SOUTH DEERFIELD — Back in 2022, the Frontier softball team made a surprise run to a state semifinal game. 

The Redhawks are hoping for a similar story this postseason and on Monday, started things off in the right direction. 

Hosting 25th-seeded Ayer Shirley in the MIAA Division 4 Round of 32, eighth-seeded Frontier wasted no time getting after it at the plate, taking a 3-1 lead after one before scoring five in the second to go ahead, 8-1. Senior Ashley Taylor kept the Panther offense quiet from there as the Redhawks advanced to the Round of 16 with an 11-2 victory. 

“Nothing is written in stone with these early games,” Frontier coach Gary Deane said. “We have to get 1-through-9 hitting. We put a lot of effort into that, take a lot of batting practice and a lot of swings. The defense takes care of itself. We work on it a lot but offense can slump. Speed and defense don’t slump too much. Our offense can so we’re all working on that.”

Frontier (13-8) will face a familiar foe in No. 9 South Hadley on Wednesday at a time to be determined. 

Taylor went the distance in the circle, striking out three and allowing just five hits. Taylor was the Redhawks’ pitcher the last time they went on their run to the semis, and Deane noted how similar Monday’s game felt to the 2022 run. 

“Ashley took us far in 2022,” Deane said. “The last inning especially reminded us of that year where she’s pitching and it’s a bunch of infield popups and soft hits in the infield. It was great to give her the shot today and she took care of business.”

After Ayer Shirley threatened to take command in the top of the first, scoring and putting runners on second and third, Skyler Steele came through at shortstop for Frontier. She snagged a blistering line drive and threw the runner out at second to end the inning with a double play. 

The Redhawks then got to work at the plate. Steele singled and Olivia Machon drove her in with a base hit up the middle to tie the game. Machon later tried to steal third and the throw to get her ended up in left field which allowed the senior to score. An error brought Sophia Pinardi, who reached on a single, in to score to make it a 3-1 game after one. 

Whitney Campbell led off the second with a single and Taylor doubled to drive her in. An error put a pair of runners on for Delaney Fifield and the senior smashed a home run over the center field fence that gave Frontier a 7-1 lead. 

Machon followed with a single, worked her way to third and Pinardi grounded out to bring her in to make it an 9-1 game after two. 

Fifield added to the lead with an RBI single in the third that scored Campbell and in the fifth, Fifield singled and Machon drove her in with a double to close out the Frontier scoring. 

The win sets up a third matchup with South Hadley in the last two weeks for the Redhawks. Frontier won the regular season meeting 4-2 but the Tigers got their revenge in the Western Mass. Class B semifinals, a 2-1 win. With senior Ella Schaeffer in the circle for South Hadley, Deane understands runs will be at a premium on Wednesday. 

“We know she’s outstanding,” Deane said of Schaeffer. “You have to get a couple of runs. Three, four, five runs can win that game.” 

MIAA Div. 5 Round of 32

No. 2 Greenfield 19, No. 31 Sturgis Charter East 0 — The 2022 and 2023 Div. 5 state champions started their state tournament run on the right foot, as MacKenzie Paulin threw a five-inning no hitter while striking out 14 and added a three-run home run at the plate to lead the Green Wave into the Round of 16 with a 19-0 win at Vets Field Monday. 

Greenfield (16-6) hosts No. 15 Millis on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Round of 16. 

Anna Bucala recorded four hits, two being doubles, and drove in two, Gloria McDonald cracked three hits and knocked in two runs, Olivia Lemay singled, doubled and drove in a run, Carson Farrell tallied a trio of hits and RBIs, Sophia Rotkiewicz tallied two hits and four RBIs while Sarah McCloud added a base hit in the victory. 

No. 7 Franklin Tech 17, No. 26 Whitinsville Christian 0 (5) — Hannah Gilbert allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings in the pitching circle, and the Eagles had no issues advancing to the Round of 16 thanks to a five-inning win on Monday at Nancy Gifford Field in Turners Falls.

Franklin Tech (18-4) advanced to host No. 10 West Boylston in the Round of 16 on Wednesday at 5 p.m. 

Gilbert recorded 14 of her 15 outs via strikeout, scattering three walks to go with just the one hit. 

At the plate, Kylee Gamache had two hits, including a triple, and two RBIs, while Gilbert doubled and drove in a run. The Eagles, which drew 11 walks, saw Samantha Duncan score four times in addition to a hit and an RBI, while Abi Dobias scored twice and had a hit and an RBI, and Sandra Johnson also touched home twice to go with 

No. 9 Narragansett 14, No. 24 Pioneer 2 — The Panthers reached the Round of 32 with a victory over Madison Park on Sunday but were unable to go on the road and pull off an upset in the Round of 32 on Monday. 

Pioneer closed its season with a 10-12 record.