SOUTH DEERFIELD — Round three of the rivalry between the Frontier and Greenfield baseball teams played out in a similar fashion to the first two meetings of the season.
Tyler Baranowski threw for the Redhawks, while David Carey was on the hill for the Green Wave during Wednesday’s Western Mass. Class C semifinal, and just like the first two games, neither lineup was able to get much off either ace at the plate.
Frontier pushed a run across in the first to take the early lead before tacking three more runs on in the sixth to take command of the game. Greenfield was unable to get a run across the board, as the Redhawks earned a 4-0 victory.
“Carey came out throwing strikes and throwing hard,” Frontier coach Chris Williams said. “He made us chase down in the dirt those first few innings. Our game plan was to challenge him and make him throw curveballs for strikes. That loosened up the offense a little bit and got us putting the ball in play and that eventually worked out for us when we put it all together in the sixth.”
The win puts the second-seeded Redhawks (16-4) in the Class C finals, where they’ll take on No. 1 Mt. Greylock, next week at a site to be determined. The Mounties defeated Frontier 4-0 earlier this season.
“We were in the Western Mass. finals in 2018 but haven’t been back since,” Williams said. “I think we have a special team. I’ve been telling these guys that all year. We have tremendous athletes at every position, we have a deep pitching staff and when we put the ball in play our offense is solid. We want another whack at Greylock.”
Tyler Dubreuil got the Redhawk offense going in the bottom of the first. The senior cracked a triple to right center and scored on a passed ball on the ensuing at-bat to give Frontier the early 1-0 lead.
As it turned out, that early run would have been enough. Baranowski gave up just three hits all game, striking out three, while the defense behind him didn’t commit an error to help keep the Green Wave (12-8) off the scoreboard.
“I didn’t throw that many pitches because my defense played great behind me like always,” Baranowski said. “Getting that early lead is huge every time. Our confidence goes through the roof.”
Frontier broke open the pitcher’s duel in the bottom of the sixth. Kevin Baumann opened the frame with a single and moved to third after Dubreuil cracked a double. Baumann scored on a passed ball and Baranowski drove Dubreuil in with a single to put the Redhawks up 3-0. Baranowski later scored on an error to give Frontier its 4-0 lead going into the seventh.
“Baranowski driving in that run for us was big,” Williams said. “On the hill, he’s always consistent throwing strikes and challenging those guys to put runs up.”
It was the only inning Frontier was able to really hit the ball against Carey, as the senior allowed just four hits all game and struck out nine.
“He pitched well,” Greenfield coach Tom Suchanek said. “They only got him in that one inning and that was only three hits.”
Greenfield threatened in the third, fourth and fifth innings but didn’t have anything to show for it on the scoreboard. Trevor Kuchieski got on with a single in the third, made it to second but didn’t get any further.
Carey opened the fourth with a bunt single and eventually made it to third but Baranowski got three straight outs to leave the frame with no damage done. In the fifth, Drew Conant opened with a single and got to third but a few big outs from the Redhawks didn’t allow him to cross home plate.
MJ Paulin was the only other Green Wave player to get a hit off Baranowski on the day.
“We’ll get ready for the state tournament,” Suchanek said. “Hopefully we can get our stuff together.”
Frontier’s Dylan Martin said he feels his team is playing its best baseball heading into the most important stretch of the season.
“It’s the first Western Mass. finals in our era,” Martin said. “We’re happy but we’re not satisfied. We’re probably peaking in our season right now and there’s no better time to be doing that.”