Sports

South Hadley’s Lauren Marjanski signs National Letter of Intent to play soccer at Siena College

By GARRETT COTE

SOUTH HADLEY — Lauren Marjanski panicked for a brief moment.The South Hadley senior and College of Saint Rose commit had just found out the school she was going to play soccer at next fall would be shutting down after summer classes at the end of June...

DeBrusk nets 2 power-play goals, Swayman saves 35 as Bruins win 5-1 to open series with Toronto

By JIMMY GOLEN

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins were clinging to a one-goal lead when defenseman Charlie McAvoy caught a skate edge and fell while trying to race Toronto’s Auston Matthews to a loose puck.The Maple Leafs’ forward — and the top goal-scorer in the NHL this...

High schools: Ella Schaeffer sets South Hadley strikeout mark in 5-4 win over Frontier (PHOTOS)

Four runs in the sixth inning, headlined by a two-out, two-run single by Jenna Bobrowski, propelled the South Hadley softball team to a huge 5-4 independent home win over Frontier on Friday afternoon.Trailing 5-2, the Redhawks fought back to within...

Baseball: James Lavallee tosses no-hitter as Smith Vocational blanks Mahar 7-0

By GARRETT COTE

NORTHAMPTON — Only three batters stood in the way of James Lavallee and a no hitter.But the Smith Vocational junior southpaw still had work to do, and he had to go through the two, three and four hitters of Mahar’s lineup if he wanted to notch the...

Softball: Franklin Tech’s Hannah Gilbert holds Hopkins to two hits, leads Eagles to 7-1 victory (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS — After giving up a run in the first inning, Franklin Tech pitcher Hannah Gilbert locked in for the final six frames on Friday against Hopkins Academy. The junior gave up one hit and one walk in the first and one hit in the third, but...

Southampton’s Hannah Wodecki breaks Westfield State softball’s single season RBI record

By GARRETT COTE

WESTFIELD — As cliche as it sounds, records are truly made to be broken.And Westfield State sophomore Hannah Wodecki didn’t just break an Owls softball record, she’s going to shatter it when all is said and done.With still 10 regular season games...

2018 World Series trophy to be in town for Sunday’s Northampton Baseball and Softball League opening day

By GARRETT COTE

NORTHAMPTON — Youth baseball and softball is just around the corner in Northampton, as the city’s nine youth baseball teams and three youth softball teams will be in action against other local teams next week to kick off their respective seasons.But...

High schools: Hampshire Regional baseball rallies to force extras, falls to powerhouse Pioneer 5-4

Trailing 4-2, the Hampshire Regional baseball team tied things up on the road against Pioneer Valley Regional with a clutch two-run double off the bat of Drew Thompson, who went 4-for-5 with the two RBI on the day.But the Panthers responded with a...

Boys lacrosse: Landon Andre, Nico St. George help Belchertown hold off Amherst 11-9 (PHOTOS)

By GARRETT COTE

BELCHERTOWN — After a quick 3-1 flurry from the Amherst boys lacrosse team erased Belchertown’s three-goal lead, the Orioles clung to a 9-8 advantage early in the fourth quarter on Thursday afternoon.Somebody had to step up for Belchertown to put a...

The Real Score: Curveballs and casinos rarely save cities

About 10 years ago, the two major urban centers of central and western Massachusetts decided to engage in new regional industrial policy to spur on their local economies. Worcester and Springfield had been effectively hollowed up by decades of...

High schools: Offense on fire for Granby girls lacrosse in 20-2 win over McCann Tech

Fourteen first-half goals helped the Granby girls lacrosse team to a dominant 20-2 victory over McCann Tech on Wednesday afternoon.Eleven different players recorded goals in the win.Brenna Moreno’s four goals and Kalli White’s hat trick led the way...

Baseball: Chicopee Comp strikes early, takes down Amherst (PHOTOS)

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — It didn’t take very long for the Chicopee Comp baseball team to assert itself.The visiting Colts hung 10 runs on Amherst in the top of the first inning, and doubled that total over the next four innings as the host Hurricanes dropped their...

Florence’s Gabby Thomas gearing up for 2024 Paris Olympics

By JOSHUA SPAULDING

NEW YORK — Gabby Thomas has an Olympic experience under her belt and two Olympic medals she can wear around her neck. And as she gears up for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials ahead of the Paris Olympics, she took part in the Team USA Media Summit on...

Jiri Smejkal gets 1st goal, Senators beat Bruins 3-1 in regular-season finale

By DOUG ALDEN

BOSTON — Jiri Smejkal scored his first career goal midway through the second period and Jakob Chychrun scored less than a minute later as the Ottawa Senators beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 on Tuesday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.Artem...

High schools: Belchertown, Easthampton split dual track meet (PHOTOS)

By GARRETT COTE

EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton and Belchertown track and field teams put a pause on their April vacations on a perfect Tuesday afternoon, as the two tangled for a dual meet at Mountain View School.The two teams split dual meets, with the Eagles...

High school ultimate preview: Amherst, Northampton hoping for big seasons

By GARRETT COTE

The defending Division 1 state champions are going to look much different this spring. After capturing the state’s top ultimate Frisbee title in 2023, only six players return from that roster return to the Amherst boys team for head coach Joe...

UMass basketball: Matt Cross reportedly enters transfer portal

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — The vicious one-two frontcourt punch that helped the UMass men’s basketball team to its best season in a decade is now gone.Forward Matt Cross has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports early Tuesday afternoon. Cross...

High school: Northampton softball slugs past Mahar for season's first victory (PHOTOS)

Following four frustrating losses to start the season, including three straight in five innings, the Northampton softball team was on the other side of a mercy-rule contest on Monday afternoon.The Blue Devils scored at least three runs in each of the...

Baseball: Smith Academy can't overcome early deficit in 13-6 loss to Mahar

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — The Mahar baseball team couldn’t have asked for a better first inning on Monday against Smith Academy. After Sam Connors shut down the Falcons in the top of the frame, it didn’t take the Senator bats long to get going when it was their turn...

Hadley’s Brad Mish, Northampton’s Elianna Shwayder top Hampshire County finishers at 128th Boston Marathon

By JOHN STIFLER

BOSTON — On a clear day, a bit warm but with no headwind to impede any runner’s efforts, Brad Mish of Hadley and Elianna Shwayder of Northampton led three dozen Valley runners from Hopkinton to Copley Square in Monday’s 128th running of the Boston...