BUCKLAND — The Mohawk Trail Regional softball team scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull away from Franklin Tech in an 11-8 win on Wednesday afternoon.
It was the first win of the season for the Warriors (1-3). The Eagles (0-4) had a pair of leads in the game, but both times Mohawk battled back with their offense.
“It’s really what they needed,” Mohawk coach Maura Crossman said. “They finally came together. We had a really good practice yesterday. We changed some things up and I think it’s working. It was a really good team win. Grace (Stevens) pitched really well again. Even though we made mistakes, we still came back and won the next inning which was really nice.”
Grace Stevens gave up nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts. With the win, the Warriors can approach the rest of their games with additional confidence. There was a nice mix of pitching, offense and defense for Mohawk.
“It’s confidence boosting,” Stevens said. “It makes me feel like we can do it. It’s a good thing to continue on when I am pitching. It was really good. It felt very put together.”
The game entered this sixth inning tied, 8-8. Aurora Moynihan opened the frame by drawing a walk. Moynihan moved to second base after tagging on a fly out. That brought catcher Addie Loomis to the plate. Loomis struck out in her previous at bat. But with the game on the line Loomis laced a single that scored Moynihan from second base, giving Mohawk a 9-8 lead.
Lindsey Taylor of Franklin Tech connects on a single in the first inning against Mohawk, Wednesday in Buckland. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Addie Loomis of Mohawk Trail Regional prepares to take a cut against Franklin Tech, Wednesday in Buckland. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Charley Knight of Franklin Tech delivers a pitch against Mohawk Trail Regional, Wednesday in Buckland. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo
“Each at bat I just try to do better than the last,” Loomis said. “With that last at bat I knew somewhere in there would be an outside pitch. I was just trying to anticipate it and adjust from my previous at bat mistakes and just go for it.”
Maddie Finn added some insurance with an RBI groundout for Mohawk. Juniper Tatino later singled in the inning, with another run coming home on a throwing error. The Eagles had too many defensive miscues to pull off their first win of the season.
“We have to work on our situational awareness and executing plays that we should be making,” Franklin Tech coach Joe Gamache said. “We are making a lot of fundamentally poor mistakes. Not taking anything away from Mohawk. They played great. Made the plays they should make.”
Charley Knight took the loss in the circle for Franklin Tech. The Eagles quickly jumped out to the lead in the top of the first inning. Lindsey Taylor led off with a single before Brayleigh Burgh tripled to score Taylor from first. Burgh would eventually score on an error to give Franklin Tech a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Megan Gabree knocked in a run with a ground out for the Warriors in the bottom of the second. Another run scored on an error. Moynihan singled home a run later in the inning to give Mohawk a 3-2 lead.
Sandra Johnson registered an RBI in a three-run third inning for the Eagles. Stevens grabbed an RBI for Mohawk in the bottom the third, drawing a walk with the bases loaded. Emmalee Inman and Tatino had RBI hits in a two run fourth inning for Mohawk.
After the fourth inning, Mohawk led 8-5. Kendra Steiner and Burgh had RBI doubles in the sixth inning for Franklin Tech. Taylor added another RBI on a groundout for Franklin Tech. Burgh finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a double and two RBI for the Eagles.
Knight gave up four earned runs in her outing, with four strikeouts and six walks while allowing 11 hits.
Agawam 14, Turners Falls 12 — A 10-run lead for the Thunder disappeared in a road loss to the Brownies in independent play. Turners Falls hammered Agawam for a combined 10 runs in the first three innings. Agawam came all the way back to take the lead in the fifth inning.
Autumn Thornton took the loss in the circle but had a big night at the plate. Thornton went 3-for-5 with three hits and six RBIs. The freshman had another dinger for Turners Falls. Madisyn Dietz and Maddie Haight had three hits each. Addison Talbot went 1-for-4 with two RBIs for the Thunder (2-2).
Mahar 31, Smith Academy 22 — The Senators poured on the offense in a win over the Falcons in Hatfield. Lexi Ares had 12 strikeouts in the Tri County victory for Mahar (2-2, 2-0). Ares did not give up a hit in five innings plus.
Mackenzie Matthews led the offense with four hits and four RBI. Ares added three hits and four runs scored for the Senators. Lilah Paluk chipped in with four hits with two RBI and five runs scored. Paluk pitched in relief, giving up six hits with a strikeout.
Carly Paluk added to the run total with four hits and four RBI.
Minnechaug 17, Greenfield 13 — The Falcons outgunned the Wave at home in Franklin East play. The Green Wave (2-2 2-2 Franklin East) host Frontier Regional on Friday at 4 p.m.
Baseball
Greenfield 10, Palmer 1 — Caleb Kimberly won on the mound, notching his first varsity victory for Greenfield. The freshman threw six innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Kimberly gave up four hits in the independent win at Vets Field.
There was a brief ceremony for the first official usage of the new scoreboard at the field. Greenfield put it to good work with some heavy offense in the win over the Panthers. The ceremony honored all those involved with getting the new scoreboard ready for the spring season.
Tom Travis of Greenfield was also one of the donors for the new baseball scoreboard installed at Veterans Field in Greenfield. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
Bill Phelps, Sandy Magill, Jim Loynd and Christina Gay of the Greenfield Savings Bank and former Greenfield Mayor Bill Martin were all involved with getting the new baseball scoreboard installed at Veterans Field in Greenfield and were honored before a game on Wednesday. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
The new baseball scoreboard installed at Veterans Field in Greenfield. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo
Chase Zraunig, Conner Bergeron, and Urijah Jenness (two RBIs) each had two hits for Greenfield. Bergeron added four stolen bases. Bodie Burke led the offense with three hits and two RBI for The Green Wave (2-1).
St. Mary’s 2, Turners Falls 0 — The offense could not get going for the Thunder in a home loss to the Saints in an independent match up. Jackson Cogswell had two hits for the Thunder (0-2) Porter Dubow had a nice afternoon on the mound, even in the loss. Dubow pitching seven innings, gave up five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Frontier 17, Smith Voc 7 — Carter Miller was a two-way force for the Redhawks, shutting down the Vikings from the rubber, plus poking two hits and two RBIs.
Smith Voc committed eight errors in Frontier’s third win of the season.
Volleyball
Ludlow 3, Frontier 0 — Nate Rivera had six kills, but the Redhawks lost to the Lions at Goodnow Gymnasium. Set scores were 25-20, 25-17 and 26-24. Ethan Rivera led Frontier (0-6, 0-5 East) with eight assists and 11 digs.
Boys tennis
Turners Falls 3, Palmer 2 — The Thunder opened their season with a win over the Panthers at home. Noah Kolodziej defeated Shane Normoyle, 6-1, 6-0, in No. 1 singles. A pair of wins in doubles lifted the Thunder to the victory. Nethanel Martin and Daniel Lapinski won at No. 1 doubles. No. 2 doubles won by forfeit.
Girls tennis
Mohawk 3, Chicopee 2 — Hazel Foucault won at No. 1 singles in the road win for the Warriors in a Tri County Match up. Foucault defeated Leisha Carballo, 6-0, 6-1. Annabelle Koshinsky added another win at No. 3 singles. Ivan Hillenbrand and Anneke Whitsett won at No. 1 doubles.
St. Mary’s 4, Turners Falls 1 — Olivia Wolbach grabbed the lone win for the Thunder in a loss to the Saints in Westfield. Wolbach defeated Kayla Thresher, 6-4, 6-3 in No. 1 singles.
