Tag: Alex Bissanti

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/02/16

Today’s playoff games are listed below.

Baseball
D1 South
#2 King Philip, 3 vs. #15 Catholic Memorial, 4 – Final

#4 Taunton, 1 vs. #13 Brookline, 2 – Final (8 inn.) – Luke Figueira pitched seven innings without surrendering an earned run but the Tigers couldn’t overcome a run by the Warriors in the top of the eighth inning. Figueira struck out seven and allowed three hits and four walks in a no decision. Christian Simoes, Jack Moynihan and Matt Machado each had two hits for Taunton, which totaled 11 hits as a team.

#9 Franklin, 4 @ #8 Durfee, 6 – Final – Franklin took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning but the Hilltoppers climbed back into the game with four in the bottom half and added single runs in the second and third. Offensively, Nick Santucci went 1-3 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored, Brad Jarosz was 2-3, Mike Skaza knocked in a run and both Steve Ferguson and Alex Bissanti scored a run for the Panthers. Sophomore Jake Noviello pitched well in relief for the Panthers, tossing four innings with just one run allowed while striking out five.

#12 Attleboro, 1 @ #5 Norwood, 0 – Final (9 inn.) – Click here for a recap of the game.

D2 South
#12 Oliver Ames, 0 @ #5 Nauset, 9 – Final – Oliver Ames only registered a pair of hits against Nauset pitcher Paul Prue, who tossed a complete game shutout with seven strikeouts. Senior Josh Minuskin had a triple and sophomore Matt Muir had a single for OA.

#14 Canton, 1 @ #3 Middleboro, 0 – Final (9 inn.) – Canton senior Kevin Powers tossed a complete game, nine inning shutout to lead the Bulldogs past the defending D2 State Champions. Powers worked around a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the eighth and the Bulldogs went on to score the winning run in the top of the ninth. Jim Jenkins had his second hit of the game, a double, and moved to third on a bunt from Jimmy Hamrock. Sean Doyle then connected and Jenkins came home to score on an error. Powers stretched his scoreless inning streak to 24 straight, scattering five hits while striking out six batters. Mike McMahon also had two hits for Canton while Joe Peccia (11 putouts), Joe Bires and Matt Casamento each had a hit.

D3 South
#17 Foxboro, 1 @ #16 Scituate, 2 – Final

Softball
D1 South
#14 North Attleboro, 7 vs. #19 Walpole, 8 – Final – North Attleboro rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but were unable to push the tying run across the plate. Liz Morehouse connected for a two-run home run and Kaylea Sherman had three hits on the day.

#15 Franklin, 4 vs. #18 Somerset Berkley, 6 – Final (8 inn.)

#16 Mansfield, 4 vs. #17 Notre Dame Academy 0 – Final – The Hornets scored all four runs in the third inning and senior pitcher Maddie Letendre struck out 12 while allowing just two hits as Mansfield advanced in the tournament. Megan Letendre and Marissa Staffier (2-3) each knocked in a run and Maddie Letendre (1-3) singled to score them both to take a 4-0 lead. Bri Homer and Jocelyn Reardon (1-2) scored runs for the Hornets. Mady Bendanillo, Kara Bendanillo and Rachel Carafa each added a hit for the Hornets.

#23 Oliver Ames, 4 @ #10 Norwood, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames scored three runs in the first inning and added another in the second but the Mustangs offense proved to be too much. Missy Krim (2-3, run scored) reached on a single to left, advanced on a bunt single from Rachel Han and bunt single from Victoria Ziner (2-4, run scored) loaded the bases. Jamie Gottwald (1-4, RBI, run scored) batted in a run for OA and then scored off a two-RBI hit from Caroline Mahoney (2-3, two RBI).

D3 South
#21 Foxboro, 9 @ #12 Westwood, 6 – Final

Boys Lacrosse
D1 South
#5 Franklin, 17 vs. #12 Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final – Austin Kent scored four goals and had three assists for the Panthers, who also got four goals and an assist from Eric Civetti. Chase Tanner added three goals for Franklin and Jake Alexander had two, as well as winning 21-of-23 face-offs.

#11 King Philip, 6 @ #6 Mansfield, 5 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game. Click here for a photo gallery from the game.

D2 South
#8 Oliver Ames, 0 @ #1 Hingham, 17 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
D1 East
#1 Franklin, 11 vs. #8 Newton North, 3 – Final – Franklin raced out to a 7-0 lead at half and held the Tigers of Newton North scoreless for the first 35 minutes of the game. Kenzie Pleshaw had four goals to lead Franklin while Julia Jette had one goal three assists, Diana Griffin scored twice and had a pair of assists. Head coach Kristin Igoe credited her defense with a very strong game, led by Sam Jones, who won six draws and two ground balls.

D2 East
#8 North Attleboro, 10 @ #1 Walpole, 20 – Final – Hana Caster scored four goals for the Rocketeers and Mackenzie Rosenberg added three in the loss.

Boys Tennis
D1 South
#13 Mansfield, 1 @ #4 Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin got a pair of wins in both singles and doubles to advance in the MIAA tournament. Junior Eli Brooks battled back for a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 win at second singles and freshman Dan Barrow won 6-4, 6-2 at third singles. Tom Mancini and James Johnston continued their stellar seasons with a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles and Jeremy Gan and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles. Mansfield’s Benny Lin won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles.

#6 North Attleboro, 5 vs. #11 Brockton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro won four of the five matches in straight sets to knock out the Boxers. Mitchell Dyer won 6-4, 6-3 at first singles, Zack Pfeffer won 6-1, 6-1 in second singles and Barsomo Nuay won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles. Jeff Yao and Ben Pfeffer won 3-6, 7-5, 8-6 at first doubles and Jake Fontes and Daniel Zhang won 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.

D2 South
#13 Canton, 3 @ #4 Dighton-Rehoboth, 2 – Final
#14 Foxboro, 0 @ #3 Plymouth North, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
D1 South
#14 Taunton, 4 vs. #19 Bridgewater-Raynham, 1 – Final

#18 Franklin, 5 @ #15 Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Franklin won all three single matches in straight sets and won both doubles matches in tie breakers to get the sweep. Hannah Sweeney won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Anna Humphreys won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and Anja Deric won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. Stephanie Schaivo and Katelyn Davenport won 0-6, 7-6 (8-6) at first doubles and Selma Wu and Halle Love won 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-2) at second doubles.

#20 Mansfield, 3 @ #13 Marshfield, 2 – Final – The visiting Mansfield Hornet swept doubles play and sophomore Sarah Doyle scored a big win at third singles to get the upset win. Doyle won 6-1, 6-2 to get Mansfield’s lone point in singles play. Senior Cathryn Heavey and junior Chloe Peterson won 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) and freshmen Tessa Garufi and Elizabeth Elsner won 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles.

D2 South
#4 Foxboro, 3 vs. #13 Westwood 2 – Final

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/28/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Franklin, 2 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 5 – Final – Franklin scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game but LS responded with three runs in the top of the fifth to get the win. Ryan Hodgkins went 2-3 with a triple and a run scored, Josh Macchi was 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Mike Skaza went 2-3, Jason Ulrickson was 1-2 with an RBI and Alex Bissanti had a pair of hits for the Panthers.

King Philip, 3 @ Stoughton, 8 – Final – Click here a recap of the game.

Softball
Franklin, 0 vs. Abington, 3 – Final

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/26/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Franklin, 7 vs. Hopkinton, 3 – Final – Seven different Panthers recorded an RBI as the Panthers advanced to the finals of the Pedroli Tournament to play Lincoln-Sudbury. Nick Santucci went 2-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI, Josh Macchi went 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI, Mike Skaza was 3-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, Jason Ulrickson was 3-4 with an RBI, Joe Corsi had a hit, two runs and an RBI, Brad Jarosz went 1-1 with an RBI and Alex Bissanti had an RBI and a run scored. Ryan Hodgkins added three hits for Franklin, including a double, and scored a run. Sophomore Jake Noviello got the win on the mound, allowing a pair of runs in five innings of work, striking out seven. Ryan Morse had a scoreless inning in relief for the Panthers.

Milford, 3 @ Wayland, 2 – Final (8 inn.)

Oliver Ames, 2 vs. New Bedford, 1 – Final – With the game knotted at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Oliver Ames senior Ryan Adams cracked an RBI triple to drive in Matt Muir as the Tigers edged the Whalers. Muir led off the inning with a walk and was sacrificed over by Chris Romero, setting the stage for Adams’ hit. Sam Burr pitched four shutout winnings for the Tigers to get the win.

Sharon, 0 @ North Quincy, 4 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Durfee, 1 – Final – Taunton freshman Jack Moynihan was terrific on the mound for the Tigers but was the tough luck loser as the Taunton offense was unable to get anything going. Moynihan pitched six innings, allowing just the one run while striking out five. Moynihan only allowed four base runners, three hits and one walk.

Softball
Foxboro, 9 @ Westwood, 13 – Final

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Franklin, 8 – Final

King Philip, 6 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 4 – Final – King Philip’s Brooke Taute had a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh, breaking a tie game and giving the Warriors the win on the road. KP originally captured a 4-3 lead on a two-out, two-run single from Caeli Bench in the top of the fifth inning. Chris Wagner, Hailey McCasland, and Ashley Hession each had two hits for KP. Freshman Elise Pereira had an RBI bunt single in the game and battled for a hard fought walk in the seventh inning. Kali Magane for the win for KP, scattering six hits while fanning 12 batters.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Durfee, 2 – Final – Liz Morehouse knocked in a pair of runs with two hits and Amelia Murphy fanned seven batters as the Rocketeers picked up the win on the road. Mycala Moody and Meg Barlow each had three hits in the win and Gina Miceli added a pair of hits for Big Red.

Girls Lacrosse
Milford, 13 vs. Nipmuc, 16 – Final

Boys Tennis
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – The Panthers picked up their 15th win of the season, winning four of the five matches in straight sets. Rahul Herur fought back at first singles after dropping to first set to get a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles, Eli Brooks won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles and Dan Barrow won 6-2, 6-4 at third singles. Tom Mancini and James Johnston won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles.

North Attleboro, 5 vs. Durfee, 0 – Final – North Attleboro won all five matches in straight sets with two wins coming without a game lost. Mitchell Dyer won 6-1, 6-3 at first singles, Zack Pfeffer won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and Barsomo Nuay won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Jake Fontes and Daniel Zhang won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Andrew Harris and Mayank Wadeker won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Franklin, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – The Tigers punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time in over two decades behind a sweep in doubles play and one singles win. Sarah Leger won 7-5, 6-0 at third singles, Lark Warner and Valeria Tueme won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles and Claudia Ferrara and Rachel Stryke notched a 7-5, 6-1 at second doubles. Franklin’s Hannah Sweeney won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and Anna Humphreys won 6-3, 6-1 at second singles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Durfee, 0 – Final – The Rocketeers and Hilltoppers played 10 game prosets, with North Attleboro emerging victorious. Jordan Willis won 10-0 at first singles, Emily Chiasson won 10-0 at second singles and Azka Siddiq won 10-1 at third singles. Gabby Duva and Katie Demontigny won 10-6 at first doubles and Hana Hershey and Shurobhi Nandi won 10-3 at second doubles.

KP ‘Answers the Bell’ Against Franklin, Clinches Title

By Lance Reynolds, HockomockSports.com Contributor

FRANKLIN, Mass. – The top of the sixth inning of Monday’s contest between King Philip and Franklin could very well be what defines the Warriors’ season, and what ignites them into a lengthy tournament run.

Losers of three straight coming into the marquee showdown against the Panthers, circumstances were not looking promising for KP as Franklin tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a commanding 5-0 lead going into the sixth. However, that’s when everything began to go in the Warriors’ favor.

In the top of the sixth, KP ‘answered the bell’ by plating a game winning seven runs en route to clinching at least a share of the Kelley Rex title with a pivotal 9-5 victory over the Panthers, who also had a chance at claiming a split of the title entering Monday.

“That’s something that we haven’t been able to do all year. That’s a great Franklin team – they answered the bell there with the five runs. We haven’t been able to come back deep in games,” KP coach Pat Weir said. “I brought the kids in between that inning, and they understood what was on the line here. Coming off of three losses last week, I asked them to answer the bell, and every single one of those kids stepped up to the plate and answered the bell. There’s no one that stood out from nobody else – that was a complete team effort in that inning.”

Franklin sophomore Jason Ulrickson was nearly unhittable through the first five innings. The left-handed starter’s only blemish coming on a single off the bat of Will Weir in the top of the first. From there on, Ulrickson retired the next 13 KP batters – getting the Warriors to go down in order in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. However, King Philip was finally able to solve Ulrickson’s mastery the third time through the order.

The Warriors promptly put the first two batters on base in the decisive top of the sixth in the form of pinch hitter Ben Furfari, who was hit-by-pitch, and a Ryan Guenette single to right. Two batters later, Jon Rolfe loaded the bases on an infield single. Hitting in the third spot of KP’s lineup, Will Weir drove in Furfari for the first Warriors run on a sacrifice fly to center.

Cleanup hitter Jack DiCenso chipped in with a two run double to right bringing in Guenette and Rolfe to trim the Panthers lead to two at 5-3. Kyle Guenthner then drilled a double into left driving in DiCenso for a one-run ballgame at 5-4. Ryan Coulter followed with a game-tying single to right and quickly scored the go-ahead sixth run on a single that dropped into left field off Patrick Limerick’s bat. The seventh and final run of the inning came on a Guenette single to left scoring Limerick.

“I think it was a matter of us going through a few times and seeing [Ulrickson] for that second and third time,” Weir said of the KP’s offensive attack in the sixth. “He definitely kept us off balance – his breaking stuff kept us off balance – I think we were off on our front foot quite a bit. I think our guys relaxed there late in the game. Second, third time through, some of those guys sat back and kept their hands back, and I think we saw some good results from it.”

The Warriors were not quite done as they tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh. Rolfe and Weir led off with back-to-back singles through the right side. The duo then converted a double steal during a Guenette at-bat with Rolfe successfully coming home for the eighth run. Weir came around on a Guenette single to score the ninth run and put KP on top 9-5.

“We have two games left in the season, and we’re fortunate enough for the first time in seven years to go into tournament play,” Weir said. “There is nothing worse going into tournament play on a losing streak. Nothing better than having an inning like that and being able to roll in to our next two games and enter the tournament hitting like we hit in that sixth inning.”

DiCenso started on the mound for the Warriors and tossed four innings of one run ball before Franklin tagged him for four runs in the bottom of the fifth. The first run came in second on a Corey Langevin single plating Mike Skaza.

Langevin got things going in the fifth by reaching on a leadoff error in the KP infield. Number nine hitter Alex Bissanti put two runners on a hit-by-pitch, and leadoff hitter Nick Santucci bunted his way on to first base to load the bases with no outs. Ryan Hodgkins followed through with a two-run knock on a double to right scoring Langevin and Bissanti for the second and third runs. Skaza brought in Santucci and Hodgkins was able to get around the tag of KP catcher Nolan Bradley for Franklin’s fifth and last run.

DiCenso was pulled after five innings of work allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out three. Weir elected to go with Jake Cavanagh for the final two innings. The senior first baseman and pitcher retired all six batters he faced – two of them coming on strikeouts – to pick up the win for the Warriors.

“Jack (DiCenso) is a kid that’s done it all year long. I think this was the first time that he’s given up an earned run in this game here today,” Weir said. “I think he battled hard. Don’t forget that that’s a Franklin team that’s been hitting the cover off the baseball as of late.

“Jack got in a little trouble there in the end, but we then decided to go to Cavanagh. Jake Cavanagh is someone that has come in time and time again in a save situation or starting a baseball game, and being able to finish it. I can’t say enough about that kid as a person and as a player.”

After combining to score just four runs in three games last week, Weir is nothing but thrilled with how his Warriors were able to come back with a nine run explosion on Monday.

“How can you not feel good after that sixth inning?,” Weir chuckled. “I’m extremely proud of these boys.”

King Philip baseball (11-4 in league-play, 14-4 overall) hopes things continue to roll when they travel to North Quincy on Wednesday for a non-league game while Franklin (10-6 in league-play, 12-8) looks to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they take on Hopkinton at Natick High School.

Franklin’s Offense Keeps Rolling In Win Over Foxboro

Franklin baseball
Franklin sophomore Jake Noviello delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against Foxboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
FOXBORO, Mass. – Over the last seven games, trying to limit Franklin’s offense has arguably been the toughest challenge in the Hockomock League.

The Panthers have plated 51 runs in their current seven game win streak, an average of over seven per game, and got off to a hot start once again on Friday in a 6-2 win over Foxboro.

Franklin scored two runs in the top of the first and third innings and added single runs in the fourth and the fifth. Foxboro’s lone strike came in the bottom of the third inning.

“It’s always great when you can come out and put a couple runs up on the board early and I felt like we did a good job extending that lead,” Franklin head coach Zach Brown said. “To be complement that on defense, we had some shut down innings after we scored some runs, I thought that was important. Not to be ungrateful but I thought we could have been a little cleaner in terms of our execution.”

Franklin senior Nick Santucci was hit by a pitch in the game’s first at-bar and moved to third on a hit and run single through the right side from junior Jake Lyons. Ryan Hodgkins connected for an RBI single through the left side. A fielder’s choice forced Lyons out at third but Mike Skaza popped out to center for a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Foxboro starter Colin Theoner limited the Panthers to just a single hit in the second inning but the Panthers’ offense cashed in again in the third. Hodgkins, Tyler Gomes and Josh Macchi drew consecutive walks to start the top of the third. Skaza grounded into a fielder’s choice but it was enough to bring Hodgkins across the plate and move Gomes over. Joe Corsi popped up for a sacrifice fly to bring in Gomes to make it 4-0.

The Warriors responded in the bottom half of the inning but weren’t able to pull even. Franklin starter Jake Noviello got the lead off man with one of his four strikeouts but issued a one out walk to Foxboro’s AJ Bubencik. After inducing a fly ball to center for an out, Jesse Galanti singled into right field for the team’s first hit. Darren Kelly then roped a two-out, two-run triple off a full count to cut the deficit in half.

A two-out single from Jake Lyons turned into a run in the fourth inning for the Panthers. Lyons stole second and Hodgkins connected for a ground ball into right field for a single. The ball eluded the right fielder though and Lyons rounded third and scampered in for a run to make it 5-2.

It looked like Foxboro’s offense was going to cash in for the second straight inning in the bottom of the fourth. After reaching on a fielder’s choice, sophomore Chad Bearce moved to third when Cam Feldman reached on an error. Bubencik connected at the next at-bat for what looked like would be an RBI single but Franklin’s Hodgkins dove in for the catch to keep the lead.

“During this stretch, we’ve been playing well defensively and doing a good job of making all the routine plays,” Brown said. “Honestly, Ryan making that play, that wasn’t a routine play. That was a little bit above and beyond but it was a big spot for us in the game. We’ve been talking with Ryan about being more aggressive defensively recently, he’s a very gifted athlete. He had a good day offensively too and I think that carried over to his defense too.”

“With seven inning games, the momentum swings quickly and it’s definitely a factor, especially in high school baseball,” Foxboro head coach Chris Sullivan said. “I talked to our guys about creating it ourselves but we missed a lot of fast balls over the plate. It was a pretty stark contrast in terms of the energy that [Franklin] brought compared to us. We haven’t brought the same consistent approach every game and it’s impossible to win games in the Hockomock if you don’t do that, it’s hard enough if you do. We haven’t learned that lesson yet today.”

Two more walks to start the fifth inning helped Franklin add another run. Skaza and Corsi drew consecutive walks but a fielder’s choice forced Skaza out. A walk to Alex Bissanti loaded the bases for Franklin and Santucci cashed in with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.

“We preach a lot about balance and being able to be doing a bunch of different things,” Brown said. “We don’t want to be identified as a team that just does ‘blank.’ Instead we like to think we can do a bunch of different things and I think we did that today.”

Noviello earned the win for the Panthers, tossing 4.2 innings with two earned runs allowed. Franklin lefty Ryan Morse came in to get the final out of the fifth inning and pitched two shutout innings to close the game.

“Jake came in and did a good job. He labored a bit towards the end but then we turned it over to Ryan. Ryan did a great job nailing it down for us and getting some big outs in some big spots.”

Thoener, who was making his first start of the season after dealing with injuries, pitched five innings while Andrew Block pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh for the Warriors.

“We didn’t play bad today, we didn’t boot the ball around on defense,” Sullivan added. “We didn’t expect Colin to throw a shutout in his first start of the year but we’re just not stepping it up offensively when we need to. The difference was that they barreled up a few more balls than we did. When they needed a hit, they got one. We played okay today but you can’t play just okay against a team like Franklin.”

Franklin improves to 12-7 overall and 10-5 in league play. The Panthers will conclude league play on Monday when they host King Philip. Foxboro falls to 7-10 overall and 5-9 in the league. The Warriors will travel to Oliver Ames on Monday before hosting North Attleboro on Tuesday.

Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/11/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 8 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Charles Hearrold III earned the win on the mound, tossing five innings with just one earned run, three hits and two walks allowed. Hearrold III also paced the Tigers at the plate with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Luke Figueira and Matt Machado each had a pair of hits for the Tigers as well. Max Bowden knocked in a pair of runs and sophomore Joe Manchester had one RBI.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Canton, 8 – Final – Senior Griffin Jerrier stole the show on the mound for Canton, striking out nine in a complete game effort, scattering six hits and only allowing two earned runs. Mike McMahon (double, RBI) and Joe Bires (run) both had a pair of hits for Canton while Jim Jenkins and Sean Doyle each knocked in a pair of runs for the Bulldogs. For Oliver Ames, sophomore Matt Muir had two hits.

Milford, 5 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Foxboro’s Jesse Galanti connected for a two run single, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning and the Warriors were able to hold on. Nick Wright picked up his third save of the season, pitching a scoreless top half of the seventh inning. Andrew Block tossed six innings for the win for Foxboro. Aaron Wentling pitched in with a team-best three hits while Darren Kelly and Wright each had two hits for the Warriors.

Mansfield, 1 @ Franklin, 12 – Final – The Panthers’ offense roared to life with all nine players in the lineup getting either a hit or scoring a run. Nick Santucci and Ryan Hodgkins each had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI for Franklin while Josh Macchi knocked in four runs and had a double. Jake Lyons, Mike Skaza, Jason Ulrickson and Alex Bissanti each had an RBI for Franklin as well. Ulrickson got the win on the mound for Franklin, tossing six innings with just two hits allowing and four strikeouts. Classmate Matt Foley closed the game with a scoreless seventh inning.

North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Jack DiCenso tossed a complete game shutout for the Warriors, scattering five hits while striking out six in the win. King Philip scored both of its runs in the first inning. After Kyle Guenthner walked, junior Will Weir plated him with an RBI double. Weir then came around to score on a single from DiCenso.

Sharon, 2 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Nico Parmeggiani threw a complete game for Stoughton, scattering five hits with only one walk and seven strikeouts to earn the win. Stoughton broke the tie game open with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sharon sophomore Max Tarlin had his second straight strong start for the Eagles, going 5 2/3 with five strikeouts and two earned runs, while allowing just two hits. Junior catcher Jake Marglous had a two RBI single for the Eagles.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 9 – Final – Aimee Kistner (four innings, win) and Courtney Fisher (three innings) combined to throw a four-hit shutout and totaled 12 strikeouts in the win. Kya Enos had two hits, including a two-run home run while Jordan Wade had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI, Meghan Navarro had a triple and two RBI and Liana Duarte had a pair of hits for the Tigers.

Canton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames freshman pitcher Kayla Georgeu only allowed three hits, striking out four in a complete game effort. Missy Krim went 2-3 with a pair of runs scored and had one stolen base, Jamie Gottwald was 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored, Victoria Ziner was 2-3 with a pair of RBI and Katie Pursley (1-2) knocked in a pair of runs for the Tigers and also scored a run. Also for the Tigers, Katie Mills (1-1) knocked in Jordyn Leite (1-1, double).

Mansfield, 2 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Mansfield senior pitcher Maddie Letendre kept the Panthers at bay, allowing just four hits while striking out seven. Freshman Megan Letendre paced the offense with three hits while junior Liz Mackin socked a pair of hits. Mady Bendanillo (RBI) and Amanda Giambanco each had a hit for the Hornets. Mansfield cashed in for both of their runs in the fifth inning with Bendanillo single knocking in Megan Letendre and Maddie Letendre knocking in Bendanillo.

King Philip, 6 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – After having just one hit through five innings, North Attleboro rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game. But King Philip sophomore Elise Pereira’s solo home run to lead off the seventh inning proved to be the difference. Kali Magane came in and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to preserve the win for the Warriors. After KP scored two runs in both the second and fifth innings, North Attleboro used a grand slam from Kaylea Sherman to tie the game in the sixth. Christa Wagner, Pereira, Magane, Brooke Taute and Meghan Gorman all had two hits for KP. Mycala Moody and Gina Miceli each had a pair of hits for the Rocketeers.

Stoughton, 5 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Stoughton’s Shannon Flaherty tossed a complete game without surrendering an earned run. Flaherty also struck out nine while issuing three walks. Jeni D’Andrea, Gina Caraffa, Karly Estramera, Sam Tullis and Flaherty each had hits for the Black Knights.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames senior attack Matt Gilson scored four goals and sophomore attack Eric LeBlanc added a pair of goals for the Tigers.

Canton, 14 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Jack Dillon, Matt Mackay and Dan Cohen all scored their first career goals in the win for the Panthers. Dylan Cunningham had a pair of saves in a shutout fourth quarter in the cage. Canton head coach Bill Bendell said DJ Trerice played well at midfield and both Brian Albert and George Kent played great defense.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 11 – Final – Click here for a full recap.

King Philip, 11 @ Sharon, 9 – Final – King Philip overcame from a four goal deficit at halftime and a three minute locked in penalty to start the fourth quarter to beat the Eagles. Sharon held a 3-0 lead after a quarter and a 5-1 lead at the break. Sharon led 7-5 going into the final quarter but an illegal stick forced KP into a man down situation for three minutes locked in. KP senior Steven Eaton kept the Warriors rolling, setting up a pair of man-down goals for KP to tie the game less than halfway through the final quarter. Junior Tim Watson scored one of his three goals with just 2:51 left to put KP up 10-8. After KP pulled within one, Eaton iced the game with a goal with 15 seconds left. Watson finished with three goals and four assists while Sam Agricola found the back of the net four times. Harry Fallon scored twice and had one assist, Anthony Truini scored once and Michael Curtin had one assist for KP. Junior goalie Paul Macrina notched 13 of his 21 saves in the second half for KP.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 11 – Final – Mansfield senior defenseman Josh Schafer set the tone early for the Hornets, going coast to coast and finding the back of the net for the first goal of the game and Mansfield held a 4-1 lead at the halftime break. The Hornets continued the attack with a 7-3 second half. Ryan Smith scored three goals and had an assist and Jon Reed found the back of the net twice for Mansfield. Connor Finerty, Billy Grant (two assists), Jarrett Saunders, Hunter Ferreira (assist) and Sam O’Connell each scored once for Mansfield.

Taunton, 4 vs. New Bedford, 9 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Oliver Ames @ Attleboro, 5:00

Milford, 3 @ Canton, 17 – Final – Mary Nee found the back of the net four times for the Bulldogs.

Franklin, 13 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final – Franklin senior goalie Dani Lonati made 11 saves to hold off the Davenport division leading Warriors. Franklin’s Julia Jette scored three goals and had two assists while Kendall Reardon had two goals and three assists and Emily Spath found the back of the net three times.

Sharon @ King Philip, 6:00

Mansfield, 10 @ North Attleboro, 19 – Final – Hana Caster led the Rocketeers with five goals and five assists, while sophomore Mackenzie Rosenberg added six goals for North. Brooke Ebert played well in goal, according to North coach Mike Vitelli.

Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 8 – Final – Taunton goalie Lorna Li made 20 saves in the cage for the Tigers but the Whalers were able to get the close win. Abbey Kingman scored twice and Kayla Phillips, Lindsay Sneyd and Riana Winslow each scored once for Taunton while Annie Tate had an assist.

Boys Tennis
Taunton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – The Tigers got a pair of wins in singles play and clinched the win with a win at first doubles. Freshman Brett Beaulieu won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles for Taunton and Mike Briggs picked up a 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Connor Briggs and Charlie Fiske won 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 at first doubles for the Tigers. Attleboro’s Timothy Vermilyea won 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles and the team of Shaun Gordon and Gaashaan Yusuf won 6-3, 6-0 at second doubles for the Bombardiers.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final

Milford @ Foxboro, 3:45

Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Franklin got a clean sweep at doubles and freshman Dan Barrow won at third singles to secure a win for the Panthers. Junior James Johnston and senior Tom Mancini won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles and sophomores Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles for the Panthers while Barrow won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles.

North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip’s Cole Ginter won at first singles, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-4 and the team of Justin Rohan and Marco DiStefano won 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Sharon freshman Danujan Thirumavalavan picked up a 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, sophomore Andre Olivei won 6-1, 6-1 at second dingles and senior Andrew Tarnoff swept 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Sophomore Russell Rapaport and freshman Max Brody teamed up for a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles for the Eagles and junior Sharov Mikhail and senior Jing Huang won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – It was a clean sweep for the Tigers, who won in straight sets in each match. Jordan Paglica won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Olivia Sweeney won 6-1, 6-4 at second singles and Kelsey Hebert won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles for the Tigers. The team of Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles for Taunton and Caroline Hebert and Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Canton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Canton got wins at first and second singles as well as first doubles to get the win. Tiffany Ha and Sarah MacQuarrie picked up their third win in as many days, notching a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles. Carly Scanlon won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles and Skyler Jabbour won via forfeit (injury) at second singles. OA’s Sarah Leger won 6-3, 7-6 at third singles and Rachel Stryke and Claudia Ferrera won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Mansfield, 3 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Mansfield swept both doubles matches and got a win from sophomore Sarah Doyle at third singles to edge the Panthers. Doyle won 6-0, 6-3 at third singles while Cathryn Heavey and Chloe Peters won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles. The team of freshmen Tessa Garufi and Elizabeth Elsner took a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win at second doubles to help clinch the win for the Hornets. Franklin’s Anna Humphreys won 7-6, 7-6 at first singles and junior Anja Deric won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles for the Panthers.

King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final

Stoughton @ Sharon, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Milford @ Millis 6:00
Taunton @ North Quincy 4:00

Panthers Pounce Early, Hold Off Late Milford Push

Franklin baseball
Franklin senior shortstop Nick Santucci, who had three RBI, throws a runner out at first. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
MILFORD, Mass. – After being shutout in its previous two games, Franklin wasted little time in finding offense on Saturday, plating seven runs in the first inning on the way to a 9-6 win over Milford.

The Panthers were shutout twice in a three day span but it took just two at bats for Franklin to score a run in the top of the first inning against the Scarlet Hawks. In total, the Panthers batted around in the first, sending 12 to the plate and using six hits to score seven runs.

“I do believe we have a good offensive baseball team and it was only a matter of time,” Franklin coach Zach Brown said. “The guys have been really diligent and working hard in the cages. I told them after the last game that being shutout two times in a row is kind of an anomaly for this group and that we were playing really clean baseball and getting good pitching. I felt if that continued, the wins would follow.”

Franklin senior Nick Santucci battled his way to a lead off walk and junior Jake Lyons belted an RBI triple on the third pitch he saw to go up 1-0. Ryan Hodgkins followed with a walk to put runners on the corners and catcher Tyler Gomes followed it up with a two run single. After a single from Josh Macchi and a walk to Brad Jarosz loaded the bases, Milford got their second out on a force at home. Alex Bissanti scored Macchi with a single and kept the bases loaded for Santucci, who ripped a two run single. Lyons picked up his second RBI of the inning in his second appearance at the plate with a single to score Bissanti.

“We just needed to have that one run and everybody kind of loosened up and started to hit,” Brown said.

The Panthers extended their lead two innings later in the top of the third inning. A lead off double from Mike Skaza put Franklin in good position. Bissanti’s sac bunt pushed Skaza to third and Santucci notched his third RBI of the game with his second hit of the game to make it 8-0.

Milford was able to chip into the deficit in the bottom of the inning though. After two near perfect innings from Franklin’s Skaza on the mound, a one out walk to Brian Ireland preceded Milford’s first hit, a single from lead off man Chris Speroni. Freshman Alex Coady batted his way to a walk to load the bases for sophomore Aidan Wilde. Wilde ripped the third pitch he saw into deep left center, clearing the bases to make it 8-3.

It didn’t take long for Franklin to respond, adding another run in the top of the fourth inning. Gomes led off with his second hit of the game – a double – and moved to third on a sac bunt from Joe Corsi to batters later. Jarosz grounded into a 6-3 out but it was enough to score Gomes from third to make it 9-3.

The Scarlet Hawks kept themselves in reach by adding two more runs in the fifth inning. Speroni’s fly ball down the left field line fell in and a walk to Coady put two on with no outs. Wilde knocked in his fourth run of the game with a hard his ball to score Speroni. Blake Hill then blasted a shot to right field, hitting a tree just inside the fence at Fino Field for an RBI triple.

Those two runs proved to be very helpful as the Scarlet Hawks put themselves in a position to complete the comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Speroni was the catalyst again, leading off with a single down the right field line and once again, Coady followed up with a walk. Wilde drew a walk on a full count to load the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate with no outs. Santucci, who took over for senior Ryan Morse on the mound after Morse was perfect in relief in the sixth inning, was able to get out of the jam.

First, Santucci induced a tough pop up in foul territory from Hill that was caught nicely by Macchi. A ground ball to second from Anthony Arcudi drove in one run but got the second out. Santucci then induced a line drive right at Macchi down the line for the third out and the save.

“The pop fly in foul grounds was the toughest of the plays and he did a great job,” Brown said. “[Josh] was actually under the weather today and were going back and forth on if he was going to play or not. But he was really he wanted to be out there and it worked out for us that he was.”

Skaza earned the win, scattering six hits with three strikeouts. Morse threw a scoreless sixth inning, needing just 11 pitches and Santucci got the save after allowing one run in the seventh.

“You can’t give up seven runs in the first inning, that’s for sure,” Milford head coach Paul Pellegrini said. “I give [Franklin] credit, they hit the pitches they should have. When you get behind batters, you tend to build confidence as a hitter and they did. Aidan [Wilde] left the ball up some and they took advantage of it. And we also had a couple of chances I thought to get out earlier in the inning and we just didn’t make the plays. It’s baseball and it happens.”

Milford turned to lefty Tylor Renaud after the first inning and the junior was very solid in relief, going six innings with just two runs surrendered. Renaud struck out six batters, issued three walks and allowed just three hits.

“Tylor loves the game, I wish I had 20 more of him on the team,” Pellegrini said. “For his size, he brings a lot to the table. He did a good job, he kept them off balance and did what I expect of him.”

For Franklin, Santucci led the Panthers with three RBI while Lyons and Gomes each knocked in a pair.

“Those guys have been pretty consistent throughout the course of the year,” Brown said. “Unfortunately we hadn’t been hitting a lot with runners in scoring position but it was good to see us get the line moving today and hopefully we can build off of it.”

Franklin baseball moves to 6-7 overall on the season and 5-5 in Hockomock play. The Panthers will try to make it two in a row when they host Attleboro on Monday. Milford drops to 3-9 overall, 3-8 in the league and will travel to Sharon on Monday.

Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/20/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final

Franklin, 12 vs. Framingham, 4 – Final – Senior Nick Santucci made a splash in his first game of the season, knocking in five runs behind a three hit day. Santucci had a double, triple and a home run for the Panthers. Jake Lyons was 2-2 (and two walks) with three runs scored, Josh Macchi had three hits with an RBI and a run scored and Alex Bissanti had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI with a run scored. Sophomore Jake Noviello got the win on the mound, tossing six innings with eight strikeouts and just two works, allowing two earned runs.

Mansfield, 0 @ Braintree, 7 – Final – The Hornets were limited to three hits in the game with Tyrone Pascual having a double and Max Boen and Kevin Dow each recording a single.

Sharon, 1 vs. North Quincy, 2 – Final (11 inn.)

Stoughton, 3 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Luke Figueira struck out 10 in six-plus innings of work to lead the Tigers to their second win in as many days. Figueira allowed three runs, all coming in the seventh, and just four runs. At the plate, the senior had a pair of hits and a run scored. Sophomore Joe Manchester had two hits, two RBI and a run scored and senior Brendon Mazerolle and sophomore Christian Simoes each added two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Mazerolle picked up his first save of the year, inheriting a bases loaded situation – the tying run at the plate – with no outs and was able to get out of the jam.

Softball
North Attleboro, 16 @ Canton, 2 – Final – North Attleboro’s Amelia Murphy tossed a two-hitter to earn the win and helped her own cause at the plate with a home run and a triple. Kaylea Sherman added a home run and a single, Jordan Sharpe went 4-5 with five RBI and Gina Miceli and Rylee Guthrie each added a pair of hits for the Rocketeers.

Franklin, 0 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final

Milford, 11 vs. Hopedale, 3 – Final – Ali Atherton didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, scattering three hits and striking out eight to hand Hopedale its first loss of the season. Jess Tomaso was 1-2 with a home run, two RBI and a pair of walks and Meg Jacques went 2-3 with a double and three RBI. Maddy Bonvino went 1/2 with a double, an RBI and a walk and Emily Piergustavo was 1-3 with a sacrifice fly and two RBI.

Oliver Ames, 1 vs. Weymouth, 7 – Final – Freshman Kayla Georgeu pitched seven innings for the Tigers with eight strikeouts, allowing just one earned run. Offensively, Jamie Gottwald was 1-3 with a double and a run scored, Lexie Campbell was 1-3 with an RBI and Missy Krim was 1-2.

Taunton, 12 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Taunton’s Katie Van Zandt had a pair of hits and knocked in three runs to pace Taunton’s offense. Jordan Wade went 3-3 with a pair of triple, two runs scored and an RBI and Aimee Kistner added a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Kistner struck out six in four innings of work while Courtney Fisher struck out a pair in one inning of work. For Stoughton, Brianna Ferrandiz had a pair of hits and Sam Tullis and Gina Carafa each had one.

Boys Lacrosse
Milford, 3 vs. Ashland, 15 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 5 vs. Medfield, 9 – Final

Franklin, 11 @ Andover, 10 – Final – Andover scored to get within one late and won the ensuing draw but Grace McDermott forced a turnover and the Panthers were able to run out the remaining 90 seconds to get the win. Kenzie Pleshaw led the way offensively with six goals, Julia Jette had two goals and two assists and Dani Lonati made seven saves in net.

King Philip, 9 vs. Walpole, 18 – Final

Mansfield vs. Bishop Feehan, 11:00AM

Boys Tennis
King Philip, 5 vs. Walpole, 0 – Final

Milford @ Mansfield, 11:00AM

Stoughton, 2 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Taunton won both matches at doubles and one singles match to edge Stoughton. Connor Briggs and Charlie Fiske won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles, Caleb Seafort and Kyle Dennehy won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles and Tom Morrissey won 6-2, 6-3 at second singles. Stoughton’s Adam Potter won 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6) at first singles and Micah Pellegrini won 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 1-0 (10-4) at third singles for the Black Knights.

Girls Tennis
King Philip, 4 @ Walpole, 1 – Final

Taunton, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 vs. Greater New Bedford, 3 – Final

Feehan Walks Away With Win Against Franklin

Franklin baseball
Mike Skaza threw 5-2/3 innings against Feehan to pick up the no decision for Franklin. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Beach Field has not been a happy place for Hockomock baseball teams this spring and that continued on Monday afternoon, as Franklin became the third team to bea beaten by Bishop Feehan this spring.

The Panthers came closer than the previous two (North Attleboro and Attleboro), as they held a two-run lead into the bottom of the sixth and regained the lead in the top of the eighth. But, the Shamrocks countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, including the game-winner on a bases loaded walk by Brodie Carey, to pull out a 6-5 victory.

“I was talking to the guys and told them if they think the game was won or lost in the last inning then they weren’t watching the game,” said Franklin coach Zach Brown. “We did some things that were a little uncharacteristic of us today, especially on the base paths and it came back to hurt us.”

Franklin led 4-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth. Starter Mike Skaza had been strong through the first five, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out five, but he seemed to be tiring and Feehan took advantage.

Pat Cashin led off the inning with a sinlge to left and thenstole second. He scored on a single by Jason Medeiros, who then was caught leaning and was nearly picked off only for the ball to be held at first, which let him scamper safely into second. Skaza tried another pick-off move, and caught him leaning again, but it skipped into center.

Reid Spears brought in the tying run with an RBI-ground out. Two batters later, Skaza was replaced by lefty Ryan Morse, who got a grounder with runners at second and third to escape the jam.

“Michael threw the ball really well,” said Brown of Skaza, “and we maybe stuck with him a batter or two longer than we should have but he did a great job and we’re proud of his effort.”

Jake Lyons doubled with two outs in the seventh to give the Panthers a chance at the lead. Tyler Gomes, who went 2-3 and reached base four times, struck out but the ball got away from the catcher, who then threw to third to try and get Lyons instead of first and prolonged the inning.

Cashin, who allowed one run in 3-1/3 innings of relief, got out of it by getting Josh Macchi (1-3, RBI) to ground out to short. Morse threw a perfect seventh to send it to extra innings.

Jake Noviello singled to start the Franklin half of the eighth. Pinch runner Camden Lupien stole second and moved to third on an error by Matt Everton. Ryan Hodgkins then stole second. Skaza brought in Lupien with a sacrifice fly to center to give Franklin the lead. Cashin got two more fly outs to end the threat.

In the bottom of the eighth, Medeiros lined a single to left and then Kyle Freitas hit a high chopper that took a funny hop and eluded Alex Bissanti. With runners at second and third and no outs, Spears bounced a ball that was cut off by Joe Corsi, who threw home in time to get the lead runner, but on his slide Medeiros knocked the glove off Gomes and was ruled safe.

Brown said, “That’s baseball. Obviously both guys were going hard and there was some contact there and, honestly, their guy went hard and did a good job.”

Spears took second on the play, so Franklin elected to intentionally walk Josh Cayer to load the bases. Carey took four balls as well to plate the winning run.

“You have an opportunity with a ground ball that takes a big hop and then obviously the play at the plate,” Brown said. “I thought Ryan threw the ball well, threw hard…they just made one more play than we did.”

Feehan had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second, but Franklin bounced right back to take the lead in the fourth. Lyons, Gomes, Macchi, and Jake Noviello started the inning with four straight singles to cut the lead to one. With the bases loaded, Ryan Hodgkins drew a walk to tie the game and Skaza (0-3, 2 RBI) knocked in the go-ahead run on a 4-6-3 double play.

The Panthers tacked on another run in the fifth. Steven Luttazi led off with a double to left and Joe Corsi reached when his sac bunt was thrown away by the catcher, which allowed Luttazi to come in and score. Corsi reached third on a wild pitch but was then picked off.

“We had some chances to extend the lead early and we didn’t take advantage of them and those issues came up late,” said Brown.

He continued, “They’re a very good team and well-coached and they have a style that really works for them. If you let a good team hang around long enough then they’ll take some cracks at it.”

The Panthers have lost two in a row after winning the opening three games. Brown is confident that his team with “learn and grow” from the way Monday’s game played out.

“This is a resilient team and I certainly don’t think one game or one inning is going to define us,” he explained. “So we’re going to make some adjustments and go back to work tomorrow and hopefully we’ll be better for it in the long run.”

Franklin (3-2) will be back in action on Wednesday with the visit of Framingham and then travels to Catholic Memorial two days later.

Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.

Baseball: Kelley-Rex Division Preview 2016

Attleboro's Nate Tellier will be one 11 seniors playing for the Bombardiers this season. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
Attleboro’s Nate Tellier will be one 11 seniors playing for the Bombardiers this season. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

ATTLEBORO

2015 Record: 8-12
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Matt Bosh

A rough end to the 2015 campaign kept the Bombardiers out of the postseason last year but with 11 seniors and a good amount returning experienced players, Attleboro is looking to get back to the playoffs this year.

“We have a lot of returning varsity players from last year, and we have three two-year captains, four [captains] overall,” head coach Matt Bosh said. “The positive thing is that even though we have a lot from last year’s team back, there is still a lot of competition for playing time, which will hopefully bring out the best in all of our kids.”

Both Nate Tellier and Tyler Stowe are returning three year starters and captains this season, alongside seniors Will Carter and Jon Dunn. Tellier is one of the best shortstops in the league and led the Bombardiers in hitting last season with a .357 average and 14 runs scored. Tellier will also be a force on the mound after recording a 1.44 ERA in 34 innings last season. Stowe will man first base when he isn’t pitching.

Matt Callahan, Cam Hochwarter, Brandon Galvao and Robbie Araujo will all see time in the infield along with Tellier and Stowe and juniors Dylan Maskell and Dylan Prout should also fit in the infield. Will Carter returns behind the plate while Dunn patrols centerfield. Pat Collins, Brent Cook and John Burns are all likely candidates to see time in left and right.

Along with Tellier and Stowe on the mound, Dunn, Galvao, Callahan, Prout, Maskell, Nolan Kane, Tyler McGovern and James Weir should see time.

FRANKLIN

2015 Record: 16-8
2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinals
Coach: Zach Brown

The Panthers reached the D1 South Semifinals last year but there will be some voids left from graduation that Franklin needs to fill in order to get back there.

“We have a lot of positions up for grabs,” head coach Zach Brown said. “But I’m really excited about the opportunity we have this season. We have a lot of new talented players that are competing hard for playing time and open positions and roles. We will be relying on some younger guys, sophomores and juniors, to help fill some critical positions. Competition during practice and scrimmages has been intense. I think we have a unique blend of veterans and a new influx of talent. I’m very optimistic about what this team can become by the end of the season.”

The talent that Franklin does have back is a good group with Alex Bissanti returning at second base, Mike Skaza back to pitch and patrol the outfield, Nick Santucci at shortstop, Tyler Gomes will move to catcher full time and Jake Lyons will handle centerfield duties. Joe Corsi will handle a variety of roles and Josh Macchi will take over first base.

Franklin graduated 10 seniors from last year’s squad that included the entire pitching rotation and closer. Brown noted sophomores Jake Noviello and Matt Foley will see time on the mound this season.

KING PHILIP

2015 Record: 5-15
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Pat Weir

King Philip has seven seniors and seven juniors on its roster this year and a good chunk of that experience comes on the mound.

“I can say in my short three years at KP this current group is the most cohesive group I’ve been around,” head coach Pat Weir said. “Solid senior leadership, solid team chemistry and competition is very healthy.”

Jake Lannigan, Jake Cavanagh, Jon Rolfe and Jack DiCenso are all seniors that have experience on the mound. Rolfe notched a 1.80 ERA in 35 innings last year while striking out 26 while Cavanaugh tossed over 41 innings, striking out 35 with a 2.88 ERA. Rolfe is also the top returning hitter after hitting .302 last year.

Leo Munafo returns as the starting catcher and Will Weir is back at shortstop for another year. Stephan MacMeans had a strong year in the outfield last season and will patrol centerfield again this season. All four senior pitchers previously mentioned will all see time in the field as well.

MANSFIELD

2016 Record: 17-6
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Final
Coach: Joe Breen

Last season was a banner year for first year head coach Joe Breen and the Hornets as Mansfield won its first league title since 2007 and reached the D1 South Finals. But last year is already in the rearview mirror for the 2016 Hornets.

“After a great season last year, we are a whole new team,” head coach Joe Breen said. “We have a talented group of multi-sport athletes that look to transition from the JV ranks to the varsity ranks this spring. We have some great senior leaders at the top and quite a bit of young talent to fill in the holes left by last year’s large graduating class. I’m excited to see what players breakthrough in our pre-season practices and scrimmages.”

Key returnees include senior catcher Mike Arnold, senior first baseman Tyrone Pascual and senior center fielder Charlie DeMassi. Expect each of them to be in the top of the order. DeMassi showed off his defensive prowess in the center last season and will be a key piece this year.

The biggest question mark for the defender Kelley-Rex champions will be pitching. Breen said he will be looking for seniors Jared Menzer, Jack Neureter and Michael Kirejczyk to step up alongside sophomore Tyler Dalton.

North Attleboro

2015 Record: 8-12
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Paul Tobin

Last season ended far from how Big Red had planned when they dropped nine of their last 10 games to miss out on the playoffs. But head coach Paul Tobin brings back his two top pitchers and a solid group of experienced seniors.

“This is a smart, good-character group who are fun to coach,” Tobin said. “The middle of the lineup should hit. If we get production from some of our new players and the expected contributions from our returning veterans we should be in the thick of the race.”

Seniors John O’Donnell and Andy Katch are back on the mound for the Rocketeers. O’Donnell logged over 36 innings on the mound last year with a 2.89 ERA and 23 strikeouts. Ridge Olsen is back and will patrol left field after batting a team-high .433 last year with 13 RBI and Brian Kleczkowski returns to first base after hitting .321 last year with 16 RBI.

Junior catcher Tyler LaFreniere is also back along with second baseman Brian Poillucci and centerfielder Bryan Harris. Tobin noted junior Brett Cloutier, junior John Brennan and sophomore Zach DeMattio will factor in this season.

TAUNTON

2015 Record: 14-8
2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Jeff Sylvia

Taunton has had a lot of success since joining the Hockomock League and head coach Jeff Sylvia is hopeful that will continue this year. With a handful of very good players back, it’s likely that will continue.

“Our goal is to be better on April 30th than March 30th,” Sylvia said. “And then even better on May 30th.”

Taunton brings back Luke Figueira, who was the 2014 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year as a sophomore and then was one of the league’s best all around players last year as a junior. Figueira batted a team-high .500 with 15 RBI and pitched over 35 innings with 51 strikeouts, posting a 1.78 ERA. Jose Mercado will see an expanded role on the mound after striking out 25 in 18 innings last year.

Max Bowden returns behind the plate and will also be back as the closer after four saves and a 1.62 ERA last year. Sylvia also has Brendon Mazzerole back, who was selected to the HockomockSports.com First Team as a third maseman last year. Mazzerole will shift to short this year and will look to build upon his .429 average from last year.

Senior Kevin Griffin also brings back some experience while seniors Charles Hearrold III and Dan Noonan and junior Danny Keogh will try to make an impact this season. Sylvia is also looking for sophomores Joe Manchester and Jacob Crawford to slide into roles early on.