I would use a coping saw - the battery-operated reciprocating saw would go through it too fast. [gales of laughter!]

I'm growing a new squash this year, one of the "gray" squash (also called Calabash) and have noticed something important - the stems are really hardened, and even if they split they become woody. The squash vine borers can't get them. I've bought these squash frequently (whatever is on sale) but now I think they will be the main one I grow. Zucchini and yellow squash are so vulnerable to the beetles and the borers.

Squash cut into chunks (not slices that are harder to turn in the skillet) and cooked in olive oil with some onion, bell pepper, and marinara sauce is a summer staple here. I sometimes melt in mozzarella cheese or top it with a lot of Parmesan.