The Pioneer baseball team is heading back to the Western Mass. Class D title game. 

Taking on No. 5 Granby in the semifinals on Thursday, the No. 1 Panthers scored one in the third and two in the fourth. Those three runs proved to be enough, as Hugh Cyhowski was dominant on the mound, striking out 15 and allowing just one hit as Pioneer walked away with a 3-0 victory in Northfield. 

The Panthers (18-0) advance to face No. 3 Ware in the finals. Ware defeated No. 2 Hopkins, 15-11, in nine innings on Thursday. 

“Getting to the finals for a second straight year is a great feeling,” Pioneer coach Kevin Luippold said. “It was a goal we set on the first day of practice and it’s nice for the guys to see that through hard work, they can achieve the goals they set out for themselves. It’ll pay dividends during their future endeavors.

“Hugh was dominant tonight,” Luippold continued. “He had a couple walks in the first, we had an error that let guys on but he battled back and got us out of it. As evident with the 16 strikeouts, he didn’t sweat and stayed confident out there.” 

Cyhowski went six and one-third on the hill, with Ethan Quinn securing the final two outs in the win. 

Alex McClelland knocked a sacrifice fly to score Luc Belhumeur in the third. Ben Werner drove in two runs with a base hit in the fourth for the Panthers. Braeden Tsipenyuk doubled while Belhumeur, Ethan Mauthe and Ian Simpson had base hits for Pioneer, with Granby’s Patrick French held the Panthers to five hits. 

Softball

Turners 9, Mount Everett 1 — Madi Liimatainen threw a two-hitter, striking out 15 and walking just two as the Thunder cruised into the Western Mass. Class D finals with a 9-1 victory over the visiting Eagles at Gary Mullins Softball Field on Thursday. 

No. 1 Turners advances to face the winner of No. 2 Hopkins and No. 6 Lenox in the title game at a date and time to be determined. 

The Thunder (13-7) scored one in the first, six in the third and two in the fifth in the victory. 

Madisyn Dietz had a big day at the plate for Turners, knocking a bases loaded triple and two singles that brought in a run. Liimatainen tallied three hits, one a double, Holly Myers and Morgan Dobias each had a pair of hits including a double that brought in a run, Janelle Massey and Marilyn Abarua each tallied a hit while Addison Talbot knocked a hit and an RBI in the victory. 

Non-playoff

Baseball

Mahar 4, Greenfield 3 — The Senators scored four in the sixth to knock off the Green Wave at Vets Field on Thursday. 

Morgan Softic and Jeremy Vezina each doubled for Mahar in the win. Preston Lafleur and Michael Pierce each recorded two hits while Deven Dubie and Caleb Thomas hit safely for Greenfield. 

Softball

Chicopee 25, Athol 5 — Jenna Bonenfant doubled and brought in a run  in the Bears’ loss to the Pacers on Thursday in Chicopee. 

Madilyn Hermes singled and brought in two runs, Alyssa Logan knocked a hit that brought in a run while Evelyn Robinson hit safely for Athol. 

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