Sports
Softball: Father-daughter duo of Matt, Alexi Bonenfant eyeing state tourney berth in final season together at Gateway
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
Almost every day, Matt and Alexi Bonenfant drive to school together. Matt is the athletic director and softball coach at Gateway Regional, and Alexi is his daughter and senior captain of the softball team.On their way to Huntington, they’ll listen to...
Amherst’s Moriah Luetjen (400 meters), Logan Alfandari (shot put) capture titles at MIAA Div. 4 Track & Field Championships (PHOTOS)
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
WESTFIELD – Logan Alfandari sat by the shot put circle, crossed his legs and leaned his back on the fence. It was the middle of the shot put final at the MIAA Division 4 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and Amherst’s mammoth thrower was taking a...
Class B girls lacrosse: Amherst holds off Greylock, sets up title-game showdown with Belchertown
By HOWARD HERMAN
WILLIAMSTOWN — Lexi Politis' goal with 21 seconds remaining pulled the Mount Greylock girls lacrosse team within a goal of visiting Amherst in Saturday’s Western Mass. Class B semifinal.While Greylock got the ball back with 19 seconds, the Hurricanes...
Class C boys volleyball: Top-seeded Granby sweeps Ware, captures first-ever WMass title (PHOTOS)
By GARRETT COTE
CHICOPEE — All the momentum was against the No. 1 Granby boys volleyball team in the third set of Saturday’s Western Mass. Class C championship match with No. 2 Ware.The Rams had breezed through the first two sets, but they faced a 24-21 deficit in...
High Schools: Hampshire girls lacrosse sees comeback against Hoosac fall just short in Class C semis
By HOWARD HERMAN
CHESHIRE — A furious comeback by the Hampshire Regional girls lacrosse team fell just short Friday afternoon.The third of three unanswered goals by Rylie Simmons had the Raiders leading by one after trailing by as many as six goals.But Ashlyn Lesure...
Softball: Hopkins falls to Turners in Class D semis (PHOTOS)
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
TURNERS FALLS — While it wasn't the result coach Lindsey Lord and the Hopkins softball team were hoping for in its Western Mass. Class D semifinal contest against Turners Falls, the game showed how much the Golden Hawks have improved since the start...
Class B girls tennis: Led by 10 seniors, Belchertown breaks through to capture championship with 5-0 win over St. Mary’s
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
SPRINGFIELD – Ava Shea ripped a crosscourt backhand, turned around, faced her teammates and raised her arms in the air. A wash of relief spread across her face.Belchertown’s No. 1 singles player had just clinched the Orioles’ first Western Mass. girls...
Class B boys tennis: Belchertown falls to East Longmeadow in title match, shifts focus to state tourney
By GARRETT COTE
WILBRAHAM — The entire No. 3 Belchertown boys tennis team sat behind the fence of the third singles court where sophomore Luke Dudek battled with No. 4 East Longmeadow’s Ryan Kulla.Trailing 3-1 on the team scoreboard with just the one match remaining,...
Class A boys tennis: Longmeadow holds off Northampton 3-2 to capture WMass title
By GARRETT COTE
LONGMEADOW — With two matches still being played, the No. 2 Northampton boys tennis team held a 2-1 advantage over No. 1 Longmeadow during Friday afternoon’s Western Mass. Class A championship match at Blinn Tennis Courts.After losing 3-2 to the...
High School Track: Amherst’s Logan Alfandari and Moriah Luetjen finish second at state meet
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
WESTFIELD – Northampton and Amherst athletes competed at the MIAA Division 4 Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday evening, and Amherst’s Logan Alfandari (discus) and Moriah Luetjen (200) secured second-place finishes.The championships are...
High Schools: Hampshire falls to Pittsfield in Western Mass. baseball semifinals
The top-seeded Pittsfield baseball team lived up to the billing on Thursday afternoon, as they scored 15 unanswered runs against No. 4 Hampshire after falling into a 3-0 hole.The Raiders fell 15-3 to the Generals in the Western Mass. Class B semifinal...
UMass baseball: Minutemen’s stellar season comes to an end with A-10 tourney loss to Saint Joseph’s
One of the best UMass baseball seasons in over a decade came to a close on Wednesday night, as the Minutemen fell 12-2 to Saint Joseph’s in an elimination game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va.UMass finished...
Tennis: Seniors power Belchertown girls past South Hadley, into Class B final (PHOTOS)
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
BELCHERTOWN – Four years ago, Belchertown girls tennis advanced all the way to the Western Mass. Class B championship match, only to be swept by Longmeadow.Last year, they made it back, but lost a heartbreaker to Ludlow, 3-2.This year, after handling...
High schools: Amherst baseball downs Northampton in season finale
Knotted up at one apiece after two innings, the Amherst baseball team jumped on its biggest rival, Northampton, with six runs in the bottom of the third to pull away for good. The ‘Canes went on to score in every inning the rest of the way while...
Class B softball: Ashley Cortis’ walk-off hit lifts Hampshire past Frontier 4-3, into title game (PHOTOS)
By GARRETT COTE
WESTHAMPTON — The Hampshire softball team’s offense can only be bottled up for so long before they finally string together a rally.The second-seeded Raiders picked a good time for it late in Wednesday afternoon’s Western Mass. Class B semifinal game...
Tatum scores 36, Brown hits 3 to force OT and Celtics edge Pacers 133-128 in Game 1 of East finals
By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Tatum scores 36, Brown hits 3 to force OT and Celtics edge Pacers 133-128 in Game 1 of East finalsEds: UPDATES: with details. Updates Media.BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 36 points, including 10 in overtime after Jaylen Brown’s tying 3-pointer with...
High schools: Top-seeded PVCICS boys tennis punches ticket to Class C final (PHOTOS)
The top-seeded PVCICS boys tennis team looked the part in its Western Mass. Class C opener against No. 4 Frontier on Tuesday. The Dragons swept all five matches, advancing to the finals with a 5-0 victory at Hampshire College. PVCICS will face No. 3...
UMass baseball: Dayton holds off Minutemen 4-1 in opening round of Atlantic 10 tourney
Playing in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament for the first time in 12 years, the UMass baseball team dropped their opening game in the double-elimination event on Tuesday night.Third-seeded Dayton erased a 1-0 deficit and got past No. 6 UMass,...
Hampshire Regional student-athletes sign letters of intent
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
WESTHAMPTON – Hampshire Regional senior student-athletes gathered on Tuesday to sign letters of intent to play collegiate athletics. Seven graduating seniors will play college sports at the Division I and III levels.Fresh off a Western Mass....
High schools: Ryanne Dubay tosses no-hitter as Hampshire softball blanks Wahconah in Class B quarters
With the postseason officially underway throughout western Massachusetts, the Hampshire Regional softball team felt right at home on Monday.The defending champion Raiders opened their title defense in fine fashion, as Ryanne Dubay tossed a six-inning...
