BELCHERTOWN — The Belchertown baseball team finished off its regular season with an impressive, 4-1, senior day win over Monument Mountain at Parsons Field on Friday night.
Success on the pitcher’s mound set the tone for the Orioles in the victory, beginning with Canyon Charron, who got the start. The senior threw the first three innings of the contest, putting up a zero while also not surrendering a hit.
Austin Raymer got the call in relief, earning the win with four innings pitched on Friday night. Throwing just 51 pitches, the senior was methodical in setting batters down, striking out four while allowing just one run.
“[Raymer] did a really good job commanding the strike zone,” Belchertown head coach Evan Berneche said. “[Especially] asking someone who hasn’t pitched a lot… He throws the ball hard. He’s got a good arm, and he was efficient.”
With two seniors paving the way for a successful night, the rest of the Orioles followed suit. All seven seniors suited up for the squad on Friday night, working hard to ensure that their night of being recognized ended with a win.
Belchertown’s senior class has been integral to the team’s success throughout the season, in all facets of the game.
“They’ve done a really good job of leading the team, instilling the values in the young guys and continuing all the stuff that we talk about throughout the year, not just baseball-wise, but life-wise,” Berneche said of his seniors.
The veteran leadership helped to work through a first-inning error in the field that allowed a runner to reach third base right out of the gate. Despite the hiccup to start the game, the Orioles stayed collected, getting through the inning and quickly moving forward.
Belchertown’s defense settled in throughout the rest of the night, with Nathan Marino making a few impressive plays at second base to keep runs off the board.
“We did a really good job limiting [the Spartans] to no runs in the first inning,” Berneche said. “… I think that set the tone for the rest of the game… It’s nice to see them execute those kinds of things.”
Offensively, the lineup matched the prowess on the bump and in the field, with seven hits spread throughout the group. Max Matthews led the way with two hits in the win, going 2-for-4 at the plate.
The freshman’s first hit was a bloop single into right field on an 0-2 count in the third inning that scored the first run of the ballgame for the Orioles. His second was barreled well down the left field line, easily strolling in to second with a standup double in the fifth inning, where he later came around to score.
“[Matthews] is consistent, and he plays probably one of the best center fields as a ninth grader, overall, that we’ve had in a long time,” Berneche said. “You can depend on him, so he’s great to have around.”
Joe Minnon also had a pair of hits for Belchertown in Friday night’s victory, driving in a run of his own in the process.
With the win, the Orioles round out the regular season with three wins in a row, finishing with a 7-9 record overall. The postseason awaits them, with a matchup in the Western Mass Class B semifinal round against Frontier set for Monday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m. on the road.
“We play in a gauntlet of a league, and I wouldn’t take it any other way,” Berneche said. “… It allows us to be ready for competition that’s gonna be equal to us, or below us, or just above us, because we play against that caliber all year, where that’s above us.”
Softball
Hampshire 16, Pittsfield 0 — The Raiders dominated for a huge five-inning win on senior night, with 11 different players tallying a hit throughout the lineup. Reygan Horstmann led the way offensively, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs.
Ryanne Dubay earned the win in the circle, allowing just one hit in two innings pitched, while adding a pair of hits and an RBI at the plate. Mariah Pacinella hit a line drive solo home run to right field in the win, adding a second RBI later on.
Girls tennis
Ludlow 3, Belchertown 2 — The Orioles singles players had a solid night in what ended up being a tough loss on Friday night. Emma Kornbluth set the tone with a flawless victory on the third singles court, winning 6-0, 6-0.
Amanda Murray played first singles for Belchertown, coming out on top in a 6-2, 6-4 battle. Edith Audette’s match on the second doubles court could’ve gone either way, with the back-and-forth duel ending with a 5-7, 6-3, 5-7 loss.
Boys Tennis
Longmeadow 3, PVCICS 2 — The Dragons dropped their third matchup with a tough Lancers squad, despite great performances out of their top singles players.
Lee Ferguson faced off against Will Wartman in first singles, who hadn’t lost a Western Mass matchup this season, with the eighth grader coming out on top 6-3, 6-3 for PVCICS. Derek Ye completed an undefeated regular season with his 6-2, 6-4 victory on the second singles court.
