Using the word “worry” would be a bit too strong.
But across the opening three innings of Wednesday afternoon’s Division 5 Round of 16 game, a little uneasiness started to spread over Penn Brook Field as No. 2 Georgetown couldn’t get the bats going against No. 15 Greenfield. Again, not that big of a deal … until you remember that the visiting Green Wave are last year’s state runner-up, and won the title not too long ago back in 2023.
So the winning pedigree of the perennial western power was present.
In the home dugout, though, they weren’t the least bit concerned.
Because with CAL Baker MVP and Bentley University commit Maddie Grant in the circle, Georgetown knows that it has a pretty good chance to hold its opponents off the scoreboard and win every game. Which proved true once again, as the senior captain scattered just four hits and struck out 10 to lead the Royals to a 5-0 shutout victory over Greenfield. Her performance not only led the Royals (18-4) to the Division 5 quarterfinals for the third straight year, but also put her over the illustrious 800 career strikeout milestone.
So it was quite the day to celebrate.
Georgetown opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning when Grant reached home on an error, then added three more runs in the fifth. Cora Robinson (2-for-4), Grant (1-for-4, 2 RBI) and Meghan Maguire (1-for-3) all had RBI-singles during the frame, then the Royals would add another insurance run in the sixth. Victoria Barbarick went 3-for-4 out of the leadoff spot in the order, and Gillien Figueroa had a hit as well.
And now, Georgetown is just three wins away from the ultimate goal.
The Royals were the state runners-up in 2024, then made it back to the Final Four last spring — both times falling to powerhouse Turner’s Falls (who has already been eliminated from this year’s bracket). On Friday afternoon, the Royals will welcome in No. 7 Monson for the quarterfinals with first pitch set for 3 p.m.
Pentucket can’t keep up with three-time defending champs
It was going to pretty much take a flawless game to pull off the upset.
Making the long drive down to basically Rhode Island on Wednesday, No. 14 Pentucket knew what it was getting into ahead of its Division 3 Round of 16 game. For the last three years, nobody was able to knock off No. 3 Joseph Case from the top of the Division 4 mountain, and now the three-time defending state champs are looking to bring that dominance up to Division 3.
So the visitors in green needed to be perfect.
Unfortunately, a total of five errors really didn’t give the Panthers that much of a chance, as all of them led to a 13-0 victory for Joseph Case in just five innings. Sophomore star Kam Bonneau smacked a double in the top of the first inning and would draw a walk in the third, but that would account for all of the baserunners that the Panthers had on the day.
Of course, not the result that anybody in the visitor’s dugout was hoping for.
But, all told, it was still another fantastic year for Pentucket (14-7), which won its second straight CAL Kinney title after having been shut out since 1990. The loss sadly marks the end of the career for senior captain Sarah Freitas, a Daily News All-Star and four-year varsity stalwart who went out by being named the CAL Kinney MVP this spring.
Quickly looking ahead for the Panthers, though, Freitas is the only senior.
The program is in line to return everyone else next year, which would include Ciara Pennie back for her second season as the team’s starting pitcher. Then offensively, Michaela Gabardi, Emma Burkinshaw, Caitlin McCoy, Kallie White, Bonneau, Maizlyn Brush, Evelyn Spaulding and Claire Champion should all return as well.