Caitlin Johnston had one memorable varsity debut as Mohawk Trail Regional High School rolled to a five-inning, 23-0 victory over Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School in independent softball action Thursday afternoon at Sheldon Field in Northampton.
Johnston, a freshman, clubbed five hits and drove in seven runs in her Warrior debut. Three of her hits were triples, all of which were belted in the first two innings to help stake Mohawk (1-0) to a 14-0 lead.
Lost in the offensive eruption was the combined no-hit pitching performance of Lydia Donahue (three innings) and Emily Page (two). Both struck out five and Page issued the lone walk.
Ashely Reynolds and Hope Lively each added a single, double and three RBIs, and Donahue (RBI), Walker (double, RBI) and Alicia Johnston (double) all added two hits for the Warriors.
Mohawk (1-0) travels to Greenfield Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Greenfield 15, FC Tech 3 (5) – Greenfield High School scored eight times in the third inning to break open a close game and beat Franklin County Technical School, 15-3, in a five-inning independent softball game Thursday in Turners Falls.
The Green Wave uprising turned a 1-1 tie into a 9-1 lead, and a six-run fourth broke it wide open.
Amber Avery, who drove in two runs, and Kelsey Roberts each had three hits for Greenfield. Lizzy Howland collected a single, double and three RBIs, Leah Wallner also singled and doubled, and Audrey Bresciano and Morghan Blanchard both added two hits apiece.
Emily Sullivan ripped three hits for the Eagles, while Hailey Larned added two. Teagan Valeski and Rachel Shearer each had a hit and an RBI.
Kirsten Ward struck out eight and walked only one to earn the win. Shearer had three strikeouts and five walks in the loss.
Taconic 5, Frontier 2 – Ashley Keegan struck out 12 and scattered six hits to lead Taconic High School over Frontier Regional School, 5-2, in an independent softball game Thursday at Clapp Park in Pittsfield.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Chloe Wood’s RBI single. Keegan roped an RBI double in the third for the second run, and Wood added a two-run single in the fourth to make it 4-0.
Hannah Adams’ base hit and Hannah LaClaire’s double drove in the two Red Hawk runs in the fifth, but Taconic responded with a run in the bottom of the frame.
Wood finished with three hits and three RBIs. Keegan added two hits.
Adams and eighth-grader Natalie Denkiewicz (double) each finished with two hits for the Red Hawks (0-2).
Emma Wesoloski fanned four and walked six in a complete-game loss.
Southwick 13, Mahar 0 (5) – Two pitchers combined on a two-hitter and Southwick-Tolland Regional High School scored in every inning to blank Mahar Regional School, 13-0, in a five-inning independent softball contest Thursday at the Mahar Athletic Complex in Orange.
Katelyn Sylvia (two RBIs) and Steph Devino each had two hits for the Rams, who had six hits as a team but benefited from seven Senator errors.
Alex Temple and Hannah Britt singled for Mahar’s only hits.
Emily Lachtara struck out six and walked none in four innings for the win. Gillian Ensign fanend one in the fifth.
Sophia Smith had five strikeouts and eight walks in her five innings of work for the Senators.
“We showed our inexperience and youth a little bit,” said Senators head coach Jerry Duguay. “Sophia had to throw too many pitches because our defense fumbled the ball too much, but we hung in there. … Errors just got us.”
Mahar (1-1) hosts Turners Falls High Scbhool today at 3:30 p.m.