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TODAY'S SCOREBOARD
State of euphoria
Westfield Babe Ruth 13s headed to regionals
By GREG CAMERON
Correspondent
LEOMINSTER — Westfield’s 13-year-old Babe Ruth Squad returned to the Whip City last night with some pretty hefty hardware.
After a razor-thin advantage for most of the game, Westfield came away with a 3-2 victory over Leominster at McLaughlin Park in Leominster. With the win Westfield moves on to the New England Regional tournament in Winooski, Vt., next month.
“It was a tight game and a well-played tournament the whole way through,” Westfield manager Brian Sullivan said. “Our guys played good fundamental baseball.”
Westfield got the scoring going in their first trips to the plate. Leadoff man Craig Lacey drew a walk and then stole second shortly thereafter to get the ball rolling in the first inning.
Cody Neidig then grounded into a fielder’s choice which tagged Lacey. Chris Sullivan then drew a walk before Houle was given an intentional pass to load the bases for Westfield.
Colin Dunn then drew a walk of his own to score Neidig for the game’s first run. However, Dunn would get picked off trying to lean off of first base.
However, Leominster would not be denied on their home turf. In the fourth inning, Ben Doyle laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt to knot things at one run apiece.
Westfield hopped back on top in the fourth when Casey McKenzie grounded into a fielder’s choice which scored Dunn who had reached on another walk. Dunn later figured into the game’s winning run an inning later.
“I was just trying to score for my teammates and that’s what I did,” Dunn said of his state title winning play.
After Sullivan and Brendan Gawron reached base on sngles, Dunn drove home Sullivan on a sacrifice fly to put Westfield up 3-1. That play provided by the diminutive yet effervescent, shortstop put Leominster in the rear-view mirror on Westfield’s drive for the state title.
In addition to the clutch heroics of Colin Dunn, Brent Houle pitched masterfully for the Whip City crew. After tossing 115 pitches over six solid innings, Houle’s outing was complete with nine strikeouts and scattering just three hits and four walks in addition to two hit batsmen.
“Brent may have to ice his arm for about three days, but he’s a horse,” Sullivan said of his hurler. “He wants to win every time he’s out there,” he added.
After Houle’s heroics, Sullivan turned to southpaw closer Kenny McLean. McLean was dominant in his only inning of work getting three brisk outs on 12 pitches including a devastating breaking ball that had Leominster pinch hitter Tyler Cuddahy buckling at the knees.
Leominster’s second run came in the sixth after a walk to Sean Sweeney. Within a run is the closest Leominster would get to the title.
Westfield will be sending a gregarious and confident, yet cool bunch of ballplayers to the Green Mountain State with a chance to win the regional title. Dunn was beaming with excitement after last night’s win.
“Right now, I can’t even stand still,” the Whip City infielder said. “We’re going to play top competition and that’s what I like,” he added.
All in all, Westfield finished Massachusetts Babe Ruth Tournament play with an unblemished and undefeated record.
14-YEAR-OLD ALL-STARS
Pittsfield 3, Westfield 2
Westfield’s Babe Ruth 14-year-old team managed to overcome a first round loss in the state tournament, but fell short of the championship with a loss in the title game on Thursday.
Starting pitcher Mike Santianello kept Pittsfield scoreless for the first four innings before he reached his pitch count and had to be pulled from the game. The opposition then put up three runs in the fifth inning to take the lead, and the game.
Despite the loss, Westfield will play in the regionals as the host city in August.
LL SOFTBALL SENIORS
Westfield 19, Shrewsbury 0
Madison Atkocaitis went 2-for-3 with a home run, a triple, and 3 runs scored as Westfield advanced to the sectional finals against Worcester on Saturday in Winchendon at 2 p.m.
Megan Logan gave up just three hits, walked none, and struck out three Shrewsbury batters.
Westfield Juniors suffer extra tough loss
By GREG CAMERON
Correspondent
WESTFIELD — Even with an exciting tooth and nail comeback, Westfield did everything they could to muster up a victory over visiting Jesse Burkett in the Little League softball tournament.
In the end, the comeback victory wasn’t meant to be as the visitors from Worcester took to the Massachusetts Turnpike to bring home a 5-4 eight-inning victory over Westfield at Sadie Knox Playground. The defeat knocked the Whip City squad out of the Massachusetts Little League Softball tournament.
“It was a heck of a comeback,” Westfield skipper Mike Minicucci said of his team’s efforts. “We convinced them that they’re never really out of it until the game was over and they responded.”
In the home half of the seventh inning, Westfield was down 4-1 as leadoff hitter Olivia Florek strode up to the plate. Florek reached on an infield error to give Westfield a spark in what would have been the final frame had the initial results held.
Two hitters later, Victoria Camp hit a single to give Westfield multiple base runners and a hope that a comeback could be more reality than theory. Ellen Ferst then drew a walk to load the bases for Annalise Eak.
Eak socked a single to score both Florek and Camp and put Westfield within a run at 4-3. Eak advanced to second on the play giving Westfield a chance for more runs and potentially a win.
Ferst came in to score after Sarah McNerney hit into a fielder’s choice. Alexi Minicucci was given a free pass to the base paths but Westfield couldn’t push a winning run across.
Jesse Burkett scored their decisive winning run in the next frame as Courtney Vail socked a single to bring in pinch-runner Destine Lucier. Catcher Ari Hepfenstall reached on a walk and was lifted for Lucier on the base paths in the eighth.
Westfield benefited from a solid pitching performance provided by McNerney. McNerney gave Westfield eight innings of work scattering five strikeouts and surrendered just five hits over the duration of her outing.
“Sarah had a lot of heart,” Minicucci said of his hurler. “She got stronger as the game went on as was right around the strike zone all night.”
After Minicucci scored on a Cate Laraway sacrifice fly in the first inning, Westfield held a 1-0 edge until the third. Megan D’Elia scorched a run-scoring double to bring in Lucier and Kylie Ross to forcibly take the lead for the squad from Worcester.
D’Elia later scored on a Hepfenstall groundout that inning. An inning later, Vail scored on a Ross groundout to put Jesse Burkett up 4-1.
MAJOR ALL-STARS
Jessie Burkett 6, Westfield 5
Westfield was eliminated from the sectional tournament, losing a hard-
fought battle against Jessie Burkett. The Whip City All-Stars rallied for two runs in the sixth inning to pull within a run but just could not get over the hump. They left the tying run stranded at third base.
Christina Onyski and Madison Brockney had key RBI singles for Westfield, and pitcher Alexa Morin delivered five solid innings of two-run relief.
Westfield’s defense did all it could, throwing out three runners at home plate, and two runners apiece at second and third base.
BABE RUTH BASEBALL
14-YEAR-OLD ALL-STARS
Westfield 6, Joe Schwartz 3
(13 innings)
Jeff Hockenberry hit the eventual winning hit, and pitchers Nate Summers, Mike Santianello, and Noah Parker delivered on the mound for Westfield.
Westfield advances to today’s championship against Pittsfield in Worcester. Westfield must first win at 3 p.m. to force a decisive final game which would be played immediately after.
13-YEAR-OLD ALL-STARS
Westfield 5, Pittsfield 4
Brendan Gawron scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch, capping a comeback for Westfield. Westfield advances to the state championship this evening at McLaughlin Field in Leominster at 5 p.m.
If Westfield loses, they would have another crack at a victory tomorrow evening.
Published Thursday, July 15, 2010
Westfield Babe Ruth 15s eliminated
By GREG CAMERON
Correspondent
WESTFIELD — On a night where Major League Baseball’s brightest All-Stars convened in Anaheim, Westfield’s 15-year-old Babe Ruth All-Star squad found themselves in an unfamiliar position taking on Franklin County in a loser’s bracket tilt at Billy Bullens Field.
The Whip City squad bowed out of the tournament after dropping an ugly 10-0 mercy rule loss to Franklin County in the Massachusetts Babe Ruth tournament.
From start until the abrupt finish, Westfield’s bats were suspiciously quiet. Franklin county pitcher TJ Meyer struck out four, surrendered just a quartet of hits, and kept the Westfield hitters off-balance.
“He did a good job,” Westfield manager Paul Chapdelaine said of his opposition’s hurler. “He threw a lot of curveballs, and that kind of took our heart out,” he added.
Meyer had yet to surrender through 2 2-3 innings of play until Kyle Murphy rapped a single in the third. In an effort to ignite some kind of rally for his team, Murphy was caught stealing shortly thereafter.
Westfield’s second and third hits came in back-to-back fashion from Connor Sas and Aubrey Partyka in the fourth inning. Luc Zayac registered a base hit of his own in the fifth.
In addition to the woes at the plate, it wasn’t smooth sailing on the defensive side of things for the Whip City’s crew. Westfield pitching gave up 11 walks and defensively surrendered a whopping five-pack of errors.
For Westfield starter Karl Kober, it was a rough go of it on the Bullens Field mound. In three innings of work, Kober was charged with nine walks but did toss a pair of strikeouts in his two-plus innings of work.
Franklin County got on the board in the first when Wyatt Bourbeau crossed the plate on a Kober wild pitch. Meyer helped his own cause an inning later ripping an RBI single in his second plate appearance.
Westfield faced a tough Franklin County barrage in the third when they sent nine hitters to the plate. The out-of-towners got three runs in the frame giving Franklin County an incredible 5-0 advantage on just a pair of hits.
Things were quiet on the defensive front in the fourth as reliever Ian Wolski shut down the Franklin County side by way of a fly out, ground out, and strikeout. In the fifth and final inning, the gang from Greenfield made sure they kept a firm grip on the game and never dropped it.
Leadoff man Matt Byrne hopped aboard with a walk. Bourbeau then reached on a fielder’s choice which knocked out the lead runner in Byrne.
Meyer drew a walk after Bourbeau scored on an error by the Westfield defense. Zach Bartak subsequently drilled a double for Franklin County.
John Ollari and Ryan Wilder each reached on infield errors to bring up Ryan Wagner. Wagner hit into a fielder’s choice which ended up scoring a pair of runs after an infield throw went errant despite a valiant effort from Westfield catcher Jack Templeton to corral it.
In the end, a fatigued Westfield squad faltered last night. Chadpdelaine attributed much of the on-the-mound struggles to that level of exhaustion.
“We’re playing on threads right now,” the first-year Westfield skipper said of his team’s abundance of arm exhaustion.
With the win, Franklin County will take on the winner of last night’s late game pitting Worcester East Side and Holden tonight. That game is slated for 7:30.
14-YEAR-OLD ALL-STARS
Westfield 6, Leominster 5
Jeff Tobias went 2-for-3 with a key 2-RBI double in the fifth inning to help Westfield stave off elimination in a state tournament game.
Westfield starting pitcher Nate Barnes struck out nine batters and Noah Parker earned the save. Parker finished with four Ks. He also had a pair of hits at the plate.
The 14s are scheduled to host the regionals beginning August 6 at Bullens Field. Because they are hosting the tournament, they are ensured of a spot in the field win or lose.
LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STARS
10-11 YEAR-OLDS
Westfield South 12,
Southampton 1
Ari Schwartz (5 Ks) pitched a two-hitter and Steve Crowell went 3-for-3 with a double for the South, who finished their District 2 tournament run with a record of 2-3.
In the other local Little League baseball game, the North All-Stars defeated Northampton 11-4 in 4 1-2 innings after the game was called due to darkenss. The North advances to the District 2 championship game against Northampton on Saturday at Paper Mill Field at 10 a.m.
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
SENIOR ALL-STARS
Westfield 20, Shrewsbury 3
The bats were out in full swing as Kaitlyn Puza (3-for-4, four runs), Kate Menard (2-3, triple, 3 runs), Madison Atkocaitis (3-4, triple, grand slam, 3 runs), Lauren Sheehan (2-4, 2 runs), Jessi Pratt (2-4, run), and Sydney Cloutier (2-4, run) all contributed to the offensive attack.
Kate Menard scattered three hits over four innings. She struck out four batters, and walked one.
Westfield next plays at Winchendon this evening at 5:30.
TOURNAMENT UPDATE: The Westfield Majors will play Jesse Burkett, of Worcester in the sectional championship this evening. The Juniors are scheduled to take on Jesse Burkett as well at Sadie Knox at 5:30.
AMERICAN LEGION
BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
Westfield 10, Ludlow 5
Westfield advanced to the sectional round of the American Legion Baseball playoffs by sweeping Ludlow in the best-of-3 series.
Nick Gezotis (3 RBIs), Jeremy Tanguay (2-run triple), and Michael Sullivan (RBI double) were among the offensive contributors.
Connor McMahon, although not his usually dominant self, scattered six hits and five runs over six innings. He struck out nine.
Westfield will next play Sunday
Murray leads South into D2 title game
BY CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – Something has to give.
On Friday, two undefeated area teams will battle for the chance to advance in the Little League Baseball tournament. While a spot on ESPN may be a long ways off, Westfield South and Agawam are set for a prime-time game Friday evening at 6 at Memorial Field in Agawam.
John Murray pitched a one-hitter and delivered the game-winning hit, a third-inning liner, to lift Westfield South into the 11-12 District 2 championship with a 1-0 win over Belchertown at Cross Street Field on Monday. Agawam knocked off Westfield North 3-0.
“Agawam is always a solid club,” Westfield South coach Steve Brochetti said. “They shut out Westfield North so they must have good pitching.”
“It’s going to be another struggle.”
After averaging close to 10 runs a game through the first four games of the tournament, Westfield South struggled to put runs on the board for the first time.
The lone run came in the third inning when Murray ripped a first-pitch strike off stout, hard-throwing Belchertown pitcher Jim Kusnierz to center field. The hit scored Mike Diamond, who reached on a one-out single.
Murray dominated on the mound.
The lanky, shaggy-haired righty retired the first 14 batters her faced before Kuznierz roped a single down the first base line for Belchertown’s only hit of the game.
Murray was removed for the final batter of the game in order to keep him eligible to pitch in Friday’s district championship. He finished with 10 strikeouts.
John O’Brien struck out the final batter of the game.
“I felt pretty good in the first three innings, but in the fifth and sixth innings I started to get nervous,” Murray said. “I tried to stay calm and stick with it.”
Murray remained focused enough to pick apart Kuznierz.
“I saw how he was throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes,” he said. “When I saw that first pitch, I just swung.”
Westfield South 10-11 Little Leaguer Ari Schwartz still remains the city’s only player to throw a no-hitter this post-season. Schwartz tossed the no-no last week, striking out 10 batters in a 16-0 win over Easthampton. The South 1-3 in District play, wraps up tournament play this evening against Southampton at Cross Street Field at 6 p.m.
Published Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Westfield North Eliminated
By GREG CAMERON
Correspondent
WESTFIELD – There will not be a cross-town Little League championship in the Whip City this summer.
Westfield North’s title game hopes were dashed after dropping their District II semifinal 3-0 against Agawam Monday evening at Memorial Field.
Agawam’s Griffin Gadreault was stellar on the mound for the hosts, tossing four strikeouts and inducing numerous ground balls. The Agawam hurler surrendered just a pair of singles and a pair of walks against the Westfield North bats.
However, the Whip City bats made contact last night on numerous pitches. However, where the ball went after contact with Westfield’s aluminum, it seemed to find a player clad in an orange jersey.
“We hit the heck out of the ball, we just hit it right to them,” Westfield North manager Tom Flaherty said.
Westfield North’s two hits came from Matt Hannoush in the second inning, and Colin Blake in the fifth.
Agawam first got on the board during the second inning, a frame which was most stressful for Westfield North hurler Jared Iglesias. Agawam’s Dominic Grasetti was first aboard in the inning by drawing a walk after Gadreault flied out to shortstop.
Iglesias then got Chris Gage looking at three strikes before Mike Lloyd reached base on a fielder’s choice. John Passerini then was aboard with a single.
With the bases loaded and nowhere to put Bryce Hatch, Iglesias walked the Agawam’s speedster for the game’s first run. The Westfield right-hander’s inning of duress came to end as AJ Colson flied out to centerfielder Noah LaPlante.
Two innings later, Agawam struck again. Their second run came by way of an RBI single from Michael Destefano in the fourth to give Agawam a 2-0 advantage.
Agawam’s final run came from a towering David Ortiz-like shot from catcher Paul Taft. Taft’s solo shot in the fifth cleared the fence in left-center to put the finishing touches on the semifinal win for Agawam.
Despite the loss, Westfield North got decent mileage out of Iglesias on the mound last night. The even keeled hurler tossed four strikeouts before being lifted for Thomas Flaherty in the fifth after exhausting pitch count limits.
“He’s always steady on the mound,” Flaherty said of Iglesias’s on-field presence. “He pitched most of our games this year or at least parts of each game,” Flaherty added.
With the loss, the all-star post season road came to a half for Flaherty’s Westfield North bunch. But his crew didn’t hang their heads after last night’s defeat.
“We had a great time, showed up to every practice and bonded as a team,” Flaherty said of the experience as Westfield North skipper. Flaherty also noted that the team had a significant bonding moment over the weekend during a rain-soaked practice at Paper Mill Field during Saturday morning’s spot shower.
WESTFIELD 15’S LOSE IN STATE TOURNAMENT: The 15 year old All-Stars competed in the 2nd round of the 2-game elimination state tournament Monday evening and came away with their first loss in a hard-fought game against North Adams at Bullens Field.
North Adams, who had a bye in the first round, advances in the winner’s bracket and will compete against Leominster who has defeated Franklin County and East Side (Worcester) thus far.
Felix Chapdelaine was the starting pitcher for Westfield, and in the first inning, with 2 out and 1 on, North Adams took advantage of a couple of ground ball errors by Westfield and plated 3 runs. Westfield couldn’t answer in the bottom of the first going down in order.
In the top of the second, Westfield again had trouble making the routine plays resulting in another unearned run, and was now losing 4-0. North Adams pitcher, Robert Jutras, looked sharp and pitched around a hit and an error in the bottom of the 2nd, so the score remained 4-0.
Chapdelaine found his groove for the 3rd and 4th inning shutting down a strong North Adams offense, giving his hitters a chance to chip away at the deficit, but Jutras once again pitched out of a huge jam in the bottom of the fourth.
In that inning, a single by Connor Sas, an error , a single by Karl Kober and a wild pitch resulted in Westfield’s first run, but with the bases loaded, Jutras ended the threat with a timely strikeout.
With the score now 4-1, North Adams came to bat against Chapdelaine who had pitched admirably up to this point. Chapdelaine walked the first batter, then gave up back to back singles to find himself in a bases loaded with nobody out jam.
Already battling a high pitch count and the muggy conditions Chapdelaine’s back was against the wall. With the infield in, Chapdelaine induced 2 week ground balls that resulted in force plays at home. He then struck out the last hitter to end the threat. Chapdelaine finished the night with 5 complete innings, and no earned runs.
Again, Westfield threatened to score in the bottom half of the 5th, but left runners at 2nd and 3rd. Westfield was looking for some magic as they came up for their last at bat.
Kyle Murphy led off the inning with a single, then Chapdelaine hit into a fielder’s choice. Robby Sullivan drew a walk, but the next hitter struck out. Ian Wolski lined a single to load the bases, and Jack Templeton then had an infield single to score one run. With the score now 6-2, the tying run came to the plate. Jutras was still the pitcher and once again had to dig deep to try and get out of another huge jam, which he did by striking out the last Westfield batter to end the game.
Westfield out-hit North Adams 9-7, but left 13 runners on base. They could never get that big 2-out hit to knock Jutras out. Jutras finished with nine strikeouts.
Connor Sas had 3 hits for Westfield. Karl Kober had 2 hits.
Westfield faces a must-win situation this evening against Greenfield at Bullens Field at 5 p.m.
In other action, Westfield’s 14-year-olds beat Worcester West Side yesterday in the state tournament 9-0 to stay alive. They face Leominster this afternoon, trying to avenge their 1st loss. The 13’s take on Pittsfield in Leominster at 4 p.m.
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL MAJOR ALL-STAR
Westfield 15, Shrewsbury 5
Alexa Morin recovered from a five-run, first-inning blitz from Shrewsbury, shutting down the opposition for the remainder to post a victory.
Rebecca Sullivan blasted a home run, and Madison Sutton had two hits and two RBIs.
The Westfield Majors will play for the sectional championship Wednesday evening against Jesse Burkett, of Worcester.
Elsewhere, the Junior All-Stars lost to Grafton in their sectional opener, 12-2. They will return to action Wednesday against Jesse Burkett at Sadie Knox, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Seniors are scheduled to play Shrewsbury in Spencer this evening.
AMERICAN LEGION PLAYOFFS (Best-of-3)
Westfield 16, Ludlow 4 (Game 1)
Nick Gezotis went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and two-run homer for Westfield Post 124. Brandon Kubik (1-1, 3 BBs), Michael Sullivan (2-3), Ryan Smith (HR), Ethan Atkocaitis (3-3, 3 RBIs), Connor McMahon (2-3, 2 RBIs), and Jeremy Tanguay (1-1, RBI) also contributed to the offensive outburst.
Adam Chrzanowski (3 Ks), Luke Cimmino (3 Ks), and Zack Florek (2 Ks) combined for the Post 124 victory. Westfield plays at Ludlow at Whitney Field tonight at 5:45.
Published Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Westfield Ruthers open states with win
LOCAL SPORTS:WEEKEND ROUNDUP
WESTFIELD — The 15 year old Westfield Babe Ruth All-Stars played their first game in the state tournament on Sunday evening, defeating Holden 16-9 at Bullens Field.
Holden opened the scoring against Westfield starting pitcher Lee Papadimitriou. Lee, despite striking out the side, gave up 2 runs in the top of the first on a walk, a hit and some good base running. Westfield came roaring back, scoring 3 in the bottom half of the inning. The big hit was a 2-run single from Ian Wolski.
In the 2nd, Lee struck the first batter out looking, but the Holden bats came alive and scored 2 more. Lee then hurt his arm while throwing a pitch and had to come out of the game. Luke Zayac was called upon to pitch and he successfully stopped the bleeding. Luke ended up pitching 4 strong innings and was the winning pitcher for the game.
Westfield tied the score in the bottom of the 2nd on a hit by Robby Sullivan, a wild pitch, a stolen base and then a passed ball.
In the top of the third, Holden scored a single run to take the lead for the 3rd time, and after Westfield failed to score in the bottom of the frame, Holden scored again in the top of the 4th to take a 6-4 lead.
Tension was building up for a big inning for Westfield and it finally happened in the 4th.
Lead off hitter, Kyle Murphy, roped a line drive down the right field line that the right fielder for Holden
made a diving attempt to catch, but he missed the ball and it rolled all the way to the wall. Murphy sped around the bases touching them all for an inside-the-park homerun. That was the spark the team needed. When the dust settled, 7 runs had come across the plate and Westfield now led 11-6. After a quick 1-2-3 top of the 5th inning, the Westfield bats continued to make noise as they scored 4 more runs increasing their lead to15-6. The big hits that inning were from pinch-hitter Matt Tsatos who delivered a 2 RBI single and another single from Murphy that plated 2 more.
When Zayac tired in the 6th, Wolski took over on the mound and wrapped things up for the home-town team. Other hitting stars for Westfield included: Felix Chapdelaine (2 hits, double), Kyle Murphy, (3 hits including the homerun and 3 RBIs), Robby Sullivan (2 hits) and Ian Wolski (2 hits). The team pounded out 13 hits in total.
Westfield returns to action this evening against North Adams at 7:30.
TOURNAMENT NOTES: In the first game, Leominster defeated Franklin County 5-3….Westfield’s 14-Year-Old Babe Ruth All-Stars lost to Leominster 4-2 and move on to play in the loser’s bracket on Tuesday….In the 13-year-old state tournament, Westfield defeated Fitchburg 12-8 and Joe Schwartz 12-9. They will play Leominster on Tuesday in the winner’s bracket game.
Little League Baseball
11-12 All-Stars
Westfield South 11, Northampton 1
John Murray and John O’Brien each hit a pair of home runs to keep Westfield South unbeaten through district play. O’Brien pitched 2 1-3 innings, and Sam Brochetti tossed 1 1-3 for the South.
Westfield South advances to this evening’s semifinal game against Belchertown at Cross Street Field. Westfield North is at Agawam. Both games are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Little League Softball
Senior All-Stars
Westfield 5, Easthampton 0
Westfield won the best-of-5 series in District 2 action to advance to the next round of play.
Madison Atkcocaitis (HR, 3 RBIs) and Jamie Sullivan (2-for-4, 2 runs) paved the way on offense, and pitcher Liz Moeller (7 innings, 2 hits, 7 Ks, 4 BBs) shut down the Easthampton attack. Moeller also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double.
TOURNAMENT NOTES: In other Little League softball tournament action, the Westfield Juniors begin sectional play at home this evening at Sadie Knox at 5:30. The Majors are on the road.
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL
PLAYOFF UPDATE
Westfield Post 124 will begin its playoff run this evening in the first of a best-of-3 format against Ludlow. Game 1 will be played at Jachym Field, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 is set for Tuesday at Whitney Field. If necessary, Game 3 will be played at Jachym.
Published Monday, July 12, 2010
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP:Saints serve up brotherly love
St. Mary players uphold family tradition
By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD — If the casual high school tennis fan is feeling a bit of deja vu, there is good reason for it.
For the seventh straight year, a Dobek is causing a stir among the local tennis circuits, and he’s not the only one causing fans to say “oh brother.”
St. Mary sophomore Mark Dobek won his third consecutive match to begin the year on Monday, defeating Mike McCool, 6-0, 6-0, as the Saints remained unbeaten with a 5-0 rout of Pioneer Valley Christian School at Municipal Playground.
Mark Dobek is the brother of 2009 Western Massachusetts champion Mitch Dobek, a graduate of St. Mary High.
Mark moved up from third singles to the top spot this season, a spot his brother held down last year.
St. Mary’s coach Rick McKenzie said it is Mark’s hockey roots which distinguish this sophomore tennis player from the rest. Dobek plays forward for the Saints’ varsity hockey team in the winter.
“Mark doesn’t want to lose,” McKenzie said. “He’s not big, but he’s tough. He gets absolutely the most out of his game.”
The fourth-year head coach said Dobek’s strength lies with the fact that he can take the ball on the rise going forward.
“He can short hop just about everything….He’s amazing to watch.”
Freshman Zach Brown, whose brother Mark played tennis for the Saints in ‘09, defeated Aaron Taft yesterday 6-0, 6-0.
And if that is not enough family tradition for one team, there is also Zach Slepchuk, whose brother Alec played too. Slepchuck and Dan Salvetti won their match Monday, 6-2, 6-4.
Third singles player sophomore Dylan Rutherford won 6-3, 6-1; second doubles pair Jerremy Roy and Corey Clemente won 6-3, 6-1.
“These kids are like sponges, they soak it up and want to play,” McKenzie said. “It’s fun.”
McKenzie credits, not only the kids for their superb skills and practice routines, but also his tennis partner, former longtime coach of Holyoke Catholic, Frank Friguglietti.
McKenzie said Friguglietti constantly immerses himself in the Saints’ practices, providing the players with invaluable tips.
Westfield 4, Chicopee 1
Colin Fontaine (3-6, 7-6, 6-1), Richard Giarrantano (6-4, 6-2), and Cody Rodrigues swept 1-2-3 singles for Westfield. Bombers’ Ernie Puza and Tomas Ferriter won at second doubles, 6-0, 6-1.
GIRLS’ TENNIS
St. Mary’s 4, Holyoke Catholic 1
Hannah Glynn, Amy Mercier, and Teresa Sweeney won at 1st, second, and third singles, respectively for St. Mary’s (2-0).
Saints’ second doubles pair, Maia Lisowski and Jeanette Peretti won, 6-0, 7-5.
BASEBALL
Westfield 17, Chicopee Comp 7
Senior Adam Chrzanowski, who struck out nine batters in last week’s outing against Northampton, went 4-for-5 with 5 RBIs to lead Westfield (3-1).
Bombers’ pitcher Sean Ahern scattered two hits in 4 2-3 innings of no-hit relief.
Smith Voke 5, Voc-Tech 4
Nick Mobrice and John Smolen had three hits apiece for Westfield Voc-Tech, who rallied but fell short yesterday. Jack Davis had two hits for the Tigers (1-1).
SOFTBALL
Westfield 7, South Hadley 3
Westfield won its fourth straight game behind solid pitching from Caroline Browne, who scattered five hits and gave up no earned run. Browne had three strikeouts and one walk.
Liz Gale (2-for-4) knocked in the first two runs for Westfield (4-1) and later had a triple.
Bombers’ Traci Dougenik (2-4) and Jordyn Desmond (2-3, RBI) also contributed on offense.
BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
Westfield def. Sci-Tech,
25-5, 25-7, 25-7
Jonathan DiSanto (23 assists) and German Felix (5 kills) led Westfield, who improved to 3-3.
Published Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A national run to glory
Westfield High junior track star Stocker on the right path
By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD — Westfield High School junior track star Carolyn Stocker felt ill the entire week leading up to last weekend’s All-State Championships, a full season of indoor track having taken its toll on her 17-year-old body.
Just imagine what she could have done had she been feeling up-to-par.
The region’s fast-rising track athlete only limbered up minutes before the championship meet to beat out all but one of the northeast’s best distance runners in the two-mile event. Stocker finished second overall, capturing the silver with her best time ever — 10:52.22.
Only Glastonbury’s Lindsay Crevoiserat performed better. She ran a 10:30.55.
Not too shabby for a runner who never truly considered herself a threat until this year.
“I liked being down low, people not knowing who I was,” Stocker said, reflecting on the season’s accomplishments Wednesday at Westfield High. “Now everybody expects things for me.”
The second-place finish ensured Stocker of a spot in the Nike Indoor Nationals which will be held Friday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. She will compete in a 3.1 mile run, comparable to one of her cross country runs last fall.
Stocker has followed up a stellar cross country season — she won Western Mass and missed out on a berth in the nationals by tenths of a second — by winning the one-miler in indoor track competition at Western Mass, going on to capture gold in the two-mile at the states and All-State before last weekend’s regional run.
“She’s a championship team of one,” Westfield High School principal Raymond Broderick said. “Carolyn’s done it on her own. She’s had the support of her family and the school, but she’s done what’s necessary to get to the next level.”
Since the age of 5, Stocker has been running alongside her mother, Karen; father, Wayne; brother, Tim (a Westfield High freshman track athlete); and sister, Lauren, another former Western Mass champion who attended Cathedral High and is currently a junior track and cross country runner at the University of Massachusetts.
Carolyn Stocker remembers a time when she used to walk two-mile courses at Van Horn Park with her family beginning at age 5. Stocker played soccer her freshman year, but now she just competes year-round for the high school track and cross country teams, attends camps in the summer, and runs some 45 miles a week to stay on course.
Now her day consists of a morning bowl of oatmeal, a nap shortly before a day’s meet, stretching, and a warmup run with her dad, or a teammate.
“Running frees my mind,” Stocker said. “It clears my mind of everything. It’s like therapy, and it feels good.”
Stocker has elevated her game to compete with some of the region’s best track athletes, even going so far as to gain a nod as a Gatorade “Player of the Year” nominee for the state. She has also gained a couple of guest spots on ESPN Radio’s “The Average Joe Show.”
She is a National Honor Society member and a student leader in the freshmen physical education program.
“Carolyn is the kind of person you cheer for,” said Alison Kelly, the school’s guidance counselor. “She has a unique combination of grace and grit. She can sit here and be the most elegant young lady….and dominate on the track.”
Westfield athletic director Karen Gomes agreed.
“She’s very humble,” said Gomes, who said she did not even begin to take notice of Stocker until the young junior began to rack up all of the accolades during cross country season last fall. “She is running as an individual, but her spirit brings the team up. The other athletes look up to her.”
Said Kelly: “She inspires with a whisper where everyone else has to roar.”
If other runners had not paid attention to Stocker in the past, they most likely will be following the footsteps of this bright young sensation now.
Published Thursday, March 11, 2010
Lancers smother Bombers
By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Yes, Whip City — the Longmeadow High School hockey team is that good.
Freshman forward Tyler Kelleher scored two first-period goals off rebounds and the top-seeded Longmeadow Lancers powered their way to a second straight western sectional championship, defeating the No. 2 Westfield Bombers, 4-1 Sunday at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield before a crowd of 2,313.
Longtime Westfield coach C.B. “Moose” Matthews has reiterated all season long just how good this season’s Lancers’ team is, even going as far as saying that they are the best to ever take the ice for Longmeadow.
It was apparent why.
Longmeadow came out peppering Westfield freshman goalie Nick Liberto (23 saves) with shot after shot. Any other goalie, any other team and the game easily could have gotten out of hand much sooner.
Liberto held up, stopping the initial shots from Longmeadow. But Kelleher picked up rebounds for a pair of goals late in the first period.
“I just got a lucky bounce out in front of the net on that first one, but on the second one Nick Gilman made a great play to get me the puck,” said Kelleher, who scooped up the loose puck and wristed it into the net to give the Lancers a 2-0 lead.
Senior forward Devin Joyce made the first goal happen, firing the initial shot at Liberto before the puck came to rest out in front of the open side of the net.
Joyce punched home the final goal for Longmeadow late in the game.
“We sprint every practice except for the day before games,” Joyce said after the game. “That’s why all three lines had their legs today.”
Longmeadow benefited from another bounce, early in the second period as center Tom McKeown picked up a rebound and scored with 13:29 left on the clock.
Westfield finally broke through with 5:31 remaining in the third period when senior forward Brian Elie scored on a rebound. The play was set up by Matt Gagnon who exited the penalty box, skated up ice, deked a defender, and drilled a shot at Longmeadow senior goalie Trevor Shea, who made the initial save. Elie hammered home the bounding puck.
It was the only blemish on the day for Shea, who finished with 16 saves.
“Once Westfield gets off to a lead, they never stop. For us to get the
first goal, that was huge,” Shea said.
“We worked the whole year for this. We have been thinking about the
‘Garden’ since November, but we keep focusing on the next game.”
Longmeadow advances to the state semifinal game against the Central champion to be played Thursday at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, beginning at 8 p.m. The championship will be held the the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.
“It’s always a treat to win Western Mass.,” Longmeadow coach Jim Joyce said. “This group worked hard all year like other teams (in the past). We have a special crew.”
“We’ve had some very good teams,” said Joyce, alluding to the 2006 state champions. “This team is pretty talented. We’re deep — we have three lines. Different people step up every day.”
While the offense fired away — Longmeadow outshot Westfield 16-4 in the first period — the defense played stout almost all game.
The Lancers killed 9:15 in penalty minutes. The Bombers were 0-for-7 in power play opportunities.
Matthews said Longmeadow was just as tough as he expected.
“You can’t go down 2 goals (in the first period) to a team like this,” he said. “They’re a strong team. If they don’t win the D3 championship, then something’s wrong.”
Spartans own the night
By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
AMHERST – It was a memorable night for the East Longmeadow basketball program – the Lady Spartans toppled the unbeaten Amherst Hurricanes just moments before the boys’ team played suffocating defense to snuff out the Westfield Bombers – to sweep the Western Massachusetts Divison I championships Saturday evening at the Curry Hicks Cage on the campus of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
No. 2 East Longmeadow put fourth-seeded Westfield in a hole hurry and clamped down on defense en route to a 79-65 victory.
Westfield hung on early as both teams traded baskets for much of the first quarter, but the senior-laden Spartans went on a 14-2 run over the last 1:50 of the first quarter. East Longmeadow tacked on six points in the opening minutes of the second quarter to build a 26-14 lead. The Spartans increased their lead to 25 early in the fourth. It was an insurmountable lead that the Bombers could not overcome.
“I did not expect the press to bother us the way it did – they tweaked it a bit,” said Westfield coach Bill Daley, whose Bombers managed to defeat the Spartans late in the regular season. “One turnover led to another turnover….It was one bad decision after another bad decision after another bad decision.”
East Longmeadow’s starting unit, made up solely of senior players, forced Westfield to make bad passes and hurried shots. The Bombers never really settled down until the fourth quarter when they went on a 14-2 run.
Westfield turned the tables, pressuring East Longmeadow into repeated mistakes for the first time all game.
Westfield senior forward Aaron Rogers provided the run’s biggest eye-popping play – his signature two-handed jam – in front of the “Bomb Squad,” whipping the Whip City’s fans into a fevered frenzy. But the Bombers quickly grew tired and never could get the deficit into single digits.
“We waited until the last minute to pick our defense up,” said Rogers, who finished with a team-high 21 points. “Everybody was nervous. We panicked. We should have swung the ball to the wings or back to half court (when they pressed us). …We have never been in this kind of environment.”
East Longmeadow bottled up junior guard Alex Garstka, holding the deadly perimeter shooter and scoring machine to just six points in the first half. He finished with 17.
Junior guard Jordan Santiago came off the bench to score 16 points for Westfield.
James Bertier (22 points), Dan Martin (19), and Ryan Mickiewicz (15) – all seniors – finished as the high scorers for East Longmeadow.
Starting guards Dylan Willey and Connor McMahon, both seniors, and senior reserves Dave Boardman and Sam Mullins tried their best to jumpstart the Westfield offense at times throughout the game but East Longmeadow would barely bend, never mind break. Some 4,000 fans attended the game.
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Local Roundup
High School Sports Roundup, Nov. 4, 2008
At Roberts Field in Holyoke, the Westfield High School soccer team dropped its final regular season game yesterday to the Purple Knights, 4-2. With the loss, the Bombers end the season at 2-11-5. Holyoke, meanwhile, earned its first win of the season, closing out 2008 with a 1-13-4 record. Westfield got a pair of goals from Chris McCormack, with assists from Tom Barron and Mike Crow. Also playing well for the Bombers were seniors Tyler Modlish, Kris LeClair, Tyler Cumberlander and Ben DiSanto in their final game for the red and black. Westfield Voke 3, Franklin Tech 2 At Turners Falls, the Tigers (13-3-2) got goals from Jack Davis, Will Teter and Serg Ryhal as they finished in second place in the Briggs Division. The tournament-bound Tigers will now wait for Division III seedings to come out on Wednesday. St. Mary 1, Pioneer Christian 1 At South Middle in Westfield, Treavor Laraway scored from Zach Brown as the Saints earned a stalemate with the visiting Eagles, denying them a tournament berth. St. Mary (11-4-3) had already clinched, and now awaits the Division III soccer seedings to come out on Wednesday. GIRLS SOCCER Smith Academy 2, Westfield Voke 0 At Bullens [...]
Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:05:51 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 31, 2008
BOYS SOCCER Westfield Voke 3, Commerce 2 At Springfield, the Tigers (12-2-2) improved to 5-0-1 in their last six games behind three goals from three different players. Jack Davis, Devin Haskell and Serge Ryhal each put home tallies to lead Voke, which also received a stellar effort on defense from Steve Ramos, Will Teter and Jake Wrenn. In net, Luke Cimmino totaled eight saves. Westfield Voke’s next game is today at St. Joe’s. GIRLS SOCCER Westfield Voke 3, Commerce 2 At Springfield, senior Cassie Hawley picked a great time to score her first varsity goal. Tied at two in the second half, Hawley put home a penalty kick for the go-ahead goal, leading the Tigers (6-8-3) to what head coach Kyle Dulude said is a program record for wins in a season. Voke trailed 1-0 early on but Kelsey Benoit scored to make it 1-1 at the half. Commerce went up 2-1 in the second frame but Rebekah Cyr scored the equalizer before Hawley finally put home game-winning goal for Voke. “This is just a huge accomplishment,” Dulude said. “It’s rewarding for these girls to make it for their sixth win. To win or tie most of our games is [...]
Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:31:05 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 30, 2008
BOYS SOCCER Westfield 1, Central 1 At Westfield, Jordan Santiago’s goal from Brett Pierce in the first half was good enough for the Bombers (2-9-5) to earn a tie with the Golden Eagles, who got a goal from Nick Burrage. Playing well for Westfield were seniors Mike Crow, Tyler Cumberlander, Ben DiSanto, Tyler Modlish and Kris LeClair. In net, the duo of Greg Frost and Adam Mayhew combined for nine saves. Westfield’s next game is Friday at Chicopee. Westfield Voke 3, Ware 2 At Westfield, Cam Fecteau exploded for three goals to lead the host Tigers (11-2-2) as Devin Haskell assisted two of those goals en route to the victory. Josh Tuttle and Adam Stiles scored for Ware, while Westfield Voke goal keeper Luke Cimmino had eight saves. Voke’s next game is against Commerce tomorrow at 4 p.m. Belchertown 2, Gateway 0 At Huntington, Ryan Boudreau tallied a goal and an assist to lift the visiting Orioles past the Gators (1-10-2). GIRLS SOCCER Southwick 3, Holyoke 1 At Southwick, the Rams (7-7-2) got a pair of goals from Kristen Simeone while teammate Emily Hickey chipped in with one of her own. Southwick’s next game is Friday at Chicopee Comp.
Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:21:46 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 23, 2008
HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Regional High School girls soccer team lost last night, as visiting Palmer (9-1-5) was awarded a goal late in the game after a red-card hand ball by the Gators (3-7-5). Despite the loss, the game was evenly matched as each team had eight shots on goal. Gator goal keeper Jess Pittsinger recorded five saves in the loss, missing the shutout after an own goal was awarded to Palmer with just minutes left in regulation. Gateway’s next game is Friday at Easthampton. Westfield Voke 3, Putnam 1 At Springfield, the Tigers (5-7-3) won their second game in a row for the first time this season as Ashleigh Pieczarka, Casey Ledger and Kelsey Benoit each recorded second-half goals. The victory keeps Voke’s playoff hopes alive, as the Tigers will need to go at least 2-0-1 in their final three games to qualify. Westfield Voke’s next game is Friday at McCann Tech. Southwick 3, Northamtpon 3 At Northamtpon, the Rams (5-8-2) got two goals from Kristen Simeone and one from Chelsea Blair to notch the tie. Jenny Bell scored twice for Northampton while teammate Leah Jacobsen-Hardy had the other tally for the Blue Devils (6-7-3). BOYS CROSS COUNTRY St. [...]
Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:17:31 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 24, 2008
BOYS SOCCER Southwick 2, Easthampton 0 At Easthampton, the Rams (8-7-1) got goals from Dustin Teich and Stuart Kinsman, while Matt O’Neill chipped in with an assist. Jesse Feldman had seven saves in the shutout. GIRLS SOCCER Agawam 4, Westfield 0 At Westfield, Taylor Hartman had a hat trick for the Brownies (2-10-2) and assisted Jamie Corriveau for Agawam’s fourth goal. In net, Michelle Curtis recorded 14 saves to notch the shutout. With the loss, Westfield drops to 7-7-2. St. Mary 4, Four Rivers 3 At Westfield, the Saints earned their first win of the season by getting four goals from four different contributors. Sara Barnes, Hannah Glynn, Christy Watson and Maggy Parker all had tallies for the Saints, while in net Cruzana Bedoya had a 6-save shutout. VOLLEYBALL East Longmeadow 3, Westfield 1 At Westfield, East Longmeadow won 25-3, 25-19, 16-25 and 25-12 to beat the Bombers 3-1. Westfield’s Ashley Vanbeek had 17 assists while teammate Chelsey Crawford had 11 kills.
Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:10:27 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 22, 2008
BOYS SOCCER Westfield Voke 2, Smith 0 At Westfield, the Tigers (9-2-1) qualified for the Western Mass. Tournament with the victory, as Jack Davis and Jan Feldmann each scored goals. Davis scored with two minutes left in the first half from Steve Ramos while Feldmann’s goal was unassisted. Westfield Voke’s next game is Friday at Pioneer Valley Christian School. St. Mary 4, Four Rivers 0 At Greenfield, Treavor Laraway and Bobby Geanopolous each had a pair of goals for the Saints (11-3), who received 12 saves in net from Sam Farnsworth to preserve the shutout. St. Mary’s next game is Friday at home against Pathfinder. Hampshire 3, Gateway 0 At Westhampton, Louis Prickett, Tyler Sypek and Kyle Benoit each scored goals for Hampshire Regional, who shut out Gateway (1-8-2) behind a 3-save effort from Bobby Dragon. Gateway’s next game is Monday at home against Chicopee Comprehensive. Belchertown 4, Southwick 1 At Southwick, the Rams (7-7-1) got a goal from JT Martell but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Orioles, who had tallies from Jon Martins, Jeremy Durepo and Ryan Boudreau. Belchertown goal keeper Dylan Bachand also recorded 10 saves. Southwick, which needs just three points in its next three games [...]
Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:11:02 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 21, 2008
BOYS SOCCER Westfield Voke 2, Ware 0 At Ware, the Tigers (8-2-1) got goals from Devin Haskell and Jan Feldmann as Luke Cimmino tallied seven saves in the shutout. Also playing well for Voke on defense were Steve Ramos, Will Teter, Jake Wrenn and Brett Worden. GIRLS SOCCER Westfield 2, Longmeadow 1 At Westfield, the Bombers (7-6-2) scored two second-half goals to beat the Lancers (4-5-6), as Marissa McConkey scored from Michelle Butcher with eight minutes left in regulation. Westfield’s Amanda Mundorf also scored in the second half to lift the Bombers, who play Thursday night at Bullens Field against Agawam. Westfield Voke 1, Sci-Tech 0 At Westfield, Rebekah Cyr scored the lone goal of the game in the 37th minute of the first half to help the Tigers (4-7-3) defeat Sci-Tech. Kate Jensen assisted on the play, while in net Amanda Hawley made four saves for the shutout. Monson 5, Gateway 1 At Monson, Morgan Cummings scored for the Gators (3-6-5) but Hanna Strong had a hat trick for the Mustangs (9-4-1), who also got goals from Kelli Arbour and Brooke Murphy. Chicopee 2, Southwick 1 At Southwick, the Rams (5-7-1) got a goal from Devon Phelon just 1:30 [...]
Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:33:31 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 17, 2008
GIRLS SOCCER Westfield 1, Cathedral 0 At Springfield, Haley Dorval scored on a corner kick from Ashley Jaskula with seven minutes left in regulation to lift the Panthers (7-4-2) over the Bombers (6-6-2). Westfield keeper Ashley Lamagdeleine had 10 saves in the loss. Panther keeper Emily Troczynski had four stops in the shutout victory. Southwick 1, Central 0 At Southwick, the Rams (5-7-1) scored with five minutes left in regulation on a Kelsie Bowe free kick, as Megan Leavitt tallied six saves for the shutout. FIELD HOCKEY Longmeadow 1, Southwick 0 At Longmeadow, the Rams (5-9-2) were shut out for a fourth straight game, as Jackie Dunn scored two minutes into the second half to lift the Lancers. GOLF Agawam 248, Westfield 275 At Tekoa CC in Westfield, Dan Fanion shot a 1-under 35 for the day’s low score, but it wasn’t enough for the Bombers (8-12) to overcome the Brownies. Also shooting well for Westfield was Derek Ellis with a 38. Fanion, who has led Westfield all season, will compete in the Western Mass. Individual golf tournament this Monday at Westover CC.
Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:28:00 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 16, 2008
BOYS SOCCER Westfield 0, Northampton 0 At Westfield, the Bombers (1-9-3) tied for the second straight game as goalies Adam Mayhew and Greg Frost combined for the 10-save shutout. “We had four or five great chances in the span of five minutes that their keepers just made great saves on,” Westfield coach Greg Strycharz said. “We played well, we just couldn’t finish. The kids worked hard though, which was nice to see. It’s starting to come together for us.” Playing well for the Bombers were Mike Sullivan and Tyler Modlish on defense, while Tomas Ferriter and Tommy Barron also had good games. BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Westfield 23, East Longmeadow 32; Westfield 15, Renaissance 50 At Stanley Park in Westfield, Brandon Mulligan led the Bombers (5-4) with a first-place time of 16 minutes, 25 seconds on the 3.1-mile course. Westfield’s Tyler Ulm took third place with a 17:12 while Jeremy Sorel was fourth with a time of 17:24. Ryan Putnam (17:50) and Matt Kidrick (17:54) rounded out the top-10 finishers for the Bombers, who race against Cathedral next Tuesday at Stanley Park in their final regular-season meet. GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Westfield 28, East Longmeadow 28; Westfield 15, Renaissance 50 In the [...]
Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:25:15 +0000
High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 15, 2008
GIRLS SOCCER Westfield Voke 3, Commerce 1 At Westfield, Kelsey Benoit and Julyia Kovylyak each had goals while teammate Ashleigh Pieczarka tallied two assists for the host Tigers (3-6-2). In net, Amanda Hawley had 12 saves. Gateway 0, Central 0 At Springfield, Jessica Pitsinger made 10 stops for Gateway (3-5-5) as neither team could break through for the game-winner. Southwick 4, Easthampton 0 At Southwick, Devon Phelon, Bri Aylward, Kristen Simeone and Hannah Griffin each had goals to power the Rams (4-7-1), who received a 3-save effort from keeper Megan Leavitt in the shutout. FIELD HOCKEY Westfield 2, Palmer 0 At Westfield, Kelly Gallo had both of the Bombers’ goals as Westfield (11-2-1) won its eighth straight game to improve to 9-0-1 in its last 10 games. Playing well for the Bombers on defense was Courtney Williams while Brittany Liptak had a good game at midfield. Westfield’s next game is Friday at home against Cathedral. Southwick 0, Amherst 0 At Southwick, the Rams (5-8-2) received three saves from Allison Falcetti while her counterpart tallied 14 for Amherst in the stalemate. GOLF Westfield 245, West Side 261 At Tekoa CC in Westfield, Dan Fanion continued his stellar season with a 4-under [...]
Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:11:49 +0000
Photo Gallery
A 36 inch sand shark was recently found on Dowses Beach, a Cape Cod beach Sunday, July 18, 2010. (Photo by Romani/Westlund)
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Jul 19, 2010Shark discovery
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Apr 08, 2010Saint Mary High School Short Stories, Friday, April 9, 2010, at 7pm.
SOUTHWICK β€” The Southwick Cultural Council will stage its 11th annual juried Fine Art Exhibition and Sale from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, at the Southwick Town Hall.
Approximately 40 talented artists from Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts will display their art in the form of oils, photography, watercolors, pastels, acrylic, wood, pottery, soapstone carving and more.
The show also will include live demonstrations, non-juried student art, a book signing and
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Apr 08, 2010Cultural Council art show this weekend
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Mar 19, 2010Wax Museum
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Mar 19, 2010Hang time!
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Mar 19, 2010Is this your dog?
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Mar 19, 2010Westfield North Band
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Mar 18, 2010News Archive
Ohio State University police guard the scene at a campus maintenance building, left, after an employee opened fire at the building, killing a co-worker and wounding another Tuesday, March 9, 2010, in Columbus, Ohio. The suspect also was wounded and is in custody, according to authorities. (AP Photo/The Columbus Dispatch, Tom Dodge)
78 views
Mar 09, 2010tate University
The sandwich board at the Panera store shows the calorie count for each item in Brookline, Mass., Monday, March 8, 2010. Panera bread company is announcing that they will become the first chain to post calories on menus nationally. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
71 views
Mar 09, 2010Posting Calories
TOP AP SPORTS
Haynesworth fails test again, misses practice
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2010-07-30T12:56:00Z
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- Albert Haynesworth has failed his conditioning test for a second consecutive day and is being forced to sit out practice again at Washington Redskins training camp....
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Police review handling of 911 call in Wright case
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Police in the Memphis suburb of Germantown are reviewing how a 911 call from Lorenzen Wright's cell phone was handled as authorities investigate the shooting death of the former NBA player....
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Aide: Pitino gave him $3,000 for pregnant woman
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A longtime aide to Rick Pitino told jurors that the Louisville men's basketball coach asked him to give $3,000 to a woman who said the coach got her pregnant in a one-night fling at a restaurant....
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Donovan reiterates desire to return to Everton
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Ravens CB Foxworth out for year with knee injury
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Knicks' Stoudemire in Israel to trace Hebrew roots
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Cyclist Rebellin loses Olympic doping appeal
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GENEVA (AP) -- Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin lost an appeal Friday of a decision stripping him of his 2008 Olympic silver medal for doping. He could now be suspended by cycling's governing body and stripped of other race results....
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Redskins sign No. 4 overall pick Trent Williams
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ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- The Washington Redskins have signed No. 4 overall pick Trent Williams to a six-year, $60 million contract that includes $36.75 million in guaranteed money....
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Gordon's crew chief signs extension
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Pulse of the People
I recently worked for a local post office for quite a few years. The comments made in these past posts is certainly nothing new. Especially in this economy the pressures put on the work place can make just about all work situations difficult. Whether i...
mmmm,I think in this place I will found everything I needs. Thank you very much for providing wenpub2.com to us, and thank you again for leting me be a member of this forum.
Southwick Rotary Grill'n Daze BBQ and Chili Cook-off readying for competition
SOUTHWICK - Bob Fox, President, Southwick Rotary Club and Event Chair for the annual BBQ and Chili cook-off competition, announced today that the Club is ready to host its third annual competition. The event is scheduled for July 25th at the Southwick...
Tag Sale and Auction Help Wanted
WESTFIELD - Animal Shelter Renovation, Inc. and Positive Options are looking for volunteers to help with collecting and soliciting items for our upcoming tag sale and auction. We are an all volunteer corporation raising funds to build a regional anima...
1st Annual Hoffman Holes for Hope Charity Scramble
WESTFIELD - Hoffman Auto Group is the proud sponsor of our first ever Holes for Hope Charity Scramble to be held at East Mountain Country Club on August 14, 2010. This event benefits the rescue and food bank portion of our non-profit organization. We...
Evening News Online
State of euphoria
Westfield Babe Ruth 13s headed to regionals By GREG CAMERON Correspondent LEOMINSTER — Westfield’s 13-year-old Babe Ruth Squad returned to the Whip City last night with some pretty hefty hardware. After a razor-thin advantage for most of the game, Westfield came away with a 3-2 victory over Leominster at McLaughlin Park in Leominster. With the win Westfield moves on to the New England Regional tournament in Winooski, Vt., next month. “It was a tight game and a well-played tournament the whole way through,” Westfield manager Brian Sullivan said. “Our guys played good fundamental baseball.” Westfield got the scoring going in their first trips to the plate. Leadoff man Craig Lacey drew a walk and then stole second shortly thereafter to get the ball rolling in the first inning. Cody Neidig then grounded into a fielder’s choice which tagged Lacey. Chris Sullivan then drew a walk before Houle was given an intentional pass to load the bases for Westfield. Colin Dunn then drew a walk of his own to score Neidig for the game’s first run. However, Dunn would get picked off trying to lean off of first base. However, Leominster would not be denied on their home turf. In the [...]
Westfield Juniors suffer extra tough loss
By GREG CAMERON Correspondent WESTFIELD — Even with an exciting tooth and nail comeback, Westfield did everything they could to muster up a victory over visiting Jesse Burkett in the Little League softball tournament. In the end, the comeback victory wasn’t meant to be as the visitors from Worcester took to the Massachusetts Turnpike to bring home a 5-4 eight-inning victory over Westfield at Sadie Knox Playground. The defeat knocked the Whip City squad out of the Massachusetts Little League Softball tournament. “It was a heck of a comeback,” Westfield skipper Mike Minicucci said of his team’s efforts. “We convinced them that they’re never really out of it until the game was over and they responded.” In the home half of the seventh inning, Westfield was down 4-1 as leadoff hitter Olivia Florek strode up to the plate. Florek reached on an infield error to give Westfield a spark in what would have been the final frame had the initial results held. Two hitters later, Victoria Camp hit a single to give Westfield multiple base runners and a hope that a comeback could be more reality than theory. Ellen Ferst then drew a walk to load the bases for Annalise [...]
Westfield Babe Ruth 15s eliminated
By GREG CAMERON Correspondent WESTFIELD — On a night where Major League Baseball’s brightest All-Stars convened in Anaheim, Westfield’s 15-year-old Babe Ruth All-Star squad found themselves in an unfamiliar position taking on Franklin County in a loser’s bracket tilt at Billy Bullens Field. The Whip City squad bowed out of the tournament after dropping an ugly 10-0 mercy rule loss to Franklin County in the Massachusetts Babe Ruth tournament. From start until the abrupt finish, Westfield’s bats were suspiciously quiet. Franklin county pitcher TJ Meyer struck out four, surrendered just a quartet of hits, and kept the Westfield hitters off-balance. “He did a good job,” Westfield manager Paul Chapdelaine said of his opposition’s hurler. “He threw a lot of curveballs, and that kind of took our heart out,” he added. Meyer had yet to surrender through 2 2-3 innings of play until Kyle Murphy rapped a single in the third. In an effort to ignite some kind of rally for his team, Murphy was caught stealing shortly thereafter. Westfield’s second and third hits came in back-to-back fashion from Connor Sas and Aubrey Partyka in the fourth inning. Luc Zayac registered a base hit of his own in the fifth. In [...]
Murray leads South into D2 title game
BY CHRIS PUTZ Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Something has to give. On Friday, two undefeated area teams will battle for the chance to advance in the Little League Baseball tournament. While a spot on ESPN may be a long ways off, Westfield South and Agawam are set for a prime-time game Friday evening at 6 at Memorial Field in Agawam. John Murray pitched a one-hitter and delivered the game-winning hit, a third-inning liner, to lift Westfield South into the 11-12 District 2 championship with a 1-0 win over Belchertown at Cross Street Field on Monday. Agawam knocked off Westfield North 3-0. “Agawam is always a solid club,” Westfield South coach Steve Brochetti said. “They shut out Westfield North so they must have good pitching.” “It’s going to be another struggle.” After averaging close to 10 runs a game through the first four games of the tournament, Westfield South struggled to put runs on the board for the first time. The lone run came in the third inning when Murray ripped a first-pitch strike off stout, hard-throwing Belchertown pitcher Jim Kusnierz to center field. The hit scored Mike Diamond, who reached on a one-out single. Murray dominated on the mound. The [...]
Westfield North Eliminated
By GREG CAMERON Correspondent WESTFIELD – There will not be a cross-town Little League championship in the Whip City this summer. Westfield North’s title game hopes were dashed after dropping their District II semifinal 3-0 against Agawam Monday evening at Memorial Field. Agawam’s Griffin Gadreault was stellar on the mound for the hosts, tossing four strikeouts and inducing numerous ground balls. The Agawam hurler surrendered just a pair of singles and a pair of walks against the Westfield North bats. However, the Whip City bats made contact last night on numerous pitches. However, where the ball went after contact with Westfield’s aluminum, it seemed to find a player clad in an orange jersey. “We hit the heck out of the ball, we just hit it right to them,” Westfield North manager Tom Flaherty said. Westfield North’s two hits came from Matt Hannoush in the second inning, and Colin Blake in the fifth. Agawam first got on the board during the second inning, a frame which was most stressful for Westfield North hurler Jared Iglesias. Agawam’s Dominic Grasetti was first aboard in the inning by drawing a walk after Gadreault flied out to shortstop. Iglesias then got Chris Gage looking at [...]
Westfield Ruthers open states with win
LOCAL SPORTS:WEEKEND ROUNDUP WESTFIELD — The 15 year old Westfield Babe Ruth All-Stars played their first game in the state tournament on Sunday evening, defeating Holden 16-9 at Bullens Field. Holden opened the scoring against Westfield starting pitcher Lee Papadimitriou. Lee, despite striking out the side, gave up 2 runs in the top of the first on a walk, a hit and some good base running. Westfield came roaring back, scoring 3 in the bottom half of the inning. The big hit was a 2-run single from Ian Wolski. In the 2nd, Lee struck the first batter out looking, but the Holden bats came alive and scored 2 more. Lee then hurt his arm while throwing a pitch and had to come out of the game. Luke Zayac was called upon to pitch and he successfully stopped the bleeding. Luke ended up pitching 4 strong innings and was the winning pitcher for the game. Westfield tied the score in the bottom of the 2nd on a hit by Robby Sullivan, a wild pitch, a stolen base and then a passed ball. In the top of the third, Holden scored a single run to take the lead for the 3rd time, [...]
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP:Saints serve up brotherly love
St. Mary players uphold family tradition By CHRIS PUTZ Staff Writer WESTFIELD — If the casual high school tennis fan is feeling a bit of deja vu, there is good reason for it. For the seventh straight year, a Dobek is causing a stir among the local tennis circuits, and he’s not the only one causing fans to say “oh brother.” St. Mary sophomore Mark Dobek won his third consecutive match to begin the year on Monday, defeating Mike McCool, 6-0, 6-0, as the Saints remained unbeaten with a 5-0 rout of Pioneer Valley Christian School at Municipal Playground. Mark Dobek is the brother of 2009 Western Massachusetts champion Mitch Dobek, a graduate of St. Mary High. Mark moved up from third singles to the top spot this season, a spot his brother held down last year. St. Mary’s coach Rick McKenzie said it is Mark’s hockey roots which distinguish this sophomore tennis player from the rest. Dobek plays forward for the Saints’ varsity hockey team in the winter. “Mark doesn’t want to lose,” McKenzie said. “He’s not big, but he’s tough. He gets absolutely the most out of his game.” The fourth-year head coach said Dobek’s strength lies with [...]
A national run to glory
Westfield High junior track star Stocker on the right path By CHRIS PUTZ Staff Writer WESTFIELD — Westfield High School junior track star Carolyn Stocker felt ill the entire week leading up to last weekend’s All-State Championships, a full season of indoor track having taken its toll on her 17-year-old body. Just imagine what she could have done had she been feeling up-to-par. The region’s fast-rising track athlete only limbered up minutes before the championship meet to beat out all but one of the northeast’s best distance runners in the two-mile event. Stocker finished second overall, capturing the silver with her best time ever — 10:52.22. Only Glastonbury’s Lindsay Crevoiserat performed better. She ran a 10:30.55. Not too shabby for a runner who never truly considered herself a threat until this year. “I liked being down low, people not knowing who I was,” Stocker said, reflecting on the season’s accomplishments Wednesday at Westfield High. “Now everybody expects things for me.” The second-place finish ensured Stocker of a spot in the Nike Indoor Nationals which will be held Friday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. She will compete in a 3.1 mile run, comparable to one of her cross country [...]
Lancers smother Bombers
By CHRIS PUTZ Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Yes, Whip City — the Longmeadow High School hockey team is that good. Freshman forward Tyler Kelleher scored two first-period goals off rebounds and the top-seeded Longmeadow Lancers powered their way to a second straight western sectional championship, defeating the No. 2 Westfield Bombers, 4-1 Sunday at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield before a crowd of 2,313. Longtime Westfield coach C.B. “Moose” Matthews has reiterated all season long just how good this season’s Lancers’ team is, even going as far as saying that they are the best to ever take the ice for Longmeadow. It was apparent why. Longmeadow came out peppering Westfield freshman goalie Nick Liberto (23 saves) with shot after shot. Any other goalie, any other team and the game easily could have gotten out of hand much sooner. Liberto held up, stopping the initial shots from Longmeadow. But Kelleher picked up rebounds for a pair of goals late in the first period. “I just got a lucky bounce out in front of the net on that first one, but on the second one Nick Gilman made a great play to get me the puck,” said Kelleher, who scooped up [...]
Spartans own the night
By CHRIS PUTZ Staff Writer AMHERST – It was a memorable night for the East Longmeadow basketball program – the Lady Spartans toppled the unbeaten Amherst Hurricanes just moments before the boys’ team played suffocating defense to snuff out the Westfield Bombers – to sweep the Western Massachusetts Divison I championships Saturday evening at the Curry Hicks Cage on the campus of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. No. 2 East Longmeadow put fourth-seeded Westfield in a hole hurry and clamped down on defense en route to a 79-65 victory. Westfield hung on early as both teams traded baskets for much of the first quarter, but the senior-laden Spartans went on a 14-2 run over the last 1:50 of the first quarter. East Longmeadow tacked on six points in the opening minutes of the second quarter to build a 26-14 lead. The Spartans increased their lead to 25 early in the fourth. It was an insurmountable lead that the Bombers could not overcome. “I did not expect the press to bother us the way it did – they tweaked it a bit,” said Westfield coach Bill Daley, whose Bombers managed to defeat the Spartans late in the regular season. “One turnover led [...]
