Wednesday afternoon, the Hopedale Blue Raiders softball team delivered a commanding 12-0 win over David Prouty in the Division 5 second round. Hopedale set the tone early and never looked back, showcasing elite pitching and overwhelming offense. Emily Atwood was once again the story on the mound, tossing a one-hitter over six innings while striking out 14 batters. Her ability to change speeds and locate pitches kept David Prouty’s hitters off balance all day. On offense, Hopedale’s bats exploded in the first inning, scoring eight runs on a flurry of hits and capitalizing on defensive miscues. Kenzie Reynolds and Olivia Barroso each homered in this one, and Delaney Vaillette drove in three runs to give the Blue Raiders an insurmountable lead. The win pushes Hopedale’s record to 20-2 and sets up a quarterfinal matchup with Hoosac Valley scheduled for this Sunday at 4 PM at Hopedale. Hoosac enters the contest firing on all cylinders, having scored 25 runs across its first two playoff games. The Raiders’ home-field advantage and potent pitching staff, anchored by Atwood, will be critical in what promises to be a high-scoring, hard-fought clash. Hopedale’s combination of power hitters and shutdown pitching gives them a strong chance to advance to the semifinals. As the No. 4 seed, they will look to continue their balanced approach and keep their state championship aspirations alive.
