This decade of MIAA Division 5 softball has been dominated by Turners Falls and Greenfield. It only makes sense that the two powers will duke it out for a second time with a state championship game on the line. 

Since the new statewide tournament format went into place, Greenfield won the 2022 and 2023 Div. 5 state title as the top seed in the field. Turners fell in the semifinals in 2022 as the No. 2 seed, then lost to the Green Wave in the title game as the No. 2 seed in 2023. 

It seemed destined the two local powers were on a collision course to meet in the finals for a second straight year last spring when Greenfield entered as the top seed and Turners was No. 2, but the Green Wave were upset in the quarterfinals and the Thunder went on to win their 11th state title in program history with a victory over Georgetown. 

The seeds were flipped this year, Turners coming into the tournament as the top seed and Greenfield the No. 2 seed. The two longtime rivals weren’t going to be upset this time though, leading to a second matchup in the finals in two years. 

The Thunder survived an upset bid from Georgetown in the semifinals on Wednesday, overcoming a 6-0 deficit in the fifth to pull out an 8-7 triumph in extra innings to punch their ticket to the championship game. 

Greenfield got out to a fast start in its semifinal against Hopedale before pulling away with an 8-0 victory to punch a ticket to Sortino Field at UMass, where Turners and the Wave will meet with a state title on the line at 1 p.m. on Saturday. 

“It’s super, super exciting,” Greenfield pitcher MacKenzie Paulin said. “After the regular season this year, we’re all really pumped up to play them. It’s a similar situation to two years ago where they swept us in the regular season but we got them in states. We’re going to work hard to get to that point again.” 

When you play for Turners Falls, the expectation is state championship or bust. 

That’s what happens when you’re consistently one of the best teams in the state, have 11 state championships to your name and have a coach like Gary Mullins who has over 800 wins on his resume. 

That pressure can be overwhelming but it’s something the Thunder embrace. 

“Unfortunately if we don’t win it all, it’s unsuccessful,” Mullins said after the win over Georgetown. “I know it sounds wacky and conceited but that’s the truth. That’s where we’re at. If we don’t win this thing, we’ll be disappointed. To win it, we’ll have to beat a great team. I’m guessing it’ll be Greenfield and they’re a good team.” 

Championship runs typically involve overcoming adversity and Turners has had to do that on multiple occasions. 

In the Round of 16 against Drury, the Thunder scored one run in the first inning but were unable to get the bats going from there, as Madi Liimatainen threw a shutout and Turners made key defense plays late to hang on for a 1-0 victory. In the quarterfinals against Narragansett, the Thunder found themselves in a 3-3 tie in the fourth but stormed ahead in the fifth and pulled away with a 6-3 victory. 

Neither of those compare to where Turners found itself on Wednesday in Lowell. 

Georgetown put three on the board in the first and held a commanding 6-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, the Royals seemingly in control of the contest. The Thunder pulled from all their postseason experience these last few years, never quit and stormed ahead 7-6 going into the seventh. Even after Georgetown smashed a solo home run in the top of the seventh that led to extras, Turners’ senior core of Mia Marigliano, Liimatainen and Marilyn Abarau came through in the bottom of the eighth to send the Thunder back to UMass with an 8-7 victory. 

“I can’t explain the feeling,” Liimatainen said. “It’s one of a kind. Some people never get to feel this and I wish everyone got to feel this joy because it’s different. It’s different than your birthday and getting a present. We worked so hard for this and it shows we can do it.”

Greenfield faced similar adversity, with its biggest challenge coming in the quarterfinals. 

The Green Wave cruised past Sturgis Charter East and Millis to reach the quarters, where they squared off with West Boylston. The Blue Raiders held a 4-0 lead in the fifth but like Turners, Greenfield drew on all its big game moments to rally back, Gloria McDonald smashed a home run before MacKenzie Paulin drove in the game-winning run as Greenfield pulled off a 5-4 comeback. 

With a young team, the Wave have steadily improved this season and feel they are playing their best when it matters most. 

“At the beginning of the season I did not think we were going to be here,” senior Anna Bucala said, “but we have showed that we have improved through the year and can pull it off. It’s fun to be back in it. Hopefully it goes well on Saturday.” 

The story of Saturday’s championship game starts with the pitchers. It’s only fitting that Paulin and Liimatainen get to square off one final time, two of the best pitchers this area has ever seen. 

Both hit 1,000 career strikeouts this year and at the plate, both are well past 100 career hits. The two have been starting in the circle throughout their high school careers and have been the catalyst for both schools’ success. 

It’s rare to see two teams with so much familiarity play each other for a state title.

Turners and Greenfield certainly have that. The Thunder have had the Green Wave’s number this year, Turners winning the first matchup 3-2 and the second, 5-0. 

Last spring was the opposite, as Greenfield won both contests by scores of 3-2 and 11-2. In 2023, Turners won both regular season contests (4-0, 10-2) but the Green Wave won the one that mattered in the state title game. 

Greenfield will be hoping for a similar story this year, overcoming the two regular season losses to win the big one.

“We’re playing better than we were [when we played them in the regular season],” Green Wave coach Ray Dodge said. “We just have to play our game and things will work themselves out. The top of my order is hitting the hell out of the ball and I have a freshman [Olivia Lemay] who is hitting .500 and power on either side of her [Bucala and Paulin]. It’s pretty easy to get that first run when everyone is on base all the time.” 

The loss last year has fueled the Wave to get back to this spot, wanting to bring a third state title back to Vets Field. 

“It’s the goal and what we set out to do this year,” Dodge said. “I don’t think anybody in this dugout liked the way the season ended for us last year. We want it back.”

With it being Liimatainen’s final season with the Thunder, she’s hoping to go out with a victory. 

“I said I wanted to go out with a bang and I have two of my best friends going out with me,” Liimatainen said. “We want to make this a memorable season for all the younger girls who might not ever get to experience this again. We’ll see what happens.” 

As the top seed, there’s no shortage of confidence in the Turners dugout. 

“We want states,” Abarua said. “We’re the No. 1 seed so we want to win it.”