TURNER’S GO DOWN — With the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning and one run already scored, Franklin Tech’s Cordelia Guerin stepped up to the plate with a golden opportunity to give her team some momentum.
Guerin hit a two-RBI double to spark a nine-run comeback for the No. 2 Franklin Tech softball team, leading the Eagles to a commanding 20-2 victory over No. 3 Drury in Thursday’s Western Massachusetts Class C semifinals.
Guerin’s run-scoring hit was negated moments later when the Eagles loaded the bases again and Kaitlyn Trudeau smashed a deep fly to left field for a grand slam that gave the Eagles a comfortable lead.
“That home run set the tone for the rest of the game,” Trudeau said after the game. “Everybody was fired up and on a roll and it just kept going.”
The Eagles didn’t let up after the first inning, taking the lead every time they had an opportunity to bat.
Hannah Gilbert’s offensive prowess helped her coolly handle the Blue Devils’ offense coming into today’s game, averaging over 12 points per game. The Blue Devils scored in the fourth inning on RBI hits from Olivia Perry and Marley Brothers, but the Eagles refused to give up and continued their offensive push in the bottom half of the inning to secure the win.
Gilbert struck out eight batters, allowed six hits and walked two in five innings, holding the Blue Devils to their season-lowest run total of the game.
“We knew we had the ability to score, so it didn’t matter if they scored a couple of goals, but (our) defense helped us a lot, too,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert and Lilianna Inman each had two hits and two RBIs for Franklin Tech. Kayla Goodell also had a two-run single and two RBIs in the fourth inning.
Guerin led the Eagles with four hits in four at-bats, scoring each time, highlighting how well-prepared she and her team came into the game.
“We came out with a good attitude and were ready to play,” Guerin said.
Franklin Tech (18-2) advances to the WMass Class C final and will face the winner of Friday’s matchup between No. 1 Greenfield and No. 4 McCann Tech on Wednesday at Westfield State University, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
“Everything we’ve been working on came together today,” Franklin Tech softball coach Joseph Gamache said. “There was good energy in the dugout and it carried over onto the field.”
