Turners Falls scored 16 runs in the final three innings to come back from a pair of six-run deficits on Wednesday and earn a 21-11 victory over Mohawk in an independent baseball game at the Bourdeau Fields Complex in Turners Falls.

For the second consecutive game the Thunder (1-1) gave up six runs in the first inning, as Mohawk got to starter Brian Murphy for six runs (three earned) in the top of the first inning. Turners coach Scott Minkler pulled his team together after the top half of the frame.

“I just told them that it’s a long game and there is a long way to go,” he said. “I said, ‘Let’s chip away and we are going to be in it.’”

Turners chipped away with four runs in the bottom of the inning but Mohawk scored five unearned runs over the next three frames and led 11-5 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Turners chased Mohawk starter Jordan Grenier in the fourth as the Thunder scored six times to tie the score. They then got to the Mohawk bullpen for 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings combined to pull away. 

Turners finished with 19 hits on the day as Dom Carme went 5-for-5 with six RBIs, while Jaden Whiting went 4-for-5 with one RBI and five runs scored. Eighth-grader Cayden Lehtomaki had a huge day at the dish  going 4-for-5 with a double and a two-run home run, finished with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ryan Campbell went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs, and Jon Fritz went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs scored.

“It was good to see,” Minkler said of the offensive outburst. “We’ve seen it in practice. Their approach at the plate was fantastic. They went up there extremely confident against every pitcher they faced today.”

After not making it through the first inning in the opener, Turners pitcher Kyle Dodge turned things around on Wednesday with three innings of scoreless relief to earn the win, striking out three and not walking a batter. Dodge struggled with control on Saturday against Athol but was much better in his second outing, throwing 30 pitches, 23 for strikes.

Grenier surrendered 10 runs (six earned) on nine hits and four walks, striking out four in 3⅔ innings. Jackson Hicks had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored for Mohawk, and Tyler Dubreuil had three hits and one run scored. Brian Gagnon went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored, and Jared Jacobs had a hit, RBI and two runs scored.

FC Tech 13, PV Christian 5 — Perhaps you could call it a “Max-imum” win for Franklin County Technical School on Wednesday.

Max Leh pitched five strong innings and Max Charest had four hits and three RBIs to help Franklin Tech to a 13-5 victory over Pioneer Valley Christian Academy in Tri-County League South Division baseball game in Springfield.

The visitors scored in every inning except the seventh to build an insurmountable lead. After plating four runs in the first, Franklin Tech (2-0) scored twice in the second, once in both the third and fourth, twice in the fifth and three times in the sixth to build a 13-1 lead. 

Leh struck out five and allowed just one hit and one walk in five innings.

“Max was outstanding, he had good control and he really dominated their batters,” Franklin Tech coach Dan Prasol said.

Charest was the leader at the plate with four hits including a double, which comes after his three-hit performance in the season-opening win last week. Nate Pelletier had two hits and two RBIs, and Nate Sciandra had one hit and two RBIs. 

Franklin Tech hosts Duggan today.

Mahar 10, Commerce 7 — Jacob Berry struck out 10 in six innings of work, and Andrew Herk went 2-for-3 with four RBIs to help Mahar get past Commerce, 10-7, in an independent baseball game Wednesday in Springfield.

Berry allowed just three hits and two earned runs to snag the win on the mound. He walked six and allowed five runs in total.

Herk tripled and reached base three times to pace the offensive effort for the Senators (2-0). Will Peredina also registered two hits in the win, scoring a pair of runs in the process. Charlie Barnes singled and drove in two runs, while Joey Brozell and Berry also contributed RBIs.

Mahar led 6-3 before a four-run top of the sixth created some breathing room. Commerce rallied with two runs apiece in the sixth and seventh innings, but Herk got the final three outs on the mound to seal the deal.

Softball

Mohawk 14, Holyoke 2 (5 innings) — Mya Lesieur did it all Wednesday.

The Mohawk freshman smacked a pair of solo home runs at the plate, and spun five strong innings in the pitching circle to lift the Warriors to a convincing 14-2 victory over Holyoke in an independent softball game in Buckland.

Holyoke took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, before the Warriors (1-0) responded with six runs in the bottom of the frame and never looked back.

“Nerves got to the girls the first inning but after that everyone shook it off,” Mohawk coach Katelyn Gaffigan Gamelli said. “Mya started off our lineup with a home run and fired everyone up from there. It was a great win to start off our season.”

Lesieur finished with three hits, as did Caitlin Johnston, who also clubbed a home run and finished with three RBIs. Ashley Reynolds and Isis Moon had two  hits apiece, with Moon registering a double and a triple to go with three RBIs.

Lesieur struck out five and walked one in the five-inning complete game. She limited the Purple Knights to four hits on the afternoon.

Smith Voke 17, FC Tech 5 (6 innings) — Brianna Snyder smacked a three-run single in the top of the third inning, but Franklin Tech was unable to keep pace after digging an early 8-0 deficit en route to a 17-5 loss to Smith Voke in the Tri-County League opener Wednesday in Northampton.

Abi Corey also had a hit for the Eagles (0-1, 0-1), which played well defensively but was unable to generate much offense against Smith Voke pitcher Ashley Schabacker (15 strikeouts).

Despite the loss, new head coach Tom Gaffigan was pleased with his team’s defensive effort. Franklin Tech committed just two errors in the opener.

“I’m very pleased with our defense,” Gaffigan said. “We played really good for four innings. The score doesn’t indicate things but we’ve got to hit the ball.”

Turners Falls 21, Mohawk 11

Mohawk …………….. 601 400 0 — 11  10  5

Turners ………………  410 646 x — 21  19  4

Hits: (M) Dubreuil 3, Hicks 3, Gagnon 2, Jacobs, Lococo. (TF) Carme 5, Lehtomaki 4, Whiting 4, Campbell 3, Fritz 2, K. Dodge.

2B: (TF) Whiting, Carme, Fritz.

HR: (M) Gagnon. (TF) Lehtomaki.

RBI: (M) Gagnon 2, Hicks 2, Jacobs. (TF) Carme 6, Fritz 4, Lehtomaki 3, Campbell 3, K. Dodge, Whiting.

SB: (M) Dubreuil 3, Jacobs, Lococo, Grenier, Bassett. (TF) Whiting 3, Lehtomaki, Campbell.

WP: K. Dodge (3ip, 3k, 0bb), Murphy (⅔ip, 1k, 2bb), Lapinski (2⅓ip, 3k, 1bb), Putala (1ip, 2k, 1bb), Waldron (0ip, 0k, 2bb).

LP: Jacobs (1⅓ip, 1k, 2bb), Grenier (3 ⅔ip, 4k, 4bb), Bassett (ip, 1k, 1bb), Pollen (⅓ip, 1k, 0bb).

Mahar 10, Commerce 7

Mahar …………………. 310 204 0 — 10  9  2

Commerce …………..  201 002 2 — 7  5  2

Hits: (M) Chiasson, Peredina 2, Barnes, Dodge, Brozell, Herk 2, Tenney. (C) Alvarado 2, Montanez, Urena, Calderon.

2B: (C) Alvarado.

3B: (M) Herk.

RBI: (M) Barnes 2, Brozell, Herk 4, Berry. (C) Alvarado, Urena.

WP: Berry (6ip, 10k, 6bb), Herk (1ip, 2k, 0bb)

LP: Parkes (2⅔ip, 4k, 5bb), Morrison (4ip, 2k, 3bb), Calderon (⅓ip, 0k, 0bb).

FC Tech 13, PV Christian 5

FC Tech ……………….. 421 123 0 — 13  9  2

PV Christian ………..  100 004 0 — 5  3  4

Hits: (FT) Sciandra, Charest 4, Pelletier 2, Maniatty, Fritz. (PV) David 2, n/a.

2B: (FT) Charest. (PV) David.

RBI: (FT) Sciandra 2, Charest 3, Cole 2, Pelletier 2, Maniatty, Trudeau, Fritz, Telega. (PV) David.

WP: Leh (5ip, 5k, 1bb), Fritz (1ip, 0k, 1bb), Cole (1ip, 3k, 2bb).

LP: David (3⅓ip, 3k, 6bb), Connor (1⅔ip, 3k, 2bb), Sierra (2ip, 1k, 3bb).

SOFTBALL

Mohawk 14, Holyoke 2 (5)

Holyoke ………………. 200 00 — 2  4  0

Mohawk ……………..  620 42 — 14  12  2

Hits: (H) Authier 2, Izquierdo, Colon. (M) Lesieur 3, Johnston 3, Reynolds 2, Moon 2, Ward, Roccio.

2B: (H) Colon. (M) Lesieur, Reynolds, Moon.

3B: (M) Moon.

HR: (M) Lesieur 2, Johnston.

RBI: (H) Dunn. (M) Johnston 3, Moon 3, Lesieur 2, Roccio.

WP: Lesieur (5ip, 5k, 1bb).

LP: Haradon (4⅔ip, 6k, 5bb).

Smith Voke 17, FC Tech 5 (6)

FC Tech ………………… 003 200 — 5  2  2

Smith Voke …………..  802 007 — 17 9  2

Hits: (FT) Corey, Snyder. (SV) Cone, Rivera, Pierce, Colacasso, Sinno, Petlock, Schabacker, Stewart, Pardi.

2B: (SV) Stewart.

RBI: (FT) Snyder 3.

WP: Schabacker (6ip, 15k, 8bb).

LP: Currier (6ip, 3k, 10bb).