For the Hampshire Regional softball team, taking a trip to the Western Mass. finals has become just another part of the schedule over the past decade.
The Raiders have won nine of the last 11 Western Mass. titles, and will attempt to win their third consecutive title (a streak interrupted only by the tournament’s absence in 2020) on Tuesday.
No. 1 Hampshire will face No. 2 Wahconah at 5 p.m. at Westfield State University for the Class B title.
Hampshire has captured the last two Western Mass. championships – a 6-4 victory over Greenfield last year, and a 7-1 victory over Frontier in 2019. The club has kept up that high level of play during the 2021-22 season, putting together an 18-2 record and outscoring their opponents 225-60.
“We can’t wait for the next game. It’s gonna be another test,” Hampshire head coach Brian McGan said. “As we move on, it always gets better and all the teams you play are always better, so (we’re) excited for the next game.”
The Raiders will face one of their most fearsome opponents yet in second-seeded Wahconah, which boasts a 19-1 record. The biggest obstacle in Hampshire’s way will be Wahconah ace Avery Vale-Cruz, a junior who has already committed to play at the University of Rhode Island.
The No. 1 seed has also had to do some lineup shuffling recently because of an injury to starting shortstop Emma Czarniecki. So far, though, the Raiders haven’t looked out of place – Ashley Cortis has taken over second base while Bri Sulikowski moved to short.
Hampshire enters Tuesday’s game with an extremely experienced roster – the group has seven seniors, and starting pitcher Joss Mettey already threw in a Western Mass. title game when she was just 14 years old. The team will rely on their chemistry and talent against Wahconah on Tuesday.
“It means a lot to be able to do it with the same people,” Mettey said. “It’s really sad though, to see that we have seven seniors that we’ve grown to bond with. But it means a lot to know that we’re going in together and no matter what happens, win or lose, we go down together as a team. It’s good that we’re together.”