put the ball in play over and over again, capitalized on walks and scored some runs to make it a baseball game. It was a little tough for Joey [Hutkoski] in the beginning but Carter [Miller] came in and threw well.”

Frontier will be looking to get back in the win column on Friday when it goes on the road to face Easthampton while Pioneer hopes to keep the win streak going when it hosts Greenfield Friday.

“We have a tough stretch to end the season starting with this game,” Luippold said. “This was a really good kick in the butt to show us where we need to get to to continue winning games like this.”

Franklin Tech 7, Turners 1 — Hunter Donahue smashed a home run, a single and knocked in a pair of runs while Mason Lehtomaki pitched all seven innings and struck out five to lead the Eagles to a Bi-County North victory over the Thunder at Turners Falls High School Wednesday.

Brody Hicks doubled and drove in a run, Nick Prasol tallied a hit and an RBI, Tyler Yetter and George Gutierrez each finished with two hits while Zaydrian Alamed and Tucker Hicks hit safely in the win for Franklin Tech.

Brody Girard and Julian Kaiser (RBI) doubled, Freilyn Jose Abarua Corona knocked two hits while Jackson Cogswell, Liam Kerivan and Tyler Newton hit safely for Turners. Kainen Stevens and Kaiser each struck out two on the mound.

Athol 23, Smith Academy 2 (5) — The Bears scored eight in the first and 12 in the third to run away with a Bi-County North triumph in Athol on Wednesday.

Enyert Arias Cepeda doubled, singled and drove in four runs, Ethan Heuer singled, doubled and drove in three, Marc Gould recorded three hits and drove in a pair of runs, Cooper Smith tallied a pair of hits and RBIs, Dom St. Andre singled and drove in three while Alex Lavinge and Oliver Johnson both finished with two hits and an RBI for Athol.

Logan Cormier and Anthony Lopez-Hippler combined to strike out five in the win.

Softball

Frontier 16, Southwick 3 (5) — Skyler Steele went 4-4 with two home runs and five RBIs while Ashley Taylor struck out seven in the circle and added two hits as the plate as the Redhawks cruised to an independent victory in South Deerfield Wednesday.

Olivia Machon knocked a triple, three singles and drove in three runs, Delaney Fifield (three hits, two RBIs), Raine Wonsey (RBI) and Addie Ehle (two hits, RBI) each doubled while Sophia Pinardi drove in three in the winning effort.

Granby 24, Mahar 6 (5) — Gabby Matthews finished with two hits for the Senators in an independent loss to the Rams Wednesday.

MacKenzie Matthews and Cordelia Rhodes each had a hit for Mahar.

Boys volleyball

Southwick 3, Frontier 2 — The Redhawks took a 2-1 lead but the Rams stormed back to earn a 25-20, 16-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-10 win at Goodnow Gymnasium Wednesday.

Tegan Dexter put down 26 kills and made 11 digs, Nate Rivera tallied 13 kills and 18 digs, Will Reading put down eight kills, Tavo Vincent-Warner dished 44 assists while Evan Maio made 11 digs for Frontier.

Ware 3, Athol 1 — Ware earned a 25-22, 25-19, 26-28, 25-21 victory over the Bears on Wednesday.

Boys tennis

Frontier 4, Turners 1 — Oliver Brown picked up a win in No. 2 singles (6-4, 6-0) while Xavier Fripp earned a victory in No. 3 singles (6-0, 6-0) for the Redhawks in a triumph over the Thunder in South Deerfield Wednesday.

Noah Nichols and Harrison Manning won in No. 1 doubles (6-2, 4-6, 6-2) while Matt Sibley and Sage Davis took No. 2 doubles (6-4, 6-4) for Frontier.

Noah Kolodziej picked up a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory in No. 1 singles for Turners.

Girls tennis

Hampden Charter 4, Greenfield 1 — Karinna Kostov walked away with a 6-2, 6-0 win in No. 3 singles for the Green Wave, who fell in Holyoke on Wednesday.

Turners 3, Renaissance 2 — Olivia Wolbach won in No. 1 singles (6-3, 6-1), Avery Heathwaite took No. 2 singles (6-2, 6-4) while Gianna Marigliano took No. 3 singles (6-1, 6-0) for the Thunder in a victory in Springfield Wednesday.