Westfield’s Aimary Santaniello (25) goes back-to-back with an East Longmeadow defender. (MARC ST.ONGE/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD – The Westfield High School girls lacrosse team outscored East Longmeadow 7-1 over the second and third quarters and 12-2 through the game’s final three quarters in an impressive 17-5 opening day victory at home.
Emma Metcalf (6 goals, 2 assists), Lara Finnie (4 goals, 3 assists), and Sydney Goyette (3 goals, 2 assists) led the Westfield offense. Bombers’ defenders Mackenzie Rae, Marrisa Feary, Ellen Jury, Keeley Connor, and Alli Guay provided a heroic effort in shutting down the Spartans.
Westfield goalies Danielle Coe (7 saves) and Elizabeth Senecal (5) combined for 12 saves.
“First they were hesitant, but (our players) bought into the plan, executed and were great,” said Westfield High School girls lacrosse coach Paul Fenwick, whose team boasts 12 seniors, nine of which return from the previous squad.
“We got off to a great start,” coach Fenwick said. “The train just pulled out of the station, time to get on those tracks and go.”
Saints escape with narrow victory
St. Mary’s 8, Chicopee 7
Katarzyna Wisnauckas (Hampshire Regional) netted a hat trick and freshman Mia Slack (WTA) made seven saves to help St. Mary’s slip past Chicopee in a season opener.
Paighton Ramos added two goals for the Saints.
St. Mary’s Emma Archambault (HR) and Samantha Moran (HR) each had a goal and an assist, and Skylar Duda (HR) scored once.
Emily Jurkowski led Chicopee with two goals and two assists. Pacers’ goalie Maya Lecko finished with 17 saves.
“I am proud of my teammates today,” Wisnauckas said. “We have many underclassmen and it was exciting, watching them play in their first varsity game.”
St. Mary’s girls lacrosse team is comprised of student-athletes from St. Mary’s, Hampshire Regional, and Westfield Technical Academy high schools.
Saints head coach Grace Ahrensdorf said that the extra practice time that was allotted helped in preparing her team for the opener.
SOFTBALL
Gour records 7 Ks, homers in Bombers victory
Westfield 8, Agawam 2
Westfield pitcher Erin Gour recorded seven strikeouts in throwing a four-hitter and helped herself at the plate with a first-inning, two-run home run.
Westfield took a 4-0 lead in the third inning with a Carly James single, and doubles from Erin Gour and Moja Premmy.
Carly James was hot at the plate, going 3-for-4 for Westfield (2-0) with two runs scored and a stolen base.
A double, a walk, and then an error gave Agawam life in the top of the fourth inning as the Brownies scored two. Westfield’s Cierra Toporowski singled, stole second base, and then scored on a James hit to grab one back in the bottom half of the fourth.
An Emma LaPoint double, and singles from Ava Cichonski and Ali Rehor in the fifth resulted in two more Westfield runs.
Westfield finished with 13 hits.
“Everyone was focused and locked in today,” Westfield softball head coach Kyle Dulude said. “It was a good win versus a good team. Our goal is to work hard each day and keep getting better.”
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Bombers sweep Brownies
Westfield def. Agawam 25-23, 25-11, 25-21
Cole Davignon (9 kills), Nick Maslar (8 kills), Vitaliy Samoylenko (7 kills), Brandon Kingsley (27 assists, 2 aces, 1 kill), Ryan Morash (4 kills, 2 aces) led Westfield to a season opening sweep against host Agawam.
Rams chase Bulldogs
Southwick def. Sabis, 25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22
Southwick improved to 3-1 with a close four-set victory on the road.
Rylan Secovich (2 assists, 6 kills, 10 digs), Jace Turgeon (3 aces, 4 kills, 2 blocks, 3 digs), Grayson Poole (12 assists, 1 ace, 5 kills, 4 digs), and Mason Imbriglio (2 aces, 3 kills, 18 digs) fueled the Rams’ latest victory.
BASEBALL
Rams suffer first loss of season.
Granby 12, Southwick 5
Granby pitcher Nolan Sullivan tossed a six-inning, two-hitter, striking out 10 batters in the process. Mike Toth went 4-for-4 with two triples, a walk, and four RBIs.
Southwick’s Leighton Billings struck out four batters and walked three over 2 2/3 innings. He allowed just one earned run (nine unearned). Cameron Degray provided 4 1/3 innings of relief for the Rams (1-1). He struck out two batters, walked none, and allowed three runs (all earned).
GIRLS TENNIS
Hurricanes topple Bombers
Amherst 4, Westfield 1
Westfield’s Angela Bongiovanni and Cayla Osowski lost a hard-fought battle to Agawam’s Liza Pobezinkaya and Ava Carvell at first doubles, 7-6, (7-1), 6-2. The Brownies forfeited second doubles.
