AMHERST – Amherst’s Miles Jeffries took the first set from Northampton’s Reilly Fowles on Wednesday afternoon, but rain shortened what had the potential to be the best boys tennis match of the season in Hampshire County. 

Amherst coach Kevin Jeffries called the pair of juniors the top two players in Hampshire County. Both Kevin Jeffries and Northampton coach Ben Lewis said the match served as both players’ best competition of the season to date. 

“It’s a level of competitiveness that I don’t get to bring out for every match,” Miles Jeffries said. “The level was higher than any other time I’ve played (this season). Really being able to play at my highest level is important, and I love that.”

In last year’s Western Mass. Class B championship, Northampton defeated Amherst 3-2, and Fowles beat Jeffries 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 1 singles spot. 

Fowles saved an early break point at 1-1 in Wednesday’s No. 1 singles match, but the two held serve through the first six games. With the score knotted at three games apiece, Jeffries went up 40-15 to force two break points. Fowles fought back to deuce, but Jeffries won the next two points and then held serve to win the set. It was Fowles’ first dropped set of the season.  

The pair didn’t even finish the first game of the second set before a steady drizzle and persistent wind intensified and both coaches called the match. Northampton had already won the other four matches.

In the No. 2 singles spot, Durrell Patrick beat Elias Katsaros 6-3, 6-3 and Reed O’Connor defeated Oliver Hansell 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 3 singles match. In first doubles, Ollie Levine and Kaz Sugihara recorded a 6-1, 6-4 win over Talvin Dhingra and Alexander Dobezinskiy. In second doubles, Arlo Bourdon Levy and Eli Wool defeated Jackson Barber-Just and Amitav Dhingra 6-4, 6-0.

Girls tennis

St. Mary’s 5, Frontier 0 – Genevieve Howes lost 7-6, 6-1 in the tightest match of the day for the Redhawks.

South Hadley 4, Holyoke 1 – Yanna Stefoglu (6-2, 7-5) and Sarah Cormier (6-0, 6-1) secured wins in the top two singles spots to lead the Tigers to their second win in three days. Madi Bruso and Grace O’Shea took No. 1 doubles 6-1, 6-1 and Cara Dean and Abby Ngure won No. 2 doubles 6-1, 6-2.

Boys lacrosse

East Longmeadow 14, Amherst 5 – Skyler Ferro (two goals, one assist) and Tre Bowman (one goal, two assists) each notched three points for the ‘Canes. Taikoda Wilson and Silas Hazen also scored, while Jason Kim recorded 20 saves.

Westfield 13, South Hadley 6 – Ethan Roy scored twice, but the Tigers fell to 4-4 with a loss to the 8-0 Bombers. Noah Marion tallied a goal and an assist and Dylan Molina, Owen Dawson and Gavin Losty each scored once.

Boys track & field

South Hadley 74, Belchertown 56 – Matt Gillis won the 400m (57.2 seconds), triple jump (37-3.5) and high jump (5-6) to lead the Tigers to the win.

Jameson Webber also won three events – the 110 hurdles, the 400 hurdles and the discus. Nathan Hutchinson won the mile and the 800m and Micah Livotich won the 100m and the shot put.

Girls track & field

South Hadley 96, Belchertown 34 – Abby Gelinas won the 100m (12.9), 200m (27.9), long jump (16-2) and triple jump (33-2). Mikayla Weaver won the 100 hurdles and the 400 hurdles. 

Emma Leverault nabbed first for South Hadley in the 400m (67.9), shot put (28-2) and discus (73-8).

The Tigers swept the relays. The 4x400 quartet of Mikayla Weaver, Maggie Crawford, Ally Fleury, and Emma Leverault won in 4:44, and the 4x100 team of Arianna Melendez, Maegan Pelletier, Ally Fleury, and Gracie Leverault crossed in 55.8 seconds.

Late Tuesday results

Boys volleyball

Westfield 3, Belchertown 0 — Shea MacLean (four) and Brian Burns (four) put down a combined eight kills in the Orioles loss, while Zach Dragon tallied two kills and two aces.

Set scores were 25-11, 25-12, 25-17. Rainer Kristensen accounted for all 14 of Belchertown’s assists, and Ryan Shea blocked two shots at the net.

South Hadley 3, Veritas Prep 0 — A well-balanced effort saw four Tigers record at least four kills, led by Beau Briere (seven kills, five digs, two aces, one block), in a straight-set sweep over Veritas Prep on Tuesday.

Set scores were 25-15, 25-9, 26-24. Christian Aponte (four kills, seven digs, three aces), Connor Racine-Rocheleau (four kills, three aces, three digs) and Jonathon Grim (four kills, one ace, one dig) all chipped in on both ends, while Junoon Giridhar dished out 15 assists for South Hadley.