McCann Tech Takes Positives from Loss to Franklin Tech
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The McCann Tech might not like looking at the box score from Tuesday’s 16-0 loss to Franklin Tech.
But for those who watched on the field, there was a lot to like.
“Hannah [Tatro] pitched a good game, we made some good plays in the field, and, you know, I’d rather lose a game like that than have 10 errors like we did yesterday and we end up winning,” Hornets coach Robin Finnegan said after the loss to the Division 5 State Quarter-Finalists.
“I want them to improve, so that’s why I like playing Franklin Tech. They’re not in our league or anything, but we could end up facing them in the States or the Voc tournament or something like that. So it’s good for the kids.”
The Eagles got a solid performance on offense and defense from Hannah Gilbert.
In the circle, she struck out 11 and allowed just one hit in the five-inning win.
At the plate, Gilbert went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run.
Franklin Tech used two big innings to put the game away.
A six-run second gave the visitors an 8-0 lead, and a seven-run fourth pushed the margin to 16 runs.
Gilbert got all the offense she needed in the top of the first.
Lilly Ross reached on a one-out single, and Gilbert and Kylee Gamache followed with singles, the latter driving home Ross. After Cordelia Guerin reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, Kendra Campbell lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 2-0.
Tatro closed the door by getting the next hitter to ground out to shortstop, stranding a pair to limit the damage.
A pair of McCann Tech errors helped open the flood gates in the second inning, when Guerin delivered the big blow, a two-run triple.
After Tatro got help from center fielder Nora Kondel on a fly ball to end the third with the Hornets down, 9-0, the Eagles batted around for a second time in a fourth-inning highlighted by Gilbert’s bomb over the fence to straightaway center.
McCann Tech’s offense put runners in scoring position in the first and second innings, but each time, Gilbert ended up striking out the side.
Miranda Ranzoni led off the bottom of the first by reaching on a bunt and stole second base. Kondel led off the second by drawing the only walk Gilbert allowed and moved two third on a pair of pitches that got to the backstop. But the Hornets could not find a way to get her home.
“Joe [Gamache] runs a great program, and that’s a great hitting team,” Finnegan said. “We don’t really see that in our league as much. Ludlow has a decent pitcher, but she’s definitely not as fast as [Gilbert].
“It’s early in the season. I think if we played Franklin Tech later in the season – I’m not going to say we’d win or anything like that because they’re really good – but I think we would have more opportunities at the plate and stuff like that.”
McCann Tech (1-2) goes to Springfield Central on Thursday.