WESTHAMPTON — Hannah Wodecki wanted to cry. The gravity and gratitude of the moment hit the Hampshire Regional junior as she rounded third base Tuesday.
She’d just launched a softball over the outfield fence to deliver the Raiders a 13-12 walk-off victory against Westfield.
With one out and Katelyn Baker standing on first, Wodecki turned on a belt-high pitch and sent it to the opposite field to erase a 12-11 deficit.
“As I’m running home I was like, ‘wow, I did that for my team.’ They believed in me,” she said. “I did my part, but they did their part, too, to get me here. That’s all you can ask for.”
In just two batters, Hampshire flipped the script of a game headed toward disaster.
The Raiders built an 11-1 lead after three innings on the back of a seven-run opening frame.
Ashley Cortis doubled twice.
“Sometimes with these guys, we get big leads and we just sit on it for too long,” Hampshire coach Brian McGan said. “Good teams will come back.”
The Bombers responded with four runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings to get within a run. Emma LaPoint homered in each inning.
Westfield’s Erin Gout led off the top of the sixth with a homer that tied the game at 11. LaPoint singled, and McGan pulled starter Jocelyn Mettey for Laci Chapdelaine.
“They were hitting the ball hard. They were right on it. She wasn’t hitting her spots,” McGan said. “She was right down the middle of the plate. Things were up, it was just one of those days.”
An Ava Cichonski single brought LaPoint around to put Westfield ahead, 12-11.
The Raiders couldn’t muster much in the bottom of the sixth, and Westfield didn’t tack on any more in the top of the seventh.
That left Hampshire with three outs to salvage a game it once appeared poised to end with via the mercy rule. Paige Galpin grounded out to lead off the inning, then Baker, who tripled in the first inning, singled to the left side of the infield to get on base.
“We were in a great position to get those hitters at the plate,” McGan said. “I’ll take that every day for Hannah.”
Wodecki wasn’t envisioning a heroic blast when she stepped into the batter’s box. She just wanted to keep the inning alive.
“I didn’t even think about hitting it that hard, I just needed to move Baker over to keep the team up, keep the rally going,” she said.
Instead, she kept the Raiders undefeated and earned Chapdelaine her first varsity pitching win.
Chicopee Comp 4, Northampton 2 (8) — Ella Pelis was 2-for-4 to pace the Blue Devils offense, while Katelyn Ramdath added a double.
Pitcher Kaliya Valentin struck out five and walked three in eight innings.
Greenfield 11, Frontier 3 — Olivia Deane and Makayla Santos each had two hits for the Redhawks. Savannah Upton threw five innings and recorded a strikeout.
Pathfinder 20, Amherst 16 — Hurricanes pitcher Maria Konieczny struck out 16 in a home loss.
Smith Vocational 9, Gateway 7 — Ciara Sinno crushed a three-run homer in the first for the Vikings. She went 2-for-4 and scored three runs. Lilly Ryan was 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.
Morgan Ball (triple) and Sarah Paradee (three runs) each had three hits and an RBI
Ashley Schabacker struck out nine for Smith Vocational.
Hopkins Academy 24, Ware 1 (5) — Freshman Anna Dyjach hit her first career home run for the Golden Hawks. She was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Sara Beauchamp (five RBIs) and Jessie Markowski (four RBIs) each had three hits.
Ally Markowski doubled twice and drove in four runs.
Kaelyn Zaikitis struck out seven an allowed just three hits and two walks to earn the win.
Granby 8, St Mary’s 0 — Colin Kennedy threw a shutout, striking out eight and allowing just three hits and two walks. He also smashed a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs.
The Rams scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Nolan Sullivan tripled and finished with two RBIs.
Ware 10, Hampshire 9 (10) – Will Hogan had three hits, while Liam Pond and Colin Boyle each singled twice for the Raiders at home.
Kyler Dionne struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed just two runs, one earned.