HADLEY — Mia Manca had her fingerprints all over No. 9 Narragansett’s 6-2 win over No. 8 Hopkins Academy during the MIAA Division 5 state tournament Round of 16 on Wednesday.

The Warriors’ shortstop drove in two of their six runs and made a game-changing grab during the bottom of the sixth inning with the Golden Hawks threatening with no outs. With Narragansett leading 3-2, Manca got her team a huge double play after coming down with a line drive ball, then quickly throwing to first to get the Hopkins baserunner out, turning the momentum completely toward the visitors.

Manca’s leaping snag snowballed into three runs for the Warriors the very next inning as they closed out Hopkins’ season and advanced to the Round of 8.

“That play, I told her she’s going to be on ESPN,” Narragansett head coach Mickey Kirby said. “That was an amazing play. She does it all year. She’s just a natural kid. She’s been playing like this since she’s been six years old. The funny thing is her brother pitches for Florida State, so it’s in the blood.”

Through the sixth inning, the Hawks squeaked across single runs during the first and third innings, but after Cassie Dion led off the sixth with a single, it looked like Hopkins was preparing to make its move. However, Manca had other plans with the highlight-reel catch off a liner from Maggie Potter.

“She made a great catch,” Hawks head coach Lindsey Lord said. “I think it was one of those ones everybody thought it would be a hit and it did take the wind out of it a little it. In high school softball, it takes one or two plays to really change the dynamic quickly when you’re working with high-schoolers. It was a good game from Narragansett, I think it was a great game overall.”

Dion went the distance from the rubber for Hopkins, but was bested by Warriors’ hurler Cassidy Paridis. Narragansett’s pitcher struck out nine Hawks batters and surrendered just three hits.

“[Dion] pitched a great game,” Kirby said. “I thought [Paridis] was in control of her changeup. It worked unbelieve[ably] today. I think that had a lot to with keeping them off, they didn’t know when it was going to come. She pitched a great game.”

Dion allowed nine hits but sat down five Warriors batters on strikes.

Hopkins got on the board first during the bottom of the first, touching home after Narragansett threw the ball away on a Hawks stolen-base attempt.

The Warriors evened the score, 1-1, during the third on a RBI single to left from Manca, but that score was short lived as Potter put Hopkins back in front in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI double down the left field line.

Once again, Narragansett knotted the score back up, this time at 2-2, on a RBI single to right field from Anna Ogonowski in the fourth. A fielder’s choice RBI the following inning gave the Warriors their first lead of the afternoon at 3-2, setting the stage for Manca’s heroics during the sixth.

“Trying to keep it simple, trying to make solid throws, take the time… I find that when they’re trying to rush the plays, which in that sixth inning or so, they were kind of rushing and that’s when they get a little more mistakes into play,” Lord said.

Manca kickstarted Narragansett’s scoring in the seventh with a hard-hit single up the middle, scoring its fourth run of the game, before a Hopkins fielding error brought two more in for the Warriors at 6-2.

Lacey Beauregard, Olivia Hunt and Manca each collected a pair of hits for the Warriors, which will take on No. 1 Turners Falls in the quarterfinals this weekend.

“They’ve been playing as a team. Not one person did it,” Kirby said. “Defense has been phenomenal, we’ve laid bunts down when we’ve had to and the bottom of the order hit like crazy and you can’t ask for anything better. I’ve seen this the last three or four games, but that’s a hell of a team over there to beat so I was really happy with it.”

The Hawks ended the 2025 season at 17-5 overall and bring back most of their roster next season. Potter counts as its lone senior departing the team next spring.

“I told the kids we’ve had some influx of players throughout the season, which was a little unfortunate for injuries and various things, they all tried their hardest and can keep their heads up,” Lord said. “I think they had a really good season overall. I mean when you get to this point, when you’re eight, they’re nine, we knew it was going to be a tough game.”

Div. 4 Round of 16

No. 1 Hampshire 14, No. 16 Clinton 1 — Teagan Charles helped the Raiders march past the Gaels, going 3-for-3 from the plate (home run) with four RBIs, to advance to the Round of 8 against Frontier on Sunday.

Kalin Dubay (2-for-3) also mashed a homer while Ryanne Dubay (2-for-4, double), CC Thayer (2-for-4, two RBIs) and Lucy Trombley (2-for-3) swung the sticks well for the Raiders.

Ryanne Dubay reached double figures in strikeouts yet again, fanning 13 Clinton batters and allowed just four hits and one walk from the circle.

The Raiders beat the Redhawks all the way back on March 28, 6-4, in their first game of the season.

Baseball

Div. 4 Round of 16

No. 1 Pittsfield 16, No. 16 Frontier 2 — The visiting Redhawks jumped ahead early, taking a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning. But the powerhouse Generals answered immediately in the home half, and ultimately plated 15 unanswered runs to cruise into the state quarterfinals with a 16-2 win at Clapp Park in Pittsfield on Wednesday.

Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Redhawks scored twice on an RBI single from Jack Cusson and a four-pack of walks issued by Pittsfield starter Simon Mele.

Pittsfield scored four runs in the bottom of the second to retake the lead at 5-2, then chased Frontier starter Joey Hutkoski from the game in the third when they scored three more to make it 8-2. Morrie Fried welcomed relief pitcher Max Skribiski-Banack to the game with a two-run home run over the fence in right, and the hosts ultimately led 15-2 after four innings.

With no mercy rule in the state baseball tournament, the game wound up going the full seven innings en route to the 16-2 final.

Frontier finished its season 14-9 overall, while Pittsfield advanced to host either Uxbridge or Clinton in the quarters.

Girls lacrosse

Div. 2 Round of 16

No. 5 Hingham 19, No. 21 Northampton 4 — The Blue Devils couldn’t overcome a 12-goal first half from the Harborwomen as their season came to a close in the suburb of Boston on Wednesday.

Imanni Power-Greene (goal, assist), Makayla Fydenkevez (two goals) and Teagan McDonald  (goal) were Northampton’s point-getters in the defeat while goalie Ainsley Dawson snagged nine saves.

Grace Maroney paced Hingham (15-7) with seven points, while Neely Sgobbo and Maeve Mooney netted four points apiece.

Northampton finished its season 19-3 overall, including a Western Mass. Class B title.

Late Tuesday results

Boys tennis (Div. 4 Round of 16)

No. 7 Mystic Valley 4, No. 10 PVCICS 1 — The Dragons bowed out of the Division 4 state tournament on Tuesday afternoon, as their terrific 18-3 season came to a close with a 4-1 loss to Mystic Valley in Malden. No western Massachusetts boys tennis teams made it past the Round of 16 this spring.

Brothers James and Teddy Scott, the only two seniors on the PVCICS roster, closed out their illustrious careers in style, winning a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4 tiebreak), 7-5 battle against Eli DeTore and Ryan Co of Mystic Valley.

Every other Dragon won at least one game in every set, but nobody could string together enough points to earn another victory.  This season marked PVCICS’ second straight with at least 18 wins as head coach Mike Locher continues to build a powerhouse in Hadley.

Mystic Valley will now take on No. 2 Lynnfield in the quarterfinals.

Youth baseball

Amherst 11, Ludlow 3 — Trailing 2-1, the Hurricanes exploded for eight runs in the third inning at Whitney Park on Monday evening to take command and never look back. The offensive onslaught came off the bats of Julian Park, Daniel Lebron, Gus Garrett Peltier, Cyrus Arwade, Miles Fox, Nick Stinson and Tyler Bray.

Later in the game, Fox and Stinson manufactured a run off two precisely laid down bunts and some aggressive baserunning. Lebron, Fox, Stinson and Jack Bajnoci had multi-hit games for the ‘Canes.  

Garrett Peltier threw three innings in relief, allowing one run to earn the win, while Arwade pitched a scoreless, three-strikeout fifth to end the game.