WESTFIELD — Throughout its Cinderella state tournament run, the Frontier softball team had been crushing the ball at the plate.
That was until it ran into Greenfield’s MacKenzie Paulin.
The freshman was dealing in the circle on Wednesday in the MIAA Div. 5 semifinals, striking out seven and not surrendering a hit until the seventh inning. A big second inning at the plate gave the No. 1 Green Wave an early 6-0 lead, and they rode that to the finish, advancing to the state title game with an 11-2 victory at Westfield State University’s Hagan Field.
Greenfield will square off with No. 3 West Boylston in the finals on Friday at 3 p.m. at Sortino Field on the campus of UMass in Amherst.
“I was hoping to get the no-hitter but I still feel good about how I performed,” Paulin said. “I have to bear down even more next time. It feels really good to be in a state final. My team has carried us offensively. It’s been great.”
With Paulin keeping the Redhawks off the scoreboard, just about everyone got involved at the plate for the Green Wave. Nine different Greenfield players reached base, showing the depth it has at the plate to keep opposing teams off balance.
“It’s nice to know that every part of your lineup is capable,” Green Wave coach John Hickey said. “One-through-nine, they all can hit. The bottom of the lineup has been doing it for us all year and they continue to do it. It makes us a tough out.”
Wednesday’s loss ends a postseason run Frontier players and fans won’t soon forget. The No. 21 Redhawks were on the road the entire state tournament, pulling off upsets over No. 12 Tahanto, No. 5 Mt. Greylock and No. 4 Franklin Tech to reach the semifinals.
After a tough regular season playing in a fierce Franklin County League West, Frontier coach Gary Deane said he hopes the stellar postseason gives his young group belief moving forward.
“It’s so great for the kids whose confidence was hit hard this year,” Deane said. “Playing in the league we play in, four [schools – Greenfield, Wahconah, Frontier, Turners Falls] made it to the state semifinals. We played the best Franklin County East teams and our independent games were against unbelievable teams. I knew going in this would be a serious season and we’d take our lumps. It was AP softball. It was sink or swim and we sank a little bit but we didn’t drown. We learned from our mistakes and the kids got better fast. We had a bunch of ninth graders and we got right to the end. We’re super happy.”
The Redhawks put runners on first and second in the first inning after Makayla Santos and Skyler Steele drew walks, but Paulin got a strikeout to close out the inning.
Greenfield senior catcher Kelsey Richardson helped settle the nerves of her freshman pitcher between innings.
“I knew she got a little nervous at the beginning of the game,” Richardson said, “so I sat her down in the dugout, told her, ‘listen, it’s me and you, kid. It’s our year so we’re gonna get it done.’ And she did. She settled in.”
From that point on, Frontier base runners were hard to come by. Paulin walked just three batters the next five innings, not allowing a dangerous Redhawks lineup to get much going.
The Green Wave broke things open in the second inning. Rachel Dodge and Ainslee Flynn opened with back-to-back walks, and Anna Bucala drove both of them in after crushing a triple.
Brielle Widelo then hit a single to score Bucala, giving Greenfield a 3-0 lead. Ellis Benitez singled before Kaitlin Lavoine smashed a triple to score Widelo and Benitez. A Richardson single drove Lavoine in, and the inning ended after Richardson was thrown out trying to reach home following a Dodge double, but not before the Green Wave had put six runs on the board.
“I felt a lot more comfortable and confident [after the second inning],” Paulin said. “I know my offense has my back. I feel much more relaxed out there knowing they have my back. I just focus on my mindset while pitching. I try to handle the pressure and not let it get to me. I try to be confident out there and know I can do it. It’s mind over matter.”
Greenfield tacked four more runs on in the fourth. Paulin and Richardson both singled and Dodge drove Paulin home with another base hit. Flynn then cracked a single to score Richardson, Bucala grounded out but drove Dodge in to score in the process, and an error off the bat of Widelo plated Flynn, giving the Green Wave a commanding 10-0 lead.
Hannah Perlberg got on with a single in the sixth, moved to second following a Gloria McDonald walk and Lavoine drove Perlberg in with a double to put Greenfield ahead, 11-0.
Frontier’s Sophia Pinardi broke up the no-hitter in the top of the seventh, lofting a single into right field. Gabrielle Adams followed with a walk, Makayla Santos singled to load the bases and Ashley Taylor knocked a single to bring Pinardi and Adams in, cutting the deficit to 11-2. Paulin managed to escape further damage when she induced a line out to short to end the game.
Taylor went the distance in the circle for Frontier, striking out four and walking just four batters.
“They were great,” Deane said of Greenfield. “They played us well. I don’t feel like they have our number, they’re just a great team.”
Hickey was impressed with how his freshman pitcher was able to hold down what had been a red-hot Redhawks lineup.
“She’s solid,” Hickey said of Paulin. “She deserves it. She’s a hard worker. Nobody works harder than her. She puts in the time in the offseason like a lot of them do and it pays off. Kudos to them.”
The Green Wave now turn their attention to Friday’s game against West Boylston, which is coming off a 2-0 win over Turners in the other Div. 5 semifinal on Tuesday.
“The pressure is on a little bit but now it comes down to the two best teams in the state,” Hickey said. “Whoever hits the ball and plays defense and pitches well wins. We have one day to get ready.”