NORTHFIELD — Kevin Luippold couldn’t have asked for a better start in his first season coaching the Pioneer baseball team.
The Panthers opened the season with three straight victories, and behind a balanced hitting and pitching attack, extended that winning streak to four on Tuesday against Turners Falls.
Behind a five-run fourth inning and stellar pitching from Ethan Quinn, Pioneer was able to score a 10-0 victory in six innings.
“We’re feeling pretty good,” Pioneer’s Hugh Cyhowski said. “We have to keep level headed. We can’t be getting too high because when we play some really good teams, we can’t expect to win big.”
The win marked the third game in a row that didn’t go the distance due to the 10-run rule for Pioneer (4-0), which has been aggressive at putting runs on the board early and often.
On the mound the Panthers have given batters issues thus far. Cyhowski tossed a perfect game on Monday against Sci-Tech and on Tuesday, Quinn surrendered just two hits and struck out 11 in the victory.
“As long as we’re swinging the bat and we score a few runs, our pitching will keep us in games,” Luippold said. “As long as we stay aggressive at the plate and take good cuts, we’ll be fine. It’s nice to see them buying in to getting better. (Monday) we walked 10 times but had nine RBIs. We’re attacking the ball at the plate and buying into every one-on-one battle we have up there.”
Alex Quezada opened the game with a base hit for the Thunder but Quinn retired the next three batters to leave the inning with no damage done. In the bottom of the first, Jason Quinn roped a double and Ethan Quinn brought him home with a single, staking Pioneer to a 1-0 lead.
Turners had a chance to put some runs on the board in the top of the third after Lincoln Coleman reached via a walk and Levin Prondecki singled. An error on the throw put Coleman on third and Prondecki on second, but Ethan Quinn was able to get Cam Burnett to fly out for the third out of the inning on the ensuing at bat.
The Panthers struck again in the bottom of the third. Jared Hubbard cracked a single with two outs, stole second and third, and was brought home off a Jason Quinn single to give Pioneer a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Pioneer had a two-out rally to remember. Brayden Thayer got things started with a single, stole second and was brought home off a Sean Allen shot to right that got past the outfielder, allowing Allen to make it to third base.
Allen scored thanks to a Braeden Tsipenyuk single to put the Panthers ahead 4-0. Hubbard then knocked a base hit, and an error off a ground ball by Jason Quinn scored Tsipenyuk and Hubbard. Ethan Quinn then blasted a single that plated Jason Quinn, putting Pioneer ahead 7-0.
“We knew we were playing a good team today,” Thunder coach Scott Minckler said. “We just had that one bad inning and it all happened with two outs. I don’t think we quit but there were some heads hanging. We’ll address that tomorrow and come ready to go on Thursday.”
The final three runs for Pioneer came in the bottom of the sixth. Hubbard opened the frame with a double, Jason Quinn singled and an Ethan Quinn ground out brought Hubbard home.
Ethan Mauthe followed with a single that scored Jason Quinn, and Mauthe eventually scored thanks to a Ben Werner single to end the game as the Panthers hit the 10-run mark.
With the way Pioneer is pitching early in the season, the Panthers will be a tough out for any opponent.
“I’m feeling very confident in my pitching,” Cyhowski said. “I’ve felt that all year and came into the season feeling good. I feel very confident in all our pitchers. Sometimes you feel powerless when you can’t pitch but not on this team. This team, they back me up and I back them up.”
The loss was the first of the season for Turners, which is hoping to build off what has been a strong start to its 2022 campaign.
“If you asked me in February if we’d start the season 3-1, I probably wouldn’t have said we would have,” Minckler said. “I’m very happy with where we are right now. We have some things we need to work on. The kids like winning so we’ll get back to work.”
For Luippold, he wants to make sure his team doesn’t get overly confident after its hot start to the year.
“I keep telling the guys every minor loss we have to take to heart and work through those,” Luippold said. “Starting 4-0 and not losing can be detrimental. Getting over the little losses to win the big war is what we’re preaching. Letting the kids be themselves is a big factor for us. I’ve never seen so many smiles on a baseball team. Keeping that going is the most important thing right now.”