For the second year in a row, Olivia Joy was perfect against Athol High School.
The Greenfield High School junior struck out 12 and didn’t allow a baserunner to toss a perfect game in the Green Wave’s 12-0, six-inning, run-shortened Franklin County League softball win over the Red Raiders Wednesday night at Vets Field.
“She came out and was throwing hard from the first pitch,” said Greenfield coach Rian Lovett. “She looked strong and confident.”
It was the second time in the last three games against Athol that Joy chucked a perfecto. She first accomplished the feat in last year’s WMass Division III quarterfinals, and followed that with a shutout in the teams’ first meeting of 2018 back in April.
“She really stepped it up lately,” lauded Lovett. “She’s really working on her windup and command and has been able to take control out there. She knows what’s working and isn’t working and she runs with it.”
With Joy doing the job in the pitching circle, Greenfield (15-2 overall, 10-1 FCL) got on the board with a pair of runs in the third and broke it open with a seven-spot in the fourth. Raegan Hickey smacked a home run, while the Wave received triples from Kelsey Richardson, Kirsten Ward and Heather Catlin. Ward, Hickey (two hits) and Lizzy Howland (three hits) all drove in two runs, and Racquel Provost and Richardson each added two hits.
Haley Bigwood took the loss, striking out a pair and walking two in a complete-game effort for Athol (10-8, 5-7).
Greenfield has another big game today when it travels to Frontier Regional School at 4. Athol heads to Pioneer Valley Regional School today.
“It’s a big week. We must win all these games to stay in contention (for the league title),” said Lovett.
Turners Falls 8, Pioneer 2 — It wasn’t easy for Turners Falls High School on Senior Night.
Pioneer Valley Regional School led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning but errors caught up to the Panthers and the Thunder capitalized en route to a 8-2 FCL win Wednesday night at the Bourdeau Fields Complex in Turners Falls.
Turners (17-2, 11-1) scored four times in the fifth and added three more runs in the sixth to get past the upset-minded Panthers. Pioneer pitcher Steph Scoville pitched well, striking out six and allowing just six hits and five walks in six innings, but five errors were too much for Scoville to overcome.
“I thought Scoville did a nice job, she kept our bats quiet, but they gave her very little support,” Turners Falls coach Gary Mullins said. “When they made mistakes defensively, we scored runs.”
Turners pitcher Peyton Emery struck out three in five innings to earn the win. Jade Tyler pitched two innings of perfect relief, striking out two.
Olivia Whittier had three hits and one RBI to pace the Turners offense, and Hailey Bogusz had one hit and three RBIs. Aly Murphy and Abby Loynd each chipped in a hit.
Samantha Martinez had two hits and an RBI for Pioneer (7-12), while Scoville doubled. Shelby Avery, Jaccquilene Collins and Aliyah Kimball each added a hit.
Sci-Tech 32, FC Tech 8 (5) — An 11-run second inning was more than enough to send Springfield School of Science & Technology to a 32-8 five-inning Tri-County League softball win over Franklin County Technical School Wednesday in Turners Falls.
Franklin Tech (4-14, 4-8) received a big outing from Hailey Jackson, who hit a solo home run in the first inning and added a triple. Jocelyn Crowninghshield, Brooke Adams, Summer Gadreau and Eliza Kelton all had two hits in the loss, with Kelton and Gadreau clubbing doubles. Kelton drove in a pair of runs to continue her strong offensive stretch. Kelsey Winship had a hit and an RBI.
Mileily Fernandez totaled three hits and five RBI to pace Sci-Tech (6-6, 5-4).
Turners Falls 4, Holyoke 1 — Jimmy Vaughn closed out his homecourt career with a straight-set victory and Turners Falls High School rolled along toward the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Holyoke High School in an independent boys’ tennis match Wednesday afternoon in Turners Falls.
Vaughn dumped Holyoke’s Eddie Anderson, 6-1, 6-1, at first singles in the final regular-season home match of his career. Turners Falls coach Steve Touloumtzis said Vaughn has really matured as a player during his time with the team.
“He has an excellent first serve and increases the pace and spin with his second service,” he began. “He plays an attacking-style game, and if he can stay aggressive through two or three sets, he can beat almost anyone. His sophomore year to now is night and day.”
Brian Poirier picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win over Joe Cavanaugh at second singles, and Will Turn finished off the singles sweep with a 7-5, 6-3 victory at third.
Both doubles matches went three sets. Turners won at second doubles as Joe Coachen and Michael Boyle defeated Ethan DeJesus and Michael Lukasiewicz, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1. Holyoke (8-9-1), which was eliminated from tournament contention with the loss, earned its lone victory at first doubles where David Rex and Brendan Leahy earned a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Brody Trott and Josh Gaulin.
Turners (9-4) heads to Chicopee High School today at 4.
Mohawk 4, Chicopee 1 — Host Mohawk Trail Regional High School won three of the four contested matches and added a forfeit win at second doubles to defeat Chicopee High School, 4-1, in an independent boys’ tennis match Wednesday in Buckland.
Setting the tone for Mohawk (4-9) at first singles was Avery Miraglia, who defeated Chicopee’s Ali Al Juboor, 6-3, 6-2. Also winning his singles match for the Warriors was Tommaso Accornero at No. 3, where he beat Cameron Lacrosse, 6-1, 6-1.
At first doubles, Mohawk’s Sam Nelson and Triston LaCross won a third set super tiebreaker to defeat Mohammed Al Safari and Yassir Faisal, 3-6, 6-3, 10-6.
Westfield 4, Greenfield 1 — Kevin Gifford made Senior Day special by picking up a victory at second singles, but Greenfield suffered a 4-1 loss to Westfield High School in an independent boys’ tennis match Wednesday at the Davis Street Tennis Court in Greenfield.
Gifford defeated Patrick Orzulak, 6-0, 6-0, at second singles to earn the victory.
The Green Wave’s other senior, Luca D’Angelo, suffered a 6-0, 6-0 loss at first singles to Patrick Orzulak. Greenfield forfeited at third singles.
Westfield swept the doubles matches. Jimmy Knipik and Sean Mitchell topped Brandon Siow and Anjou Kang-Stryker, 6-1, 6-0, at first doubles, while Joey Burzinski and Donald Chang beat Connor Pedigree and Jacob Frank, 6-1, 6-1, at second doubles.
Pope Francis 5, Frontier 0 — Kayleigh Aucoin’s three-set loss at third singles was the closest match of the day, as Frontier Regional School dropped a 5-0 Tri-County League North girls’ tennis match Wednesday in Chicopee.
Aucoin fell to Pope Francis’ Madelyn Letendre, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, in the No. 3 spot.
Frontier captain Tori Speth fell to Elizabeth Goncalves in a good match at first singles. Goncalves picked up a 6-4, 7-5 win.
The Cardinals swept the doubles, and finished the sweep when Elita Vale edged Frontier’s Mary Lauren at second singles, 6-1, 6-4.