Athletes of the Week Lee, Newberry Face Big Tests

One of the top hitters in the county and one of the top pitchers in the state check in as our Athletes of the Week this week.

 

Mount Greylock’s Emma Newberry was a .577 hitter last spring for the Mounties and has been even more productive this year, batting an eye-popping .659 with three home runs and 26 RBIs.

 

On Thursday, she got her 100th career hit in style, socking a home run in the bottom of the sixth in a win over Taconic. She also turned a nifty double play in the win over the Thunder, fielding a grounder at short, tagging a runner going from second to third and firing to first for the second out.

 

Two days later, Newberry went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs with a triple and a double in a win over Hoosac Valley.

 

She is the cornerstone of a high-scoring offense for the Mounties (8-3). Mount Greylock has scored 144 runs in 10 games, finishing in double figures eight times.

 

It will face a series of tough tests this week: Monday, Monument Mountain makes the trip to Williamstown; Tuesday, the Mounties go to unbeaten Drury; Thursday, Mount Greylock entertains perennial power Turners Falls.

 

The Taconic Thunder is a perennial power in Massachusetts high school baseball, and it has not missed a beat this season, opening 8-1 with the one setback a 5-0 loss to Pope Francis, currently the seventh-ranked team in Division 2 in the commonwealth.

 

Matt Lee has been untouchable for Taconic so far, not allowing an earned run in 27-? innings.

 

He has struck out 54 and walked just 15 while compiling a 4-0 record – the kind of numbers one might expect from a player who already has committed to attend and play baseball at Division I Kansas State University.

 

Lee also has more than held his own at the plate, batting .308 with a couple of home runs.

 

Taconic is home for five games this week, including Wednesday’s  rematch with Pope Francis and Friday’s game against city rival Pittsfield.