BUCKLAND — The Mohawk Trail softball team was on fire at the plate in its MIAA Division 5 preliminary round contest against 37th-seeded Boston Collegiate Charter on Thursday. 

The 28th-seeded Warriors produced 19 hits in just four innings, scoring five runs in the first inning, seven in the second, 10 in the third and one in the fourth. 

The Mohawk Trail defense conversely allowed just one run, as the Warriors clinched a spot in the Round of 32 following a 23-1 victory in five innings. 

“The biggest thing is we hit the ball,” Mohawk Trail coach Sherri Lannon said. “We’ve struggled this season with hitting and getting the bat off our shoulders. It was good to see them go for it and hit today. I keep telling them they have to relax up there. If they don’t, they’ll just try to kill it and end up striking out. It was really good to see them relax, have a good time and hit the ball.” 

The Warriors (8-12) advanced to play No. 5 Maynard in the Round of 32 on Sunday at 3 p.m. 

For a young Mohawk Trail team, making the tournament, winning a tournament game and getting to test itself against a tough Maynard team in the Round of 32 serve as great lessons for the future. Lannon hopes they can learn from this experience to get better. 

“This team is really young,” Lannon said. “We’re losing just three seniors. Next year they’ll be even better. I look forward to watching them and seeing what they do in the future.” 

After Grace Stevens struck out the side in the first inning, Mohawk Trail got after it at the plate. 

Emmalee Inman started it with a single, Bella Brown drove her in with a double, Abby Moffatt followed with an RBI double before Addie Loomis singled to drive in Moffatt and after four at bats, the Warriors held a 3-0 lead. 

Loomis scored on a wild pitch and Riley Dyer later drove in a run with a double to give Mohawk Trail its 5-0 lead after one. 

Boston Collegiate (13-8) scored its lone run of the game in the second but the Warrior scoring continued in the second. A trio of walks to open the inning loaded the bases and Aurora Moynihan singled to score a pair of runs. Dyer grounded out to bring in a run before Sadie Wilcox blasted a deep shot to right field and was able to make it around for an inside-the-park homer to make it a 10-1 game. 

Inman walked and Brown followed with another inside-the-park home run to make it a 12-1 game going into the third. 

It was Dyer who came up with the big hit to open the third. Boston Collegiate walked the first three batters of the inning and Dyer followed by smashing a ball to center field and used her speed to reach home for an inside-the-park grand slam. 

Wilcox tripled, Inman drove her in with a base hit, Brown doubled and Moffatt singled. Megan Gabaree doubled to bring in a run and Moynihan singled Gabaree in to balloon the lead to 22-1 after three. 

Mohawk Trail tacked on a run in the fourth and Stevens did the rest, as the freshman struck out 12 and scattered just four hits in the winning effort. 

It’ll be the second year in a row the Warriors and Maynard square off in the Round of 32, the Tigers taking down Mohawk Trail 12-0 a season ago. After playing a tough regular season schedule, the Warriors will be prepared for Sunday as they look to spring an upset. 

“I have to do some scouting and the normal things I do,” Lannon said. “We just have to go down there, play our game and see what happens.”