NORTHFIELD — The Pioneer baseball team suffered its lone loss of the season in the Western Mass. Class D championship game against Ware.
If you wanted to know how the Panthers would respond, Monday’s MIAA Div. 5 Round of 32 contest against O’Bryant showed that defeat will certainly fuel the club moving forward.
No. 5 Pioneer had it going with both its bats and pitching, with Ethan Quinn leading the way at the plate with two doubles and a grand slam while Hugh Cyhowski tossed a six-inning no hitter to lift the Panthers into the Round of 16 with a 10-0 win in six innings over the visiting Tigers.
Pioneer advanced to host No. 12 Millis in the Round of 16, with that game scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday in Northfield.
“It’s always good to win these tournament games,” Pioneer coach Kevin Luippold said. “They played well but we just hit them. They didn’t make many mistakes in the field but we hit the ball like crazy. We took advantage of the balls that went over the plate which we’ve been preaching all year. This is a good win because we’re getting back in a rhythm at the plate and that will set us up for success later in the week.”
Pioneer players said the loss to Ware helped refocus the Panthers (19-1), who have a new energy and determination to make another run at a state title like last year, when they reached the Final Four.
“We’re out for vengeance now,” Cyhowski said. “Now there’s a chip on our shoulder. Before the loss to Ware we were coasting. We’d try to get in the zone but it didn’t work. We’re happy the loss happened in Western Mass. and not states because states is the ultimate goal.”
Pioneer put two runs on the board in the first to take the opening lead. Braeden Tsipenyuk and Cyhowski drew walks and Ian Simpson knocked a hit up the middle that scored Tsipenyuk from second. The throw home put Cyhowski on third, and he made it home on a wild pitch to make it a 2-0 game heading into the second.
Ben Werner and Tsipenyuk singled in the second, with both advancing a base on a steal. Alex McClelland grounded to short and Tsipenyuk was thrown out at third while Werner crossed home plate. Quinn then came to the plate and cracked a double that nearly hit the fence in left field, scoring McClelland from first and giving the Panthers a 4-0 lead after two.
A trio of walks loaded the bases in the third, and Werner came through with an infield single that scored Cyhowski to make it a 5-0 game after three.
Quinn all but put the game away in the fifth. After he rocketed his second double to left field in the fourth, the sophomore came to the plate the next inning with the bases loaded after Werner singled and Tsipenyuk and McClelland walked.
Quinn got the pitch he was looking for and rocketed a shot to left field that kept carrying. The O’Bryant left fielder got his glove on the ball as he dove over the fence but was unable to hold onto it, with the play resulting in a grand slam and Pioneer taking a commanding 9-0 lead.
“He gave me the perfect pitch inside and I turned on it,” Quinn said. “I thought it was going to go right to him at first. I didn’t think it was going over the fence.”
With the bases loaded in the sixth Ryan Wheelock, running for Peter Loud, made it home on a wild pitch to end the game via the 10-run rule.
Quinn said the Panthers are pleased to see their bats catch fire again, hoping it sticks throughout the tournament.
“We hit a lot better this game,” Quinn said. “We’re finally hitting the ball again. It’s going to be our bats that help us keep going. If we hit the ball we’ll win games.”
Quinn finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs while Cyhowski struck out 11 and didn’t walk a batter during the no-hitter.
“Ethan carried the team on his back today in terms of getting runners scored and off the bases,” Luippold said. “We got in a little slump of getting people on with no outs and not scoring but he came through big time for us at the plate. It’s fun to watch at the end of the day. He’s a great hitter and he showed it today.”
“Hugh was great again today,” Luippold added. “What else can you ask for? We’ve only let up two runs in our last four games. Our pitchers are pitching like they know how to and we’re putting runs up for them.”