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I made my first sports bet when I was in college. I was getting a haircut and the barber handed me a betting sheet for the week’s college football games. I sat down, filled it out, gave him $5 and left. The next day I learned that I had won – easy money. I showed up early the next week, got the new sheet and placed a bigger bet. I lost all my money. The pain from losing that money overwhelmed the joy of winning. I never placed another bet, intrinsically knowing that I wasn’t as good as I thought.

By RYAN AMES

NORTH ANDOVER – The Amherst Regional boys and girls outdoor track teams turned in strong performances during the first day of the MIAA Division 4 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday at Merrimack College.

The Northampton Parks & Recreation Department is offering fall youth and rec soccer programs for youth entering preschool through sixth grade. Youth soccer (preschool through second grade) will be held on Saturday mornings at Sheldon Field from Sept. 7 to Oct. 26, while rec soccer (third grade through sixth) begins as early as Sept. 4 and runs through Nov. 3.

By GARRETT COTE

HOLYOKE — They say the third time is the charm, and it most certainly was for the top-seeded Pioneer baseball team on Wednesday afternoon at MacKenzie Stadium.

By RYAN AMES

The MIAA unveiled its state tournament brackets for baseball, softball and lacrosse on Wednesday, and the Hampshire Regional softball team highlighted area schools as the lone No. 1 overall seed.

By RYAN AMES

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Rich Ferro’s been waiting for this for a long time.

By RYAN AMES

WEST SPRINGFIELD – It’s been full steam ahead for the Northampton girls lacrosse team over the last month and on Tuesday, the Blue Devils put a bow on their pre-state tournament slate by capturing the Western Massachusetts Class B title.

By GARRETT COTE

Just a week ago, the South Hadley and Frontier softball teams met in their regular-season finales, knowing that there was a strong possibility of meeting in the Western Massachusetts Class B semifinals a handful of days later. And after the No. 3 Tigers and No. 2 Redhawks earned decisive wins in their respective quarterfinal bouts, sure enough, they were back on the diamond on Sunday – battling it out for a spot in the Class B championship.

By GARRETT COTE

As has been the case in each of the big tournaments – the Amherst Invitational, Pioneer Valley Invitational and now the Division 1 state championship – this season, the Amherst Regional girls varsity ultimate team met Four Rivers in the finals on Sunday. And just as the previous two times played out, the Hurricanes prevailed to earn first place and bring home a trophy.

By RYAN AMES

HOLYOKE — It came down to the wire, but the Amherst Regional girls outdoor track team clipped fellow Hampshire County counterpart Northampton to win the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Championship on Friday at Holyoke High School.

By GARRETT COTE

PITTSFIELD — Michael Locher knew Friday’s Western Mass Class C boys tennis championship match wasn’t going to come easy. The head coach of No. 2 Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School came into it aware his team was shorthanded, as the Dragons were without their first doubles pair of James Scott and Teddy Scott – the team’s only two seniors – and their typical third singles player, Gabe Loinaz (injury).

By GARRETT COTE

On Thursday, May 22, members of the Williston Northampton School community piled into the Phillips Stevens Chapel for the Wildcats’ annual Spring Athletics Awards Assembly – which honors spring sports teams and top senior athletes for their contributions to athletics at Williston.

By RYAN AMES

Local outdoor track and field athletes will have to brave the elements during this weekend’s Western Massachusetts Championship meets, as the cold, rainy weather is expected to stick around. 

By GARRETT COTE

NORTHAMPTON — When the Northampton and Longmeadow boys tennis teams met for the first time this season, the Lancers grabbed a 4-1 victory back on April 10. Three weeks ago, the two sides matched up again – this time the Blue Devils earning a 5-0 win. The rubber match just so happened to be in the Western Mass. Class A finals at Smith College on Wednesday afternoon that felt more like fall than spring.

By RYAN AMES and GARRETT COTE

HADLEY — Trailing 6-0 entering the sixth inning, the Granby softball team gave its best shot at a comeback by rattling off a pair of runs and putting base runners on, but Hopkins Academy’s ace Cassandra Dion shut the door. The Golden Hawks added one more insurance run in the bottom half of the frame and went on to win 7-2 in the Western Massachusetts Class D quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon.

By RYAN AMES

BELCHERTOWN — In less than ideal weather conditions, the Belchertown girls tennis team successfully defended its Class B Western Massachusetts title with a 5-0 victory over Frontier on Wednesday in the championship match. Second doubles was the only match to go three sets as the Orioles proved its place as the top-ranked team in Class B, who kept the second-seeded Redhawks pointless for the first time this season.

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD — The current No. 2 and No. 3 ranked softball teams in the Western Mass. Class B tournament met at Zabek Field on Monday to close out the regular season.

By RYAN AMES and GARRETT COTE

It was a fitting end to the regular season for the Northampton boys tennis team, which recorded its 12th consecutive victory on Friday afternoon after defeating East Longmeadow 4-1 at the Smith College Courts.

By RYAN AMES

The Belchertown girls tennis team has been a model of consistency since Alanna Grady assumed the head coaching position in 2021. Grady has guided the Orioles to winning records in each of the previous five seasons and this spring’s squad is arguably the best of the bunch.