FranklinCountyNow.com Staff Report
Today is the day: time for one of the most anticipated local sporting events in recent memory. The Greenfield High School softball team—the defending state champions—takes on traditional rival Turners Falls High School—winner of a state-record ten state championships—in the Division 5 Final.
Turners Falls got off to a slow start to the 2023 season, leaving many observers wondering if this was finally the year that the team would not be a contender for a championship. As the weather warmed up, so did the Thunder, particularly sophomore pitcher Madison Liimatainen. Liimatainen pitched Turners Falls to a pair of victories over Greenfield during the regular season. She will be opposed by another Super Sophomore, Greenfield’s Mackenzie Paulin. As a freshman last year, Paulin pitched the Green Wave to the school first-ever state softball championship. Greenfield and Turners both won their respective Western Massachusetts tournaments, and now meet in ultimate showdown.
The game is set for 3:00 Friday afternoon at Sortino Field at UMass Amherst. You can hear live play-by-play coverage of tomorrow’s game on Bear Country 95.3 and the livestream at bear953.com.