WESTFIELD – Wednesday’s game was not the first time Turners Falls softball and Hoosac Valley met in the Western Massachusetts Class D championship.
Back in 2022, the freshman year of both team’s current seniors, the Hurricanes pulled out a narrow 5-4 victory.
Since then, the Thunder has yet to find themselves on the losing end of the final round. As they have continued to stack up successful seasons, Turners Falls achieved its third consecutive WMass title with a 12-1 victory over Hoosac Valley on Wednesday afternoon at Westfield State University.
For senior players Madison Liimatainen, Marilyn Abarua, and Mia Marigliano, it was a fitting end to their time competing in the Western Mass. tournaments.
“I remember feeling that loss and being like, ‘I never want to feel this again.’” Liimatainen said. “So being able to come here again and get a win, nothing’s a given, and when we come here and we perform… it really pays off the hard work we put in.”
The Thunder found success early at bat, with 11 of the total 12 runs coming in the first three innings.
To start things off for Turners Falls, Liimatainen went out for her first at-bat of the game and sent a home run into the woods behind the field.
In the semifinal round, Liimatainen had been intentionally walked three times and did not get to swing.
“I was really hoping that in this game today, I’d get a couple at-bats and that first at-bat, my swings feeling really good,” Liimatainen said. “And being able to get in there and actually get a hit felt so good.”
Following the senior’s statement play, the hit fired up the rest of the team and began the scoring streak. Abarua rounded the bases off a fly ball to score once more before the first inning came to an end.
In the second inning and with two outs, the floodgates opened for the Thunder. On three consecutive hits, four players scored. Two RBIs went to Liimatainen, with Abarua and Janelle Massey each notching one as well.
This momentum continued into the third, and once again, with two outs, Turners Falls scored five more runs.
Marigliano’s double hit brought two runners home, and Abarua singled on a line drive to give enough time for two other runners to round the bases. Then, a hit by Autumn Thorton helped Abarua get back home.
“We hit the ball hard, most of our hits were not cheap, they were line drives,” Turners Falls coach Gary Mullins said. “But when the ball’s down to our belt… and when you hit the ball like that, you’re going to have some fun.”
Throughout the stacked-up runs by the Thunder, the Hurricanes had been held scoreless. Hoosac Valley did not break its drought until the sixth inning when Rachael Wnuk scored before the inning came to an end.
The Hurricanes’ lack of production can be a credit to Liimatainen in the circle for Turners Falls. Liimatainen only allowed three hits and one unearned run while walking zero players and striking out 14.
To prepare for a pitcher like Liimatainen, Hoosac Valley coach Mike Ameen brought in Maddie Puppolo to practice, a former player for the Hurricanes, to mimic Liimatainen’s fast pitches and prepare his players the day before.
Yet, Liimatainen still had the edge over much of Hoosac Valley’s batters.
For her own at-bats, the senior totaled three RBIs, two hits, and one run. Liimatainen’s performance was honored with an MVP trophy at the end of the game, her third time winning the accolade.
“Liimatainen, for us, is a role model,” Abarua said. “She somehow finds a way to get through everything, and I’m really proud of her because without her, we wouldn’t be here.”
Abarua also notched three RBIs, with three runs and three hits. Marigliano had two RBIs with a one run and hit to pair with. Massey tallied three hits and two RBIs.
For the Hurricanes, the three hits were credited to Wnuk, who also got the lone run, Izabela Tart, and Ashlyn Lamke.
On the mound for Hoosac Valley was Gracelyn Wright, who pitched all six innings for the Hurricanes. She allowed 12 hits and 12 runs (six earned), as well as four walks and seven strikeouts.
“We were here, we played in the last game of the Western Mass. championship, it’s an accomplishment, and we move on,” Ameen said. “We got a good group of kids, and we’ll be back.”
With Wednesday’s win, Turners Falls improved to 17-4 on the season, while Hoosac Valley moved to 16-3. But neither team is done just yet.
Both teams have already solidified places in the Division V State Tournament and will now look ahead toward their future competition.
The Thunder are seeded at No. 1 overall, while the Hurricanes sit at No. 6. Both teams received a bye week for the preliminary round and will await to see who their opponents will be in the Round of 32.
“Nothing’s a given, and we know that when we make it one more day, every single day, we’re the better team. …,” Liimatainen said. “We’re just looking to get it done again, and we’re going to work hard until then.”
