Raiders Strike First, Spartans Strike Harder For one inning, it looked like Massena might have an upset brewing. For the next five innings, New Hartford reminded everyone why they're still playing baseball in June. The Raiders grabbed the first lead of the afternoon in their Class A State Subregional matchup at Clarkson University, but a pair of bases-loaded doubles and a relentless Spartans offense powered New Hartford to a 15-2 victory in six innings. Massena wasted no time getting on the board. Drake Love reached on an error, advanced on a wild pitch, and eventually scored on an RBI single from Marcus Firnstein to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Unfortunately for Massena, that would be the last time they held the advantage. New Hartford's offense erupted in the third inning when Ashton Palmer stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and unloaded them with one swing. His three-run double scored Garrett McFarland, Joseph Mungari, and Luke LaFountain to put the Spartans in front for good. The fourth inning proved to be the knockout punch. After Peyton Way drove in a run with a single, LaFountain delivered another bases-clearing double that emptied the bags and stretched the lead. New Hartford continued to pile on as Palmer reached on an error and Johnny Vitullo added an RBI single during a six-run frame that put the Spartans firmly in command. Way was a constant thorn in the Raiders' side all afternoon, collecting three hits and scoring twice. Palmer and LaFountain each produced three-run doubles that accounted for six of New Hartford's early runs. The Spartans added another run in the fifth before batting around once again in the sixth. Five more runs crossed the plate as New Hartford turned a comfortable lead into a runaway. Massena managed one final run in the fifth inning when Wyatt Preston scored on an RBI groundout from Love, but the Raiders could never fully recover from New Hartford's middle-inning offensive surge. On the mound, Vitullo set the tone for the Spartans, striking out six over 3 2/3 innings while allowing just one unearned run. New Hartford's bullpen kept the pressure on, combining to allow only one additional run while striking out four more hitters. Despite the final score, the Raiders showed flashes throughout the game, with Firnstein collecting an RBI hit and Love figuring in both Massena runs. But against a New Hartford lineup that produced timely hits and capitalized on nearly every opportunity, the margin for error disappeared quickly. Massena's season comes to a close after another strong campaign and a Section X championship run that gave Raider fans plenty to cheer about. Meanwhile, New Hartford improves to 17-5 and advances to Saturday's regional round, where the Spartans will continue their pursuit of a state championship.