GREENFIELD — What a way to make a return to the lineup, Ethan Quinn. 

The Pioneer junior stepped to the plate with the Panthers trailing Greenfield 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning, Quinn’s first at bat since the second game of the season after missing time with injury. 

With Evan Tsipenyuk on second and Ben Werner on first, Quinn smashed the ball into the left-center gap for a bases-clearing triple that gave Pioneer a 4-3 lead. The Panthers kept the Green Wave off the scoreboard the rest of the way to pull out a comeback 4-3 Suburban League West triumph at Vets Field on Thursday. 

It’s the second game in a row Pioneer (10-2) has needed a late comeback, doing so on Tuesday against Frontier. 

“Third time through the order we started adjusting to Michael Pierce, who’s a great pitcher,” Panthers coach Kevin Luippold said. “They made the plays behind him when they needed to. Luckily we started hitting the ball and finding holes.

“They keep showing us we can [comeback late],” Luippold added. “Top of the sixth, if Quinn doesn’t hit the ball and with the way Michael was pitching, I don’t know if we win that game. He saved the game. Something clicked midway through the game and we played our best ball.” 

Playing without two of their top hitters — Caleb Thomas and Deven Dubie — Greenfield coach Tom Suchanek said he was pleased with how his team competed, showing much improvement over the first matchup against Pioneer, a 14-5 loss in Northfield. 

“I’m proud of our guys,” Suchanek said. “We hung in there. The last time we played them we lost by nine runs. This time, it was a one run game and a bounce here, bounce there it could have been different.”

Both pitchers were on their game on Thursday. Pierce went all seven innings for the Green Wave (3-8), striking out 11 and allowing just five hits. Hugh Cyhowski pitched for Greenfield and went 6⅓ before being pulled due to pitch count, with the senior tallying nine strikeouts and walking just three. Evan Tsipenyuk came on to strike out the final two batters. 

After saying he didn’t pitch his best in his last two games on the hill, Cyhowski said it felt good to get back in a rhythm on the mound on Thursday. 

“I had a rough couple outings but the boys have had my back through it all,” Cyhowski said. “Especially in that Oakmont game where they put up four runs and didn’t make any errors. It was a little rough to start today but I dialed it in, they dialed it in and it was a great team win. I love these guys and I wouldn’t want to play for any other team.”

Greenfield threatened in the first inning, loading the bases following base hits from Arthur Fitzpatrick and John Marchefka, but Cyhowski recorded a pair of strikeouts to keep it scoreless after one. 

Pioneer scored the opening run of the game in the third, as Braeden   Tsipenyuk grounded out to score Jackson Campbell to give the Panthers a 1-0 lea d  . 

The Green Wave got one back in the bottom of the frame. Pierce — who finished 3-for-3 with two doubles — smashed his first extra base hit of the game and scored following an errant throw on an infield single from Luca Siano to tie the game. 

Fitzpatrick gave Greenfield the lead in the fourth, knocking a hit to right field that scored Keagan Fisher from second. Pierce and Nick Prasol cracked singles in the bottom of the fifth before a Preston Lafleur base hit drove Pierce in from third to give the Green Wave a 3-1 lead going into the sixth. 

Braeden Tsipenyuk got the Pioneer rally in the sixth going as he was hit by the first pitch of the inning. Cyhowski followed with a single and Evan Tsipenyuk blasted a hit up the middle that scored his older brother. After Cyhowski was thrown out at third on the fielder’s choice, Quinn blasted his triple to give the Panthers their 4-3 lead. 

“We played well,” Suchanek said. “We played well for the lineup we had in there. Michael pitched well. That one pitch to [Ethan Quinn] was the difference.” 

No matter the deficit, Cyhowski said Pioneer is confidence it can score and get back in any game.

“We always say fifth inning and on is our innings,” Cyhowski said. “I don’t know, maybe we need to start earlier.” 

After errors early, the Panthers tightened up in the field to make key plays and keep Greenfield from getting on base. 

“We didn’t help ourselves out with three errors early on,” Luippold said. “It’s hard to win a ball game when you let up three errors early on. They tethered the ball around and capitalized on our mistakes. Luckily Hugh fought through it. They still hit the ball but our defense really picked up.” 

Frontier 9, Easthampton 1 — The Redhawks raced ahead 7-0 after two, cruising to a Suburban League West victory in South Deerfield on Thursday. 

Aidan Heffernan and Max Skribiski-Banack combined to pitch a gem for Frontier. Heffernan tossed four innings, struck out four and scattered three hits while Skribiski-Banack recorded three strikeouts and allowed just one hit in three innings work. 

Grayson Loos singled, doubled and drove in two runs, Jack Conlon tallied a hit and an RBI, Wyatt Edes drove in two runs while Tyler Cusson, Brady Poreda, Austin D’Urso and Heffernan hit safely in the win. 

Boys volleyball

Frontier 3, Springfield Central 1 — Aleks Carey put down 19 kills and two aces for the Redhawks in a 25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 25-17 loss to the Golden Eagles on Thursday at Goodnow Gymnasium. 

Will Petrin recorded three kills and two aces, Will Reading and Jack Carey each had two kills and an ace while Tavo Vincent-Warner distributed 23 assists for Frontier. 

Girls tennis

Greenfield 3, Frontier 2 — Isabella Semonelli walked away with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph in No. 2 singles while Rebecca Covalenco earned a 6-3, 7-5 win in No. 3 singles, helping the Green Wave pick up a victory at the Davis Street Courts on Thursday. 

Lydia Wood and Karinna Kostov won in No. 1 doubles (7-5, 2-6, 6-4) to give Greenfield the win. Hashini Ratnatunge won 6-4, 7-5 in No. 1 doubles while Esther Ehle and Kayla Fagan picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win in No. 2 doubles for Frontier. 

Mohawk Trail 3, Chicopee 2 — Palmer King won in No. 1 singles (6-0, 6-0) and Hazel Foucault earned a victory in No. 2 singles (6-1, 6-0) in the Warriors’ triumph over the Pacers in Buckland on Thursday. 

Ivan Hillenbrand and Landon Clark pulled out a 6-0, 6-0 victory in No. 1 doubles to seal the Mohawk Trail win. 

Boys tennis

PV Christian 3, Frontier 2 — Donovan Vichi and Noah Nichols picked up a 6-3, 6-3 win in No. 2 doubles while Caiden Manning won in No. 3 singles via forfeiture in the Redhawks’ loss to the Eagles in Springfield on Thursday. 

Deerfield scores

Griffin Dupuis had a perfect game going through nine innings before Connor Niemiec closed things out in the 10th, as the Deerfield Academy baseball team earned a 6-0 extra-inning win over Cushing on Wednesday. 

Rounding out the DA results on Wednesday, girls lacrosse beat Loomis (15-7), golf beat NMH (185-219), ultimate beat Williston (14-13), boys tennis beat Westminster (6-1), girls tennis knocked off St. Paul’s (8-1), boys lacrosse fell to Lawrenceville (18-8) and girls water polo fell to Loomis (12-9).