Franklin Tech softball captures second straight MVADA State Vocational Tournament title with win over Tri-County (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Staff Writer

Published: 06-01-2023 7:37 PM

TURNERS FALLS — The MVADA Vocational Softball Tournament officially goes through Franklin Tech. 

The Eagles, which earned the top seed in the small school bracket, earned a 5-2 win over Westfield Tech on Monday in the semis to advance to play No. 3 Tri-County Regional in Thursday’s final. 

Franklin Tech jumped on the Cougars early, with Hannah Gilbert blasting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. That home run would have been enough to get the job done, as Gilbert tossed a seven-inning shutout to help the Eagles secure their second straight MVADA title with a 5-0 victory at Nancy Gifford Field. 

“At the beginning of the year, based on what we did last year and what we had returning, we had some goals in mind,” Franklin Tech coach Joe Gamache said. “We haven't achieved all of those goals but we have achieved a few along the way. One more is to see how deep we can go in the state tournament and our goal is to make it to the end. That’s every team’s goal that’s in it.

“It feels good to win this one,” Gamache added. “The girls work hard and get along well. We don’t have any in-fighting. They’re the epitome of a team and they earned this one.” 

Tri-County (17-2) couldn’t solve Gilbert on Thursday, as the sophomore finished the game with 12 strikeouts while scattering just two hits. 

“She gave us a great pitching performance,” Gamache said. “We made some outstanding plays defensively. We got that home run in the first inning and that set the tone for how the rest of the game was going to go. We were able to manufacture a couple runs along the way as well.” 

It was Lilly Ross who knocked the first hit of the game, reaching with a single for the Eagles in the first. Gilbert then came to the plate and blasted a home run that went over the left field fence and nearly hit the parking lot, giving Franklin Tech the early 2-0 lead. 

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“Those extra hours we’re putting in are showing,” Eagles senior Kendra Campbell said. “We want to get ahead early and stay ahead. It worked out.”

The 2-0 score held until the bottom of the fourth, when Franklin Tech added to its lead. Cordelia Guerin got on with a single, stole second and moved to third after Campbell cracked a single. 

Keira Stevens came to the plate and popped out to deep right field, allowing Guerin to score on the sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.

Franklin Tech’s fourth run came in the fifth. Kyra Goodell got things started with a single and moved to second after Kait Trudeau drew a walk. Ross grounded to short and Goodell was thrown out at third, keeping runners on first and second. Gilbert was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Kylee Gamache, who grounded the ball to Tri-County pitcher Faith Boutin, who threw Trudeau out at home. 

Ross, now on third, made it home on a wild pitch to give Tech a 4-0 advantage going into the sixth. 

Campbell got the bottom of the sixth going by blasting a double into the left-center gap. The senior moved to third following a Stevens groundout and scored after Gianna DiSciullo grounded out to give the Eagles a five-run cushion. 

Franklin Tech was limited to seven hits offensively, but found ways to score runs and relied on its pitching and defense to win the game. 

“I’m glad we’re keeping it going as a team,” Stevens, a senior, said. “Our freshmen and younger players are getting great experience. We came through with our defense today. Our bats weren't the best today but our defense came through and pushed through it.”

The Eagles now turn their attention to the MIAA Div. 5 state tournament, where they enter as the No. 11 seed and will host No. 22 Bourne in the Round of 32 on Sunday at 2 p.m. 

Getting Thursday’s game in against Tri-County — an unfamiliar opponent — showed Tech what it’ll be like on Sunday against another team it doesn’t know much about. 

“Tri-County was a little bit of an unknown,” Gamache said. “They’re a team from the other side of the state. We look at scores but there’s no common opponent so it is what it is. You go in blind and that’s probably what Sunday is going to be. We have a little bit of insight from the tournament stuff from [Bourne] last year but that’s really it. They’re putting in work, we’re putting in work so it’ll probably come down to whoever can make the least amount of mistakes and comes up with the big hits.” 

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