06/24/201808/14/2018

Tigers End Long Wait, Bring Home State Championship

Taunton softball — Taunton junior Alexa White (right) is greeted at home by teammates after hitting a grand slam. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

WORCESTER, Mass. – In the bottom of the fourth inning, Wachusett started to hit the ball hard, scoring a run on back-to-back doubles and cutting into the Taunton lead. Although the Tigers still led by three runs, momentum appeared to be shifting to the Central champs and Taunton went to the plate looking for an instant response to take back control.

With one run home, the Tigers had the bases loaded with two outs and up stepped junior Alexa White. Wachusett starter Courtney Lanpher got two strikes on Taunton’s second baseman, but then White turned on a pitch, lifting it to deep left. The Taunton bench was almost holding its breath watching the ball sail towards the fence and almost exploded when the ball cleared it.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

White’s grand slam broke Saturday night’s Div. 1 state championship game wide open, lifting Taunton (26-2) to a convincing 13-2 win over the Mountaineers and ending an 11-year wait for the program’s fifth state title.

“It’s almost surreal,” said Taunton coach Dave Lewry, who earned his fourth title as coach of the Tigers. “I began to question whether I was ever going to get another one, you know? It just hasn’t sunk in yet, but these kids deserve it. The whole team just worked so hard for it.

“I’m just so proud of them all. They’ve had a great, great season.”

Throughout the playoffs, as a team, the Tigers have talked about trying to win this title for the senior class, which before this year had gotten as far as the South sectional final four years ago. On Saturday, they fulfilled that mission.

“They worked so hard all these years and for us to finally have a chance for it, we really wanted them to have it,” said freshman Hanna Aldrich.

The Tigers jumped in front in the first. Junior Jaime Brown (2-for-3) lined a single to center, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Liana Duarte (3-for-4), and then scored on a single by Kya Enos (2-for-4). All three played on the Taunton team that reached the South final in 2015.

In the third, Taunton got some breathing room. Brown drew a one-out walk and stole second. With two outs, Enos drew a walk and Mackenzie Handrahan knocked a single through the left side of the infield. Brown was able to slide in ahead of the tag. Aldrich (2-for-4) followed with a single of her own, which scored Enos and Handrahan for a 4-0 lead.

Wachusett got its first base runner off Kelsey White with two outs in the fourth. Ellie Moore doubled to left center and then Reagan Lowe bounced one off the fence in center to drive her in. Paige Arvidson smashed a line drive right back at White, who snared it to end the inning.

The energy was suddenly much higher from the Wachusett fans and the Mountaineers looked rejuvenated. That lasted only a few hitters.

Duarte started the rally with a one-out single. Enos reached on an error and Handrahan on a fielder’s choice after another error trying to get the lead runner. Aldrich drove in her third run of the game with a bouncer over the pitcher that left the shortstop in no man’s land.

“We kept talking about that,” said Lewry about Taunton trying to stem any momentum from Wachusett. “They made it 4-1 and I said let’s get that four-run lead back and they came right back and got it for me. You just like to keep putting the pressure on.”

After Lanpher got Kelsey White to pop up to the catcher for the second out, the Mountaineers looked like they may just escape the inning having only allowed a single run, but Alexa White stepped in to give her sister, and the team, a lift. The grand slam made it 9-1 and had the Tigers cruising.

“I already had two strikes on me,” Alexa White said, “and I was just expecting the middle pitch and I took it and it was the best feeling I’ve ever experienced. It’s something I’ll never forget. I’m so happy I could rally the team up one last time.”

Emily Todorov started the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot to left, but then Alexa White flashed the leather at second to record the next three outs. Twice she made plays to her left, cutting down grounders in the hole between first and second and then, after a Wachusett single, she tracked one down up the middle and had the presence of mind to tag the base for the force.

“My adrenaline was up and I was like, ‘I’ve got to go every which way to get this ball,’ said White about her play in the field. She moved from the outfield to second base after an injury to starter McKenzie McAloon right before the tournament and it was an adjustment at first. She explained, “Obviously, it was a big surprise to put me there because of an unfortunate injury but I knew I had to step up there and help out the infield.”

Any hope that Wachusett had of a comeback was dashed in the sixth. Taunton continued to stretch the lead and the top of the order continued to come through with big hits. Brown started it with a double to center and Duarte followed by lining a double over the left fielder’s head. She would come around to score again on an Enos single to left and it was 11-2.

In the seventh, Taunton brought players off the bench to give them a taste of the final and extended the lead further.

Freshman Tayah DaCosta, who was pulled up from JV for the postseason, lined a single in her first at-bat of the playoffs. Abbie McDonough, who played right field, followed with a double to put two in scoring position. Hailee Hartung drove in one with a groundout to second and Duarte beat out an infield single to drive in another.

With a strong defense behind her, Kelsey White closed out the game with a clean seventh inning. The freshman allowed only five hits from the Mountaineers and continued a strong tournament run that saw her allow no more than two runs in any of Taunton’s six playoff games.

“She’s really composed,” said Enos about White. “You’ll never see her upset, she’s always within herself. I’m so proud of her. She’s pitched every game of the tournament by herself. It’s emotionally, physically, and mentally tiring and she did it.”

Lewry added, “She’s been amazing all year. She’s a freshman but she pitches like a senior. What a career she’s got in front of her still and she’s already got a state championship.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

With two outs, the ball was hit on the ground to Brown at third and she, as she has done countless times before, fired a strike to first base. Unlike all those other times, this one was for a state championship and to complete a mission that the Tigers had set out on at the start of the season.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Aldrich gushed. “Nothing has ever felt like this before.”

“I’m surprised I’m not crying because I’m so happy,” Alexa White said. “I’m just in shock because this is so incredible and I’m so happy for the seniors and…there are no words, literally no words.

06/20/2018

Quick Start, Strong Pitching Power Taunton to Final

LOWELL, Mass. – It is a long trip from Taunton up to Martin Field in Lowell through late afternoon traffic, but the Tigers apparently arrived on their coach bus ready to go for Tuesday night’s state semifinal.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Taunton scored six runs in the opening two innings, Kelsey White had a perfect game into the fifth and allowed only five hits, and the Tigers ended an 11-year wait to get back to the state championship game with a 6-1 win over North champion Newton North.

“It doesn’t even feel real,” said junior Jaime Brown, a four-year starter for the Tigers, about having the chance to play for a state championship. “We’ve worked so hard and it’s just falling at our feet. It’s crazy, but it just feels so good.”

White was masterful in the circle again for Taunton. Just a freshman, experiencing the postseason stage for the first time, White has not been awed by the moment and she retired the first 12 batters that she faced on Tuesday before Mia Bueno singled to lead-off the fifth.

“She pitches real tough,” Taunton coach Dave Lewry said of White. “She had everything going today, all her pitches, she was hitting her spots. I know they can hit, I know they can put the ball in play, but I’ve got to give all the credit to Kelsey. She just did a fabulous job for us.”

White admitted, “I was very nervous at first but going out there and knowing that I have the best defense behind me makes me more comfortable.” She also got help from Brown and the other upperclassmen. She said, “They pick me up every time I get down and make sure I go and get the next batter.”

Taunton helped out its freshman pitcher with some early runs. The Tigers have been strong with two outs in the postseason and they managed to rally again in the first. Kya Enos lined a single through the hole on the left side for a two-out baserunner. The senior catcher stole second and then came around to score the opening run on a base hit by classmate Mackenzie Handrahan.

The Tigers broke the game wide open in the second. This time they did not wait until there were two outs to get started, instead scoring six times before committing one.

Kelsey White was hit by a pitch to lead off and her older sister Alexa White followed by drawing a nine-pitch walk. Paige Silvia dropped down a bunt and White hustled into third to beat the throw and load the bases. The hero from the South final, sophomore Rylie Murphy, brought in the first run with a grounder to the left side, reaching on a fielder’s choice to keep the bases full.

Brown, Taunton’s lead-off hitter, emptied the bases, drilling a pitch into the gap in left-center for a triple that scored three. The throw to third bounced off Brown and to the fence in front of the Tigers’ dugout, allowing her to come home too.

“That’s always across you mind, you want the big hit, but honestly I was just looking for a single to bring a run in and chip away and getting them all in was just a bonus,” said Brown.

Lewry added, “That puts a lot of pressure on the other team. They can’t play for one run, they’ve got to be swinging the bats and I don’t think that’s their game. They like to bunt and run and get runs here or there. That was a key for us.”

The Tigers also threatened in the third and seemed to have Newton North on the ropes. Alexa White singled to start the inning and moved into scoring position on a Silvia sac bunt. Murphy singled to left to put two on and was pinch-run for by Abbie McDonough, who promptly stole second.

Newton North pitcher Mia Patriacca got Brown and Liana Duarte looking to escape the jam. Taunton did not put another batter on base, as Patriacca retired the final 11 hitters she faced.

“We kind of deflated after that and never got back to hitting the ball,” Lewry explained. “I think that kind of took our momentum away from us. They let up a little with a six-run lead, but we did what we had to do.”

Newton North finally got something going in the fifth. Bueno singled to left to start the inning, the first baserunner of the night for the North champs. Kira Flegenheimer followed with a single but was forced at second on a grounder to Hanna Aldrich. With runners at the corners, Ciara Gillen hit a weak fly ball into shallow right field that dropped just in front of McDonough and allowed the run to score.

White needed to bear down, as momentum seemed to be shifting to the suddenly loud visiting side. She got a grounder to second and then a strikeout to end the inning and preserve a five-run lead.

“They got runners on base,” White said, “but I knew we just had to get the outs and not worry about them. We just needed to get all the outs that we could.”

“Is she only a freshman?” Lewry joked. “She doesn’t act like it, I’ll tell you that. She is the calmest, coolest, most collected person on the mound that we’ve had in a long, long time. She didn’t fall apart at all, she stuck with it, threw her pitches and got us out of it.”

The visitors got a one-out hit in the sixth, but Brown made a nice play on the run to field a short grounder down the third base line and White showed her ability to field her position as she managed to move to her left to snag a tricky grounder.

In the seventh, Newton North again got a one-out hit to put the pressure on Taunton, but White induced a grounder to her sister at second to force the lead runner and then struck out the final batter looking to set off another raucous celebration.

“It’s the best experience,” said White. “It’s very nerve-wracking, but it’s the best experience. I’m very happy for [the seniors] and all I want it for is them and the team.”

Lewry was asked if he was surprised at all to see the Tigers in this position of playing for a state championship. He replied, “I envisioned this team being capable of being in this position, so I’m not surprised by it. It’s not an easy road, of course, but there’s a lot of talent here and I think the heart has shown through. Especially in the tournament, they’re in it for each other and that really makes a huge difference.”

Taunton (25-2) will face the Central champ Wachusett in the state title game at Worcester State on Saturday at 6:00. Wachusett (much like Newton North in the semifinal) was also at this stage last year and lost to Milford in the championship game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

06/16/201806/16/2018

Taunton Gets Right Bounce to Beat KP in South Final

TAUNTON, Mass. – In the bottom of the sixth inning, Taunton put together a rally to try and regain the lead against King Philip (21-4) in Friday night’s Div. 1 South final at Jack Tripp Field. The first two batters reached and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. An intentional walk loaded the bases for No. 9 hitter Rylie Murphy.

The sophomore made her first start of the playoffs, after playing a handful of games and getting fewer than 20 at-bats on varsity in the regular season, and was now up in the biggest moment of the spring against the team’s biggest rival. Taunton coach Dave Lewry admitted that adding Murphy to the lineup was a “hunch.”

It was a hunch that paid off with a South title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Murphy battled to a 3-2 count against KP starter Elise Pereira, who was only a strike away from escaping the jam, before turning on a pitch and smacking a grounder down the third base line. KP third baseman Jess Bonner dove but the ball hit a mound of dirt in front of her, took a huge hop, and bounced into shallow left field, bringing in the game-winning runs.

“It’s like what you have in dreams, two outs, 3-2 count, bottom of the sixth inning and you just hit it and you don’t even know where it goes and all of a sudden your coach is screaming, jumping up and down and you’re so excited,” said Murphy after Taunton’s 4-2 victory, which earned the program’s first South title since 2007.

Lewry was all smiles as he talked about Murphy and the contributions she has made to the team off the field all season. He said, “A kid who sits the bench all year, cheering for everybody, and comes into this game and gets the winning hit, unbelievable.”

He added, “She’s a kid that puts the bat on the ball all the time. You’ve got to put the bat on the ball to get hits. If you swing and miss or take a called third then you’re not going to get anything.”

The Warriors were far from finished. In the top of the seventh, Bonner ripped a hard line drive to third but Jaime Brown knocked it down and made the play for the first out. Brooke Taute and Brianna Lacy were both hit by pitches from freshman Kelsey White to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.

“Probably the most nervous she got all year was hitting two batters in the last inning,” said Lewry of White. He gathered the team in the circle to settle everyone down. “That’s one of her traits, she’s just so composed,” he added. “She’s amazing, I love her demeanor out there on the mound.”

White got a pop-up in foul ground and a soft liner that shortstop Hanna Aldrich made a nice running catch on to end the game. It meant the Tigers won the season series with KP, after splitting two games in the regular season (and losing the Kelley-Rex title to the Warriors) and fulfilled a mission for the team’s three seniors and for Brown, who was an eighth grader when Taunton made the final in 2015 but lost to Silver Lake.

“Since my eighth grade year, being here and losing, we’ve been working for this for so long,” Brown explained. “It gave you that pit in the bottom of your stomach. There was no other option; we knew we were winning today.”

Taunton took the lead for the first time in the second inning. Kelsey White lined a one-out single to left and her sister Alexa, a junior second baseman, drilled a double down the leftfield line to bring in the game’s first run.

As expected in a rivalry that is fast becoming one of the best in the state, one run was not going to be enough. KP battled back in the top of the fourth to jump in front.

Hailey McCasland led-off with a walk and moved to second on a groundout. Faith Turinese singled to right but the runner had to hold at third. After Turinese stole second, KP coach Norm Beauchemin called for a Pereira squeeze bunt, but Kelsey White fielded her position well to scoop the ball to catcher Kya Enos for the second out.

The Tigers nearly got out of the inning unscathed, but Aldrich bobbled a Bonner grounder to extend the inning and bring in the tying run. Taute followed that by crushing a ball to dead center that was inches from being gone. Instead it was an RBI-double to put KP up 2-1.

“We didn’t beat ourselves tonight and that’s what I’m proud of,” said Beauchemin of the Warriors battling back. “We know we’re going to have a tough game and they expect a tough game on their end as well.”

Taunton almost came right back to tie it after Handrahan started the bottom of the fourth with a double, but she was stranded. In the fifth, the Tigers did even the score. Paige Silvia lined a double to left center and moved to third on a sac bunt by Murphy. Brown grounded a ball to KP shortstop Meghan Gorman, who was playing deep enough to allow the run to score.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been more confident in this team in years. Even when we were down, we knew we could pick it up,” said Brown. When asked about the contributions from the bottom of the order, she added, “We’ve been working on it all season and trying to get that whole lineup going and it’s a perfect timing for all of it to come together.”

In the sixth inning, Handrahan again got things started with a single off the glove of Bonner, who was at full stretch going to her left. Aldrich lined a ball off the leg of Pereira and into no-man’s land in front of second base. Kelsey White’s sac bunt moved the runners into scoring position and Beauchemin called for an intentional walk of Alexa White to give KP a force at the plate.

It worked on the next hitter, as Silvia’s grounder to Bonner turned into the second out when the third baseman gunned down the lead runner. Murphy came up next and with the pressure on, she delivered the hit that decided the South title.

“It wasn’t only the lucky break,” said Beauchemin, “they earned the first two runs and of course they got a lucky break, but such is life. I thought it was two evenly-matched teams coming into this game.”

Lewry said, “It took kind of a bad-hop ground ball to make the difference, but we’ll take it all the time. These kids don’t quit. They’ve got a lot of guts and they hung in there and found a way to come back and do the job.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Murphy tried to reflect on what was going through her mind as she stepped up to the plate in the decisive moment, knowing that this was a chance to not only win the game, but also to give the upperclassman the title that they have been craving since their last final appearance four years ago.

“It’s so overwhelming,” she said. “I’m just so glad that I got to be to be able to be in the game and be around to hit the ball. I just feel so amazing to win.

“I’ve never wanted to win this for them and for everybody so badly in my entire life.”

Taunton (24-2) will face the winner of Methuen and Newton North in the state semifinal on Tuesday night at Martin Field in Lowell.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

06/09/201806/10/2018

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/09/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Super 8
#7 Franklin, 7 vs. #3 St. John’s Prep, 6 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

D2 South
#8 Stoughton, 2 vs. #9 Somerset-Berkley, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Boys Lacrosse
D1 South
#4 Franklin, 7 vs. #5 Xaverian, 10 – Final – Franklin and Xaverian were tied 6-6 after three quarters but the Hawks used a 4-0 surge in the final frame to pull away from the Panthers. Eric Civetti and Matt Lazzaro each scored a pair of goals for Franklin while Chase Tanner, Jake Davis, and Nitin Chaudhury each found the back of the net once. Connor O’Rourke made 10 saves in net.

D2 Central/East
#6 North Attleboro, 4 @ #3 Walpole, 7 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Softball
D1 South
#2 Taunton, 3 vs. #15 North Quincy, 0 – Final – Freshman Kelsey White continued to dominate in the circle for the Tigers, allowing just one base runner (a two-out single in the fifth) while striking out 11 batters to lead Taunton to a shutout win over North Quincy. The Tigers scored single runs in the second, third, and fifth innings. In the second, Hanna Aldrich had a leadoff double, moved to third on a single from White, and scored on an overthrow at home. Jaime Brown led off the third with a single, moved to third on a bunt hit from Liana Duarte and scored on a suicide squeeze from Mackenzie Handrahan. Taunton cashed in with another suicide in the fifth with Duarte laying down the bunt and sophomore Abbie McDonough (single) scoring.

#3 Milford, 10 vs. #14 Bishop Feehan, 11 – Final (8 inn.) – Down to its final out, Milford rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game and send it to extra innings. But Bishop Feehan bounced back in the top of the eighth to secure the win. Jess Tomaso hit a three-run homer to get Milford within one and Maddy Bonvino brought in Emily Hartman to tie the game in the seventh.

#4 King Philip, 8 vs. #13 Hopkinton, 1 – Final – Each King Philip starter recorded at least one hit as the Warriors rolled to a win over Hopkinton. Elise Pereira dominated in the circle, allowing just one run while striking out eight to earn the win.

#8 North Attleboro, 1 vs. #9 Braintree, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

D2 South
#23 Foxboro, 13 @ #7 Bristol-Plymouth, 5 – Final – Foxboro scored five runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in a win over Bristol-Plymouth. Freshman Morgan Sylvestre shined in the field with a handful of spectacular plays, and also made her mark with a team-high five hits at the plate. Senior Hannah Davis added four hits for the Warriors while playing terrific defense behind the dish. Emma Rohan pitched a complete game to earn the win for Foxboro. The Warriors will play #2 Plymouth South on Monday at 4:00 in a D2 South Quarterfinal matchup.

Boys Tennis
D1 South
#1 North Attleboro, 3 vs. #8 BC High, 2 – Final

05/02/201805/02/2018

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/02/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final (8 Inn.) – Milford junior Nick Marcolini earned the win on the mound and scored the game-winning run as the Hawks took down visiting Attleboro in extra innings. Marcolini led off the eighth with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third. He came in to score the winning run on a sacrifice fly from Colby Pires. In a relief appearance, Marcolini tossed three scoreless innings with two strikeouts to get the win. Luke Rosa was the starter for Milford, allowing two runs in five innings with four strikeouts. Matt Swanson added two hits, including a double and a run scored, for the Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 13 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro held a 4-2 lead after an inning of play but OA chipped away and used five runs in the third inning to seize an 8-4 lead and never looked back. Jack Erlich went 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI and Mitch Goulet had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and four RBI. Nick Zwerle and Tom Parker combined for 6.1 innings of scoreless relief for the Tigers. Foxboro’s Chad Bearce was 2-for-4 with a triple while Joe Cavaleri and JT Burke each drove in a pair of runs.

Taunton, 7 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Taunton’s Trevor Pietrzyk (two doubles, triple) set the tone, going 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot with an RBI and a run scored as the Tigers notched a win on the road. Jakob Roberts added two hits and two RBI while Ben Joyce drove in a pair of runs. Tyler Medeiros and Jacob Crawford each had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored for the Tigers. Medeiros got the win on the mound, scattering three hits over five innings of work with five strikeouts. Brendan Bignar and Logan Lawrence each tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

Franklin, 14 @ Stoughton, 10 – Final – Franklin scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 9-9 tie and emerge from Stoughton with a win on the road. JB Flores went 4-for-4, including a double and an RBI while scoring a pair of runs. Evan Wendell also had a strong day for Franklin with a pair of doubles, runs scored and four RBI. Jake Macchi added three hits and three RBI for Franklin while both Scott Elliott and Colby Fitzgibbons had two RBI apiece. Ben Guzman got the win in relief, allowing three hits and one run over three innings of work. Stoughton’s Matt Hadley and James Genest both went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Geroge Currier and Cian Swierzewski each drove in two runs for the Black Knights.

King Philip, 8 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – King Philip tied the game in the fifth, took the lead in the sixth, and then tacked on three insurance runs in the seventh inning to complete a comeback from at Sharon. KP took a 3-0 lead in the second before Sharon pulled ahead with four runs in the third. Pat Limerick had three hits and one RBI, sophomore Chris Sawyer had two hits and two RBI, and Tyler Nault delivered with an RBI pinch-hit single for the Warriors. Terry Murray earned the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings with one strikeout.

Mansfield, 3 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield senior Kevin Dow had a dominating performance on the mound, throwing a complete game with just two hits allowed and no walked and one unearned run allowed to lead the Hornets to a win over previously unbeaten North Attleboro. Dow struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk to get the win. Offensively, Dow went 2-for-4 and had an RBI triple in the third inning that put Mansfield up 2-0. Dow then scored on an RBI single from senior Tyler Dalton. Mansfield took the lead in the top of the second when Cullin Anastasia scored. Zach DeMattio and Brendan McHugh (run) each had a hit for Big Red.

Softball
Milford, 12 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Milford plated six runs in the sixth inning to break open what was a two-run game to grab a win on the road. The Hawks took a 5-3 advantage into the sixth before exploding for six runs. Jess Tomaso (2-for-4, three RBI) hit a home run in the sixth for her 100th career hit. Emily Piergustavo added two hits, two runs, and four RBI, Maddy Bonvino went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and two-run home run and Kate Irwin had three hits, three runs, and an RBI for the Scarlet Hawks. Kelley Reichert got the win in the circle, striking out nine. Attleboro leadoff hitter Jordyn Lako went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and MacKenzie Killough blasted a two-run home run in the third inning.

Canton, 0 @ Taunton, 13 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton sophomore Jaylin Couto struck out 10 while allowing just two hits and one walk to help the Tigers notch a win over visiting Canton. Couto improved to 3-0 with five scoreless innings. Offensively, Kelsey White went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and a stolen base, Kya Enos had two hits including a double, a run scored and an RBI, Abbie McDonough recorded two hits, scored three runs, stole a base, and had an RBI, and freshman McKenzie McAloon drove in three runs for the Tigers.

Foxboro, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Foxboro senior Mandy Ryan had an RBI single in the top of the seventh to help the Warriors come up with a win on the road. Hannah Davis and Chelsea Gibbons each had two hits while Emma Rohan earned the win in the circle, striking out four. Oliver Ames’ Caroline Mahoney went 2-for-4 with RBI, Katie Mills was 2-for-3 with an RBI, Marissa Guarino had two hits and an RBI, and Alexis Campbell had two hits and a run scored for OA. Freshman Emma Varella pitched a complete game for OA, striking out three.

Stoughton, 2 @ Franklin, 12 – Final

North Attleboro, 7 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – North Attleboro broke open a two-run game with four runs in the last two innings to make it two wins in two days for the Rocketeers. Bella Erti struck out 11, allowing only four hits and no walks to pick up the win. Abby Warren and Olivia Capobianco paced the North offense with three hits apiece, while Ashley Cangiano and Katie Daby each had two hits. Katherine Munley came through with a couple of nice grabs in the field, according to North coach Bill Wallace, and Cangiano threw out her third runner attempting to steal in two days. Mary Muldoon drove in the lone Mansfield run in the second, singling in Caty DeMassi. Kara Bendanillo went 2-for-3 for the Hornets.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 11 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Canton raced out to a 5-1 lead at half time and never looked back to beat Attleboro. The Bulldogs, who never trailed in the game, had seven different goal scorers including senior Joey Vaughan.

Foxboro, 11 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ Franklin, 20 – Final

King Philip @ Taunton, 3:45

Mansfield, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final – OA goalie Nick Gillis had a huge game in the cage and Frankie Ireland netted three goals to help the Tigers score a big win over Mansfield. Eric LeBlanc and Sam Stevens added two goals each in the win.

Milford, 3 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – For Milford, Josh Ligor, Andrew Gallagher, and Mike Demko each scored once while Cullen Burns recorded an assist.

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ Canton, 15 – Final – Caroline Tourgee had four goals, Molly Colburn scored three goals and had a pair of assists, and Maggie Connolly had two goals and four assists for the Bulldogs. Leah McClellan and Kaitlyn Goyetch each added two goals and an assist, while Alexa Maffeo scored once and had a pair of helpers. Rachel Beatty scored once for Canton and Vicky Revanche made 12 saves in the Bulldogs net.

Taunton, 2 @ King Philip, 19 – Final – KP used nine different goal scorers to put an end to it two-game losing streak. Alli Meehan (one assist), Caroline Klim, Mackenzie Mazur, and Ali Wilson all recorded hat tricks for the Warriors, while Jess Sullivan scored a pair. Izzy Agricola, Jenna Hitchen (one assist), Olivia Tormey, and Dana Truini also scored for KP.

Sharon, 8 @ Foxboro, 19 – Final – Sabrina Robbins and Emma Eberhardt both had hat tricks for Sharon in the loss. Robbins added eight draw controls, while Eberhardt also had two assists and four draw controls. Maxine Gordon and Abbi Solomon scored the other goals for the Eagles and Taylor Kim scooped four ground balls.

Franklin, 15 @ North Andover, 10 – Final

Oliver Ames, 9 @ Mansfield, 19 – Final – The Hornets won for the second time in three days to get back to .500 on the season and move into a third-place tie with OA in the Kelley-Rex division. Mansfield had six different goal scorers in the game, led by Katy Garvin’s six and Maggie Danehy’s four. Hannah Sternburg made six saves in the Mansfield goal.

North Attleboro, 15 @ Milford, 2 – Final – North Attleboro had its passing game working on Wednesday, getting an assist on all 15 of its goals. Freshman Maggie O’Brien notched her first varsity goal in the win and also had four assists on the day. Julia Tolfa chipped in with six draw controls for the Rocketeers.

Boys Tennis
Milford, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro swept doubles play and picked up one win in singles to get a win over visiting Milford. Jared Cooper won 6-3, 6-1 at third singles while the team of Ryan Gordon and Estrada won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Luis Sandoval and Eli Araujo didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles. Milford’s Brendan Shaughnessy won 6-3, 6-3 at first singles and classmate Cam Doherty took a 7-5, 6-3 decision at second singles.

Canton, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton picked up its second straight win by sweeping visiting Sharon, taking all three singles matches in straight sets without dropping a game. Francois Hennaux (first singles), Brett Beaulieu (second singles) and Mike Briggs (third singles) all won 6-0, 6-0. The team of Charlie Fiske and Dylan Kulas won 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles while Kyle Dennehy and Alex Pugh prevailed 5-7, 6-4, 10-1 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin’s doubles teams combined to drop just one game total in a sweep over visiting Stoughton. Tony Calderone and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles while Shournik Sompally and Saket Gandham won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles. Rohan Herur won 7-5, 6-3 at first singles, Liam Marr dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Tyler DiPalma won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles.

Sharon, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip pushed Sharon to the edge but the Eagles prevailed, keeping their lengthy league win streak alive. Senior Andre Olivei won 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 at first singles and sophomore Alberto Olivei recorded a 6-2, 6-3 win at third singles. Sharon’s third win came from Ashwin Sreevatsa and Arie Chinnappan, who won 6-4, 6-2 at second doubles. King Philip’s Nick Putney won 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (4) at second singles and the team of Sean Desrochers and Nate Ihley picked up a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4) win at first doubles.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – North Attleboro swept singles play in straight sets and took another win in doubles play to record a win on the road at Mansfield. Richard Bermudez won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Christian Bermudez notched a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles and freshman Jonah Manso took care of business with a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. North’s second doubles teams of Alex Pfeffer and Sam Gallagher won 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles. Mansfield’s Jalaj Singh and Sethu Odayappan won 6-3, 7-5 at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Taunton’s first doubles pairing of McKenzie Lucie and Samantha Martin overcame a one-set deficit to record the third and final point to help the Tigers beat Canton. Lucie and Martin won 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 while Taunton’s second doubles team of Amanda Pugh and Brianna Fevrier won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles. Freshman Jocelyn Pagliuca won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles for Taunton. Canton freshman Natalie Keppler won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and classmate Rachel Kupferman didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles.

Attleboro, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro’s Sophia Prinos and Pamela Nelson won their singles matches in straight sets to help the Warriors earn a victory. Prinos won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Nelson notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Kayla Prag emerged with a 6-2, 4-6, 10-4 win at third singles. The Warriors’ team of Sarah Prag and Julia Muise won 6-1, 5-7, 11-9 while Olivia Dantona and Kendall Millender recorded a 6-1, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Franklin, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

King Philip, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon picked up a pair of wins in singles play and two more in doubles to get a win over King Philip. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles while Lulu Yuan emerged with a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles. Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles and Sophia Fein and Rithika Neti recorded a 6-4, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro swept singles play, taking all three matches in straight sets, to defend home court against Mansfield. Jordan Willis won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Emily Chiasson took a 6-4, 6-0 decision at second singles, and Azka Siddiq didn’t lose a game in a win at third singles. North’s team of Leah Marceau and Tara Nair won 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles. Mansfield’s first doubles team of Tessa Garufi and Hannah Podolske won 5-7, 6-4, 10-7 for the Hornets.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 1 – Final

Taunton, 3 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton went on the road and returned with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-17) win over New Bedford. Lens Esquil notched 11 kills and four blocks, Collin Hunter added five kills and four blocks, Malik Charles chipped in with four kills and a pair of blocks, and Alex Tavares notched four kills and a block. Freshman Tyler Stewart recorded his first two career kills in the win.

04/19/201804/21/2018

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/20/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Milford, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton senior Robbie Wilkinson allowed just two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings of work and added an RBI on offense to help the Bulldogs edge the Hawks. Milford loaded the bases in the top of the seventh against reliever Paul Cocoran but the junior got the final two outs to escape the jam. Wilkinson had an RBI double in the third while Jake Aronson had two doubles and an RBI for the Bulldogs. Aidan Wilde went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk for the Hawks while sophomore Luke Rosa allowed just one earned run in five innings of work, striking out four.

Taunton, 2 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Mansfield, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – Mansfield broke open a tie game with a five-run sixth inning to beat Bishop Feehan. The Shamrocks had a total of just two hits and no walks but plated the first run in the first inning. The Hornets tied the game in the top of the third and then pulled away in the sixth. Sam Nugent and Kevin Dow each had two hits and scored a run for the Hornets while pinch hitter Jake Gerraughty knocked in a pair of runs. Connor Sheehan earned the win on the mound, striking out eight with just two hits in six innings of work. Sophomore John Carney struck out one in a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames pushed across four runs in the top of the third inning and tacked on solo runs in each the fourth and seventh innings to beat Stoughton. Michael Friel went 3-for-3 with an RBI while Reid Latham struck out five and allowed six hits in six innings of work to get the win. Stoughton’s Ruben Gonzalez allowed just one earned run in three-plus innings of work and went 3-for-4 at the plate.

Softball
Attleboro, 5 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Attleboro took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and the third innings but Mansfield scored three in its half of the third to jump in front. Sarah Cahill, who struck out three in six innings in the circle, led off with a single and scored on a base hit by Kara Bendanillo. Mady Bendanillo made it 3-2 with a two-run homer. Attleboro rallied with a pair of runs in the fifth to get the lead back and then added the eventual game-winner in the sixth. The Hornets got within one in the sixth after Mady Bendanillo (3-for-3) tripled and was brought in by Caty DeMassi, but couldn’t find another run. Mansfield coach Lori Letendre called it a “good back and forth game” and said the Hornets had chances late but “couldn’t come up with the timely hit we needed.” Freshman Ashlyn Conley went 2-for-3 in her varsity debut for Mansfield.

Milford, 19 @ Canton, 6 – Final (6 inn.) – Milford scored 10 runs in the top of the second inning to earn a big win on the road at Canton. Sabrina Haarstick (three-run), Jess Tomaso (3-for-5, triple five RBI), and Maddy Bonvino (3-for-4, three RBI, three runs) each had a home run in the win for the Hawks. Shannon Cormier added two hits and four runs, Emily Piergustavo reached base four times and scored four runs, and Kate Irwin (2-for-4) had a double, stolen base, and three runs scored. Kelley Reichert struck out eight with one hit allowed in three innings of work in a relief appearance.

North Attleboro, 4 vs. Dartmouth, 2 – Final – Bella Erti allowed three hits and one walk, while striking out one to pick up the win for North. Katie Daby (2-for-3) broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning with a solo homer and North added a fourth run in the following inning when Abby Gallagher scored on an Erti fielder’s choice. Katherine Munley and Gallagher each made nice catches in the outfield, according to North coach Bill Wallace, and Olivia Capobianco robbed Dartmouth of a homer in the seventh that would have cut the lead to one.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Walpole, 12 – Final (5 inn.)

Stoughton vs. Milton, 11:00

Sharon, 0 @ Taunton, 17 – Final (5 inn.) – Alexa and Kelsey White combined to strike out 10 batters with three hits allowed and no walks in five innings of work to lead Taunton to a win. Alexa struck out eight, scattering three hits in four innings of work to get the win. Kelsey struck out two of the three she faced in the fifth inning. Offensively, Alexa White went 3-for-3 with a triple and a pair of doubles, knocking in three runs. Mackenzie Handrahan had three hits, including a home run, and four RBI while Kya Enos (2-for-3) and Abbie McDonough (2-for-3) each had a double and two RBI.

Boys Lacrosse
Sharon, 1 @ King Philip, 9 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 11 vs. Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final – Click here for a Recap from this game.

King Philip, 13 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – KP used seven different goal scorers and allowed only one goal in the second half (head coach Kourtnie Wilder described it as a “huge defensive effort!”) to pull out the non-league victory. Caroline Klim was the top scorer for the Warriors with five goals. Jess Sullivan and Lauren Anderson each tallied twice, while Alli Meehan (five draw controls), Olivia Tormey, Mackenzie Mazur and Dana Truini (four draw controls) each had one for KP. Shayla Weirzman had an assist. The Warriors also got 13 saves from Caroline Watson. Abbi Solomon and Sabrina Robbins each scored a pair of goals and Emma Eberhardt scored a goal, had a pair of assists, and five draw controls for the Eagles.

Mansfield, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 13 – Final – Ann Maher scored six goals to pace the Hornets, including the game-winner with just over two minutes remaining. Coming out of a timeout in a tie game (13-13), Maher scored her fifth goal of the game to give Mansfield the lead for good. Katy Garvin and Maher each added another goal in the closing minutes to seal the win. Olivia Murray had a hat trick for the Hornets, while Hayleigh Crawford, Lauren Whitman, and Garvin each scored twice. Hannah Sternburg made 14 saves in the win.

Milford, 5 vs. Nipmuc, 14 – Final

Boys Tennis
Franklin, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Franklin continued its perfect start with a sweep on the road at Taunton. Rohan Herur won a battle at first singles, emerging with a 7-5, 6-4 win while Liam Marr (6-2, 6-0) and Saketh Saripalli (6-0, 6-0) also picked up wins to sweep singles play. The team of Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles while Tony Calderone and Dan Angermeier didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Stoughton junior Erik Anderson stepped into the first singles spot and picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win, helping the Black Knights edge neighboring Oliver Ames. Hassan Khan added 6-3, 7-5 win at third singles and Brendon Buckley and Mike Veliotis notched a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles. Oliver Ames’ Henry Simone won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and the team of TJ Clifford and Liam McMorrow rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
Mansfield @ Attleboro – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Milford, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton swept doubles play and picked up two more wins in singles to earn a victory over visiting Milford. Rachel Kupferman didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles and Sarah Hernandez won 6-0, 6-2 at third singles. The team of Jena Moyle and Stelina Michaelidis picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles and Canton’s pairing of Caitlin Matthews and Sophie Le earned a 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles. Milford’s Julie Rabinowitz won 7-5, 6-4 at first singles.

Taunton, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Taunton dropped just two games total in four matches to get a win on the road. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Vanessa Rosa picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca won by forfeit at third singles. Samantha Martin and McKenzie Lucie (first singles) and the team of Amanda Pugh and Kayla Parrett (second doubles) both won without losing a game.

Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – OA sophomore Sarah Barron made her varsity debut at third singles and came away with a 6-1, 6-1 win to help the Tigers sweep Stoughton. Sarah Leger picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at first singles and Tate Hadges won 6-2, 6-0 at second singles. OA’s pairing of Kristin Bloumbas and Emily Yu won 6-4, 6-3 at first doubles and Olivia Groebe and Rachel Stryke paired up for a 6-1, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Boys Outdoor Track
North Attleboro, 45 vs. Bishop Feehan, 35, @ Attleboro, 24 – Final

Outdoor Track
North Attleboro, 61 vs. Bishop Feehan, 38 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 1 vs. Lawrence, 3 – Final