High schools: Greenfield baseball, softball both punch Class C semifinal tickets

Caleb Thomas and the Greenfield baseball team blanked Athol 18-0 on Wednesday to advance to the Western Mass. Class C semifinal round.

Caleb Thomas and the Greenfield baseball team blanked Athol 18-0 on Wednesday to advance to the Western Mass. Class C semifinal round. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

By JEFF LAJOIE

Staff Writer

Published: 05-22-2024 8:52 PM

It took two days, but the Greenfield baseball team is one step closer to a sectional title.

The third-seeded Green Wave led 4-0 when their Western Mass. Class C quarterfinal game with No. 6 Athol was halted in the second inning on Tuesday. Twenty-four hours later, Greenfield wasted little time punching a semifinal ticket as the hosts rolled to an 18-0 five-inning victory at Vets Field in Greenfield.

Greenfield (10-9) will travel to No. 2 McCann Tech (12-5) in the Class C semis on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Arthur Fitzpatrick earned the win on the mound in relief of Caleb Thomas, who started on Tuesday but was ineligible to pitch on Wednesday after tossing over 30 pitches before play was suspended due to weather.

Thomas smacked three hits and drove in two runs for the Wave, while Luca Siano doubled and drove in three runs. Deven Dubie had two hits, including a double, and Michael Pierce added two hits and three RBIs to pace the hosts.

Noah Wein and Trevor Bullock each had a hit for Athol (10-7).

Softball

Class C quarters

Greenfield 12, Westfield Tech 0 (5) – After a six-day layoff, the Green Wave got back to action on Wednesday night and handled their business en route to a 12-0 win in the Class C quarterfinals at Vets Field.

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Top-seeded Greenfield (18-1) will host No. 4 McCann Tech in the semifinal round on Saturday at 1 p.m. back at Vets. It was the 16th consecutive win for the Wave, which haven’t lost since April 18.

MacKenzie Paulin racked up 14 strikeouts and allowed just two hits in a five-inning complete game outing in the circle for the Wave. Paulin didn’t issue a walk.

At the plate, Paulin helped herself right away when she launched a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to stake the hosts to a quick lead. She finished 2-for-3 on the night.

Ainslee Flynn and Gloria McDonald each had two hits and two RBIs to Greenfield, while Anna Bucala singled and scored three times and Olivia Lemay added a double.

Girls tennis

Non playoff

Greenfield 3, Central 2 – The Green Wave won two of the three singles matches, improving to 9-7 overall on Wednesday at the Davis Street Courts.

Amy Mihailicenco scored a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles for Greenfield, while Rebecca Covalenco was a 6-1, 6-0 winner at No. 3. 

The first doubles team of Lydia Wood and Karinna Kostov scored a 6-0, 6-1 win.

Frontier 3, Chicopee 2 – Hashini Ratnatunge and Isabella Sibley won singles matches to power the Redhawks to a tight victory on Wednesday in Chicopee.

Ratnatunge was a 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 winner at No. 1 singles, while Sibley won at No. 3 singles, 6-3, 6-2.

Esther Ehle and Kayla Fagan won a 6-0, 8-6 decision at No. 2 doubles.