Southwick’s Emily Lachtara delivers a pitch. (Photo by Chris Putz)
SOUTHWICK – It may have been a morning tilt, but the Southwick High School softball team was firing on all cylinders from the outset Monday at Blunt Park in Springfield.
The biggest question to ponder was which shined more brightly – the sun or the Southwick Rams?
Southwick pounded out eight runs, and junior ace Emily Lachtara tossed a complete game, two-hitter as the Rams shut out the Central Golden Eagles 8-0 at Blunt Park in Springfield.
The Rams score a run as the Central catcher, at right, looks toward the field of play. (Photo by Chris Putz)
Southwick’s Brittany Penland went 2-for-4, smashing a home run and driving in three runs. Katelyn Sylvia (2-for-4) and Sydney Rogers (1-for-3) each finished with two RBIs for the Rams, and Nikki Willey had a hit and batted in a run.
Lachtara amassed a whopping 17 strikeouts. She allowed one walk, and hit two batters.
Edinger, Auclair belt homers in blowout victory
Gateway 31, Renaissance 19
Gateway stormed out of the gate in the season opener with 31 runs at the Gator Pit. Chelsea Eginger and Ava Auclair each blasted three-run homers, and collected five RBIs apiece.
Beavers cage Tigers
Putnam 14, Westfield Technical Academy 2
Putnam pitcher Elicia Vazquez silenced the visiting Tigers in a mercy-shortened game at Blunt Park in Springfield. Vazquez struck out 10 batters.
BASEBALL
Terriers rally past Rams
West Springfield 7, Southwick 6
West Springfield rallied from a 4-1 deficit, scoring the game-winning run with a close play at the plate in the sixth inning.
Anthony Costa (3-for-4) and Nick Dombrowski (2-for-3, walk) scored two runs apiece for the Terriers.
“(West Side) executed a good series of bunts and sacrifices,” Southwick coach Bill Dupre said.
Jake Goodreau (2-for-3, walk, 2 RBIs), Pat King (3-for-4), and Eddie Martinez (double) led Southwick at the plate. Rams’ pitcher Andrew Mitchell struck out four batters.
Bombers defeated
Taconic 8, Westfield 2
Taconic erupted for five runs in the fourth inning to break open a two-run ballgame at Bullens Field.
Taconic pitcher Ross Onelenchuk struck out four batters in a complete game effort.
Franklin downs Tigers
Franklin Tech 9, Westfield Technical Academy 1
Franklin Tech scored two runs in each of the second and fifth innings, before exploding for five runs in the sixth inning to pull away at home.
Alex Sparks (double), Chris Boyden, and Andrew Daniels had the lone hits for Westfield Tech.
Saints club Mahar
St. Mary 12, Mahar 2
St. Mary’s Matt Masciadrelli went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, and Shaun Gezotis (3 runs, 2 RBIs) and Matthew Hannoush (run, 2 RBIs) each went 2-for-4 to lead St. Mary at the plate.
John Daley scattered four hits and two walks, and struck out seven batters on the mound for the Saints. Billy Lamirande (hit, K) pitched an inning of relief.
Heeter hot for Gators
Belchertown 10, Gateway 2
Tyler Heeter (2-for-3, double, run scored) and Brett Turban (1-for-3) managed Gateway’s only hits of the day. Josh Webster was hit by a pitch and scored a run.
Belchertown pitcher Johnny Camerota twirled a one-hitter and struck out eight in five innings.
BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
Unbeaten Brownies hand Bombers first loss
Agawam def. Westfield 25-15, 25-19, 25-13
Noah Kappel (7 kills), Tyler Stanton (13 digs), and Scott Walsh (16 assists) paced Westfield (4-1) in a matchup of unbeatens.
Agawam improved to 6-0.
Rams sweep
Southwick def. Ware, 25-10, 25-11, 25-12
Ryan Todesco (9 kills, 10 digs), Ryan Todesco (9 kills, 5 aces), Declan O’Donnell (4 aces, 9 digs), and Timothy Giancola (7 assists) helped propel Southwick to a sweeping victory on the road.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Chaoush nets hat trick in loss
Northampton 18, Westfield 7
Megan McCarthy (6 goals, 2 assists), and Abby Baldwin (5 goals, 3 assists) led Northampton at home. Sophie Melcher also had four goals and two assists for the Blue Devils.
Westfield’s Olivia Chaoush recorded a hat trick, and teammate Rachel Gelina had two goals. Bombers’ Booke Keeney delivered two assists.
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Amaral soars past Saints
Taconic 17, St. Mary 1
Taconic’s Sal Amaral recorded a game-high six goals and one assist, and teammates Bradley Cobb and Kevyn Harris each netted hat tricks.
Matt Wurster notched the lone St. Mary goal.
LATE RESULTS
BASEBALL
Chicopee 5, Westfield 2
Chicopee scored three runs in the third inning, and one each in the fourth and fifth innings to hand host Westfield a loss Saturday. The Bombers managed just one run in each of the first and third innings.
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Westfield 15, Amherst 5
Westfield’s Matt Bonsall (3 goals, 1 assist), Matt Chlastawa (4 goals), and Kohl Lunardini (2 goals, 2 assists) recorded four points apiece in a resounding victory Saturday. Anthony Sullivan notched two goals and one assist for the Bombers.
Westfield goalie Matt Reynolds finished with 16 saves.
