GREENFIELD — For the third year in a row, the Greenfield baseball team has reached the MIAA Division 5 quarterfinals. 

The past two runs in the tournament came as a surprise, where the Green Wave pulled off a number of upsets. Eighth-seeded Greenfield wasn’t sneaking up on anybody this year and on Wednesday, took on a tough Bartlett team in the Round of 16. 

The Green Wave capitalized on an error to take the lead in the first inning and tacked three runs on in the second to go ahead, 4-1. After No. 9 Bartlett rallied to cut it to 4-3 in the fifth, Greenfield scored two in the bottom of the frame and added an insurance run in the sixth to advance to the quarterfinals with a 7-3 victory at Vets Field. 

“Caleb [Thomas] pitched well again,” Green Wave coach Tom Suchanek said. “This is the time you want to be playing well. It was a good team effort.”

Greenfield (15-7) advanced to face the winner of top-seeded Pioneer and No. 16 Georgetown, which face off on Thursday in the Round of 16. 

Thomas got the win on the mound, striking out five and scattering just three hits. The senior said he was determined to make sure this wasn’t his last high school game. 

“It’s good to win,” Thomas said. “I did not want this to be my last game. I love this sport so much. I can’t imagine anything without it.” 

Thomas reached on a fielder’s choice in the first, stole second and a dropped fly ball off the bat of Logan Moore brought Thomas in to make it a 1-0 game. 

An error by the Green Wave allowed Bartlett (12-8) to tie things up in the top of the second but Greenfield responded in the bottom of the inning. Luca Siano walked, Arthur Fitzpatrick put down a perfect bunt and after a wild pitch moved up the runners, Siano was able to beat a throw home after Malik Moore put the ball in play to put the Wave back ahead, 2-1. 

Conner Bergeron then cracked a hit to left field to score Fitzpatrick and Moore, making it a 4-1 contest going into the third. 

The Green Wave had their chances to break the game open in the third and the fourth, loading the bases in the third and putting runners on second and third in the fourth but were unable to score in either inning. 

Bartlett got back in the game in the fifth. The visitors loaded the bases and Adam Urato timed Thomas’ wind-up perfectly, stealing home comfortably to cut into the lead. An error brought in another run to cut the lead to 4-3 going into the bottom of the fifth. 

Greenfield again had an answer. Siano walked and later was brought in on an error, and Chase Zraunig smashed a single to score Moore to give the Wave a 6-3 lead going into the sixth. 

“We’ve been hitting well,” Thomas said. “We always get hot in states. Today I didn’t have it on the mound but we won and that’s all that matters.”

Thomas singled to open the sixth and later scored on a wild pitch to give Greenfield its 7-3 lead. The hosts then shut Bartlett down in the seventh to seal the win. 

“We thought it would be a 3-2, low scoring game,” Bartlett coach Keith Sebastyanski said. “We’ve been up-and-down all season. It’s been a hell of a ride. Bats didn’t come alive when we needed them to today.”

With a young team, Suchanek said he’s pleased with how they’ve handled the pressure of the playoffs. 

“That’s what you hope happens this time of year,” Suchanek said. “We have some young kids but they’re handling it.”

While Greenfield didn’t want to look too far ahead, getting a chance to play local rival Pioneer — which beat the Green Wave twice in the regular season — in the quarters is something they’d be looking forward to. 

“That would be electric,” Thomas said. “I’m excited for that one.”

Div. 4 Round of 16

No. 1 Pittsfield 16, No. 16 Frontier 2 — The visiting Redhawks jumped ahead early, taking a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning. But the powerhouse Generals answered immediately in the home half, and ultimately plated 15 unanswered runs to cruise into the state quarterfinals with a 16-2 win at Clapp Park in Pittsfield on Wednesday.

Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Redhawks scored twice on an RBI single from Jack Cusson and a four-pack of walks issued by Pittsfield starter Simon Mele.

Pittsfield (18-4) scored four runs in the bottom of the second to retake the lead at 5-2, then chased Frontier starter Joey Hutkoski from the game in the third when they scored three more to make it 8-2. Morrie Fried welcomed relief pitcher Max Skribiski-Banack to the game with a two-run home run over the fence in right, and the hosts ultimately led 15-2 after four innings.

With no mercy rule in the state baseball tournament, the game wound up going the full seven innings en route to the 16-2 final.

Frontier finished its season 14-9 overall, while Pittsfield advanced to host either Uxbridge or Clinton in the quarters.

Ben Caron cracked two hits while Brady Poreda and Henry Drinker also hit safely for the Redhawks.