Taunton players celebrate a 2-1 come from behind win over Franklin in the Div. 1 state championship game at LeLacheur Park. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
LOWELL, Mass. – The two teams, which were the top two seeds in Div. 1, were on a collision course all postseason. They split a pair of games during the regular season, both winning on their home fields, and it was only fitting that Saturday night’s rubber match at LeLacheur Park would determine not only who would win the season series but who would win the state championship.
Taunton (22-3) was held without a hit until a leadoff single in the fourth, but scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings and got a stellar, complete game effort from Evan Cali to secure a 2-1 victory over league rival Franklin (23-4). The victory earned the Tigers their second D1 title in three seasons.
“They’ve got great hitters one through nine, so for him to come out and only give up one run was more than you could ask for,” Taunton coach Blair Bourque said when asked about Cali’s performance. “I was hoping to get a couple innings out of him and next guy up, and for him to come out and throw a complete game, what a great culmination of his senior year.”
Even before the season started, Taunton was searching for an ace of its staff. The Tigers relied on their full complement of pitchers to work through games, but Cali delivered one of his best performances in the final game of his high school career. He allowed only one infield single after the second inning, allowing just the one run and out-dueling Franklin starter Jacob Jette.
“I don’t think I’ve cried like this in a long time,” Cali said after the game, smiling despite his eyes being wet from tears and shaking in the cold after getting a Gatorade bucket dumped on him by his teammates. “I thought about everyone that’s helped me and it fueled me through that entire game.
When asked what was going through his mind at the final out, Cali admitted with a laugh, “I have no idea. I threw the pitch and I prayed he didn’t get a base hit because if he did I was getting taken out.”
While the final pitching line looked stellar for Cali, things were far from easy in the opening two innings. Jack Marino singled with one out in the first and took second when Cali’s pick-off attempt was wayward. A wild pitch would move him to third and Evan Raider drew a two-out walk. Cali induced a pop up to end the threat.
In the top of the second, a walk and an error put two on for Taunton but Jette got a groundout to keep it scoreless. Franklin would grab the lead in the bottom half.
Jase Lyons got things started with a single and Eisig Chin followed by crushing a ball off the wall in right, narrowly missing a home run. With two runners in scoring position, semifinal hero Ben Jarosz singled to right center to make it 1-0. Chin was held at third and Jarosz would move up to second after almost being picked off.
Cali hit the corner to get a strikeout for the first out of the inning. A pop up in foul ground and a grounder to Dawson Bryce at short would allow the Tigers to escape the second down by only a run. It felt like a win for Taunton.
Jette was cruising for the Panthers. A perfect third dented any momentum that Taunton may have carried to the plate. He gave up a leadoff single to Ryan MacDougall to start the fourth but struck out back-to-back hitters and got a fly ball that Chin caught in foul territory in right to end the inning.
“Jacob Jette has been everything you could ask for,” said Franklin coach Zach Brown. “He’s been so important to our team and our team’s success. You have to go back six games to find a team who scored a run off him before today. He’s an amazing competitor, just a tremendous leader, does everything right, really threw well today, and gave us a chance to win a state title.”
Taunton finally struck in the fifth. Shawn Cali smashed a ball over the head of Ryan Gerety in center for a leadoff triple. After a pair of failed bunt attempts, Evan Cali put the ball in play with a grounder to short. The infield was back and Henry Digorgio’s only option was to go to first to get the out.
“I saw that our team lost for hope for a second,” Cali said about Taunton’s rally. “Once Franklin gets a run, their whole energy turns around. They’re fired up. I noticed that we were down and I talked to my coach and said, we get them in and we do a huddle and we win this game.”
In the top of the sixth, Jette got a liner to Chin in right for the first out and got two strikes on MacDougall, but the Hockomock League MVP turned on an 0-2 fastball. He sent it seemingly off the wall in right, but the ump put up his hand to indicate the ball hit above the yellow line and was a home run, putting the Tigers ahead 2-1 and sending the bench streaming out to home to meet the junior first baseman.
“We as a team, we tend to get on his back and he’s a big boy so he can carry us and he was able to get ahold of one today,” Bourque said about MacDougall. “We knew with Evan pitching we needed to put some good at bats together and fortunately for us Ryan was in the right place at the right time.”
After another perfect inning for Cali, the Tigers had the chance to add to the lead in the seventh. Senior catcher Colby DeCouta ripped a double to left and, after Franklin turned to closer James Kuczmiec, who started off with a wild pitch allowing courtesy runner Xavier Spencer to take third. Kuczmiec then chose the perfect time to attempt a pickoff attempt behind the runner, with Jarosz firing a strike to Joe Tirrell at the plate for the out.
Shawn Cali came right back with a double to center, but Kuczmiec got a hard line drive to first that Raider snagged and quickly fired to Digorgio at second for an inning-ending double play.
Franklin was fired up after getting out of the jam down by just one run. Cali quickly quelled the energy. He got a grounder to third baseman Braden Sullivan and then robbed Tirrell by getting a piece of a bouncing ball up the middle and making the throw to first while sitting on the mound.
Through the disappointment of the result, Brown was proud of his team’s season and the way the team came together this spring, “We hit a little speed bump early in the year and these seniors did a great job just bringing everyone together and staying the course. Twenty straight wins later, we’re sitting here with one game for a state title. Nothing to hang your head on, we wish the outcome was different but that’s baseball.”
Brayden Cali squeezed a pop up at second base for the final out, sparking celebrations and a dog pile on the mound. Taunton had knocked off the top seed and league champions and clinched just the second state title in program history.
“It’s not something that we harp on,” Bourque replied when asked about title aspirations coming into the season. “We can be successful without winning a state championship. Obviously it’s great to win, but we’re looking to develop young men. Seeing these guys in the community and how they represent Taunton baseball, that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Baseball Division 1
#16 Chelmsford, 2 @ #1 Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin overcame an early two-run deficit and escaped a bases loaded jam in the seventh inning to slip past upset-minded Chelsmford. After the visitors staked a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, Franklin plated a single run in the bottom half of three straight innings. In the bottom of the second, junior Eisig Chin brought home Evan Raider with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit in half, and in the bottom of the third a two-out single from Chris Goode brought courtesy runner Luke Sidwell (Joe Tirrell walk) to tie it 2-2. After a 1-2-3 inning from junior Alfred Mucciarone (6IP, 4H, 2ER, 0BB, 5K) in the top of the fourth, the Panthers pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom half. Jase Lyons led off with a single, took second on an error, and advanced to third on a ground out. After back-to-back outs, Tirrell delivered a single to left to bring Tirrell home to make it 3-2. Mucciarone kept rolling, retiring the side in order again in the fifth and sixth innings. Chelmsford threatened in the final inning against Franklin’s bullpen with a one-out single, a two-out walk, and then an infield error to load the bases, but James Kuczmiec induced a grounder to second for the final out.
#15 Natick, 2 @ #2 Taunton, 8 – Final –
Division 2
#18 Plymouth North, 5 @ #2 King Philip, 12 – Final – After a scoreless first inning left the hosts on the wrong end of a one-run game, the Warriors’ offense roared to life with five straight scoring innings to knock off visiting Plymouth North. The visiting Eagles took advantage of a leadoff walk and an RBI double to seize an early 1-0 lead but after the first inning, it was all KP. Matt DiFiore knotted the score at 1-1 with an RBI single in the second, and a sac fly from Rudy Gately followed by an RBI double from Travis Crawford gave the Warriors the lead for good. Brendan Sencaj was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth, and Gately followed with a walk to bring in another run for a 5-1 lead. Plymouth North made a game of it with three runs in the top of the fifth to get it back to a one-run game but KP answered with three of its own in the bottom half, with a two-run triple from Max Robison and a sacrifice fly from Matt Kelley to make it 8-4. In the sixth, three straight singles from Sean Sullivan, Eli Reed, and Robison each brought in a run, and Shawn Legere was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in KP’s 12th run of the game.
#14 Marblehead, 1 @ #3 Mansfield, 5 – Final – Buoyed by a big start offensively and a pair of terrific pitching performances, Mansfield picked up a win over visiting Marblehead. The Hornets scored three runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed, tacking on two key insurance runs in the sixth inning. Matt DeShiro and Conner Zukowski drew back-to-back walks, and the former came across to score on a passed ball. Anthony Sacchetti was hit by a pitch and Jake Maydak walked to load the bases, and a two-out single from Jared Fraone saw two runs come home for a 3-0 lead. Marblehead got a run back in the fifth inning but a two-out, two-run single from sophomore Brian Butler in the sixth inning restored Mansfield’s lead. Aaron Blinn earned the win on the mound for the Hornets, allowing just one unearned run on two hits and five walks, striking out one. Connor Curtis tossed three scoreless innings in relief, allowing just three walks and no hits, striking out a pair.
#13 Westfield, 1 @ #4 North Attleboro, 15 – Final – North Attleboro’s offense stayed red hot, belting out 13 hits to the tune of 15 runs in a big win over Westfield at DiNardo Field. After leaving a pair of runners in scoring position in the first inning, the Rocketeers didn’t squander many chances in the next five innings, scoring in each of them. Gio Martello got the scoring started with a one-out single to score Gavin Wells (walk) and David Floyd (double), and Tyler DeMattio doubled the lead with a two-out, two-run line drive single to left. Danny Curran cleaned things up with a an RBI single to push the lead to 5-0 after just two innings. Wells added a third inning sac fly to plate Jordan Paradis, and both DeMattio (triple) and Curran (error) scored in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 8-0. Paradis had a two-run hit in the sixth and Jack Munley cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the sixth to make it 15-1. Floyd earned the win on the mound, allowing just one run on three hits and one walk, striking out eight in 4.2 innings of work. Dillon Harding finished the game off, issuing just one walk while striking out a pair in 2.1 scoreless innings.
Division 3
#12 Sandwich, 6 @ #5 Foxboro, 7 – Final – For the second game in a row, Foxboro used a walk-off home run to rally for a win in the final inning. After using back-to-back homers on Monday in the seventh inning to knock off Saugus, Foxboro senior Liam Mulkern launched a two-out, two-run home run to hand the Warriors a dramatic 7-6 decision over Sandwich. The host Warriors rallied for three runs in the fifth to stake a 5-3 lead but the visiting Knights tied the game with two runs in the sixth and took the lead back with a two-out run in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half, sophomore Tyler Prescott kept the game alive with a two-out walk. Mulkern battled his way to a full count, and with the Warriors down to their final out, the senior sent a fastball over the fence in left for his first career homer and a walk-off win for Foxboro. Sean O’Leary (single) and Prescott (squeeze bunt) each brought a run home for the hosts for an early 2-0 lead. Sandwich leveled the scoring in the second and went up a run in the fourth before the Warriors pushed three across the plate in the fifth: an RBI single from Prescott followed by a two-run single from Mulkern. Tom Marcucella pitched well in relief for Foxboro, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out two in three innings of work.
Softball Division 1
#15 St. Paul Diocesan, 4 @ #2 King Philip, 6 – Final – King Philip plated five runs with two outs in the fourth inning and that was enough to hold off an upset bid from visiting St. Paul Diocesan (formerly Holy Name). The Warriors carried a 1-0 lead (Taylor Regan RBI in the first inning) into the into the bottom of the fourth. Mia Bennett was hit by a pitch with one out and Sarah Cullen followed with a two-run opposite field blast over the fence in left, her second two-run homer in as many games, to make it 3-0. Ava Kelley kept it going with a single, and scored on a double from Ava Lanza (three hits, two runs, RBI). After Meg Sherwood was hit by a pitch, an infield error brought a run home. Charlotte Raymond tacked on an RBI single to make it 6-0. The visitors rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth but Jordan Bennett (7IP, 5H, 4R, 0ER, 1BB, 6K) put an end to the rally by inducing an infield ground out and retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts in the sixth. St. Paul reached on an error to lead off the seventh but Bennett snagged a trailing line drive and doubled the runner up at first and Bennett got the final out with a fly ball to Cullen in center two at-bats later.
#14 Bridgewater-Raynham, 3 @ #3 Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Kylie Thorpe launched a two-out home run over the fence in left in the bottom of the seventh to give the Tigers a walk-off win over Bridgewater-Raynham. The visiting Trojans twice took a lead in the game, first with a single run in the top of the first inning to make it 1-0, and then used two runs in the third to stake a 3-2 lead over the Tigers. Taunton rallied in the sixth as Kyleah Plumb dropped a bunt down the third base line and moved all the way to second when the throw was high. After a wild pitch moved Plumb to third, junior Ava Venturelli dropped two-out bunt down to bring in the run to make it 3-3. Freshman Cate Larson (5IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 4K) needed just six pitches for a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, setting up Thorpe’s winning home run. Taunton took its first lead in the bottom of the first as Plumb and Angie Lynch both reached on a bunt, an error on the latter allowing the former to come all the way home. Kaysie DeMoura followed with a double to center to bring Lynch in for a 2-1 lead. Larson came on in the third after B-R took its lead, and after a single loaded the bases with no outs, Larson got a strikeout, fielded a grounder and got the force out at home, and Hayley Krockta fielded another bunt to get the third out at home.
Boys Lacrosse Division 2
#24 Mansfield, 7 @ #9 King Philip, 4 – Final
#26 Sharon, 8 @ #7 Minnechaug, 16 – Final
Division 3
#28 Bishop Fenwick, 5 @ #5 Foxboro, 16 – Final – Foxboro outscored visiting Fenwick 7-1 in the second quarter and closed the game on a 5-0 run to get the win and advance. After trading early goals, the Warriors staked a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter before dominating the second to grab a 11-3 lead at half. Fenwick scored two quick goals to start the second half but Foxboro blanked the visitors the rest of the way, scoring five straight. Conor Noone was involved in over half of the goals with five goals and four assists, Lincoln Moore added five goals and a pair of helpers, and John Sacchetti netted four goals and two assists. Tommy Sharkey and Finn Stapleton each added a tally in the win.
Girls Lacrosse Division 1
#19 King Philip, 11 @ #14 Needham, 9 – Final – King Philip built a lead by the halftime break and stayed ahead throughout the second to earn an upset on the road over #14 Needham. Lily Brown led a balanced offensive showing for the Warriors, scoring four goals and adding one assist for the Warriors, who led 7-5 at half. KP outscored the hosts 4-2 to extend their lead before the Rockets made a late push to get within two. Julia Marsden and Makenzie McDevitt each had a hat trick in the win, Morgan Cunningham added one goal, and Emily Campbell made six saves in net for the win.
Division 2
#22 Canton, 2 @ #11 Burlington, 11 – Final
#23 Oliver Ames, 8 @ #10 Holliston, 20 – Final
Division 3
#27 Bishop Stang, 4 @ #6 Foxboro, 21 – Final – Mya Waryas scored seven times and Paige Curran racked up 11 points as Foxboro rolled in its opening round game against Stang. Waryas also added an assist, while Curran finished with four goals and seven helpers. Val Beigel also had a big day with five goals and Cate Noone chipped in with a hat trick and a pair of assists. Mary Collins (one assist) and Kaelin Connors also found the back of the net for the Warriors. Audrey Campbell made seven saves to record the win in goal. Foxboro will host No. 11 Hanover in the next round.
Boys Tennis Division 2
#10 Mansfield, 1 @ #7 Walpole, 4 – Final – Mansfield’s season came to a close on the road at #7 Walpole, winning just one match. Sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at third singles for the Hornets.
Girls Tennis Division 2
#22 Minnechaug, 1 @ #6 Sharon, 4 – Final
#13 Oliver Ames, 0 @ #4 Masconomet, 5 – Final
Baseball Division 1
#33 Lexington, 0 @ #1 Franklin, 14 – Final – Franklin was firing on all cylinders in its playoff opener, scoring in five of the six innings while Jacob Jette and three relievers dominated on the mound for the shutout. The Panthers pushed across three runs in the first, two more in the second, three in the third, four in the fifth, and two more in the sixth to get the win. Jack Marino went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs to pace the offense, which totaled 19 hits on the day. Henry Digiorgio (three RBI, two runs), Jase Lyons (two RBI, two runs), Esig Chin (RBI, run), and Ben Jarosz (RBI, run) all added two hits in the win. Jette allowed just one hit with no walks, striking out eight in five scoreless innings of work. James Kuczmiec, Evan Raider, and Aidan Langmeyer combined for two scoreless innings of relief, with just one walk issued.
#31 Waltham, 1 @ #2 Taunton, 13 – Final
Division 2
#31 Melrose, 1 @ #2 King Philip, 8 – Final – King Philip wasted little time in getting the offense going with four runs in the first inning to run away with a win over visiting Melrose. Max Robison and Matt Kelley drew back-to-back walks and Shawn Legere was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brendan Sencaj drove in a pair with a single, Travis Crawford added an RBI single two at-bats later, and back-to-back walks to Brendan Weddleton and Max DiFiore brought home a fourth run. KP tacked on one run in the third (RBI single from Weddleton), one in the fourth (Sencaj sac fly), and two more in the sixth (two-run single from Crawford) to make it 8-1. Rudy Gately shined on the mound for the Warriors, allowing one run on six hits and two walks, striking out seven in six innings of work. Tommy Martorano tossed a scoreless inning in relief with one hit and one walk allowed, striking out three.
#30 Danvers, 5 @ #3 Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield senior Jimmy Gilleran led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a game-tying solo home run and then drove in the game-winner with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh as the Hornets walked off with a 6-5 win over upset-minded Danvers. A run in the top of the first presented the visiting Falcons with an early lead but Mansfield jumped ahead with three runs in the bottom of the third, first an RBI single from Brian Butler to tie the game followed by a two-run single from Gilleran to make it 3-1. The seesaw battle continued with Danvers scoring twice in the fifth and Mansfield scoring once (Matt DeShiro sac fly), and the same happening again in the sixth with Danvers taking a 5-4 lead before Gilleran’s solo shot in the bottom half. In the bottom of the seventh, Cian Goulet led off with a single and courtesy runner Caden Colby took second on a sac bunt from Butler. An error allowed DeShiro to reach and Colby to move to third, and Conner Zukowski reached first on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases, setting up Gilleran’s game-winning sac fly.
#29 Somerset Berkley, 2 @ #4 North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North Attleboro exploded for seven runs in the third inning, breaking open a close game and running away with a double-digit decision over Somerset Berkley. The visitors staked an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first but a two-run home run from Tyler DeMattio tied it before the first inning was over, and a Gio Martello RBI single in the second gave the Rocketeers a 3-2 lead going into the third. In the bottom of the third, DeMattio had a one-out walk, Danny Curran followed with a single, Dillon Harding scored both on a single to left, Jordan Paradis drew a walk, David Floyd brought Harding in with an RBI single to left, and Gavin Wells followed with a three-run blast to left field to extend the lead to 9-2. Derek Maceda tacked on an RBI double before the inning was over to make it 10-2. Paradis brought two more runs in in the bottom of the fourth with a single to center. Tyler Bannon earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, striking out nine in six innings. Harding came on for a scoreless inning in relief, striking out one.
#19 Canton, 2 @ #14 Marblehead, 6 – Final – Canton pushed across the tying run in the top of the fifth inning to make it 2-2 but the Magicians quickly made the Bulldogs’ momentum disappear, scoring three runs in the bottom half and one more insurance run in the sixth for the win. Trailing 1-0 in the third, Matt Chafin (two hits) delivered an RBI single to pull the Dogs even, but Marblehead jumped right back ahead with a run in the bottom half. In the top of the fifth, Jack Digirolamo delivered an RBI base hit to left to make it 2-2 before the Magicians scored three in the bottom half, including a pair with two outs. Andy Butler added two hits and a run scored for Canton. Hayden Rose allowed four runs (two earned) on just four hits and no walks, striking out three in 4.1 innings of work.
#25 Oliver Ames, 3 @ #8 Westwood, 8 – Final
Division 3
#28 Saugus, 5 @ #5 Foxboro, 6 – Final – After seeing its lead slip away in the top of the seventh, Foxboro got the fireworks started early with a dramatic walk off win over visiting Saugus. The Warriors held a 4-3 lead going into the final hour and were three outs away from advancing in the Division 3 state tournament. But the visitors took advantage of an infield error to score one and used a sac fly to make it 5-4, meaning the Warriors were just three outs from their season ending. On the first pitch of the bottom of the the seventh, junior Ryan LeClair ripped his first career home run over the fence in left to knot the score at 5-5. On the very next pitch, Sean O’Leary launched his first career home run and Foxboro walked off with the win. Matheiu Sullivan pitched well in relief for the Warriors, tossing three scoreless innings with two hits and no walks allowed with a pair of strikeouts.
Softball Division 1
#30 Newton South, 0 @ #3 Taunton, 25 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton got its playoff run started in grand fashion as freshman Brooke Aldrich hit three home runs and the Tigers roared to a big win at home. Aldrich launched a three-run home run in the first to highlight a five-run inning, added another three-run blast in an 11-run run second inning, and a two-run blast in the fourth inning. Mia Fernandes added three hits, including a home run, with three RBI and the runs, while Kaysie DeMoura had two hits, including a home run, with two RBI and three runs.
Division 2
#27 Ludlow, 1 @ #6 North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Kelly Colleran matched her career-high with 19 strikeouts, allowed only one hit and three balls in play, leading North to a first round win over visiting Ludlow. Mandi Hanewich got North off to a great start with a solo homer in the first. In the third, Hanewich reached on an error, stole second, and came home for what turned out to be the winning run on an Ally Levine base hit. The Rocketeers would add another run in the fourth. Shaelyn Burns reached on an error and would come around to score on a hit by Grace Simmons. Colleran helped her own cause in the fifth by driving in Mary Rogers and Hanewich, who had both singled and moved into scoring position on a Levine bunt. Colleran sealed the victory by striking out the side in both the sixth and seventh innings. North will face No. 11 Bedford on Tuesday afternoon.
#17 Wakefield, 7 @ #16 Stoughton, 2 – Final
#19 Leominster, 2 @ #14 Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield scored five times in the fourth inning to earn a first round win over visiting Leominster and advance to the round of 16. Liv Madeira opened the rally with a triple and scored on a bunt single by Alanna Conley. Casey Moussette singled and Olivia DeTrolio bunter her way on to load the bases. Julia Kelly plated one with a fielder’s choice and Molly Kucharski added a two-run single. Cat Kipp singled to plate one more and make it 5-0. Leominster answered with two in the top of the fifth but the Hornets got out of the inning and then added an insurance run in the bottom half. Conley singled, Moussette walked and Jill Koppy had an RBI single to make it 6-2. Conley finished the day 3-for-3. Kelly earned the win in the circle, scattering six hits and striking out eight. Mansfield will face No. 3 Walpole on Tuesday.
#23 Oliver Ames, 1 @ #10 Agawam, 4 – Final
Division 3
#24 Diman, 4 @ #9 Foxboro, 5 – Final – Visiting Diman pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to try and force extra innings but a single from freshman Vittoria Cuscia gave the host Warriors a walk-off win to advance to the next round. Foxboro held a 4-2 lead going into the final frame but Diman struck twice for make it 2-2. In the bottom of the seventh, senior Peyton Feldman had a single, stole second, and came home to score the winning run on a base hit from Cuscia. Cuscia got the win in the circle, striking out nine. Freshman Jill Slattery added two hits, two runs, and a stolen base in the win.
Girls Lacrosse Division 1
#38 Milford, 4 @ #27 Newton North, 14 – Final
Boys Tennis Division 1
#18 Algonquin, 4 @ #15 Franklin, 1 – Final
Division 2
#23 Nauset, 1 @ #10 Mansfield, 4 – Final
#19 Oliver Ames, 2 @ #14 Plymouth North, 3 – Final
#22 Canton, 1 @ #11 Wakefield, 4 – Final
#31 King Philip, 0 @ #2 Westboro, 5 – Final
Girls Tennis Division 1
#25 King Philip, 0 @ #8 Hingham, 5 – Final
#30 Franklin, 0 @ #3 Brookline, 5 – Final
Division 2
#27 Ludlow, 1 @ #6 Sharon, 4 – Final
#20 Marblehead, 2 @ #13 Oliver Ames, 3 – Final
Baseball
Attleboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro got off to a great start with four runs between the first two innings and then delivered a big response late when Attleboro mounted a comeback in the final innings. Jordan Paradis reached on a two-out error with the bases loaded to bring in two runs, and a second error on the same play brought in another as the Rocketeers jumped ahead 3-0. Tyler Bannon added an RBI in the second inning to give the hosts a 4-0 edge. Attleboro rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to make it a one-run game as Owen Taber scored on a wild pitch, Billy Saltmarsh drove in a run with a single to center, and Peter DelPozzo laced a two-out double to right to bring in another run to cut the deficit to 4-3. But North had an immediate response as Anthony Wescott brought in a run on a fielder’s chioce, David Floyd stole home, and Tyler DeMattio made it 7-3 with a sacrifice fly to right. Bannon got the win on the mound, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks, striking out nine in five innings. Paradis and DeMattio each tossed an inning in relief. Freshman Tyler Dunlea allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits and five walks, striking out three in 4.1 innings.
Franklin, 5 @ Natick, 0 – Final – Franklin’s Jacob Jette and James Kuczmiec combined for a shutout performance with just three hits allowed and a total of 13 strikeouts to lead the Panthers to a win over Natick. Jette allowed just one hit and one walk in five innings of work with nine strikeouts to earn the win. Kuczmiec came on in relief to finish the game and struck out four with two hits and one walk allowed. Offensively, Franklin jumped ahead right out of the gates as Evan Raider smacked a two-out double to score Chris Goode in the top of the first inning. An inning later, Franklin struck again with two outs as Ben Jarosz singled and Joe Tirrell followed with a home run to left field to make it 3-0. The visitors added two more runs in the top of the fifth when Goode drove in both Ryan Gerety and Jack Marino, who both walked, with a double.
Softball
Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 14 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip opened the bottom of the first with five straight hits and turned nine first-inning hits into eight runs, and never looked back in a big win over visiting Franklin. Ava Kelley (3-for-3) led off with a double and the hit parade was on as Ava Lanza followed with an RBI single, Meg Sherwood singled, Taylor Regan drove in two with a single, Charlotte Raymond followed with an RBI double, Maddie Paschke then tacked on a two-out RBI, Sarah Cullen smacked an RBI double, Kelley singled again, Lanza drove in another run with a single, and Sherwood reached on an error to bring in KP’s eighth run of the inning. KP added four runs in the third and then two more in the fourth on a two-run blast from Cullen. Jordan Bennett earned the win in the circle, allowing just two hits and no walks with six strikeouts in five scoreless innings of work.
Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro @ Milford, 4:15
Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 8 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final
Taunton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 17 – Final – For Taunton, Sarah Clark scored a pair of goals while Cali Melo, Isabella Leite, and Madison Szala each scored once.
Sharon @ Ursuline, 3:45
Boys Tennis
North Attleboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames wrapped its best regular season in years with its second straight win over North Attleboro, taking a pair of wins from both singles and doubles action. Seniors Raphael Vache (6-2, 6-0) and Kylash Ganesh (6-0, 6-3) won in straight sets at second and third singles, respectively. Patrick Dolan and Alex Efremidas added a hard-fought 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles and the team of Ben Dias and Alex Vasiliou earned a 6-4, 6-0 win at second doubles. North Attleboro senior captain Will Folan capped an impressive season with a 7-6 (5), 6-0 win at frist singles.
Baseball
Attleboro, 1 @ King Philip, 15 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip got off to a great start offensively with seven runs in the first inning and never looked back in a big win over visiting Attleboro. The Bombardiers struck first in the top of the first inning but the Warriors responded with seven runs in the first, five more in the second, and three in the third to take a 15-1 verdict. The Bombardiers scored without a hit in the first, an error followed by a fielder’s choice allowed the visitors to stake the early lead. KP scored all seven of its runs in the first with two outs, getting two-run singles from each Matt Kelley and Max Robison. The Warriors added five more in the second with two outs as well with Matt DiFiore, Eli Reed, and Brendan Sencaj singling in a run each. Quin Garstka earned the win for the Warriors, allowing just one hit (leadoff single in the fourth) with no walks and five strikeouts.
Sharon, 8 @ Canton, 13 – Final – Canton exploded for six runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to pull away from Sharon, who acted as the home squad for the game. Junior Matt Chafin went 3-for-3 with a walk, scoring all four times he reached base and Jack Digirolamo (two runs, three RBI), Hayden Rose (four RBI), and Matt Quan (run, two RBI) each added two hits in the win. For Sharon, Will Hippler went 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs and two RBI and both Conbor Blaney and Eli Greenfield drove in a pair of runs for the Eagles. Junior Alex Coughlin pitched well in relief for Sharon, allowing one run on four hits and one walk, striking out three in 2.2 innings out of the pen.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro made it five straight wins with a 9-1 decision over visiting Oliver Ames, making it four straight games the Warriors have limited the opposition to just a single run. Sean O’Leary earned the win on the mound for the Warriors, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks, striking out eight for the win. Matheiu Sullivan had one of his best performances of the season, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief with a pair of strikeouts. The Warriors wasted little time to get the offense going, plating five runs in the first inning before tacking on insurance runs in the fifth (three) and the sixth (one) innings. Ryan LeClair tripled on Foxboro’s second at-bat, driving in Jack Watts, and then scored on a single from O’Leary. Sophomore Tyler Prescott had an RBI single and then Louis Carangelo (double) and Prescott both came around to score on separate wild pitches. Kenny Mello and Mike Marcucella each added an RBI single in the fifth and Tom Marcucella had a sac fly in the sixth. OA’s Jake Waxman smacked a solo home run in the fourth for OA’s first hit of the game.
Franklin, 12 @ Milford, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Holding a 3-0 lead after four innings, Franklin found its groove in the fifth and exploded for nine runs to secure a win at Fino Field. Eisig Chin had an RBI double early in the fifth, Evan Raider blasted a two-run triple, and Jacob Crisileo had a two-out RBI triple to give the Panthers a 12-0 lead. Jack Marino (two RBI, run) Jase Lyons (two runs, RBI), and Joe Tirrell (two RBI) also had two hits for the Panthers. James Kuczmiec tossed a five-inning complete game shutout for the Panthers, allowing a pair of hits and walks to go along with four strikeouts to get the win. Sophomore Keith Lee went 2-for-2 for the Scarlet Hawks.
Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Ryan MacDougall, Colin Botelho, and Dawson Bryce combined to toss a shutout as Taunton avenged a loss to Mansfield from earlier this year with a 6-0 verdict at home. MacDougall got the win, scattering four hits and three walks to go along with a pair of strikeouts. Botelho (one hit) and Bryce (one walk, one strikeout) each pitched a scoreless inning in relief to help the Tigers close out the win. After MacDougall pitched out of a bases loaded situation in the top of the first, Taunton took the lead with one run in the bottom half. MacDougall hit a two-out double and scored when Bryce got a hit to fall into right. Braden Sullivan led off the third with a triple and scored on a single from MacDougall, AJ Lewis added an RBI double and Shawn Cali singled in a third run for Taunton to make it 4-0. Botelho knocked in a run with a single to right in the sixth and Lewis grabbed another RBI with a single to right.
Stoughton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – Stoughton pushed across three runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead but North responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to get the win and clinch the Davenport division title outright. Christian Bates earned a leadoff walk, stole second, took third on an error, and scored the tying run on a single from Kyle Conroy. Tyler DeMattio added an RBI double to put the Rocketeers ahead, and Dillon Harding brought in two runs after reaching on an error to make it 6-3. Tyler Bannon earned the win for North, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks, striking out nine in a complete game effort. Derek Maceda and Danny Curran each added two hits in the win for North. Jonah Ly went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Stoughton while Anthony Tilton and Dom Belle each drove in a run.
Softball
King Philip, 7 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip earned a shutout win on the road over Attleboro to clinch the Kelley-Rex division title for the first time since 2018. Sophomore Jordan Bennett had another stellar outing in the circle, allowing just three hits and one walk, striking out eight in a complete game shutout effort for the win. The Warriors pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the second and went on to score in each of the next three innings, punctuated with a three-run fifth. Mia Bennett opened the scoring with an RBI double and Maddie Paschke followed with an RBI single up the middle for a 2-0 lead. Ava Lanza drove in a run in the third to make it 3-0 and Bennett dropped a squeeze bunt down in the fourth to plate Taylor Regan. Meg Sherwood extended KP’s lead with an RBI single to right to bring Sarah Cullen home, and then Regan followed with her second hit of the day, a line drive single to right to bring both Ava Kelley and Lanza home.
Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Taylor Reynolds had two hits and an RBI, Emily Ciampa had a hit and an RBI, and Gillian Gordon scored a run as Canton secured a close win over visiting Sharon. Jessica Vo had a solid game defensively in right for the Bulldogs, and Sophia Santos was the winning pitcher, striking out four. For Sharon, Ally Foulsham had two hits, Ciara McAuliffe played a strong game defensively behind the plate, and Trinity Payne struck out six in four innings of work.
Foxboro, 12 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Foxboro exploded for eight runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in a win on the road at Oliver Ames, earning a season sweep of the Tigers. Freshman Vittoria Cuscia tossed a complete game shutout for the Warriors with three strikeouts, and helped her cause at the plate with a hit and an RBI. Peyton Feldman went 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot with three runs scored and two RBI, Allie Willis added two RBI, and Natalia Leach drove in three runs for the Warriors.
Milford, 2 @ Franklin, 10 – Final – Milford jumped ahead with two runs in the top of the third but Franklin quickly responded with seven runs in the bottom half and went on to secure a big win over the visiting Scarlet Hawks. Sophomore Camille Bonina launched a two-run home run in the top of the third to put Milford ahead 2-1. In the bottom half, Franklin had its first five batters reach base including a two-run double from Hailey Fales as the Panthers jumped back ahead 4-2. Avery Chalk and Dana Stott had back-to-back RBI singles and Katy Liberman smacked a two-out, two-run double to push Franklin’s lead to 8-2. Junior Kiera Kotwicki earned the win for the Panthers, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks, striking out four in a complete game effort.
Taunton, 13 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final (6 Inn.) – Taunton bounced back after losing two of its last three games by picking up a big win at Mansfield. The Tigers finished with 19 hits as a team, including nine extra-base hits, and scored five runs in the second and four in the third to break the game open. Ava Venturelli was 2-for-5 with a homer, a double, and four RBI, while Kaysie DeMoura also was 2-for-5 with a homer and drove in three. Taunton got good production from the bottom of the order, including Kylie Thorpe, who was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Liv Mendonca and Cate Larson combined to pick up the win. The Hornets got their lone run in the third inning. Amanda Schwarz singled and courtesy runner Sydney Fernando took second on a wild pitch before crossing the plate on a Callie Lake double. Mansfield finished with seven hits as a team.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final (8 Inn.) – Freshman Maryellen Charette drove in the game-winning run in the top of the eighth and Kelly Colleran made it stand up by striking out the side in the bottom half to secure the win and clinch the outright league title for North. Zoey McDonough started the winning rally with an infield hit and took second on the throw. Shaelyn Burns singled to move McDonough to third and Charette followed with a hit of her own to bring in the go-ahead run. Colleran went the distance in the circle and struck out 16 hitters. Charette, Burns, and Grace Simmons each had two hits, while Colleran scored twice and McDonough had a pair of RBI.
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 9 @ Sharon, 12 – Final
King Philip, 10 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 9 – Final (3 OT)
Franklin, 11 vs. Longmeadow, 16 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 12 – Final
Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 15 – Final – Canton had seven different scorers to pick up its 10th win of the season, sweeping the season series with the Eagles. Emily McCabe was the spark plug for the Bulldogs, scoring five goals. Ella Yeaton added a hat trick for Canton and Elyse Broderick made nine saves. Bailey Garte scored both of Sharon’s goals and Tess Letendre had a big game, making 14 saves in the loss.
Franklin, 9 vs. Notre Dame Academy, 7 – Final
Foxboro, 11 @ Natick, 8 – Final – Foxboro pulled out a big non-league win at Natick to build momentum for the postseason. Val Beigel led the Warriors with four goals and Paige Curran finished with a hat trick and four assists. Mary Collins added two goals and an assist, while Cate Noone and Grace Riley each found the back of the net once. Mya Waryas had an assist and Audrey Campbell made nine stops in the win.
Boys Tennis
King Philip, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Behind a pair of single wins and one from doubles action, King Philip went on the road and picked up a win over Attleboro. Jonathan Cohen took care of business with a 6-1, 6-3 win at second singles and Jackson Hom captured a 6-1, 6-2 victory at third singles for the Warriors. The team of Leo Manning and Arjun Kullo added KP’s third point, getting a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles. Attleboro’s Kyle Neuendorf grabbed a 6-3, 6-2 win at first singles and the duo of Tyler Rocchio and Evan Sousa earned a 7-6, 6-3 win at first doubles.
Sharon, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Sharon swept both doubles matches and added another win from third singles to fend off host Canton. Jacob Stavsky earned a 6-0, 6-0 third singles win, the team of Ruemon Bhattacharyya and Mitch Weiss earned a 6-0, 6-0 first singles victory, and the team of Hyojae Park and Sava Kassev emerged from second doubles with a 6-1, 6-4 verdict. Canton sophomore Max Kupferman and senior Suraj Ramanathan both continued their strong seasons with wins at first singles (6-4, 6-2) and second singles (6-1, 6-1), respectively.
Foxboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final
Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin’s experience was on full display as the Panthers used five seniors in the lineup to knock off visiting Milford. Senior Vayshnav Malhotra and senior Sameen Shaik both won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while senior Drew Mahoney earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The senior tandem of Thomas Broyles and Tyler Fitzpatrick captured a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles and Franklin’s sophomore pairing of Ahan Shetty and Jay Gorgas captured a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Taunton, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Mansfield used a trio of underclassman to sweep singles action and added a fourth point in a win at second doubles to defend home court against Taunton. Freshman Neema Khosravani captured a 6-3, 6-1 win at first singles, while sophomores Iniyan Karruppusami and Nikhil Nain both won 6-0, 6-0 at second and third singles, respectively. The tandem of Jesse Colchamiro and sophomore Dhruv Jain added a 6-1, 6-0 second doubles win for the Hornets. Taunton’s first doubles pairing of senior Andrew Letourneau and junior Derek Deseault battled to a 6-3, 5-7, 10-8 win.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Behind a three-set victory at first doubles, North Attleboro returned home from Stoughton the victorious side of a 3-2 match. Junior Griffin Rodden and sophomore Quinn DiFiore won the first set but Stoughton took the second, sending it to a third set. Rodden and DiFiore had their best set of the match and prevailed with the win (6-4, 4-6, 6-1). North senior Will Folan captured a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles and junior Brody Carter took a 6-1, 6-0 verdict at second singles. Stoughton senior Anish Sinha earned a 6-4, 6-3 win at third singles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the Kelley-Rex division, King Philip took a clean sweep over visiting Attleboro. Ahunna James (6-4, 6-1), Shea Mellman (6-0, 6-0), and Caroline Freese (6-1, 6-2) swept the singles matches for the Warriors. Resha Ajoy teamed up with Lauren Casper and emerged from a 90-minute battle to take a 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 victory at first doubles, and the pairing of Priya Riar and Carlie Burns used their strong chemistry to capture a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles for KP.
Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon took three matches in straight sets and two more in third-set tiebreakers to earn a 5-0 sweep of visiting Canton. In a great battle at first singles, sophomore Navya Shukla emerged with a hard-fought win over Canton freshman Camila Cutter (7-5, 4-6, 10-8). Sharon’s Sophia Oh and Ritu Sreeram also prevailed in a tiebreaker, taking a win at first doubles (6-2, 4-6, 10-6). Sharon’s Ale Aguilar won 6-2, 6-4 at second singles, Judy Song added a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at third singles, and Jenny Sand teamed up with Alina Hou for a 6-1, 6-2 second doubles victory.
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames swept both doubles matches and got a key win in singles action from a senior to take a 3-2 verdict on the road at Foxboro. Senior Elizabeth O’Brien played a very smart and consistent match to take a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Tigers’ lone point in singles action. The senior pairing of Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper were strong at the net in a 6-3, 6-2 win and the duo of Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli also won in straight sets (6-3, 6-3) for OA. Foxboro’s Athena Li continued to shine at first singles with a 6-0, 6-0 win while Hailey Kornbluth took a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles for the Warriors.
Franklin, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Franklin took all five matches in straight sets to take down Milford and stay in first place in the Kelley-Rex division with three matches to go. Izzy Trull (6-2, 6-1) Chloe Essum (6-3, 6-2), and Sarah Schiavo (6-1, 6-2) swept the three singles matches for the Panthers while Vedika Vinayak and Lexy Winkler secured a 6-2, 6-3 win at first doubles, and Amulya Jayam and Nihara Lijan captured a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles.
Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final
Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Millis, 6:00
Milford @ Medfield, 6:00
Baseball
Attleboro, 5 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Billy Saltmarsh and Ben Hochwarter combined for a strong pitching effort on the mound and the Bombardiers picked up a key win on the road at Milford. Saltmarsh struck out eight in 5.1 innings of work to get the win while Hochwarter had two strikeouts in 2.1 innings. The Bombardiers had eight hits on the day with Evan Houle, Cooper Johnson, and Saltmarsh each recording a pair. Brody McKenna added a base hit and a run scored and Tyler Dunlea had one hit and one RBI.
Stoughton, 3 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Stoughton used two runs in the top of the first inning, a key insurance run in the sixth, and a great pitching effort from Joseph Rush and Anthony Tilton to take down Canton for its first league win of the season. Anthony Girolamo smacked a two-out single to score both Brad Franey (walk) and Anthony Tilton (single) to give the Black Knights an early 2-0 lead. Rush allowed just one run on five hits and two walks, striking out one to earn the win. Tilton picked up a two-inning save, allowing two hits and one walk with a pair of strikeouts in two shutout innings. Canton cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double from Eddie Gillis to score Matt Hart (triple) but Stoughton got it back in the top of the sixth on an RBI from Tilton. Hayden Rose tossed a complete game for the Bulldogs, allowing three runs in just five hits and one walk, striking out three.
Foxboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Freshman Nolan Gordon tossed a complete game for his fifth win of the season and the Warriors scored three runs in the top of the sixth to stun North Attleboro on the road at Community Field. Gordon allowed just one run (unearned) on three hits and three walks, striking out five for the victory. The Rocketeers took the lead with the first run of the game in the fourth on a one-out triple from Tyler DeMattio, who came home to score after a throwing error on the same play. Foxboro rallied in the top of the sixth as Jack Watts reached on a dropped third strike and Ryan LeClair was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Sean O’Leary tied the game with a double to center to bring Watts home, and then on an 0-2 count, Louis Carangelo smashed a triple to right to bring in both LeClair and O’Leary to make it 3-1. Gordon worked around a one-out single from DeMattio in the sixth and a one-out walk to Dillon Harding in the seventh to get the win.
Taunton, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Franklin junior blasted a three-run home run over the fence in right field in a five-run third inning as the Panthers avenged a loss to Taunton from earlier in the season. Sophomore Henry Digiorgio and junior Jase Lyons had back-to-back RBI singles to put the hosts ahead 4-1 and then Chin sent a 2-0 pitch deep to right to make it 7-1. Franklin took the lead on a sac fly from Evan Raider in the bottom of the first before Taunton leveled things on an RBI single from Shawn Cali in the top of the second. The Panthers went back ahead in the bottom of the second with a sac fly from Ben Jarosz. James Kuczmiec, who normally comes on in relief for the Panthers, had a terrific outing on the mound with just one run allowed on five hits and two walks, striking out a pair in a complete-game effort. Evan Cali tossed three scoreless innings in relief for the Tigers, allowing four hits with two strikeouts.
King Philip, 1 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – After King Philip scored the first run of the game in the top of the fifth, Mansfield pushed across two in the bottom half and that was enough for the Hornets in a tight battle against the Warriors. Shawn Legere presented the visitors with a 1-0 lead with an RBI triple that plated Rudy Gately for a 1-0 lead. Mansfield starter Aaron Blinn (6 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 8 K) stranded the runner at third though, inducing a ground ball in the next at-bat. Cian Goulet reached on an error and took second to lead off the bottom half, advanced to third on a sac bunt from Aiden Jones, and then scored on an RBI single from Matt DeShiro to make it 1-1. Another KP error kept the inning alive and Conner Zukowski, who had walked earlier in the inning, came home to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Connor Curtis retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh, including two strikeouts, to get the save. Gately pitched well for the Warriors, going five innings with two runs (unearned) allowed on three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Max Robison had three hits on the day for KP while Jake Maydak had two for the Hornets.
Sharon, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 9 – Final – Oliver Ames took the lead with a four-run third inning and then extended it by scoring again in the fourth, the sixth, and seventh to secure a win over Sharon. Ian Kelly and Nathan Carpentier each drove in a run and Jack Richardson plated two with a single in the third as the Tigers established a 4-0 lead. Brad Washburne scored on a passed ball and Nathanial Lewis added an RBI single in the fourth, Kelly drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth, and both Washburne and Ryan Lemay drove in a run in the seventh to make it 9-0. Sharon pushed across four runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh with Dan Okstein driving in a run with a single, Connor Blaney drawing a bases-loaded walk and Liam Conway plating two with a double to left. Richardson got the win on the mound, tossing 4.2 shutout innings with one hit and five walks allowed, and five strikeouts.
Softball
Milford, 0 @ Attleboro, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – Attleboro’s Lily Routhier had a game to remember, tossing a no-hitter while also having a big day offensively to lead the Bombardiers over visiting Milford. Routhier didn’t allow a hit or a walk in five innings of work, striking out four with strong defense behind her. At the dish, she went 3-for-4 and knocked in three runs. Lauren Eby also had three hits with four RBI, Sarah Maher added two hits and an RBI, and Lindsey Perry had a hit and an RBI in the win. Kayla Goldrick smashed a two-run homer over the fence in the bottom of the fourth for Attleboro.
Canton, 4 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – Kerry Driscoll had a strong showing in the circle and Kate Bulger had a big day at the dish to lead Stoughton to a close win over Canton. Driscoll allowed just three hits in a complete-game effort for her eighth win of the season. Bulger had three hits on the day, including a double, and drove in a run. Leila Alaoui added an RBI double while Sydney Menz chipped in with a base hit and two RBI.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – North extended its lead at the top of the Davenport division and swept the season series with Foxboro. Kelly Colleran continues to dominate in the circle, striking out 19 batters to match the program record that she set last Friday and giving up only two infield singles. North broke the deadlock with two outs in the fifth. Pinch hitter Arianna McDavitt singled to start a rally and came in to score the game-winner on Mandi Hanewich’s triple. After Ally Levine drew a walk, Colleran knocked in a pair of runs with a double. Maryellen Charette scored North’s fourth run in the sixth. She doubled and came in on a sac fly from Emma Hanwell. Zoey McDonough returned from injury for North and had a pair of hits.
Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 15 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton led 4-3 heading to the bottom of the fifth and exploded for 11 runs over the next two innings to seal the win. The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and made it 4-1 in the third, but the Panthers got a pair of runs in the fourth to get back within one. Taunton got four in the fifth and then seven more in the sixth to close it out. Ava Venturelli was 4-for-4 with a pair of homers and drove in five runs to the lead the Tigers. Brooke Aldrich was 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI, Hayley Krockta added a solo homer, and Mia Fernandes was 2-for-3 with three RBI in the nine-hole. Cate Larson went the distance, allowing no earned runs, to pick up the win.
Mansfield, 0 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip’s offense came alive with eight runs in the bottom of the second inning and extended the lead with runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take down Mansfield. Emma Sheehan was stellar in the circle, allowing just one hit and one walk, striking out six in five scoreless innings. Charlotte Raymond drove in a pair to get the offense going and Mia Bennett pushed another runner home to make it 3-0, and then the Warriors added five more runs with two outs. Ava Kelley, Meg Sherwood, Liv Petrillo (walk), Raymond (HBP), and Bennett all brought in a run during the sequence. Raymond added an RBI in the fourth and then KP plated three more in the fifth: an RBI from Missy Canning, an RBI double from Taylor Regan, and a throwing error for the final run.
Sharon, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 21 – Final (5 inn.) – Oliver Ames came out on fire with nine runs in the first and 10 more in the second to take a big win over visiting Sharon. Junior captains Maddie Homer (4-for-4, five RBI, three runs) and Katie Melendy (2-for-5, four RBI, two runs) paced the offense for the Tigers. Junior Lexi Galsband, sophomore Madison Monteiro and freshman Devon Morris had two hits and three RBI each for OA. Melendy got the win in the circle, allowing just three hits with 10 strikeouts.
Boys Lacrosse
Milford, 3 @ Blackstone Valley, 18 – Final
Sharon, 9 @ North Attleboro, 18 – Final – Jared Vacher had a strong showing at the face off X, setting North Attleboro for a big day offensively in a non-league win over Sharon. Clayton Billingkoff and Matt Antonetti each had five goals apiece with three assists while Connor Ruppert added a pair of goals and four helpers. The Rocketeers played well defensively in front of JT Gallagher (seven saves).
Oliver Ames, 13 @ Hull, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames went on the road and returned home with a 13-4 verdict over Hull. The Tigers had five players find the back of the net with junior Ben Reardon leading the charge with seven goals. Wyatt Fritchman added a pair while Ryan Jaco, Alex McAndrew, Wes Tower, and Ryan Moore each scored once. Junior Noah Isleib made 10 saves in net for the win.
Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 12 @ Oliver Ames, 9 – Final – After building a one-goal lead at the half (7-6), Canton held the hosts to just half of that production in the second half to get a key win on the road. Ella Yeaton paced the attack for the Bulldogs with five goals while Emily McCabe added four goals and four assists. Elyse Broderick made eight saves in net to secure the win.
North Attleboro, 18 @ Sharon, 7 – Final – North jumped out to a 12-2 lead at halftime to pick up the road win. Bailey Garte scored three times for the Eagles, who also got goals from Keira Lydeard, Anna Hertzel, Lauren McLaughlin, and Kaitlyn Galeota. McLaughlin also gave the Eagles a strong presence on the draw and the defensive end of the field. Gilli Aronson stepped into goal for the first time this season and saved five of the 11 shots she faced, as the Eagles played nearly even in the second half.
Milford, 10 vs. Blackstone Valley, 6 – Final – After seeing a four-goal lead slip away to visiting Blackstone Valley, Milford scored five of the final six goals to secure the win. The Hawks had a 5-1 lead before the visitors chipped away, eventually pulling even at 5-5 early in the second half. Emily Croteau (two goals, three assists), Aislinn Bennett (four goals, two assists), Carly Haley (three goals, one assist), and Stephanie Goulet (goal) paced the offense.
Taunton, 5 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 12 – Final – The Tigers had four different players find the back of the net but fell against Dighton-Rehoboth in a non-league clash. Maddison Szala led the way with a pair of goals while Sarah Clark, Cali Melo, and Riley Lemaire each scored once for the Tigers.
Boys Tennis
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Attleboro won all three singles matches and added one more victory from doubles action to defend home court with a 4-1 verdict over visiting Milford. Kyle Neuendorf overcame a one-set deficit to secure a 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 win at first singles, Ethan Johnson rolled in a 6-0, 6-1 decision at second sinlges, and Arnov Sodhani prevailed from a hard-fought third singles match with a 6-4, 7-5 win. Attleboro’s fourth point came from the team of Evan Sousa and Brady Rosen, battleing to a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win. Milford’s second doubles tandem of Pedro DeSousa and Todd Ostertag battled for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Canton, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Canton’s Davis Lamb and Kevin Moltenbrey prevailed in a battle at first doubles that went three sets to secure the clinching point for the Bulldogs in a win on the road over Stoughton. Lamb and Moltenbrey earned a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win to clinch the victory. Max Kupferman (6-0, 6-1) and Suraj Ramanathan (6-0, 6-0) added wins at first and second singles, respectively, for the Bulldogs. Stoughton got wins from Anish Sinha (third singles) and Anthony Maylock and Aadil Khond (second doubles).
North Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – It took three sets for two matches but Foxboro finished off a 4-1 win over the Rocketeers at home. Senior Bo Canfield grabbed a 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 win at second singles while the team of freshman Luca Meyer and sophomore Ryan Fossella battled to a 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (3) win at first doubles. Garrett Spillane added a 6-2, 6-2 win at first singles and Raj Jetty added a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. North Attleboro’s Aashman Gupta and Caleb Cheney earned a 6-4, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Franklin, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – With straight-set wins in all five matches, Franklin earned a sweep on the road over Taunton. Senior Vayshnav Malhotra earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, senior Sameen Shaik added a 6-1, 6-2 victory at second singles, and senior Drew Mahoney grabbed a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. Seniors Tim O’Keefe and Thomas Broyles teamed up for a 6-1, 6-1 first doubles win while sophomore Ahen Shetty joined senior Ryan Rourke for a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Mansfield, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Sophomore Jacob Weiner and freshman Josh Weiner emerged from a competitive battle at second doubles with a 7-5, 6-3 verdict to complete Mansfield’s 5-0 sweep on the road. Kailash Elumelai (6-1, 6-0), Neema Khosravani (6-2, 6-0), and Iniyan Karruppusami (6-2, 6-1) combined to lose just six total games in the three singles matches and the tandem of senior Jonah Fine and sophomore Nikhil Nain added a 6-2, 6-3 win at first doubles for the Hornets.
Sharon, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – The Bombardiers took two wins in each singles and doubles play to defend home court against visiting Milford. Ella Lynch-Bartek secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles and Maddie Fuscaldo added a 6-1, 6-2 decision at second singles for Attleboro. Attleboro’s two doubles teams continued their success as seniors Saharla Yusuf and Tina Lam grabbed a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles, and sophomores Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller earned a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles. Milford’s Serena Borges earned a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win in a hard-fought, competitive battle at third singles.
Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Canton got back into the win column after taking all five matches against visiting Stoughton. Camila Cutter (6-1, 6-3), Laura Correal (6-0, 6-1), and Olivia Maloney (6-2, 6-2) swept the three singles matches for the Bulldogs. The duo of Olivia Durham and Grace Powers notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles, and the tandem of Allie Wong and Kelli Woodworth added a 6-2, 6-1 victory at second doubles.
Foxboro @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin defended home court in impressive fashion, taking all five matches in straight sets to take down Taunton. Izzy Trull notched a 6-0, 6-3 win at first singles, Chloe Essum added a 6-2, 6-3 second doubles win, and Sarah Schiavo grabbed a 6-4, 6-2 win at third singles. The team of senior Vedika Vinayak and junior Allison Bagley captured a 7-5, 6-0 win at first doubles, and senior Amulya Jayam and sophomore Ava Davies prevailed from second doubles with a 6-1, 6-4 decision.
King Philip, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – King Philip junior Ahunna James emerged from a battle at first singles with a hard-fought win, helping the Warriors complete a 5-0 sweep. James took a 6-3, 6-2 win at took over 90 minutes in a well-played match against Kate Martin. Shea Mellman added an impressive 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles and Sammie Taylor made her return to third singles with a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Senior Resha Ajoy and Lauren Casper captured a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles while junior Caroline Freese and senior Palina Yakimovich settled in for a 7-5, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – The battle for the top spot in the Davenport division didn’t disappoint as three of the five matches went three sets before Sharon prevailed with a hard-fought win over a strong Oliver Ames squad. Sophomore Navya Shukla emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5) win at first singles, freshman Judy Song earned a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win at second singles, and junior Abby Vilk took a 6-3, 6-2 verdict at third singles. Sharon’s fourth point came from the doubles team of freshman Olivia Landstein and junior Ellie Zhao, who overcame a one-set deficit for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win. OA’s first doubles tandem of Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou earned a 6-3, 6-2 win.
Canton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – Canton took the lead with a run in the top of the sixth but North Attleboro responded with two runs in the bottom half and took the win over the Bulldogs. Knotted at 1-1, Jack Digirolamo laced an RBI double to bring in Hayden Rose to put the visitors ahead 2-1. Dillon Harding came on in relief and got three straight strikeouts to strand the runner in scoring position and North capitalized on that momentum in the bottom half. Brody Rosenberg drew a one-out walk and junior Jordan Paradis had a pinch-hit, two-out RBI double to bring in the tying run for the hosts. A two-out single from Aidan Conrad allowed Paradis to race home for the go-ahead run. Canton put two on in the top of the seventh but Harding (2IP, 0H, 0BB, 5K) got two more strikeouts to end the game. Canton struck first in the top of the first, taking advantage of a throwing error on a double steal. In the bottom of the third, Tyler Bannon had a lead off single, stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sac fly from Tyler DeMattio. Bannon pitched well in his start, allowing 2 runs (0 earned) on two hits, striking out nine in 5 innings of work. For Canton, Owen Lane allowed one run on three hits and three walks, striking out five in three innings while Andy Butler had two runs allowed (one earned) on three hits with three strikeouts.
Sharon, 3 @ Foxboro, 16 – Final (6 inn.) – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Foxboro junior Sean O’Leary had four hits, including three doubles, and drove in four runs, and for the second straight game the Warriors used one big inning offensively to create a big lead they never relinquished. Sharon took a 2-1 lead into the third before Foxboro exploded for eight runs in the third, and tacked on six more in the top of the sixth as the Warriors were the road team against the visiting Eagles, who are without a field this year due to construction of the new high school. Jack Watts (RBI, run), Tyler Prescott (two RBI, three runs), Mike Marcucella (two RBI), and Louis Carangelo (RBI, run) each had two hits as Foxboro totaled 15 hits on the day. Freshman Nolan Gordon earned the win on the mound, tossing a six-inning complete game, allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out four. Sharon’s Will Hippler, Ryan Baker (two hits), and Luke Meixel each had an RBI.
Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Franklin pushed across two runs in the top of the seventh inning without recording a hit and senior James Kuczmiec shut the door in the bottom half of the inning as the Panthers escaped with a win on the road. Mansfield plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth, with an RBI single from Anthony Sacchetti (to score Conner Zukowski, who had three hits on the day) and an RBI single from Connor Curtis (to score Sacchetti) to take a 2-1 lead into the final inning. In the top of the seventh, Eisig Chin drew a leadoff walk and took third after Ryan Gerety reached on an error. Jack Marino hit a ground ball and Chin was able to beat the throw home to tie the game, and Gerety took off for third. Chris Goode then drove in the winning run with a ground out to make it 3-2. Mansfield got the tying run to second in the bottom half before Kuczmiec (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K) induced a fly ball in foul territory for the third out. Franklin scored its first run in the top of the third on a passed ball and error. Alfred Mucciarone allowed two runs on seven hits (no walks), striking out six in 5.2 innings of work for Franklin. Mansfield’s Aaron Blinn allowed the one run (unearned) on four hits (no walks), striking out six in 5 innings.
Milford, 5 @ King Philip, 18 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip scored 10 runs between the first two innings and then had an eight-run third inning for its highest run total of the season in a win over Milford. The visiting Hawks staked a 2-0 lead after the top of the first but were plagued by errors throughout and KP pushed four across in the bottom half to take a lead it never relinquished. Matt Kelley had two hits and scored four runs in the win, Shawn Legere drove in four runs with three runs scored, Rudy Gately added two RBI and three rubs, Matt DiFiore drove in a pair, and Eli Reed had a hit, an RBI, and a run scored. Tommy McLeish got the win on the mound, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks, striking out four in 4.1 innings of work.
Oliver Ames, 8 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Down to their last three outs, the Tigers of Oliver Ames rallied for seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to prevail with a win on the road over Stoughton. Each team scored a run in the first and Stoughton then took its first lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jonah Ly hit into a fielder’s choice, allowing Joe McNulty to score, and Anthony Tilton followed with a two-out RBI single to score Ly for a 3-1 lead. With the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Jake Waxman cleared the bases with a single to right field to put the Tigers ahead 4-3. Jack Richardson (three hits) added an RBI single, and the Tigers tacked on three more on a pair of outfield errors to go ahead 8-3. Richardson was charged all three runs on three hits and three walks, striking out five in five innings. Ben Whiteside (two Ks) and JoJo Gaultier (1H, 1K) each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Junior Joseph Rush pitched well for Stoughton, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks in 6.1 innings.
Softball
Taunton, 16 @ Attleboro, 10 – Final
North Attleboro, 12 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Kelley Colleran struck out 16 with no walks and faced just two over the minimum, while also going 1-for-2 with three RBI and reaching base four times, as North rolled to a big win on the road. Zoey McDonough also had a big day at the plate with four hits and three RBI. Ally Levine added three hits, reached base five times, and scored three runs, Mandi Hanewich had three hits and three runs scored, Shaelyn Burns had a pair of hits and drove in three, and Maryellen Charette had a hit for North.
King Philip, 4 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 1 – Final – A three-run fifth inning and strong pitching from sophomore Jordan Bennett propelled King Philip to a key non-league win over Bridgewater-Raynham. Holding a 1-0 lead, the Warriors struck for three runs with two outs in the fifth to gain some separation. Meg Sherwood smacked a double to right to score Sarah Cullen, Ava Kelley followed with a double to right to bring Sherwood in, and Taylor Regan singled in Kelley to push the lead to 4-0. Kelley had another RBI double back in the third inning, also with two outs, to score Sherwood (double) to make it 1-0. BR struck with two outs in the seventh but Bennett (7IP, 7H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 2K) bounced back to get the final out and the win.
Mansfield, 11 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – The Hornets scored five runs in the top of the first and never looked back, compiling 11 hits as a team and winning for the second time in three days. Cat Kipp and Callie Lake started the game with singles and both came in to score on a base hit from Liv Madeira. With the bases loaded, Molly Kucharski brought in a run with a deep sac fly and Julia Kelly wrapped up the inning with a two-run single. Kelly tripled in the fourth and scored Mansfield’s sixth run on an Olivia DeTrolio single. After Franklin got its first run in the bottom of the fourth, the Hornets answered back with five runs in the fifth to put the game away. Madeira and Casey Moussette singled and Alanna Conley walked to load the bases. Jill Koppy plated a pair with a hit, Kucharski brought in two more with a hit, and Kelly drove in her third run of the day with a sac fly. The Panthers got two runs back in the seventh.
Milford, 5 @ Framingham, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final
Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 12 @ Bishop Feehan, 11 – Final (OT)
Milford, 2 vs. Blackstone Valley, 17 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Canton @ Whitman-Hanson, 2:00
Foxboro, 8 @ Walpole, 19 – Final
North Attleboro, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 14 – Final
2021 Record: 5-11 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Steve Dunlea
With a good mix of new faces and experienced veterans, Attleboro is aiming to be in the mix of a loaded Kelley-Rex division. For the Bombardiers, it will lean heavily on a deep pitching staff.
It starts with seniors Billy Saltmarsh, who is committed to UMass Dartmouth, and Cian Kelleher, who is committed to Stonehill. They’ll be joined in the rotation by junior lefty Danny Johnson while senior Jamie Bloch and junior Sean O’Hara lend strength to the relief corps. Sophomore Matt Harvie, sophomore Johnny Pagano, and freshman Tyler Dunlea will also be in the mix to see innings on the mound.
Senior captain Owen Taber (UMass Dartmouth) will be an anchor of the Bombardier defense at second base while juniors Peter DelPozzo and Cooper Johnson, along with Pagano, look to fill in at shortstop as senior captain Evan Houle works his way back from an injury from basketball season. Johnson, DelPozzo, and Dunlea are in the mix for the starting job at third while Bloch (committed to UMaine Farmington) and Christian Dame provide depth at first base.
In the outfield, senior Nate George will cover a lot of ground from his spot in centerfield, and the Bombardiers will rotate between Parket Sacket, Hayden Hagerty, Ben Hochwarter, Danny Johnson, Brody McKenna, and Harvie for the other two outfielder spots. Junior Aidan Hochwarter provides a steady presence both at the dish and behind the plate at catcher.
“The strength of this team is its chemistry,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have a great group of returning players who have really worked hard to build a team bond through the pandemic. I give a lot of credit to the captains from last year and this year. Despite the challenges they faced with COVID, they were able to rebuild the chemistry of the Attleboro baseball program that was lost when the 2020 season was canceled.”
2021 Record: 8-7 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton got off to a great start to the 2021 campaign, winning six of their first seven games but ended up with a first-round exit in the playoffs. With a strong core of returning players plus a couple of promising young players, the Bulldogs are aiming to get back to the postseason again this season.
The Bulldogs certainly have some holes to fill with the loss of a talented senior class and the departure of ace Andrew Middleton. Fourth-year head coach Ben Shuffain will lean on captains Andy Butler and Matt Chafin to lead the charge this season, along with three-year players Nico Bonanno, Matt Quan, and Zach Peters. Chafin was one of the best offensive players in the league last year, finishing second with a 0.442 average.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Shuffain has a lot of options for pitching, with at least a dozen choices to fill out the rotation and relief corps. Jay Kelleher, Hayden Rose, and Owen Lane will all be in the mix for innings on the mound. Matty Lesser, James Young, Jack Digirolomo, and freshman Kyle Redquest will work the infield while the catching duties will fall to Sean Sullivan and Matt Hart.
“We are a very experienced team with a lot of guys with a lot of innings pitched from last season and wins under their belt,” Shuffain said. “With a few of last year’s backups moving into starting roles and the addition of a few younger guys and the experienced upperclassmen this team should have a good season as they will continue to work hard on the field and in the weight room.”
2021 Record: 5-10 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 3 South Preliminary Round Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro has some of the top returning talents in the league but will look for some of its younger players to provide the depth needed to compete for a division title this season.
Junior captain Sean O’Leary is one of the top arms in the league and has a lot of varsity experience under his belt already. He will be the ace of the staff that will also feature junior Mathieu Sullivan, who made his varsity debut last season, and freshman Nolan Gordon, who has impressed during the preseason. Pitching depth will come from seniors Andrew Peterson, Tom Marcucella, Liam Mulkern, and junior Alex Stern.
Senior captain Tom Marcucella is one of the most experienced players in the league and his versatility gives head coach Derek Suess a lot of options in the infield. Marcucella can play at any of the four infield spots but will spend the majority of his time at first base. Junior Ryan LeClair is back in the mix at shortstop after a breakout season a year ago, sophomore Tyler Prescott is back for his second year with the squad, and freshman Ryan O’Leary offers a solid bat and glove. Senior Kyle Smith and junior Josh Connolly provide solid depth in the infield.
Senior captain and three-sport star Jack Watts will patrol center field for the Warriors and will be flanked by juniors Kenny Mello and Louis Carangelo, all three looking to make an impact with their bats this season. When not pitching, Gordon will also be in the mix for some innings in the outfield and sophomore Shane Henri gives Suess another solid option. Mulkern is the starting catcher with freshmen Ben Angelini and Mike Marcucella in the mix as well.
“We have great leadership from our captains and upperclassmen which has set the tone for the rest of our guys,” Suess said. “The underclassmen have bought in and can contribute right away. We must embrace the daunting challenge of playing in the Hock, and compete with confidence to give ourselves the best chance to reach our goals.”
2021 Record: 16-2 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Zach Brown
Franklin graduated some of the best players in the league after last season, but the Panthers still have a loaded lineup and a deep and talented pitching staff that could result in a very deep playoff run.
Not many teams could lose one of the best hitters in the league (Nate Cooke, 0.429) and one of the best catchers in the league (Jake Fitzgibbons, 0.353) and still boast one of the best lineups in the league but that’s how deep the Panthers are. Jack Marino, Ben Jarosz, and Chris Goode were all among the league leaders offensively a season ago, and Franklin also has sophomore Henry Digiorgio and junior Eisig Chin back after picking up a year of varsity experience. Junior Ryan Gerety, a Northeastern commit, is one of the best fielders in the region and is very dangerous at the plate.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
And after surrendering a league-low 40 runs last season, Franklin returns its entire rotation. Jacob Jette had a great junior season and will be one of the best pitchers in the Hock while junior Alfred Mucciarone will look to build upon a solid sophomore campaign. Relievers James Kuczmiec and Ethan Voellmicke dominated last season, coming in time after time and shutting opponents down.
2021 Record: 8-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
It was a good start for head coach Jeff Plympton as the Warriors won eight games last season and went to the playoffs, bowing out to eventual state champions Xaverian.
King Philip has the majority of its lineup back and will be looking to make some noise in a very competitive Kelley-Rex division. After averaging almost five runs a game last year, the Warriors have some key bats back in the lineup this year. Senior Shawn Legere is a returning league all star that starts at shortstop and is coming off a season in which he hit 0.386 and scored a league-best 16 runs. Rudy Gately had a breakout sophomore season and will be a key bat in the lineup again this year.
Gately will also be a go-to option on the mound for Plympton after going 4-0 last season, striking out 33 in 34.1 innings of work with an impressive 1.03 ERA. Tommy Martorano also gained a lot of experience last year as a sophomore and will give the Warriors a solid 1-2 punch for its starting rotation.
“We have a lot of arms to roll out if we need them which is great,” Plympton said. “Shawn Legere provides great leadership to the team and demands hard work at practice and games. Our fielding should be strong this year but I’m looking forward to watching our offense. Last year we struggled at the plate but this year looks promising. Last season we notched our first playoff win in over a decade and we look to keep those strides moving forward this year.”
2021 Record: 8-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Chris Hall
With a talented and experienced pitching staff and a list of players eager to make a name for themselves at the dish, Mansfield enters the season with the goal of challenging for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Hornets were young last spring, and a lot of players earned their first varsity starts on the mound and at-bats. Mansfield has the majority of its team back and will be looking to turn that valuable experience into a successful 2022 campaign. They certainly aren’t shying away from testing that talent with defending state champions Xaverian, Maryland powerhouse Archbishop Spalding, and other top teams on its schedule along with a loaded Hock schedule.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Seniors Anthony Sacchetti, Aaron Blinn, Jimmy Gilleran, and Colby Geddis highlight a deep and talented pitching staff for the Hornets. All of those arms got their feet wet during last year’s season and now give head coach Chris Hall a lot of flexibility with his rotation. There won’t be a drop off as the games go on with four solid options.
The big challenge for the Hornets a season ago was offense, scoring a division low 57 runs. With a strong offseason under their belts, there are a lot of names eager to step up and improve that number. Sacchetti, Gilleran, Geddis, and classmates Andrew Slaney and Jared Fraone will try to lead the way while juniors Conner Zukowski, Sam Martin, Caden Colby, Aidan Jones, and Rocco Scarpellini are all in the mix. Sophomores Connor Curtis and Jake Maydak both played varsity last year and could be impact players right away. Behind the dish, Aidan Jones and Wyatt Bolduc are battling for the starting spot at catcher after the Hornets lost senior Liam Anastasia to an injury.
“The keys to success this season rely heavily on every player doing their job,” Hall said. “The Hornets bring a well-rounded roster to the table and expect to compete all season long. Pitching and defense continue to be a strength for the Hornets. Offensively, the Hornets look to use a variety of talent to score runs and win baseball games.”
2021 Record: 5-9 2021 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Alex Dion
There were some growing pains for the Hawks a season ago with a young squad, but with just five players graduated from a year ago, the Hawks are hoping to be a contender in a deep Kelley-Rex division.
Head coach Alex Dion plans to get contributions from all four classes this season, starting with a strong group of seniors that cover the field. Tyler Lane and Grant Scudo will see time in the outfield, Justin Luchini mans first base, Alex McColl can play in a number of spots in the infield, Cole Forrest is a versatile weapon, and John Denegris is an option on the mound.
The rotation will be anchored by junior Evan Cornelius, junior Tyler Caldon, and sophomore Anthony LaPierre. Cornelius started every game for the Hawks last season and will play at first when he’s not on the mound. Caldon and LaPierre, both right-handed pitchers, are up from the JV squad and have impressed in the early going.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Offensively, sophomore Keith Lee picked up valuable experience after starting nine games as a freshman last season. He will start behind the dish and be one of the most important bats in the lineup. Sophomores Damien Carter and Sean McGee also started last season and will make up Milford’s middle infield.
“I am excited about the potential that this group has,” Dion said. “With strong senior leadership and varsity players in all four grades we have an opportunity to compete this year and for years to come. This is a great league and I have a lot of respect for the other teams in it. It starts on the mound and if we can get quality pitching out of the arms that we have here we have a chance to compete. We will have to win games in a variety of ways and I believe that we have the athletes to do that.”
2021 Record: 12-5 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Mike Hart
After splitting the division title a season ago, the Rocketeers enter the 2022 campaign with a chance at winning back-to-back division titles for the first time in 30 years.
Replacing ace Dennis Colleran won’t be easy but North Attleboro has some solid arms on the mound including senior Danny Curran and senior David Floyd, who missed last season. Curran went 2-0 last year and struck out 22 in 23 innings of work with a 3.65 ERA. Head coach Mike Hart also has pitching options in senior Anthony Wescott, and juniors Jordan Paradis, Derek Maceda, and Ayden Delaney.
One of the big reasons the Rocketeers had such success last season was their offense, which scored a Davenport division 110 runs. Maceda was one of the best bats in the league and will patrol the outfield for the Big Red along with Curran, Paradis, and senior Christian Bates. In the infield, Floyd will be joined by classmates Brody Rosenberg, Gavin Wells, and Nik Kojoian, and senior Tyler Bannon will patrol shortstop. Junior Aidan Conrad had a breakout season starting behind the dish a year ago.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
“We’re going to look to put a lot of pressure on other teams offensively,” Hart said. “We have many capable pitchers who can provide quality innings. We feel our defense will limit mistakes and not give many runs away. If we want to have a successful season we will need contributions from everybody on the roster on a daily basis. We will rely on our senior leadership and experience to guide us through the season. We need guys to excel in their role and focus on the job at hand.”
2021 Record: 9-6 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Joe Abarr
After earning a share of the Davenport title last season, the Tigers have the pieces in place to make another run at the division crown this year.
A combination of veterans and new faces eager to make an impression gives head coach Joe Abarr a nice mix to work with. Offensively, the Tigers will look for their senior captains to lead the way. Jake Waxman will play first base and potentially some outfield and is one of the best bats in the Hockomock League while Joe Cicchetti could also see time at first as well as the outfield, and is a strong two-way player. Patrick Finnerty is back in the mix after a strong junior season.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
On the mound, OA has a pair of lefties at the top of the rotation. Nick Clark (3-0, 2.78, 32K) and Jack Richardson (2-2, 2.07, 21K) are both coming off great junior seasons and will give the Tigers a solid 1-2 punch on the mound this year. Richardson will also see time in the outfield and will be a key piece of the lineup offensively.
“We have a good mix of returners and young talented players looking for opportunities to help our team win,” Abarr said. “We are excited for a full ‘normal’ season back in the Hock.”
2021 Record: 3-12 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round Coach: Andrew Poliferno
Sharon enters the season with a roster eager to compete among the Hockomock League’s top teams, but the Eagles will have to do so all on the road this season. With the construction of the new high school currently underway where Sharon’s field was, it will be all road trips for the Eagles this season.
It will start with the 10 seniors on the team, including captains Dan Okstein and Dylan Labbe. Okstein is back after an injury limited his time a year ago and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. He will be the anchor of the outfield, playing mostly in left but could also see time in center. Labbe has a ton of varsity experience and will be the ace of the pitching staff this year. Also on the mound returns sophomore Luke Meixel, one of the league’s breakout players last year as a freshman. junior Alex Coughlin, Ryan Baker, Zach Loomis, Jack Broughton, and Okstein will also be in the mix for innings on the mound.
Offensively, Nate Yaffe is back after a great year at the dish a year ago and will take over at shortstop. Not only is Yaffe consistent with the bat, but he’s also very dangerous on the base paths. Another speedy option at the dish will be Palash Raina and the Eagles are hoping to get key contributions at the plate from Okstein and varsity newcomer Connor Blaney. Liam Conway takes over behind the dish and Will Hippler, Owen Kevorkian, Eli Greenfield, Josh Tolentino, and Jake Loomis are all in the mix for spots in the lineup as well.
2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
“As a second-year varsity coach, I couldn’t be prouder to see how ready our players are to play their 2022 season,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Poliferno. “It is evident our players worked hard during the off-season to prepare to compete in the Hockomock. Our players are gritty, determined, and not afraid to put in the hard work that it takes to improve. In addition to their drive to succeed, the team vibe is positive and players go out of their way to encourage one another. I believe we have the makings of a very talented and passionate group of players ready to make noise for their 2022 season.”
2021 Record: 4-10 2021 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Kevin Carty
There will be a lot of new faces in the Stoughton lineup this season, and that goes for the dugout too as Kevin Carty takes over for Mike Armour, who was the longest-tenured coach in the Hockomock League.
Carty is going to lean heavily on his seniors, who make up over half of the Knights’ roster. There is a lot of versatility among the senior class as well with players like Joe McNulty and Jonah Ly, who could see time in the outfield, the infield, on the mound, and in McNulty’s case, even behind the dish. Brad Franey, Anthony Girolamo, Anthony Tilton, James Price, and Owen Wiesnberger are all seniors that are in the mix for infield spots.
Girolamo, Ly, and Price will be joined by sophomore Will Worsley, junior Jeriel Cuello, junior Sean Farley, junior Joe Rush, and sophomore Hunter Malkin as options on the mound for Carty.
“We have a deep group of seniors that will carry us this year,” Carty said. “These seniors are very athletic and can play anywhere on the field. They have the ability to be great leaders for the younger players. We will go as far as they carry us.”
2021 Record: 13-5 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal Coach: Blair Bourque
Replacing a league MVP is never an easy task as the Tigers have to do with Danny MacDougall, but Taunton has a lot of depth and a lot of new faces looking to make a name for themselves as they help Taunton challenge for the Kelley-Rex title.
The strength of the 2022 Tigers will be offense and defense. Taunton has already lost some pitchers to injury so it will be a group effort on the mound this season. Coming off a season in which they scored 119 runs (nearly 7 runs a game), the offense will once again be a key component. Dawson Bryce had a breakout year after hitting 0.341 and driving in 12 runs a season ago, and junior Ryan MacDougall is one of the best power hitters in the league.
Seniors Evan Cali, Colby DeCouta, Colin Botelho, and junior Braden Sullivan are all very experienced at the varsity level and head coach Blair Bourque will lean on their leadership this season.
“Unlike in years past, we don’t have any true pitchers; our pitching staff consists of position players who will need to step up and give us an opportunity to compete,” Bourque said.”Offensively, we’ll look to have productive at-bats, be patient, and take advantage of mistakes. We should have one of the more productive offenses Taunton has had in some time. Although we’ll continue to play fundamental baseball, we hope to be able to capitalize when opportunity presents itself.”
Franklin junior reliever James Kuczmiec threw two perfect innings of relief for the Panthers. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – The Franklin baseball team came up just short in the D1 South Sectional Final against Xaverian, but it sure wasn’t for a lack of effort.
The Panthers rallied to get within one run twice and had the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t get over the hump, falling 5-4 to the visiting Hawks.
Franklin had a hit in five of the seven innings, putting a runner in scoring position in four of those frames. The Panthers pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fourth and made it a one-run game again with a run in the sixth, but Franklin also left the bases loaded in two innings and left a runner in scoring position in two other frames.
“It was a great game, both teams competed hard and both teams had opportunities…they just made a few more plays than we did today,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “We certainly applied pressure and had our chances, even right there to the end. But unfortunately, some walks, some miscues…and they had two big blows. I’m just really proud of this team, especially the seniors.
“Having that gap year, you wonder and worry about if the culture is going to change. When I say they’ve done everything I’ve asked them to, and they’ve done it with tremendous attention to detail, passion, and effort. It’s a great group and I’m really sad to see this season at times.”
Franklin sophomore Alfred Mucciarone worked around a pair of errors in the top of the first inning, getting a soft grounder back to the mound to strand a Xaverian runner at third. Franklin also put a runner in scoring position in the first on hits from Chris Goode and Nate Cooke, but the former was stranded at second.
The Hawks broke open the scoreless game in the top of the third inning on a one-out single from Liam Foley, who moved to second on a walk to Matt Brinker. Foley came around to score on an infield error as the ball got through on the left side to make it 1-0. On the next at-bat, Xaverian’s John Connolly launched a three-run blast over the fence to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.
Franklin junior lefty Ethan Voellmicke came on in relief and got back-to-back fly balls to get out of the inning without further damage.
Voellmicke gave up one hit in the top of the fourth but quickly bounced back to get out of the inning and Franklin’s offense got them back in the game with a big bottom of the fourth.
Jack Marino kept the inning alive with a two-out single, Eisig Chin followed with an infield hit, and CJ Jette walked to load the bases. Junior Jacob Jette, fresh off a 12 strikeout performance in the semifinals, came in and delivered a huge two-out RBI pinch-hit up the middle to get the hosts on the board.
Sophomore Ryan Gerety kept the momentum going by smacking a line drive to left to score both Chin and CJ Jette to get the Panthers within a run. Goode walked to load the bases again for Franklin but Xaverian starter Ryan Douglas got a pop-up in foul territory to the catcher to keep the lead.
Franklin got two quick outs to start the fifth inning but Connolly struck again, this time with a solo shot over the left field fence to give the Hawks a two-run cushion.
Junior righty James Kuczmiec took over on the mound for the Panthers and retired the Hawks in order to give the Panthers some momentum going to the bottom half.
“Those guys have been just nails for us all year out of the pen,” Brown said of Voellmicke and Kuczmiec, who combined to allow just two hits in 4.2 innings of work. “We do it a little bit differently, we pass the baton and trust those guys to do their job. And thankfully, they’ve really embraced that role. They aren’t questioning me about being a starter. Their role is equally as important and they are out there throwing those critical innings at the end of the game. And we have all the confidence in the world to go with them.
“Ethan did a great job settling it down and this team answers, they really do. We’ve talked a lot about being frontrunners or competitors, and frontrunners kind of go away when it gets tough and these guys don’t. They keep fighting, keep competing, keep clawing and keep applying pressure so I’m really proud of them.”
CJ Jette and freshman Henry Digiorgio earned back-to-back one-out walks and Gerety smacked a single into right field but Brinker fielded the throw from right fielder Justice Ciampa on the bounce and applied the tag at home to cut down a runner.
Goode had a two-out single to load the bases for Franklin and Digiorgio came in to score on a wild pitch. With first open, Xaverian elected to intentionally walk Jake Fitzgibbons to load the bases, and Connolly, who came on in relief, got a big strikeout to end the threat and the inning.
Marino came up with a big one-out hit in the bottom of the seventh, representing the tying run on base. Connolly got another strikeout for the second out but Marino stole second to get into scoring position. Franklin put the ball in play but it was a line drive right at the shortstop for the final out.
“A lot of times we try to use this game as a vehicle to try and teach those life lessons,” Brown said. “Sometimes it doesn’t go your way but I’m really proud of how they handled it. Some teams come unglued and there’s finger-pointing, but that’s not this group. They stay together, they fought to end because they really care.”
Baseball
D1 South
#8 Norwood, 7 @ #1 Franklin, 11 – Final – Franklin’s offense stayed hot in the postseason as the Panthers pushed across double-digit runs for the second straight game (and sixth time this season) in an 11-7 win over upset-minded Norwood, the #8 seed in the bracket. Franklin built a four-run lead (6-2) through the first four innings but the Mustangs rallied to tie the game with a four-run fifth inning. Franklin responded with five runs in the bottom half and never looked back to book its spot in the D1 South semifinals. Franklin received contributions from up and down the lineup with Nate Cooke (run, RBI) and Jack Marino (run, two RBI) each recording a pair of hits in the win. Chris Goode added two runs on two walks, a hit, and an RBI, Ryan Gerety and Luc Boudreau each scored a pair of runs, Jake Fitzgibbons smacked an RBI double, and Ben Jarosz had an a hit, a walk, and an RBI. James Kuczmiec earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 innings with one run allowed on one hit and two walks, striking out one. Sophomore Alfred Mucciarone was had a strong start, allowing two runs on four hits over four innings without issuing a walk. Franklin will play #13 seed BC High on Friday at 7:00.
#7 Taunton, 13 @ #2 Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – Taunton had one of its best showings of the season, tying a season-high with 13 runs while blanking the #2 seed Bridgewater-Raynham to advance to the D1 South Semifinals. On the mound, senior Danny MacDougall tossed six shutout innings, working around four hits and three walks while striking out three in the win. And offensively, MacDougall had a pair of hits, driving in one run while scoring four times. Sophomore Ryan MacDougall had a big day a the dish for the Tigers, who scored single runs in the first and second innings, twice in the fourth, three times in the sixth, and put the game away for good with six runs in the top of the seventh inning. The younger MacDougall had three hits on the day, driving in five runs — one on an RBI single in the first, two on a base hit in the fourth, and two more in the sixth. Alyjah Marshall recored three RBI and a run, Dawson Bryce had three hits, three runs, and two RBI, Braden Sullivan added two hits and two RBI, and Colby DeCouta scored once and had two hits in the win. Taunton will travel to #3 Xaverian in the D1 South Semifinals on Friday at 4:00.
D2 South
#8 North Attleboro, 17 @ #1 Nauset, 9 – Final (8 Inn.) – Down to its last out in the seventh inning, North Attleboro rallied to tie the game to force extras, where the Rocketeers pulled away to earn a big win over previously undefeated Nauset. In another roller coaster, back-and-forth contest, North scored twice in the final frame to stay alive. Christian Bates was hit by a pitch to lead off, Jared Penta singled to left to move pinch runner Eric Malcolmson to second and sophomore Derek Maceda was intentionally walked to load the bases. Junior Gavin Wells, who had the game-winning hit against OA in the opening round, hit a two-out, two-run single to center to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. North senior Aidan Weir tossed a scoreless seventh inning to force extras as sophomore Aidan Conrad threw a runner out at second to end the inning. In the top of the eighth, Penta (four hits) plated Tyler Bannon with a single down the third base line to give North a 10-9 advantage. North went on to score seven more runs on four hits, six walks, and two hit batters. In total, the Rocketeers recorded 15 hits, 14 walks and three hit batters, bringing in 16 of the 17 runs on an RBI. North jumped out to an early lead (4-0 on a hit, error, and six walks) but Nauset battled back to tie the game 5-5 after three innings. The Warriors took their first lead in the top of the fifth but Maceda stroked a two-run single to put North back in front, 7-6, in the sixth. Nauset took a 9-7 lead with a three-run home. Weir closed the game out in the bottom of the tenth with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. North Attleboro will play again on Friday, scheduled for a 4:00 PM start against the winner of #4 Dighton-Rehoboth and #5 Hopkinton.
Softball D1 South
#9 Walpole, 0 @ #1 Taunton, 9 – Final – Taunton jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning and added runs in four of the next five innings to take down the visiting Timberwolves of Walpole. The Tigers scored a pair of runs in each the first, third, fifth and sixth innings, tacking on a single run in the fourth. Meanwhile, senior Kelsey White continued her dominance in the circle with another complete game shutout. In seven innings, White allowed four hits and one walk while striking out 15 batters. Offensively, the Tigers had nine hits with White smacking a pair of home runs, driving in a total of four. Senior Hanna Aldrich had three runs, including a triple and a home run, finishing with three RBI. McKenzie McAloon added a hit and an RBI for Taunton. Taunton will host Hock rival and #4 seed King Philip on Thursday at 7:00.
#10 Mansfield, 5 @ #7 Silver Lake, 8 – Final – Mansfield tried to mount a seventh inning comeback but was unable to erase a five-run deficit and saw its playoff run come to an end at Silver Lake. The Hornets trailed 8-3 heading to the final inning, but Callie Lake doubled, pinch hitter Olivia Harnden walked, and Jill Koppy singled to bring in a run. With two runners on, Casey Moussette hit a deep fly ball, but it stayed in play for the center fielder. It was Mansfield that got off to a good start to the game, with a pair of two-out runs in the first. Koppy started the rally by getting by a pitch, Moussette singled, and Molly Kucharski brought both runs in with a single. The Hornets pushed the lead to 3-1 in the fourth on a Nicole Kobasa double and an Alanna Conley RBI single. Silver Lake was able to score twice to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning and went ahead with four runs in the fifth.
D2 South
#12 Foxboro, 5 @ #4 Notre Dame Academy, 0 – Final – Emma Callahan struck out six and allowed only two hits to record a shutout and keep Foxboro’s playoff run going. Fiona Dunn had a big hit from the seven-hole, leadoff hitter Peyton Feldman scored a pair of runs, and Morgan Sylvestre had a sac fly with a deep fly to center. Foxboro coach Mark Maguire said, “We took advantage of some mistakes to get some runs and we’re on to the semis.” The Warriors will travel to top seed Middleboro on Thursday at 6:30.
Boys Tennis D1 South
#3 Sharon, 0 @ #2 Brookline, 5 – Final
Boys Volleyball
Central
#6 Wachusett, 0 @ #2 Milford, 3 – Final – Milford will host #9 seed Lincoln-Sudbury in the Central sectional final on Friday at 5:00.
