Just a sophomore, Sam Smith likely has many outstanding athletic achievements ahead of her at Greenfield High School.
It’ll be hard to top Monday night’s performance, however.
With her team trailing 1-0, Smith stepped into the batters’ box having already struck out twice. Facing a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, however, Smith laced a shot to right field that kept going and going. With eighth-grader Katie Haselton scoring ahead of her after a lead-off double, Smith came all the way around for a two-run home run that lifted the host Green Wave to a thrilling, 2-1 victory over Turners Falls High School in a Franklin County League showdown with first place on the line under the lights at Veterans Memorial Field in Greenfield.
It was the first FCL loss for Turners Falls since 2013, when Hampshire Regional High School knocked off the Powertown. Turners ran the table the past three seasons, winning the league title with perfect records.
“I think they knew that they were good, but I don’t think they ever really understood how good they are,” began Greenfield coach Rian Lovett of her team. “So we talked about that before: let’s go out prove it to everybody.”
Smith’s home run off Turners pitcher Peyton Emery was no surprise to Lovett. The sophomore has been tearing the cover off the ball during the early portion of the season, and despite two strikeouts earlier in the game, Smith worked the count full and went the other way with the offering.
“I couldn’t have wanted somebody better at bat there,” lauded Lovett of Smith. “She’s been hitting the ball on the nose. We’ve been telling the girls to take the pitch to right field all season and she did it. I’ve never seen her run so fast in her life.”
Turners (5-2, 3-1 FCL), just one night removed from a 3-1 loss to Division I powerhouse Wachusett Regional High School, tried to regroup and tie the game in the top of the seventh. Olivia Whitter led off with a single, and eventually moved up to second base with two outs on a ground out. But Greenfield sophomore hurler Olivia Joy beared down, and got Turners’ slugger Cassidhe Wozniak, who had two hits on the night already, to fly out to center field to end the game and put the Wave (5-0, 4-0) in sole possession of first place in the FCL.
“They played so hard tonight. They left everything out there and just really wanted it,” Lovett said. “It was just really nice to see them come out on top.”
The game was scoreless into the top of the sixth. Turners struck first, when Wozniak doubled to set the wheels in motion. Gabby Arzuaga reached, and with courtesy runner Katie Garcia at first, Greenfield attempted to throw behind her and cut down the runner. Garcia managed to stay out of danger for long enough, allowing Wozniak to scamper all the way around and score on the play to put the visitors on top 1-0.
Smith’s heroics saved the day, however, significantly altering the fate of the FCL in the process. Joy earned the win behind eight strikeouts over seven innings, and she held the powerful Turners offense to just three hits.
“She went in so confident,” Lovett said of Joy. “She hit her spots, threw pitches when needed to, came back in counts. She was dominant out there and it was a huge confidence builder. For her to come back in the seventh (inning) after allowing that lead-off single, that was another impressive spot for her.”
Emery also shined under the lights at Vets Field. The junior went the distance as well, striking out 11 and not issuing a walk while holding Greenfield to an identical three hits.
“Peyton pitched a phenomenal game as well. It really could’ve gone either way,” said Lovett. “(Turners is) a great team.”
Greenfield takes to the road next, when it travels to Athol High School on Wednesday afternoon. The Powertown hosts Mohawk Trail Regional High School in an interesting matchup under the lights Wednesday in Turners.
• Due to inaccurate information provided to the Recorder, Greenfield’s no-hitter against Franklin County Technical School on Saturday was incorrectly attributed. Joy and Audrey Bresciano combined on the five-inning no-hitter to lead the Green Wave to 17-2.