HATFIELD — Without a senior on the roster and just two returning varsity players from a year ago, Mahar baseball coach Dan Guertin understood it was going to be a rebuilding season in Orange this spring. 

After three tough losses to open the season, Guertin went into Monday’s Bi-County League North game against Smith Academy simply looking to see his team show progress, and the Senators did just that. 

Smith Academy came away with a 5-1 victory as Falcon pitcher Harry LaFlamme didn’t allow a hit on the mound, but Guertin said he saw small improvements that can be built upon moving forward in the season. 

“It was 100 percent a cleaner game,” Guertin said. “We’ve been preaching showing up and improving each day and they actually showed some improvement today. There’s four middle schoolers out there today and we only had one junior starting. There’s no seniors on the field.”

It was the pitching of Matt Vitello that kept Mahar (0-4) in the game in Hatfield as the junior tossed all six innings, struck out six, walked three and scattered nine hits. 

Smith Academy scored one in the first and three in the second but was limited to just one run — which came in the sixth inning — from there. 

With each game, Guertin is looking to see growth, showing his team a speech given by a former New England Patriot player to showcase the path back for Mahar. 

“I showed them the video of David Andrews talking at North Carolina last week,” Guertin said. “He talks about how you stack one day to the next and you begin stacking days. That turns into weeks and then you start stacking weeks. That turns into months and that’s how you do it. We won’t wake up tomorrow and suddenly be an awesome baseball team. It’s every single day building on it each day and that’s how you actually become better.” 

Athol 13, Gardner 5 — After Gardner tied the game at five in the top of the sixth, the Bears responded with an eight-run inning in the bottom of the frame and Logan Cormier did the rest, as the senior went the distance on the mound, stuck out 10 and only gave up three hits as Athol came away with an independent win Monday. 

“We did such a great job of grinding against a good Gardner squad and were eventually able to open it up with a big bottom of the sixth,” Bears coach Josh Talbot said. 

Oliver Johnson cracked a home run, a single and drove in three runs, Marc Gould finished with three hits and two RBIs, Cormier helped himself with a single, a double and an RBI, Ethan Heuer had two hits and an RBI while Hayden Barrieau produced one hit and two RBIs in the winning effort for Athol. 

Greenfield 10, South Hadley 0 — It was a much-needed win for the Wave, which snapped a two-game skid by shutting out the Tigers in South Hadley on Monday in a Suburban League West contest. 

Logan Moore got the win, throwing a five-hit shutout without surrendering a walk and striking out eight. He helped himself with a hit and three RBIs at the plate. 

Conner Bergeron tallied three hits, Malik Moore recorded a hit and an RBI while Chase Zraunig and Caleb Thomas each added two hits in the win for Greenfield. 

Pioneer 19, Palmer 0 (5) — The Panthers put seven on the board in the first and tacked 12 on in the fourth to race away with an independent triumph in Northfield on Monday. 

Ethan Quinn was a monster at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and six RBIs in the win. Brody Welcome doubled to knock in two, Hayden Girard finished with a pair of hits and RBIs while Jackson Campbell and Alex McClelland each added a hit and an RBI in the victory. 

Evan Tsipenyuk struck out four while McClelland added two strikeouts in the hill for unbeaten Pioneer (6-0). 

Ware 5, Frontier 1 — Ware led 3-0 going into the seventh before tacking two insurance runs in the top of the frame to defeat the Redhawks in an independent contest in South Deerfield Monday. 

Ben Caron, Brady Poreda, Austin D’Urso, Kaden James, Braeden Dion, Collin West and Jack Cusson all singled in the loss for Frontier. 

Softball

Gardner 17, Athol 1 (6) — Gardner put runs across in all six innings to take down the Bears in an independent contest in Athol on Monday. 

Jaylynn Chapalonis struck out four in the circle and singled at the plate while Ariana Lopez-Hippler also hit safely in the loss for Athol. 

Franklin Tech 6, Wahconah 4 — With two outs in the top of the sixth, Emma Peterson smashed a two-run home run that gave the Eagles a 5-1 lead and they were able to hold on late to earn an independent win in Dalton on Monday. 

Peterson added a double and drove in three runs while Hannah Gilbert got the win in the circle, striking out 12 and giving up four hits while adding a hit at the plate. Kylee Gamache singled twice, tripled and drove in a run, Sandra Johnson recorded a single and a double to drive in two while Cordelia Guerin hit safely for Franklin Tech. 

Hopkins 3, Turners 2 — The Thunder led 2-1 after three but the Golden Hawks put two on the fourth and Turners was unable to answer, as Hopkins picked up an independent win in Hadley on Monday. 

Madi Liimatainen struck out 12 and added an RBI triple at the plate, Janelle Massey tallied a triple and an RBI while Mia Marigliano hit safely in the loss for Turners. 

Northampton 16, Mahar 0 — MacKenzie Matthews had the lone hit at the plate while Lexi Ares struck out five in the circle during the Senators’ Franklin County League East loss to the Blue Devils in Northampton on Monday. 

Boys volleyball

PV Christian 3, Athol 2 — The Bears dropped to 1-4 with their fourth straight loss at home Monday night.

Boys tennis

Frontier 3, Lee 2 — Oliver Brown earned a 6-2, 6-4 win in No. 3 singles, becoming the all-time wins leader in Frontier program history with 21 as the Redhawks earned the program’s first ever win over the Wildcats on Monday in South Deerfield. 

It was a singles sweep for Frontier, as Brayden Reipold took No. 1 singles 7-5, 6-0 while Casey Bestler won 6-2, 6-2 in No. 2 singles to earn the win for the Redhawks. 

Girls tennis

Frontier 4, Palmer 1 — Kayla Fagan earned a 6-4, 6-2 win in No. 2 singles while Aylen Shaw walked away with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph in No. 3 singles for the Redhawks, which beat the Panthers on Monday in Palmer. 

Esther Ehle and Jimin Ahn came back to win 5-7, 7-6 (10-7) in No. 1 doubles while Brooke Charest and Hailey Fernandez earned a 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (8-6) win in No. 2 doubles for Frontier.