NORTHFIELD — It wasn’t the typical No. 1 versus 16 matchup on Thursday during the MIAA Division 5 Round of 16. 

The top-seeded Pioneer baseball team hosted No. 16 Georgetown in a rematch of last year’s state semifinal contest and though the Royals lost a number of starters from that squad, they were more than ready to go against the unbeaten Panthers. 

Pioneer led 3-1 going into the fifth inning but Georgetown put two on the board to tie the game. Neither team scored from there, leading to extra innings. 

Ethan Quinn shut down the Royals in the top of the eighth but the Panthers were unable to respond in the bottom of the frame. Quinn did the same in the ninth but this time, Pioneer was facing Rex Nadeau on the mound as Royals ace Oliver Thibeault was pulled after hitting his pitch limit to close out the eighth. 

Ben Werner walked to open the bottom of the ninth and nearly got thrown out in a rundown after being caught trying to steal second, but the throw to get him sailed high and he took second. 

Later in the frame, Jackson Campbell came to the plate with two outs and knocked a base hit to left field. Werner used his speed to score from second, sending Pioneer to the quarterfinals with a wild 4-3 victory in nine innings. 

“Someone had to do it,” Campbell said. “I had faith that even if I didn’t get on, next inning would have been ours. When we play teams, they treat us like the Super Bowl because we’re the top seed. We come into these games confident in ourselves but other teams want to beat us way more than you’d expect. You just have to grind it out and try to win every inning.”

The unbeaten Panthers (23-0) will look to keep it rolling when they face No. 8 Greenfield in the state quarterfinals at a date and time to be determined. Pioneer and the Green Wave met twice during the regular season, the Panthers winning both games. 

Coming into Thursday’s Round of 16 bout, Pioneer coach Kevin Luippold understood that earning a spot in the quarterfinals would be a challenge going up against a pitcher like Thibeault, who pitched eight innings, struck out two and scattered 11 hits. 

“Their coach runs a good program out there,” Luippold said. “Coming into it we knew it was going to be a good game. To win a game like this against a great team with a great pitcher like they had is a great accomplishment. We stayed on their pitcher and let him run a full seven and didn’t care he was still in there even though we weren’t stringing hits together. The guys showed grit. Every time we went into the field, they didn’t care because we know we can hit.

“I’m so proud of these guys,” Luippold added. “They deserve everything they’ve achieved so far. We’re taking it day-by-day, game-by-game and loving every second of it.” 

Quinn got the win on the mound, coming on in relief in the sixth. The senior didn’t allow a run in his four innings on the bump, struck out six and allowed just one hit. 

Jackson Glazier pitched the opening five innings, striking our four and allowing just three hits. 

“When Quinny took the mound I knew we would have opportunities,” Luippold said. “He was dominant on the mound and showing it. Jack settled in really well. He found the zone when he needed to and executed when he had to.” 

Georgetown (11-11) opened the scoring in the first. Ty Southall hit a leadoff double and Brendan Loewen knocked him in with a single to give the Royals the early 1-0 advantage. Pioneer answered in the bottom of the second, when Quinn reached on an error and was eventually driven in by a single from Brody Welcome to tie the score. 

The Panthers scored twice in the third to take the lead. After Glazier was thrown out trying to take second on a base hit, Braeden Tsipenyuk singled and moved to second on a balk. Campbell followed with a single and a second balk scored Tsipenyuk to give Pioneer the lead. 

Quinn blasted a single to left to plate Campbell and give the Panthers a 3-1 lead going into the fourth. 

Georgetown got back in it in the fifth. Cole Healy and Austin Gentile drew consecutive walks and an error brought Healy in. Jay Gentile hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Gentile and tie the game. 

With Ryan Skahan on second following the error with one out, Evan Tsipenyuk came through at first base for the Panthers. Southall hit a grounder to first and Tsipenyuk was able to corral the ball and slide in just before Southall reached the bag for the second out of the frame. 

With Skahan on third, Tsipenyuk then dove and fielded a ball off the bat of Nadeau and tapped first to end the inning with the score still knotted at three. 

“No balls got past our infield and you can’t ask for more than that,” Luippold said. “Evan Tsipenyuk was nails. If one of those balls get through it’s over in seven innings.” 

Neither team produced a hit in the sixth or seventh, and in the bottom of the eighth, Pioneer had a chance to end the game. Quinn led off with a single and an error on a pick off attempt put him on second with no outs. 

Ethan Mauthe blasted a liner up the middle on the next at bat but Thibeault snagged the line drive and threw Quinn out at second for a double play. He later got a groundout to keep the game going into the ninth. 

Facing a familiar opponent in the quarterfinals, Luippold said he’s glad his seniors have one last chance to earn a win on their home diamond. 

“I’m thankful that the seniors get to play on this field one last time,” Luippold said. “I know they’re going to take it with pride and come and have fun between the lines when we see Greenfield.”