TURNERS FALLS — The Turners Falls baseball team refused to go away against Franklin Tech on Tuesday in both teams’ season openers. 

The Eagles got off to a fast start, scoring four runs in the first inning and three in the second to take a 7-2 lead going into the third. 

Turners kept chipping away, getting one back in the third, scoring twice in the fourth before putting two on the board in the top of the sixth to knot things up, 7-7, going into the final frame. 

Neither team produced a run in the seventh and in extra innings, Turners stranded two on base in the top of the eighth. Tech’s Tucker Hicks was able to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame to send Franklin Tech home with an 8-7 Bi-County North victory.

“An ugly win is better than a pretty loss on day one,” Eagles coach Dan Prasol said. “There were some positives and some negatives. We’ll get back to work tomorrow. We have two more games this week and hopefully we address it and tighten the screws up. It’s a long season.”

While the bats weren’t going for Turners — which finished with four hits in the game — Thunder coach Scott Minckler said he was proud of the way his team fought to force extras. 

It was an impressive fight from a Turners team that returned just two starters off a squad that won the Bi-County North a season ago. 

“We scratched together some runs early without getting a hit,” Minckler said. “We didn’t have a hit until I think the fourth but we were right in it. They scrapped, they fought and for the first time really coming together as a team, they did well. I’m proud of the effort they put in and how they fought back. Going down 7-2 early in a game, it’s easy to tuck your tail and put your head down. They didn’t and forced extras. It just didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”

Turners took its 2-0 lead in the first after Jackson Cogswell and Kainen Stevens reached on a walk and a hit by pitch before both reached home on a throwing error to give the Thunder the early lead. 

The Eagle bats responded quickly, as Tyler Yetter led off with a double, Zadrian Alamed singled before Hunter Donahue singled to drive Yetter home. Nick Prasol singled Alamed in and later in the inning George Gutierrez hit a single to right field that brought Donahue and Prasol in to give Tech a 4-2 lead. 

In the bottom of the second Alamed grounded out to bring Brody Hicks home before Gavin Crossman singled to drive in Yetter and Donahue to give the Eagles their 7-2 lead after two. 

Kainen Stevens settled in from there on the mound for Turners, as he pitched seven innings and gave up just one hit the last five innings on the mound. Stevens finished with six strikeouts. 

“We started off hot,” Prasol said. “We played the way I know these kids are capable of playing. Unfortunately we put the bats into cruise control. Kudos to Turners. They had full fight in them. I give them a lot of credit. That team is going to be better than people give them credit for. They made plays defensively. Kainen threw a great game.” 

After getting a run back in the third, the Thunder bats got going in the fourth as Trevor Lyons doubled to bring in a run that helped Turners cut the lead to 7-5. In the sixth, Ethan Eichorn singled to score a pair of runs and tie the game. 

“I have a group that will fight,” Minckler said. “When they face a little adversity they’ll tough it up, get out there and play some baseball.” 

The Thunder had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth after Liam Kerivan walked and Brody Girard put down a bunt to put a pair of runners on. Both advanced a base on a wild pitch and after a two-out walk from Stevens loaded the bases, Crossman was able to get a flyout to end the inning with no damage done. 

Hicks singled up the middle with out one, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch to seal the win for Franklin Tech. 

Mason Lehtomaki got the start for the Eagles, striking out seven in 3 2/3 innings of work. Levi Clark struck out three before Crossman pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, striking out two. 

Tech is back in action Thursday when it hosts Smith Academy at 4 p.m. while Turners is off until Saturday when it hosts Frontier at 11 a.m. 

Athol 15, Smith Academy 3 (5) — The Bears started the season off hot, scoring 12 runs in the second inning to run away with a Bi-County North victory over the Falcons in Hatfield on Tuesday. 

“The big second inning is exactly what you're hoping for early in the season as it let us settle our nerves early and focus on playing baseball,” Bears coach Josh Talbot said. “Opening up play with a league win was critical after we spent all of last season chasing Turners because we couldn't close them out in our opener. We wanted to create some positive momentum as we start with league play in hopes of asserting ourselves atop the league rather than chasing all spring.”

Logan Cormier knocked two hits to drive in a pair of runs, Oliver Johnson singled, doubled and drove in four runs, Marc Gould singled in a run while Hayden Barrieau tripled in the win. Anthony Lopez-Hippler struck out one in three innings work on the mound. 

Softball

Greenfield 12, Franklin Tech 3 — It was a battle of MIAA Div. 5 Elite Eight finishers last year on Tuesday in Turners, but the Eagles were unable to solve Green Wave ace MacKenzie Paulin, who struck out 19 and scattered just two hits to lead Greenfield to an independent victory. 

The game was scoreless after two innings before the Wave scored two in the third, five in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth. 

Olivia Lemay cracked two doubles, a single and drove in two runs, Paulin doubled to bring in three runs, Anna Bucala singled and knocked in a pair of runs while Sarah McCloud and Carson Farrell each had a hit and an RBI in the win. 

Hannah Gilbert struck out 11 in four innings work for the Eagles while adding a double that drove in a pair of runs at the plate. Samantha Duncan added an RBI single in the loss. 

Frontier 24, Mohawk Trail 0 (5) — Rainse Wonsey struck out 10 in the circle while going 4-5 with a home run and five RBIs at the plate as the Redhawks cruised to an independent victory over the Warriors in South Deerfield Tuesday. 

Sophia Pinardi cracked three hits, one a double, and drove in two runs, Skyler Steele singled, doubled and drove in three runs, Abby Schreiber singled, doubled and knocked in four runs, Olivia Machon tallied three hits including a double while knocking in an RBI while Delaney Fifield had a pair of hits and RBIs in the victory. 

Emmalee Inman singled and doubled while Adrian Grant, Abby Moffatt and Bella Brown hit safely for Mohawk Trail. 

Taconic 16, Pioneer 4 (6) — A seven-run third inning powered the Thunder past the Panthers in Pittsfield on Tuesday. 

Luci Burnap tallied three hits, Jaelyn Boliski singled and drove in a pair of runs while Layla Goulston and Maggie Tsipenyuk each had a pair of hits for Pioneer. 

Boys tennis

Frontier 3, SICS 2 — Casey Bestler piced up a 6-0, 6-0 win in No. 2 singles while Oliver Brown earned a 6-1, 6-2 triumph in No. 3 singles for the Redhawks, which beat the Bulldogs in South Deerfield Tuesday. 

Noah Nichols and Xavier Fripp sealed the win with a 6-1, 6-2 win in No. 1 doubles. 

Greenfield 5, Palmer 0 — The Green Wave got in the win column on Tuesday, as Palmer King won in No. 1 singles (6-0, 6-0), Shane Toomey took No. 2 singles (6-2, 6-3) while Dione Brown earned a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win in No. 3 singles to seal the victory. 

Sawyer Thurber and Landen Clark picked up a 6-1, 7-5 win in No. 1 doubles while Ben Russell and Noah Chambers earned a 6-0, 6-1 win in No. 2 doubles for the Wave. 

Hampden Charter 4, Turners 1 — Noah Koldoziej had the lone win for the Thunder, earning a 6-4, 6-4 triumph in No. 1 singles during Turners’ loss in Holyoke Tuesday. 

Girls tennis

Frontier 3, Chicopee 2 — Esther Ehle and Kayla Fagan earned a 6-3, 6-0 win in No. 1 doubles while Brooke Charest and Hailey Fernandez walked away with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph in No. 2 doubles to help Frontier secure a victory on the road Tuesday. 

Thanushi Ratnatunge came from behind to win No. 2 doubles by a score of 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 for Frontier. 

Turners 3, Mohawk Trail 2 — The Thunder swept the singles matches, as Olivia Wolbach won 6-1, 6-0 in No. 1 singles, Avery Heathwaite earned a 6-1, 6-0 win in No. 2 singles while Gianna Marigliano earned a 6-3, 6-1 win in No. 3 singles to lead Turners to a victory on Tuesday. 

Boys volleyball

East Longmeadow 3, Athol 0 — The Spartans earned a 25-17, 25-19, 25-21 victory over the Bears on Tuesday in East Longmeadow. 

Boys ultimate

Four Rivers 15, Northampton 1 — Cooper Whitney, Henry Schwerin and Russell Herbert each scored three points, Brennan Mahoney scored two points while Kolin Broderick dished three assists in the Otters’ victory on Tuesday in Northampton.