A big second inning broke the game open for Frontier on Friday in a Sandy Koufax contest against Greenfield.
Neither team produced a run in the first but Frontier exploded for five runs in the second to take command of the game. That big inning proved to be the difference, with Frontier coming away with a 9-5 victory at Beacon Field.
“We didn’t make many errors today,” Frontier’s Jake Charest said. “We were all here as a team and we support each other. We had a lot of contact today.”
Rowan Modestow, Andrew Canepan and Matt Telega got things going in the second for Frontier, each hitting a single to load the bases. Charest then came up and drilled a single to score Modestow and Canepan, giving Frontier the lead.
Shaun Baumann then drove Telega in with a single and following a pair of steals, Austin Durso brought in Charest and Baumann with a single to give Frontier a 5-0 lead.
After a win its last game, Frontier entered with plenty of confidence at the plate. Once the hits came, they came in a hurry.
“Our last game against Amherst we won,” Charest said. “That got us hyped up and gave us a big boost of confidence. Seeing everyone hit gets everyone hyped. We all go crazy when someone gets a hit.”
Frontier added two runs in the fourth. Durso reached on a single, stole second and was brought home off a Joey Hutkoski single. Hutkoski made it to second on the throw home and scored off a Urijah Jenness single to extend the Frontier lead to 7-0.
Greenfield got back in the game in the bottom of the fourth. Jackson Glazier got on with a single, Jonathan Ainsworth walked and Jacoby Stumpo singled to load the bases. Cody Yetter drew a walk to score Glazier, Noah Kolodiej singled to bring Ainsworth home and Cam Johnson drew a bases loaded walk to bring Stumpo in, cutting the lead to 7-3 going into the fifth.
Both teams traded runs from that point on. Canepan reached on a walk to open the fifth and stole his way around the bases to make it an 8-3 ball game. Greenfield answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth after Max Brunette ripped a double, stole third and made it home on a passed ball.
Durso opened the sixth with a single for Frontier, advanced to second on a Hutkoski single, stole third and reached home on an RBI single from Canepan to make the Frontier lead 9-4.
Greenfield answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth after Nolyn Stafford was hit by a pitch, stole second and third and made it home on a Kolodiej RBI single. That was all the damage Greenfield would get off Frontier, unable to make up the difference in the seventh.
The strong game at the plate gave Frontier confidence it could keep putting runs on the board once Greenfield applied pressure in the fourth.
“We got down for an inning but we came back with the bats,” Charest said. “That helped a lot.”
Durso got the win on the mound for Frontier, going four innings and striking out seven. Modestow came on for the final three innings, striking out a pair.
Hayden Girard got the start for Greenfield, going three and two-thirds innings and striking out two. Stumpo went the rest of the way on the hill, recording two strikeouts.
Senior Legion
TJ Thibeault tossed five innings and struck out four to lead Greenfield Post 81 to an 8-2 victory over host Westfield on Friday.
Mike Bassett and David Carey came on to pitch the final two innings for Post 81.
Carey got the game started with a double at the plate and later added a single. Jason Quinn had a pair of hits and RBIs, Dylan Martin knocked three hits, MJ Paulin had a pair of hits and Hugh Cyhowski hit safely in the win.
Mantle
A late rally lifted the Frontier Mickey Mantle team to an 11-5 win over Greenfield on Friday.
Owen Babb had a pair of hits including a double and knocked in a pair of runs for Frontier. He added eight strikeouts on the mound. Dylan Camp had a pair of hits and an RBI while Jake Paasch and Nico Fasulo doubled in the victory.
Chris Markowski had a pair of hits for Greenfield while Cayden Lehtomaki and Tyler Yetter each had a hit and two RBIs.
Junior Legion
Hugh Cyhowski struck out six in four innings to help lift Post 81’s Junior Legion squad to a 14-4 win in five innings over Sheffield on Thursday.
Jackson Petrin tossed the final inning for Greenfield. Trevor Kuchieski and Braeden Tsipenyuk both had a pair of hits in the win.
Tyler LeRoux had three hits including a triple and Dustin Olson had three hits including a home run while Kris Quiles-Santiago, Mark Kosloski and Aaron Gannon each had a pair of hits to lead RG Penfield to a 9-5 win over the Liberty Tax Sharks on Friday.
Jacob Christi, Jeff Gibson and Jade Cuevas each had two hits while Mike Cole homered in the loss.
■ Brian Ginnity hit for the cycle, Eric Boliski had three hits and five RBIs and Todd Wiles had a single, a home run and five RBIs and Carey Dougan had four hits to lead Tavern of South Deerfield to a 26-9 win over Hot L on Friday.
Matt Weeden and Marcy Conway both had two hits in the loss.
Valley Storm Tryouts
Valley Storm Softball — which has teams at the 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U level — are looking to fill open roster spots with new players who are looking to take their game to the next level.
Valley Storm teams primarily practice in Greenfield and host an annual tournament at Murphy Park. Tryouts for the 10U and 12U teams are on July 26 and 28 beginning at 6 p.m. at Murphy Park. Tryouts for the 14U, 16U and 18U teams are on Aug. 4 at Murphy Park, beginning at 6 p.m.
The annual registration fee is $675 and an extra $200 for new or replacement uniforms. This fee can be recovered through fundraising. All teams participate in fall tournaments, scrimmages and practices, winter indoor practices at The Batter’s Box in Westfield, pitcher and catcher workouts in the winter and late spring and summer tournaments. Practices begin shortly after team selections in late August, with the season running through early August 2023.
If you have any further questions, email to valleystormsoftballinc@gmail.com.
DRIVE League
Logan Anderson dropped 13 points to lift Turners to a 59-55 win over Hadley on Thursday in a DRIVE Summer League boys varsity contest at Greenfield High School.
Teddy Cyr scored 17 points and James Fitzgibbons added 12 points in the loss.
In the second game of the night, James McNally went off for 21 points to propel Northampton past Franklin Tech, 67-34. Noah Ausikaitis scored 15 points and Gabe Mota tallied 12 points for the Eagles.
To close out the night, Max Millette had 12 points and Luke Howard scored 10 in Frontier’s 48-45 triumph over Hinsdale. Brayden Eastman led the way with 25 points in the loss.
■ In boys JV action at Stoneleigh Burnham on Thursday, Aaron Oullette finished with 21 points to lead Athol past Frontier, 34-28. Luke Howard led the Redhawks with eight points.
The second game on Thursday saw Connor Dixon and Chris Colon both score 12 points to lift Hinsdale to a 38-26 win over Pioneer. Colin Woodward had 12 points in the loss.
Morgan Softic scored 19 points in the final game on Thursday to lead Mahar to a 60-40 victory over Greenfield. Gavin Arsenault had 17 points and Grayson Thomas chipped in 13 points in the loss.
Greenfield Elks
In week 11 of the Greenfield Elks Golf League at the Country Club of Greenfield, Joe Ruggeri and Mike Ruggeri tied with Sharon Rawson and Jason Rader for first place with each pairing coming in at 51.5 points.
Gary Noga and Randy Bernard came in second place with 51 points, followed by Keith Schempp and Dave McDonald in third with 49.5 points.
Jamie Bozak won closest to the pin on No.2 while Schempp won it on No. 5.