MONTAGUE — When the momentum shifted, the Hopkins Academy softball team had an emphatic answer on Monday night. The fifth-seeded Golden Hawks used a huge seventh inning to help put away fourth-seeded Turners Falls, 18-9, in the Western Mass. Class D quarterfinals under the lights at Mullins Field.
Addison Talbot of Turners Falls (left) comes home before the tag of Lilly Ellia of Hopkins Academy, Monday in Montague. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Autumn Thornton of Turners Falls delivers a pitch against Hopkins Academy, Monday in Montague. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Layni Bailey of Hopkins Academy delivers a pitch for Hopkins Academy, Monday in Montague. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Paula Cristoforo celebrates with the Hopkins Academy softball team after a win against Turners Falls, Monday in Montague. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo
After the Thunder pulled to within one run, the Golden Hawks drew some walks and got some timely hitting to put up 10 runs in the decisive top half of the seventh inning.
A three-run triple with the bases loaded by Cora White gave Hopkins an 11-7 lead and ignited the rally. White looked above for guidance prior to her at bat in the clutch situation.
“I am going to be honest before I went up to bat I prayed,” White said. “I was like ‘please just let me hit the ball’…Once the ball hit the bat it was head down and I was running for it.”
The Golden Hawks advance to play No. 1 Hoosac Valley in the Berkshires. Hopkins lost an 11-7 game to the undefeated Hurricanes on April 11. Turners Falls held a 3-1 lead in the second inning.
“We battled back every time,” Hopkins coach Paula Cristoforo said. “It doesn’t matter whether we are ahead or behind, we are going to keep on pushing…just to see everyone get into it and it be a total team effort that’s what it is. We rally every time and we don’t go down easy.”
Olivia Earle went 4-for-5 with an RBI for the Golden Hawks. The 18 runs tied a season-high for Hopkins.
“No matter what I stayed cool, calm and composed,” Earle said. “We all stayed up, the bench was up. We have a good bond and a good team connection.”
Trailing 8-3, Turners Falls rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Maddie Haight hit a two-run single before an RBI double from Autumn Thornton. With the home crowd energized, Turners Falls went back into the field needing a quick inning. After a walk, a hit and a hit by pitch the bases were loaded for Hopkins.
“We hit the ball a little bit,” Turners Falls coach Gary Mullins said. “But I didn’t really expect an 18 run situation. But they (Hopkins Academy) did some good stuff with their bats.”
Thornton gave up 15 hits with nine walks and two strikeouts. Layni Bailey got the win in the circle, giving up 11 hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
Turners Falls took an early lead after an RBI single by Ivy Lopez in the first inning. Louannie Gonzalez had an RBI groundout in the top of the second for Hopkins Academy.
Addison Talbot’s RBI single gave Turners Falls a 3-1 lead. The Golden Hawks scored five runs in the top of the third. Lily Ellia brought home Earle with an RBI groundout. Reese MacGregor hit a two-run single to give Hopkins a 4-3 lead. Another two-run single by Gonzalez put Hopkins ahead, 6-3.
Layni Bailey and Bella Bramucci added RBI hits in the fourth inning for the Golden Hawks. In the 10-run seventh, Earle, Bramucci and MacGregor had RBI hits. White drew a walk with the bases loaded for her fourth RBI.
Eva Lareau had an RBI groundout in the bottom of the seventh for Turners Falls. Abby Moffatt added a double in the inning.
Frontier 16, Easthampton 4 — The second-seeded Redhawks advanced in the Western Mass. Class B quarterfinals after their win over seventh-seeded Easthampton in South Deerfield. Pitching in relief, Lexi Hawkins got the win in the circle for Frontier. Hawkins gave up three hits and struck out five.
Easthampton had a brief lead in the third inning. Riley Tine connected on a solo homer before an RBI single by Olivia Peabody gave Frontier the lead for good in the bottom half of the third. Peabody added a double and finished with four RBI. Hawkins added two hits with four RBI. Facing an intentional walk barrage, Skyler Steele went 1-for-1 with five runs scored. Easthampton walked Steele four times.
Frontier is set to host No. 3 Wahconah in South Deerfield on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Monson 6, Mohawk 1 — The seventh-seeded Warriors could not get the offense going in a Western Mass. Class D quarterfinal loss to the Mustangs. Aurora Moynihan, Addie Loomis and Sadie Wilcox had hits for Mohawk.
Baseball
Drury 16, Athol 5 (five innings) — The eighth-seeded Bears fell in the Berkshires in the Western Mass. Class C quarterfinals. The Blue Devils are the top-seed in the Class C bracket. Alex Lavigne had a hit and two RBI for the Bears.
Pioneer 8, Monson 2 — Osiah Ballard pitched the fifth-seeded Panthers into the Western Mass. Class D semifinals after a road win over the fourth seeded Mustangs. Ballard gave up seven hits, one run with six strikeouts in his first ever playoff win. Aaron Meuse had three hits with an RBI for the Panthers. Jacoby Stumpo added two hits with three RBI. Meuse, Stumpo and Tad Loud each had a double for Pioneer. The Panthers face top-seeded Hopkins Academy on Wednesday in Hadley at 4 p.m.
Hopkins Academy 11, Turners Falls 0 — Tyler Newton had the lone hit for the eight-seeded Thunder in a road loss to the top-seeded Golden Hawks in the Western Mass. Class D quarterfinals.
Girls Tennis
Frontier 5, PVCA 0 — The top-seeded Redhawks advanced to the Western Mass. Class B finals after a win over PVCA in South Deerfield. Frontier will play for the sectional title against No. 2 Pope Francis on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at home. Frontier split its season series with the Cardinals. Pope Francis lost its final regular season match against Palmer, clinching an outright league title for the Redhawks.
Frontier made quick work of PVCA, not losing a set in the semifinal match up. Thanushi Ratnatunge, Kayla Fagan and Ella Sibley swept singles competition. Brooke Charest and Hailey Fernandez beat Nadine Mugisa and Shalimar Torres 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles. Esther Ehle and Jimin Ahn won at No. 2 doubles.
Non-tournament results
Softball
Athol 16, Gateway 15 — Gracie Gauthier had a career day for the Bears in a home win over the Gators. Gauthier had 19 strikeouts to get the win in the circle and added five hits including a walk off single for the Bears. She knocked in a total of eight runs in the victory.
Boys tennis
Palmer 3, Greenfield 2 — The Green Wave got two wins by forfeit in doubles competition in a loss to the Panthers on Davis Street. Colby Shepard pushed Owen Kupier-Fox at No. 3 singles, losing 6-2, 6-3.
Monument Mountain 4, Turners Falls 1 — The Thunder lost to the Spartans in the Berkshires. Noah Kolodziej got the lone win at No. 1 single. Kolodziej defeated Peter Stoepker 6-3, 6-0.
Girls tennis
Holyoke 3, Turners Falls 2 — Makayla Craig got the lone win for the Thunder in singles competition in the road loss to the Purple Knights. Craig got the victory at No. 1 singles, besting the competition 6-1, 6-2.
Weekend results
Baseball
Westfield Tech 11, Franklin Tech 1 (six innings) — The Eagles fell at Bullens Field in the MVADA Small School baseball tournament on Sunday. George Gutierrez Jr. had two hits for Franklin Tech. Nick Prasol added a hit and an RBI.
Non-Tournament
Softball
Hoosac Valley 10, Greenfield 1 — The Hurricanes handed the Green Wave a loss at Vets Field in an independent match up on Sunday. Olivia Lemay had two hits with an RBI for the Green Wave. Lemay and Sammi Suhl combined for five strikeouts in the circle. Madison Lemay and Kayden Viencek added hits for Greenfield.
Turners Falls 13, South Hadley 9 — The Thunder’s offense got rolling in a road win over the Tigers in Franklin East play on Saturday. Maddie Haight went 5-for-5 with a double and two RBI for Turners Falls (7-11). Autumn Thornton had four hits with two triples. Ivy Lopez added three hits and four RBI with a double.
