TURNERS FALLS — Turners Falls’ Madi Liimatainen stole the show on Monday against crosstown rival Franklin Tech.
The freshman had her way at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a grand slam that opened up the scoring in the second inning. She finished the game with seven RBIs.
Liimatainen also pitched all seven innings for the Thunder, giving up just two hits and striking out 16 as Turners came away with a 9-2 victory at Nancy Gifford Field.
“It’s a good win,” Liimatainen said. “I really wanted to beat them. I know a lot of the girls on that team. I wanted to prove who the better team in Turners Falls was and I believe that’s us.”
The Eagles (3-1) had multiple opportunities with runners in scoring position, but Liimatainen was able to bear down and get the outs when she needed them.
Tech loaded the bases in the second and third innings, and put a runner on third in the fourth and fifth innings. But it was unable to get a run across until the seventh, as the Thunder (4-1) played great defense and Liimatainen racked up strikeouts to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard.
“We had base runners but we couldn’t come through with that timely hit,” Franklin Tech coach Joe Gamache said. “Hats off to them, they did what they needed to do and Madi pitched great for them. Her home run was timely hitting. That’s what we needed, we just didn’t quite get that today.”
Liimatainen got things going in the second inning for Turners. Skylei LaPan opened with a single, and Jenna Petrowicz later reached on a fielder’s choice before Emily Young walked to load the bases for Liimatainen. She smashed a home run into the Franklin Tech parking lot in left field, hitting a car in the process to put the Thunder ahead 4-0.
“Last year I didn’t have an amazing year hitting,” Liimatainen said. “I wanted to start off strong this year. I want to be a leader of this team. My goal is to break the home run record Jade Tyler set last year. I feel good right now. I’ve never hit a grand slam before so getting that first one was nice.”
The Eagles had a chance to get runs back in the second after Lauren Ross and Kylee Gamache walked and Cordelia Guerin was hit by a pitch, but Liimatainen struck out the next three batters she faced to get out of the inning with no damage done.
Franklin Tech was in a similar position in the bottom of the third, loading the bases after Kaitlin Trudeau reached on an error and Hannah Gilbert and Lauren Ross both walked, but Liimatainen got a strikeout and a ground out in the next two at-bats to end the inning without a run coming across.
“I like being able to prove a point that I can come back,” Liimatainen said. “I wanted to show I can battle back and be mentally tough.”
The Thunder tacked on another run in the top of the fourth. Paige Sulda tripled and Liimatainen brought her home with a sacrifice fly to left to put Turners up, 5-0.
A big fifth inning put the Thunder in control. Cady Wozniak started the frame with a double, Olivia Stafford walked and LaPan reached on a dropped third strike to load the bases.
Shayla Freeland brought Wozniak home with a single, Petrowicz scored Stafford off a fielder’s choice, and Liimatainen smacked a single that scored LaPan and Petrowicz, putting Turners up 9-0 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Keira Stevens ended Liimatainen’s no-hit bid in the sixth, smashing a double down the right field line but it would be the final hit of the inning for Franklin Tech, which was once again kept off the scoreboard.
Gilbert finally scored the first run of the game for the Eagles in the bottom of the seventh, cracking a shot that went deep into the right center gap, allowing her to make her way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Later in the inning, Cassidy Trudeau walked and stole all three bases to put a second run on the board for Tech.
Lauren Ross tossed the opening five innings for the Eagles, striking out seven. Gilbert came on for the final two and struck out four.
“Both of our pitchers pitched well,” Gamache said. “There’s no shame in this one. They’re a good team. The girls will hopefully leave with their heads held high and we’ll move on to Lee on Wednesday.”
The Eagles travel to Lee on Wednesday while the Thunder are back in action Thursday on the road against Greenfield.