Sports
Softball: Ella Schaeffer’s walk-off hit lifts South Hadley to 1-0 extra-inning win over Easthampton
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
SOUTH HADLEY – Ella Schaeffer had already tossed nine innings of shutout ball, but when the South Hadley pitcher stepped to the plate against Easthampton in the bottom of the ninth inning with a runner on second base and one out, she still had some...
2024 Gazette Girls Swimmer of the Year: Ursula von Goeler, Northampton
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
Ursula von Goeler likes making calculations.Her favorite subject is physics. She’s decided to major in it next year at Bowdoin College.But that love of matter and its behavior through space and time isn’t just limited to the classroom. It stretches...
MIAA power rankings: See where all the local teams are ranked
By GARRETT COTE
The MIAA released its second edition of the spring sports power rankings across the state on Tuesday. Out of all sports, Hampshire Regional softball holds the highest ranking in Hampshire County, checking in at No. 5 in Division 4. Hopkins leads all...
High schools: Smith Academy softball rallies past Holyoke
The Smith Academy softball team trailed 8-2 into the fifth inning before scoring 10 runs to snatch control and win 18-8 over Holyoke on Monday afternoon.All told, Smith posted 16 unanswered to capture the victory.Sophia Jagodzinski had two hits, two...
Baseball: Bailey Davis’ walk-off single lifts Easthampton past Holyoke 7-6
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
EASTHAMPTON – The Easthampton baseball team is taking a trip to Burger King, and sophomore left fielder Bailey Davis’ usual order of chicken nuggets is going to taste extra special.It’s a tradition the Eagles have after every win, but this season has...
2024 Gazette Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Marcielo Aquino, Amherst
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
At the end of the cul de sac on Gooseberry Lane, there’s a basketball hoop. It’s a refuge, a listener and a teacher.A few years back, the hoop’s adjustable lever broke during a storm. It’s held together with duct tape, but it’s sensitive. If the...
Softball: Greenfield rallies with big inning for 5-4 win over Hampshire (PHOTOS)
By GARRETT COTE
WESTHAMPTON — With a Hampshire Regional runner standing on second base and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, eighth grader Kalin Dubay stepped to the plate – the Raiders trailing by one run.Dubay worked the count and fouled off several...
Connor Pignatello: Seeing Messi in person again sparked childhood memories
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
FOXBOROUGH – When I was 8 years old, a Spanish friend of my dad gave me a present. It was a Lionel Messi FC Barcelona No. 10 jersey, with the club’s classic blue and red vertical stripes and the UNICEF sponsor across the front.That jersey was my most...
UMass football: Spring Game closes one chapter for Minutemen, 2024 season fast approaching
By GARRETT COTE AND CONNOR PIGNATELLO
AMHERST — For a coach who’s been in the business for as long as UMass football head coach Don Brown has, it’s hard to find something he hasn’t already seen.But during the Minutemen’s month of spring practice, they impressed the longtime coach with...
High schools: Furious fourth quarter rally falls just short for South Hadley boys lacrosse
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
SOUTH HADLEY – The South Hadley boys lacrosse team scored five unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to get within striking distance of Agawam (5-3), but the Tigers (4-5) comeback fell short in a 10-6 Valley League home loss on Friday afternoon.Solid...
Softball: Hampshire rallies from early deficit, slugs past Easthampton 10-4 (PHOTOS)
By GARRETT COTE
WESTHAMPTON — Coming into Friday afternoon’s softball game between the Hampshire and Easthampton softball teams, something had to give.Eagles ace Rosie Follet had been almost unsolvable in the circle through their six games, while the Raiders’...
2024 Gazette Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Ava Azzaro, Northampton
By GARRETT COTE
NORTHAMPTON — Staring a six-point deficit square in the face in the fourth quarter of the MIAA Division 2 girls basketball quarterfinals, Northampton senior captain Ava Azzaro wasn’t ready to call it quits on her high school career.The No. 7 Blue...
High schools: Ava Shea, Belchertown girls tennis get past South Hadley (PHOTOS)
Ava Shea continued her dominant season at No. 1 singles, helping the Belchertown girls tennis team to a 4-1 victory over South Hadley during independent action on Thursday at Mount Holyoke College.Shea notched a 6-0, 6-0 win over South...
Baseball: Chace Earle shuts down Easthampton in Hopkins Academy’s 13-0 win
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
EASTHAMPTON – Hopkins Academy sophomore Chace Earle tossed the longest outing of his career and the Golden Hawks blanked Easthampton 13-0 in a Suburban League West baseball contest on a sunny Thursday afternoon.Hopkins (3-2) scored eight runs in the...
2024 Gazette Ice Hockey Player of the Year: Cooper Beckwith, Amherst
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
It was the beginning of the 2021-22 hockey season, and Amherst captain Carter Beckwith and assistant captain Nick Paul were tasked with finding a second assistant captain to round out the group.It didn’t take long for the pair of seniors to come to a...
High schools: Northampton boys tennis takes down Amherst in rain-shortened title-game rematch (PHOTOS)
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
AMHERST – Amherst’s Miles Jeffries took the first set from Northampton’s Reilly Fowles on Wednesday afternoon, but rain shortened what had the potential to be the best boys tennis match of the season in Hampshire County. Amherst coach Kevin Jeffries...
High schools: South Hadley baseball shakes off slow start, runs past Granby
By GARRETT COTE
SOUTH HADLEY — After being blanked the first time through the lineup and entering the bottom of the third inning trailing 1-0 to Granby, the South Hadley baseball team woke up.The Tigers led off the frame with the top of their order, and they were...
2024 Gazette Girls Indoor Track Athlete of the Year: Allie Sullivan, Northampton
By BRADY COTE
As a sophomore at Northampton High School, Allie Sullivan has already blown away her coaches by her sheer skill, hard work, and dedication to track and field.It is her talent to quickly pick up events and excel that separates her from many other high...
Local briefs: Amherst Youth Baseball, Northampton Youth Softball
During the UMass baseball team’s home game with Saint Joseph’s on Saturday at 1 p.m., the Minutemen will host the Amherst Youth Baseball League.The annual event includes players from all divisions of Amherst Youth Baseball, including the Little League...
High schools: Belchertown baseball offense erupts in 27-4 win over Holyoke
A whopping 27 hits from 11 different players powered the Belchertown baseball team to a 27-4 five-inning victory over Holyoke on Tuesday at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke.Ian McDonald led the way with four hits and three RBIs for the Orioles, which...
