06/02/2017

Macek, Milford Outlast Stoughton In Extra Innings

Milford baseball — Milford’s Aidan Wilde (1) and Alex Macek celebrate after recording the final out. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

STOUGHTON, Mass. – The last time Milford senior Alex Macek toed the rubber on Anthony Noviello Field on the campus of Stoughton High School, things didn’t exactly go as planned as the Black Knights exploded for 15 runs.

This time around, things couldn’t have gone much better.

Macek pitched 8.2 innings, allowing just two innings in the first inning, and struck out seven, leading the Scarlet Hawks to a 3-2 win over Stoughton in nine innings.

With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth, Macek hit a grounder to the left side of the infield and the throw to first was short, allowing sophomore Alex Coady to cross for the go-ahead run.

Stoughton’s Ryan Sullivan drew a two-out walk and Jack Connelly singled to put runners on the corners with two outs. Milford’s Aidan Wilde relieved Macek on the mound and got the final out, a grounder to third.

“We made plays, we had very good pitching so it gave us an opportunity,” said Milford head coach Paul Pellegrini. “We didn’t take advantage of our opportunities early but we stuck with it and that showed there. That was a complete team effort. I know Macek didn’t want me to take him out there, but his pitch count was up there.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Stoughton had a bright start as Ruben Gonzalez reached on an error to lead off and Sullivan sliced a an RBI triple down the right field line after a lengthy at-bat. Connelly took first after being hit but Macek induced a double play, allowing just the one run to score and recorded the third out to escape with just a 2-0 deficit.

Macek then tossed seven and two thirds scoreless, working around a one-out double in the second, a bases loaded situation one one out in the third inning, runners first and second with no outs in the fifth inning, runners on second and third with one out in the sixth and a lead off single in the seventh.

“He just kept them off balance,” Pellegrini said of Macek. “He threw a lot of strikes, he didn’t have too many walks. I know he hit the two guys but we ended up getting out of that inning. He really battled, it didn’t look like his velocity was all there but he was effective with his off speed stuff.”

“I had pitched well against them last year before the 15-0 game earlier this year, so I was confident and I knew it wouldn’t happen again, I wouldn’t let it happen,” Macek said. “The first pitch curve was working well for me and I was getting inside and jamming them.

“We’ve all been playing together since we were nine so we’re all in this together. We didn’t want today to be the last game. I just wanted to put the ball in play and see what happens.”

“No excuses from us, we don’t make excuses,” said Stoughton head coach Mike Armour. “We have to score more than two runs. We have to hit the ball more…there were a lot of runners stranded, for both teams. It seemed like we had guys on base every inning, as did they, and no one was getting it done. We had our chances, we just couldn’t get another run across the fish. Regardless of how it happened, they scored one more run than we did.”

Milford cut into the lead in the third inning, loading the bases for the first of three times in the contest. Tony Mobilia was hit by a pitch and Ryan Goncalves followed with a one-out single. Anthony Arcudi laced a single to load the bases and Wilde drew a walk to cut the deficit in half.

Stoughton starter Justin Hutchinson (6IP, 1R, 6H, 7K) bounced back and recorded two straight strikeouts to avoid any further damage.

“I miss him already,” Armour said of Hutchinson, who led the Hockomock in wins and was second in strikeouts. “To think that we’re done, it’s tough. He was very dedicated to the program and he just loves the game of baseball. I have full confidence he will excel at the next level. There won’t be another Hutch.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Milford would send three more batters up to the plate with the bases loaded. The Hawks filled the bags with one out in the fourth but Connelly made a nice grab over the dugout fence in foul territory and Hutchinson got another strikeout. Milford loaded them once again with two outs in the sixth, but Stoughton’s Pat Hagerty made a charging catch in center for the third out.

It looked as though the Black Knights pushed across their third run of the game when sophomore Evan Gibb dove head first into first and appeared to beat the throw, allowing Sullivan to score, but the infield ump called the play out at first.

Wilde started the Hawks off on the right foot in the seventh inning, reaching first after being hit and taking second on a wild pitch. Coady then delivered a line drive base hit to bring Wilde around for the tying run with one out.

“He’s really our vocal leader believe it or not as a sophomore,” Pellegrini said of Coady. “He’s a good kid, he just gets it. His on-base percentage was around .550 this year and he batted around .400…he sees the ball very well. He’d been struggling a little bit at the plate so it was nice him come through at that point.”

Milford baseball (12-9) advances to the D2 South Quarterfinals and will play at fifth-seeded Greater New Bedford (15-6) on Monday at 4:00. Stoughton finishes the season 15-6.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

05/27/2017

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/27/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Milford, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro pushed one run across in the first tinning and tacked on two more to close the regular season with a win over Milford. Colin Thoener struck out eight batters in a complete game effort, scattering seven hits and issuing three walks. Senior Mike Saliba gave Foxboro the lead with an RBI single in the first inning while Cam Feldman knocked in the Warriors’ first run in the third inning. Aaron Wentling (2-for-3) doubled in the third and scored on a hit from Rob Theriault (2-for-3) in the third inning. Milford’s Nate Irwin allowed just one earned run in a complete game effort, striking out four. Alex Coady had two hits and Alex Macek added an RBI double for Milford.

Franklin, 7 @ Natick, 2 – Final – Franklin junior Jason Ulrickson allowed just one earned run and senior Jake Lyons knocked in three runs as the Panthers recorded their first win of the day. Ulrickson scattered eight hits, walked two and struck out seven to earn the win. Lyons went 2-for-3, including a triple and also scored a run, Jake Macchi had a double, a run and two RBI and Cam Lupien scored twice and knocked in one run for Franklin.

Franklin, 8 vs. Hopkinton, 0 – Final – The Panthers picked up their second win of the day, shutting out Hopkinton in the Pedroli Classic championship game. Jake Noviello earned the win with five shutout innings, striking out nine and allowing just three hits and one walk. Bryan Woelfel closed the game with two scoreless innings, striking out three with just two hits allowed. Offensively, Ryan Hodgkins (two RBI), Tyler Gomes (run), Jack Macchi (two RBI, run) and Cam Lupien (two runs) each had two hits for the Panthers.

Milford, 8 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Milford junior Aidan Wilde made an impact on both the mound and at the plate as the Scarlet Hawks registered a win in their first game of the day. Wilde tossed a one-hitter and walked just one batter while striking out eight in a complete game effort on the mound. At the plate, the junior had two hits, including a triple, scored two runs, knocked in two runs and walked once. Senior Anthony Arcudi added three hits, one run and an RBI, senior Tony Mobilia had two hits, including a double, and scored a run and senior Luke Allgrezza went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

North Attleboro, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 5 – Final – Bishop Feehan scored a pair of runs in the first inning but the Rocketeers rallied for six straight runs and held off the Shamrocks for the win. Senior Ryan Prince earned the win on the mound for North Attleboro. Offensively, senior Tyler LaFreniere had three hits and two RBI, John Brennan went 2-for-3 and Nick Crawley knocked in a pair of runs on a pair of hits.

Stoughton, 4 @ Whitman-Hanson, 2 – Final (10 inn.) – Stoughton loaded the bases in the top of the 10th inning and pushed across two runs to split the season series with Whitman-Hanson. With the game tied 2-2, Ruben Gonzalez (two hits) led off with a single, Ryan Sullivan (two hits) followed with a double and Jack Connelly (two hits) was intentionally walked. After a pair of fielder’s choices, Pat Hagerty drew a walk to push across one run and Luke Johnson scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2. Johnson earned the win, tossing five scoreless innings in relief. Johnson allowed just two hits and walked one while striking out three.

Softball
Franklin, 3 vs. Abington, 10 – Final – Franklin’s Alexx Niss belted a two-run home run in the top of the first inning but the Green Wave plated three runs in the bottom half and never surrendered the lead the rest of the way.

North Attleboro, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final – North Attleboro tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth inning but Feehan plated the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to pick up the win. Olivia Capobianco and Meg Barlow each singled and Liz Morehouse brought the tying run in with a a sacrifice fly. North freshman Bella Erti scattered seven hits while striking out four, including her 100th of the season. Morehouse and Ashley Cangiano each had a triple in the game while Abby Gallagher recorded a double in the exclusion game.

Sharon vs. Milton, 9:00AM

Taunton, 0 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 2 – Final – Dighton-Rehoboth scored a pair on unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning to edge out Taunton. THS head coach Dave Lewry said Courtney Fisher pitched a great game, allowing just three hits and striking out eight. Jaime Brown, Katie Van Zandt and McKenzie McAloon each notched two hits for the Tigers.

Girls Tennis
Foxboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Foxboro swept singles matches with sophomore Julia Muise prevailing in three sets to clinch the win for the Warriors. Junior Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, senior Lexi Nelson won 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and Muise recorded a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win at third singles. North Attleboro’s Katie Demontigny and Azka Siddiq won 6-1, 6-2 at first doubles and the team of Hana Hershey and Shurobhi Nandi won 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) at second doubles.

Sharon, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final

04/27/2017

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/28/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Taunton’s offense plated its first run in the top of the first inning, added two more in the fourth inning and tacked on another insurance run in the seventh inning to record a win on the road. Christian Simoes went 2-for-3 for the Tigers with an RBI and a run scored while Matt Machado (run) and Tyler Medeiros (RBI) each went 1-for-3 for the Tigers.

Mansfield, 3 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon junior Max Tarlin impressed on the bump, tossing six innings with just four hits allowed to earn the win. Tarlin allowed two unearned tuns, walked just one and struck out six for the Eagles. Sharon scored once in the second and then exploded for four runs in the third inning. Aiden Arnold (RBI, run) and Jake Teven (run) each had two hits for the Eagles while Spencer Singer (RBI, run), Drew Naisuler (run), Ben Schwartz (RBI), Danny Emerman (two RBI) and Jake Marglous (run) each had one hit. Mansfield’s Zack Peterson (two RBI) and Kevin Dow (home run) each went 1-for-3 for the Hornets.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Matt McCormack made an immediate impact in his varsity debut, coming on in relief to pick up the win for the Tigers. McCormack came on with the bases loaded and just one out, but escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts. The sophomore threw 3.2 innings, collecting the win by allowing just one hit while striking out four. OA head coach Joe Abarr praised the defensive work of sophomore Chris Pearsons (six putouts, run) at third base. OA took the lead in the fourth inning when Kyle Gagliardi singled with two outs, stole second and came home on an outfield error. Milford tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Alex Coady. OA scored the winning run in the sixth, with Pearsons scoring on a passed ball. Alex Macek threw a complete game for Milford, allowing just four hits with seven strikeouts and two unearned runs allowed.

Softball
Foxboro, 1 @ Taunton, 12 – Final – Taunton scored in every inning and picked up a seventh win of the season. Courtney Fisher went the distance in the circle, striking out three. Jaime Brown, Liana Duarte, Kya Enos, and Hannah Aldrich each had three hits for the Tigers and Hailey Medeiros had two hits. Duarte drove in three runs and Medeiros and Aldrich each had two RBI.

Stoughton, 0 @ King Philip, 14 – Final – Elise Pereira tossed six shutout innings for the Warriors, striking out 11 in the process. KP hit three homers and pounded out 13 hits on the day. Meghan Gorman went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI, Betsy Walsh went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, and Paige Kuchy went 2-for-3 with a solo homer. Stoughton only managed three hits – a double by Jordan Lyons and singles from Gina Carafa and Alesandra Lofredo.

Sharon, 3 @ Mansfield, 9 – Final – The Eagles held a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning before the Hornets rallied with nine runs to pick up the victory. Mady Bendanillo started the rally with a walk and Liz Mackin reached on an error. Sarah Cahill, who picked up the win an struck out nine, singled in the first run and Marissa Staffer followed with a single that plated two and tied the game. Caty DeMassi had an RBI on a fielder’s choice to give the Hornets the lead and Megan Letendre doubled home two runs. Mady Bendanillo came up for a second time in the inning and capped the scoring with a three-run homer.

Milford, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Shannon Cormier collected a pair of hits and knocked in three runs to pace Milford to a win on the road. Cormier also had a stolen base while Emily Piergustavo went 3-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base. Kelley Reichert (1-for-3, home run) earned the win, tossing a complete game with no earned runs allowed. OA’s Katie Abreu went 2-for-3, Lexie Campbell was 2-for-4 and Victoria Ziner had a hit and scored a run for the Tigers.

Boys Lacrosse
Sharon, 14 @ Canton, 6 – Final

Mansfield @ Taunton, 3:45

Stoughton, 11 @ Milford, 10 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 5 @ Sharon, 9 – Final

King Philip, 7 @ Medfield, 10 – Final

Taunton, 5 @ Mansfield, 18 – Final – Mansfield used eight different goal scorers to pick up a division win. Ann Maher led the way for the Hornets with five goals and Maire Foley added four. Hannah Sternburg made 10 saves for Mansfield. Alana Tavares had a hat trick and Delaney Powell a pair of goals for the Tigers.

Boys Tennis
Foxboro, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip dropped just a total of four games across five matches to earn a win over visiting Stoughton. Blake Ginter won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Martin Matous won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles and Marco DiStefano took a 6-0, 6-0 decision at third singles. The team of Ryan Gemelli and Aidan Igantius won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Jake Webster and Tim Costanzo won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – The Eagles won all five matches in straight sets and dropped just three games in doubles play to pick up a win on the road. Senior Griffin Fein won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles, junior Fred Bondar won 6-4, 6-0 at second singles and junior Andre Olivei won 6-2, 6-3 at third singles. The team of senior Alex Romantz and freshman Alberto Olivei won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and sophomore Danujan Thirumavalavan and junior Ashwin Sreevatsa won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.

Milford, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Taunton notched a key win on the road at Foxboro, losing just four games total in doubles play to beat the Warriors. Ashleigh Eason won at second singles, taking the first set 6-3 before Foxboro retired due to injury. Jillian Pagliuca won 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 at third singles for the Tigers. The team of Emily Moor and Callie Hebert won 6-2, 6-0 at first doubles and Vanessa Rosa and Jordan Martin won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles. Foxboro’s Lexi Nelson won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles.

King Philip @ Stoughton, 3:45

Mansfield, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon lost just two games total in singles play and five games in doubles play in a sweep of Mansfield. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Emily Zhang won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles and Sophia Fein and Akhila Sanadi won 6-3, 6-0 at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Claudia Ferrara battled through a three set thriller and its second doubles team rallied from an 0-5 deficit to help the Tigers prevail with a win at Milford. Ferrara won 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at second singles and Olivia Groebe and Emily Gordon battled for a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win at second doubles. OA’s first doubles team of Tori Wyman and Kristin Bloumbas notched the team’s first win with a 6-1, 6-3 decision at first doubles. Milford’s Julie Rabinowitz won 6-3, 8-6 at first singles and Caitlin Cafarella won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 at third singles for the Hawks.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ BC High, 2 – Final

Taunton, 3 vs. Quincy, 0 – Final – Taunton punched its ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2013 with a sweep of Quincy, 26-24, 25-19, 25-18. Lance Law had a team-high 12 kills as well as six digs, two blocks and an ace, David Fusiecki had nine kills, 10 digs and an ace and Nick Sorm chipped in with 11 digs, seven assists and four kills for the Tigers.

04/26/2017

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/27/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
North Attleboro, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final (9 inn.) – Attleboro’s Eoin Kelleher reached on an error to start the ninth scored the winning run at Mason Field when Rob Furtado draw a bases-loaded walk. Senior Dylan Maskell had a very strong outing for the Bombardiers, tossing eight innings with five hits allowed, no earned runs and five strikeouts. Kelleher pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win. Attleboro took the lead with two runs in the third but North clawed back with single runs in the fourth and fifth to tie the game.

Franklin, 12 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Franklin’s offense got going early, plating three runs in each the first and second innings to earn a win over the Bulldogs. Jason Ulrickson earned the win in four innings of work, striking out four with just one earned allowed. Ulrickson also knocked in a pair of runs to help the offense. Both Jake Lyons (three runs, RBI) and Ryan Hodgkins (two runs, two RBI) went 3-for-3 while Cam Benham had two RBI and Matt Foley chipped in with two hits and two runs scored.

Mansfield, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

Sharon, 3 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Milford senior Nate Irwin threw a complete game, scattering six hits along with one walk while fanning five batters to earn the win. The Scarlet Hawks scored single runs in the first and third and tacked on two more in the fourth. Sharon scored one run in each the first, fourth and sixth innings. Anthony Arcudi (1-for-3, two runs, RBI double), Ryan Goncalves (2-for-4, run) and Alex Coady (1-for-3, RBI double) paced Milford’s offense. Aiden Arnold went 2-for-3 with a double and Drew Naisuler was 2-for-3 with a run for Sharon.

Softball
North Attleboro, 13 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – North Attleboro utilized some small ball to pick up its sixth win of the season. Bella Erti struck out two, allowed six hits and walked one in five innings of work in the circle to earn the win for Big Red. Liz Morehouse had a pair of hits and knocked in four runs, Meg Barlow went 3-for-4 and both Andrea Miceli and Erti had two hits. Abby Gallagher and Sam Courtemanche both knocked in a pair of runs for the Rocketeers.

Canton, 0 @ Franklin, 9 – Final – Jackie Cherry and Emily Valentino combined for nine strikeouts in the shutout win over Canton. “It was a solid team win,” said head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau. “Everyone contributed and did their jobs.”

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Mansfield, 11 – Final – Mansfield pounded out 14 hits as a team and got run support for Sarah Cahill early on in a division win. The Hornets played two runs in the first inning, scoring off a single from Kara Bendanillo and a double from Megan Letendre. Mansfield added four runs in the second, capitalizing on singles from Kerran Holmes (3-for-4), Caty DeMassi (two hits) and Liz Mackin (two hits). Mady Bendanillo (two hits) hit a solo home run in the fourth. Sarah Bradley also had two hits for Mansfield. Cahill struck out two, and gave up four hits while earning the win. For Oliver Ames, Katie Abreu was 2-for-3 with two RBI, Victoria Ziner (eight putouts) was 1-for-3 with two runs and Marissa Guarino (1-for-1)
and Lexie Campbell each scored once.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 11 vs. Norton, 6 – Final – Alex Banner (two goals, three assists) notched a team-high five points while Zach Viau and Andrew Milliken (assist) each recorded a hat trick to pace Attleboro past Norton. Trevor Koppy made 12 saves in net while Matt Potter had nine ground balls.

Foxboro, 5 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – North Attleboro scored three goals in the fourth quarter and kept the Warriors off the board to complete the comeback win. The game was tied 2-2 at halftime before Foxboro seized the lead with third goals in the third quarter. However, Big Red scored three unanswered goals, starting with Nick Moore and Jason McNeany (assist). Senior Colin Young scored the game-winner with under three minutes to play. Jack Dakin added two goals, Zach McGowan scored once and had two assists and Owen Costello had one assist. Dan MacDonald made 13 saves in net and also had one assist.

King Philip, 20 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 13 vs. Norton, 12 – Final

North Attleboro, 8 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final

Franklin, 19 @ Milford, 3 – Final – The Panthers picked up their 10th win of the season with a big victory on the road. Lauren Bissanti scored once and had two assists, Grace McDermott and Mairead Goguen each notched one goal and one assist and Lilly Kolb had two goals.

King Philip, 9 vs. Medway, 12 – Final

Boys Tennis
Milford, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final

North Attleboro, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – North Attleboro prevailed with a sweep of rival Attleboro, taking all five matches in straight sets. Zac Pfeffer won 6-4, 6-2 at first singles, Barsomo Nuay won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and Alex Rinaldi won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. Daniel Zhang and Ben Pfeffer walked away with a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles and Andrew Harris and Vikram Senthilakumaran won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Canton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin’s Rahul Herur walked away with a win at first singles after a marathon battle with Canton’s Jake Wolicki. Herur prevailed 5-7, 6-3, 10-8. Eli Brooks took second singles 6-3, 6-2 and Rohan Herur won 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) at third singles. James Johnston and Derek Wu notched a 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg won 6-3, 6-0 at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro didn’t drop a game in either first or second singles play in a win over Attleboro. Emily Chiasson and Jordan Willis each won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively. The team of Gabby Duva and Katie Demontigny won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Leah Marceau and Tara Nair notched a 6-4, 6-1 win at second doubles. Attleboro’s Anna Nelson recorded a 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 win at third singles for the Bombardiers.

Franklin, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Franklin dropped just two games in winning first and second singles but Canton’s second doubles team prevailed in three sets to help the Bulldogs earn the win. Hannah Sweeney won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and Anja Deric won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles for the Panthers. Canton’s team of Stelina Michaelidis and Sarah Hernandez battled back to win 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles. Kiki Karavas won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles and Julia Burkowski and Jena Moyle won 6-1, 6-2 at first doubles for Canton.

Mansfield, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Mansfield swept singles play and won all four of its victories in straight sets to knock off Oliver Ames. Senior Paulina Martin won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, junior Sarah Doyle won 6-0, 6-4 at second singles and sophomore Elizabeth Elsner took third singles 6-3, 6-4. The team of senior Chloe Peters and sophomore Tessa Garufi won 6-3, 6-4 at first doubles. Oliver Ames’ Catherine Murphy and Ana Serjak won 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 at doubles.

Boys Track
Attleboro, 45 @ Mansfield, 91 – Final
Stoughton @ Foxboro, 3:45
Taunton, 72 @ Franklin, 64 – Final
King Philip, 73 @ Oliver Ames, 63 – Final
North Attleboro @ Sharon, 3:45

Girls Track
Attleboro, 41 @ Mansfield, 91 – Final – Mansfield senior Caitlin Whitman made the switch to the 400M hurdles and prevailed as the winner, crossing in 71.1. Whitman also anchored the 4×400 team that finished first. Senior Jordan Brill-Cass ran a PR in the 200M, clocking in a 26.3 while also participating on the winning 4×100 team. Sopohomores Val Buonora (800) and Maggie Riley (2 Mile) picked up wins as well.

Stoughton @ Foxboro, 3:45

Taunton @ Franklin, 3:45

King Philip, 70 @ Oliver Ames, 66 – Final

North Attleboro, 78 @ Sharon, 58 – Final

04/14/2017

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/14/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Milford, 12 @ Hopedale, 2 – Final – For the third straight game, Milford scored in the first inning and the Hawks rolled to a big win over non-league rival Hopedale. The Scarlet Hawks scored three runs in the top of the first, created more separation with six runs in the second and also scored in the third (one run) and fifth (two runs) innings. Junior Aidan Wilde (2-for-3) scored three runs and had three stolen bases, senior Ryan Goncalves (2-for-3) scored twice and had a pair of stolen bases and sophomore Alex Coady had a double and three RBI. Senior Alex Macek earned the win, allowing four hits while striking out eight in five scoreless innings of work.

Softball
Milford, 5 vs. Grafton, 2 – Final – Milford senior Ali Atherton had a strong performance in the circle and senior Kaitlyn DeCapua stepped up offensively to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a win. Atherton tossed a complete game, scattering four hits while fanning six batters. DeCapua had a double and knocked in three runs while sophomore Emily Hartman had a solo home run.

04/12/2017

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/13/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Junior Tyler Dalton dazzled on the mound, tossing a complete game shutout to lead the Hornets. Dalton allowed just two hits, didn’t issue a walk and struck out a season-high 11 batters. Mansfield scored single runs in the second, third and fifth innings, totaling seven hits as a team. Zach Peterson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while Max Boen was 1-for-2 with a walk, RBI and a run scored. Attleboro’s Dylan Maskell also had a solid outing on the mound, throwing six innings with six strikeouts.

Sharon, 5 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final (9 inn.) – Sharon’s offense was quiet for the first six innings but scored in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, eventually prevailing with a one-run victory over Foxboro. Trailing 1-0, the Eagles put up three runs in the top of the seventh to go ahead. Foxboro tied the game in the bottom half to send the game to extra innings. Both Sharon and Foxboro scored a run apiece in the eighth before Sharon scored the final run of the game in the top of the ninth. In the seventh, Aiden Arnold’s leadoff single preceded singles from Ben Stamm (3-for-4, RBI, run) and Jason Hertz. Jake Marglous tied it up with an RBI single. Spencer Singer connected on a two-run double to put the Eagles up 3-1. Foxboro got two back but Hertz threw the would-be winning run out at home to send the game to extras. Stamm knocked in Ben Schwartz in the top of the eighth but Foxboro knotted the game in the bottom half. In the top of the ninth, Arnold drew a lead off walk, stole second and scored on base hit from Jake Teven. Arnold earned the win in relief, and closed the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Sophomore Noah Kamens had a strong start on the mound, throwing six innings without allowing an earned run while striking out two. “All the kids contributed and the way they fought back in the seventh, eighth and finally the ninth shows incredible resiliency from this group,” said Sharon head coach Kee Arguimbau.

Franklin, 1 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Milford scored in five different innings to pick up its second straight win. The Scarlet Hawks scored single runs in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth against the Panthers. Aidan Wilde tossed a complete game without giving up an earned run, striking out seven and letting up just two hits. Ryan Goncalves went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases, Alex Coady had a home run and Anthony Arcudi was 1-for-3 with a double, a run and two stolen bases.

North Attleboro, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – North Attleboro’s offense got off to a strong start for the second straight game, scoring a pair of runs in each of the first and second innings, adding two more in the fourth and one more in the sixth inning. Senior Matt Iaconis didn’t allow an earned run in six innings of work, scattering six hits, walking just one batter and striking out three to earn the win. Junior Peter Cohen pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Rocketeers. Junior Nick Sinacola recorded four hits for Big Red, knocking in a pair of runs, Kyle McCarthy had two hits and two RBI and Iaconis also added a pair of hits. OA’s Chris Pearsons had a strong showing in relief, tossing five innings without surrendering an earned run.

Taunton, 7 vs. Durfee, 6 – Final – Taunton rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn a walk-off win over non-league rival Durfee. The Tigers took a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning but Durfee scored four in the top of the second and took the lead with two runs in the fourth. Billy Emerson tied the game in the seventh with a pinch hit single and Chris Gomes knocked in the game-winner with a single. In the first inning, Jacob Crawford (3-for-4) and Matt Machado scored on a double from Christian Simoes. Gomes also had a two-run double in the first inning. Senior Danny Keogh earned the win, tossing three scoreless innings in relief.

Softball
Sharon, 2 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final (8 inn.) – Sharon used extra innings to pick up its first win of the season. Senior catcher Sam Marglous (3-for-5) singled in the top of the eighth to drive in the game-winning run. Clara Cook went the distance to pick up the win, striking out eight and allowing only four hits. Sophomore Alli Small had two hits and scored the opening run in the third inning on a single by classmate Rebecca Clayman. Lexi Buckner tied the game for Foxboro with a solo homer in the sixth and it stayed tied into the eighth.

Milford, 6 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Milford senior Ali Atherton inherited a two-on, no out situation in a relief appearance and struck out three straight batters to help the Hawks escape danger in the sixth inning. Atherton picked up the save with two innings of work. Kelley Reichert earned the win, striking out five while allowing five hits in five innings of work. At the plate, Maggie Farrell was 2-for-4 with two doubles and Emily Hartman was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Milford head coach Steve DeVitto praised the defense play of shortstop Emily Piergustavo and third baseman Kaitlyn DeCapua.

King Philip, 5 vs. Bishop Feehan, 7 – Final

Oliver Ames, 1 @ North Attleboro, 13 – Final (6 inn.) – North Attleboro’s offense has been clicking lately, scoring 46 runs over the past three games. Bella Erti, who threw a perfect game earlier this week, allowed only one hit and an unearned run, while striking out five. Meg Barlow went 4-for-4 with three RBI for North and Liz Morehouse and Erti both had a pair of hits in the win. For Oliver Ames, Victoria Ziner was 1-for-3 with a run scored and was knocked in by Caroline Mahoney (RBI).

Boys Lacrosse
Stoughton, 2 @ Canton, 14 – Final – Canton baptized its brand new turf with a big win over neighboring Stoughton. The Bulldogs raced out to a 8-1 lead at halftime with a big second quarter and capped its second half scoring with six goals in the third. Joey Vaughan scored the first goal on the new turf as Canton finished with ten different scorers. Sophomore Mike Shaw led with way with four goals and three assists while sophomore midfielder Matt Martin netted his first career goal.

Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 18 – Final

North Attleboro, 11 @ Plymouth North, 5 – Final – For the second straight game, the Rocketeers dominated the second half and came away with a win on the road. North was up 4-3 at half but allowed just two goals in the second half and scored seven goals to beat Plymouth North. Junior Jason McNeany had a dominant day at the face off X, winning 10 of 14 draws while adding two goals and one assist. Tommy Lockavitch also stepped up with a big game defensively, recording four ground balls. Zach McGowan (three goals, four assists) had seven points to pace the offense while Tommy Lindstrom chipped in with two goals and one assist and Colin Young had a pair of helpers. Paul Yeomans added a goal and an assist, Nick Ward, Owen Costello and Nick Moore each had a goal and David James had an assist.

Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 9 @ Bishop Feehan, 5 – Final – Franklin clamped down defensively, allowing just one goal in the second half to pull away from the Shamrocks. Franklin built a 6-4 lead by the break but won the second half 3-1. Annie Walsh had four goals, Erin Walsh had two goals and Jordan Jette recorded three assists to pace the offense. Freshman Gianna Cameron had five saves in net for the Panthers.

Sharon, 18 @ Taunton, 12 – Final – Sharon had eight players score at least one goal, led by Alex Rabb with five and Christina Linehan added four. Sabrina Robbins added a hat trick for the Eagles and Anna Crosby had a pair of goals. Eighth grader Alana Tavares had four goals for the Tigers, while Abbey Kingman and Delaney Powell each had hat tricks.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Stoughton avenged a loss to the Bombariders from a week ago, claiming a 3-2 decision in a non-league contest. Stoughton senior Stephens Bontemps won 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at first singles, sophomore Erik Anderson won 6-2, 6-4 at second singles and the team of seniors Jon Podesta and Conor Kavanaugh won 6-3, 6-1 at first doubles. Attleboro’s Eli Araujo won 7-5, 6-4 at third singles and Ronaldo Salgueso and Hans Estrada won 6-1, 0-6, 10-7 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon senior Griffin Fein had his back against the wall, down to his last point trailing 9-3 in a 10 point tiebreaker. But the defending Hockomock League MVP rattled off eight straight points to win 5-7, 6-3, 11-9 at first singles. Sharon’s Fred Bondar won 6-1, 6-2 at second singles and Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-4, 6-4 at third singles. The team of senior Alex Romantz and freshman Alberto Olivei won 6-2, 6-1 at first doubles and senior Sammy Kirshenbaum and junior Ashwin Sreevatsa won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles for the Eagles.

King Philip, 2 vs. Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – The Warriors were edged out by the Shamrocks in a close match, dropping a close first singles match and then losing in a tiebreaker in doubles play. KP’s Blake Ginter won 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 10-6 at second singles and Martin Martous won 6-1, 6-2 at third singles.

Girls Tennis
Stoughton @ Attleboro, 3:45

Sharon, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Sharon picked up a key division win, winning at second and third singles and both double matches. Freshman Emily Zhang won 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) and junior Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Sharon’s Emily Wen and Sydney Gordon won 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles and Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein won 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles. Foxboro’s Sophia Prinos won a marathon match at first singles, prevailing 6-7 (7-9), 6-0, 7-6 (7-4).

King Philip @ Bishop Feehan, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Taunton bounced back from its first loss of the season with a sweep of Milford, pulling off a 25-20, 25-19, 28-26 victory. Nate Grant recorded 35 assists and had one kill to set up the offense. Lens Esquil had 13 kills, two aces and three blocks, David Fusiecki added seven kills, three aces and a block and Malik Charles notched seven kills and two blocks for the Tigers.

Boys Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 47 @ Sharon, 89 – Final
Franklin @ Oliver Ames, 3:45

Girls Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 32 @ Sharon, 100 – Final
Franklin @ Oliver Ames, 3:45

04/03/2017

2017 Hockomock Baseball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Hockomock Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2016 Record: 13-10
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinal
Coach: Matt Bosh

Coming off a great run in the state tournament a year ago, the Attleboro Bombardiers will be looking for a repeat performance in 2017. This year, instead of relying on just one or two pitchers, Attleboro will trust the depth of its pitching staff to get things done on the mound.

Senior Tyler McGovern will be the anchor of the staff while classmates Matt Callahan, Dylan Maskell and Tyler Davis will also factor in on the mound. Juniors James Weir, Drew Pagano, Erik McCormick and John Candiales, along with sophomore Eoin Hammel-Kelleher could all see innings on the mound as well.

Callahan will also see time in the field at shortstop while Weir looks to be a reliable option at first base. Matt Marguerite will patrol the outfield while Steve Hamerski, Tyler Davis, Drew Pagano, Sam Larkin and Alex Whittingham are all likely candidates for spots in the outfield as well. Head coach Matt Bosh said there is a lot of internal battles for most positions.

“Every year brings new challenges and elements,” said head coach Matt Bosh. “The biggest difference from last year I think is the depth of the pitching staff. While last year we were top heavy with Nate and Tyler, this year I think we have more guys that can compete and spread the wealth in eating up innings. But we’ll see how that plays out. The Hock will be tough, like always”.

Canton

2016 Record: 11-11
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Greg Digirolamo

First year head coach Greg Digirolamo likes what he sees from his Bulldogs so far, but the challenge has been finding some grass to play on. Heading into the first week of the season, the weather has prevented the Bulldogs from getting to play outside yet.

Nonetheless, there are some experienced varsity players that will likely factor in right away for Canton. Junior outfielder Matt Casamento might be the most experienced player of the returnees but seniors Jackson Maffeo, Danny Hartnett, Kevin Monagle, Tommy Kilduff and Matt Crandall are all likely to factor in during the season.

A trio of juniors will be Digirolamo’s go-to for pitching to start out the season. Ryan White, Austin Maffie and Rob Wilkenson are all likely to see a lot of innings as the season gets underway.

“It will take the first couple weeks of the season for me to know what we have from a talent perspective,” Digirolamo said. “I will tell you, it only took a week of tryouts to find out I have a good group of kids. They work hard and they’re eager to learn. As a first year coach, that’s all I can ask for right now.”

Foxboro

2016 Record: 8-13
2016 Finish: Reached D3 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Chris Sullivan

Foxboro will be looking to get back to the postseason again this year and will rely on its starting pitching and experience to get there.

Hockomock League All Star Aaron Wentling is back on the mound while Colin Thoener – who missed nearly all of last season – is healthy and ready to produce on the mound. Steve McLaughlin, who has some varsity experience, will also get starts on the mound for the Warriors.

There aren’t many players more experienced at the varsity level than catcher Jesse Galanti, who enters his fourth year as a starter and third as captain for Foxboro. Outfielders AJ Bubencik and Cam Feldman have also played a lot of games at the varsity level and will be counted on to lead the way for the Warriors along with infielder Chad Bearce.

“This group has been through a lot of adversity both on and off the field and has shown a ton of resiliency,” said Foxboro head coach Chris Sullivan. “At this point, nothing really fazes these guys they just keep showing up ready to play every day.”

Franklin

2016 Record: 13-10
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Zach Brown

Between Franklin’s pitching staff and its lineup, there is a lot of experienced players with success at the varsity level ready to go this season.

After relying on a trio of sophomores on the mound last year, all three are back ready for strong junior campaigns. Jake Noviello and Jason Ulrickson logged a lot of innings are starting pitchers while Bryan Woelfel emerged as one of the best bullpen options in the league. Now they are poised to be one of the top starting rotations in the league.

“We are optimistic that the three of them will give us a chance to have a solid rotation this season and be competitive in every game,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “All three guys are very different but all of them are competitive.”

Offensively, Franklin brings back outfielders Ryan Hodgkins (.388) and Jake Lyons (.368) along with first baseman Josh Macchi (16 RBI) and catcher Tyler Gomes (16 RBI). While there are spots to fill left by talented seniors that graduated, having those four back is a very good sign for the Panthers.

King Philip

2016 Record: 15-6
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Pat Weir

It’s going to be a challenge for King Philip to replace three all-star caliber pitchers in one season, but head coach Pat Weir and his Warriors are ready to try.

Jake Cavanagh, Jack DiCenso and Jon Rolfe are all pitching at the collegiate now after helping guide the Warriors to a Kelley-Rex title a season ago. This season, Stephen Murray and Chris Wing are back as two of the more experienced arms available for Weir. Will Weir, known for his bat and defensive play at shortstop, could also emerge as an option on the mound.

Will Weir is also one of the key bats back for King Philip, along with senior centerfielder Ryan Coulter. Both had impressive seasons as juniors and will be relied to lead the way in 2017 for KP.

“I’m hopeful we can improve on yesterday and compete today, all we ask is all you got,” said head coach Pat Weir.

Mansfield

2016 Record: 9-11
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Joe Breen

After just missing out on the postseason a year ago, there is a lot of optimism for the 2017 Hornets squad. With two top pitchers and a solid lineup returning, there’s plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

One main reason is the return of senior pitcher Nolan Dousa, who missed last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After a standout sophomore campaign, Dousa had to watch last season from the dugout. With Dousa on the self, sophomore Tyler Dalton emerged as the team’s ace, giving the Hornets a great 1-2 combination for 2017.

Offensively, the Hornets bring back shortstop Max Boen – one of the team’s top hitters a season ago – along with senior outfielder Zach Peterson, who led the team in runs last year, and senior infielder Aidan Cahill.

“We look to combine the experience of our senior class with the ambition of our underclassmen to create a competitive team for the upcoming season,” said head coach Joe Breen. “Our goal is to be the hardest working, most passionate high school baseball team in the state and let the pieces fall where they may.”

Milford

2016 Record: 8-12
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Paul Pellegrini

Milford will be looking to get off to a better start in 2017 after a slow one a year ago played a big part in the Scarlet Hawks missing out on the postseason.

The good news for head coach Paul Pellegrini is that he has the majority of his impactful players back this season. Senior Alex Macek really impressed after missing the beginning part of the season with injury and could be one of the top pitchers in the league this season. Tylor Renaud also provided quality innings a year ago.

Aidan Wilde has been one of the top players in this league for two years yet he’s only a junior this season. Not only is he very good defensively, he’s one of the toughest at-bats in the league and will certainly be a spark plug for the Hawks. Expect senior Anthony Arcudi and sophomore Alex Coady to be contributions this season as well.

North Attleboro

2016 Record: 7-13
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Paul Tobin

The Rocketeers will boast a young squad, but not one that lacks in talent. After graduating 13 seniors last year, Big Red will rely heavily on the players they do have returning this season.

The strength of the squad will be up the middle of the field, starting senior captain Kyle McCarthy in centerfield, senior captain John Brennan patrolling shortstop and junior Zach DeMattio – and his big bat – manning the catcher position. From there, each spot is open for competition according to head coach Paul Tobin. Matt Iaconis and Peter Cohen are competing for time at third while Nick Crawley, Aidan Harding, Billy Drummond, Jackson Billingkoff and Nick Sinacola are all batting for infield spots.

Nick Sinacola, Nathan Pearce, Aidan Harding and Matt Iaconis are all candidates to form Big Red’s starting rotation while Peter Cohen, Ryan Prince and Ryan Pasquel are likely to see time out of the bullpen.

“We are talented but inexperienced, so there will be some learning and growing to go through,” said head coach Paul Tobin.

Oliver Ames

2016 Record: 11-11
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Joe Abarr

Oliver Ames has a lot of players back from a year ago and first year head coach Joe Abarr believes that should translate into a potent lineup for the Tigers.

2016 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Matt Muir will be captaining the team as a junior and will make the transition from second base to shortstop. He will likely fill the leadoff role for Oliver Ames and will also see time on the mound. Senior Sam Burr is also a team captain, will be the team’s number one starter and also man first base for the Tigers.

Sophomore third baseman Chris Pearsons is back after making some noise during his freshman year and senior Kyle Gagliardi will bring a lot of experience while he patrols center field for the Tigers. Michael Mulrean will see a lot of time on the mound again this year and sophomore catcher Jake Erlich will look to give the Tigers a boost after transferring from Xaverian this year.

“We should hit this year with lots of players with power potential,” Abarr said. “Our pitching staff is very deep with an abundance of arms available from day to day. The challenge will be writing the right lineup. We have a solid infield with underclassmen that should be able to get comfortable in their positions over the next couple of years.”

Sharon

2016 Record: 2-18
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kee Arguimbau

The Eagles had a lot of young pieces a year ago and will be looking to take the next step in 2017. Leading the way will be two three-year varsity players in captains Jake Marglous and Aiden Arnold.

Marglous will be back behind the plate for another season while Arnold, one of the top power hitters in the league, will be back at first and also be an option to come in to pitch in relief situations. Other returning Eagles with varsity experience include Jake Teven, Danny Emerman, Jason Hertz, Ben Schwartz, Drew Naisuler, Ben Stamm, Brad Zongetti and Spencer Singer.

Max Tarlin had a very strong season as a sophomore a year ago and will be at the top of the rotation as a junior this season. Sophomore Noah Kamens also picked up some valuable varsity time a year ago and will be a top option for Sharon this season.

“Our strength will be in the experience we have in our pitching staff,” said head coach Kee Arguimbau. “We’re looking forward to the season behind the leadership of our captains, Jake Marglous and Aiden Arnold.

Stoughton

2016 Record: 16-7
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinals
Coach: Mike Armour

There aren’t many teams in the area that have the luxury of returning their top three pitchers, but the Black Knights of Stoughton do.

Justin Hutchinson, Ryan Sullivan and Nico Parmeggiani are all back after stellar junior seasons on the mound, putting Stoughton is a good position to start the season. Luke Johnson will also see time on the mound, adding another experienced arm for the Black Knights.

Jack Connelly is back at first base after a breakout junior season, Ruben Gonzalez will shift over to take over at shortstop while Matt Hadley and Michael Batte will both see time in the infield as well. Both Hutchinson and Sullivan will see time in the outfield when they aren’t pitching while Pat Hagerty and Nick Hardy are back as well. Johnson and sophomore Evan Gibb will battle for the starting catcher spot.

“We have a lot of experience returning, with 10 seniors on the roster, and look forward to competing in the always tough Hockomock League,” said head coach Mike Armour.

Taunton

2016 Record: 14-7
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Blair Bourque

While there is a new coach in the dugout for the Tigers, there will be a lot of the same faces on the field for Taunton in 2017.

Blair Bourque takes over the reigns for the Tigers, who also lost league MVP Luke Figueira to graduation. However, Matt Machado and Joe Manchester are back in the outfield, Jacob Crawford is back in the middle infield, Jimmy Hoye is back and ready to take over as starting catcher, and Danny Keogh and Jack Moynihan return as two experienced pitchers.

With the battle for the number one pitcher open, Keogh and Moynihan will be the main two options to begin the season.

“Both of these guys saw success last year pitching at the varsity level and we are looking to continue and build on that success,” Bourque said.

Machado, one of the top defensive players in the league, had a breakout junior season at the plate and will look to be one of the top offensive producers again this season. Manchester shined in his sophomore season and will give the Tigers some power in the middle of the lineup. Crawford is easily one of the best defensive infielders in the league and Hoye will look to prove he’s one of the top catchers.

05/16/2016

Milford Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive With Win at Canton

CANTON, Mass. – The tournament has started early for Milford. The Hawks entered Monday afternoon’s game with Davenport rival Canton sitting on 10 losses and needing six wins in a row to try and qualify for the postseason.

Milford got a little help from the Bulldogs to keep its playoff hopes alive, as seven Canton errors led to 10 unearned runs for the Hawks in a 14-6 victory. The Hawks lost a 5-0 lead and fell behind 6-5 in the fourth, but used a seven-run sixth inning (fueled in part by three errors) to break the game open.

“I think the important thing was we put the bat on the ball and put the ball in play and we took advantage of some miscues,” said Milford coach Paul Pellegrini. “If this was the fifth game of the year this might not have happened but the kids are starting to get it a little bit more as the year goes on.”

The visitors jumped out to a lead in the top of the first against Canton starter Sean Doyle. Alex Coady drew a one-out walk and scored on Aidan Wilde’s double to left center. Wilde was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Blake Hill singled to continue the inning and after a walk, a fly ball to left off the bat of Anthony Arcudi was dropped allowing the Hawks to take a 2-0 lead and setting the tone for a tough day in the field for the Bulldogs.

In the second, Milford added two more runs. Brian Ireland started the inning with a homer to right and a two-out walk to Coady would lead to another. Wilde was up next and was hit by a pitch and Hill drew a walk to load the bases. Zack Tamagni drew the inning’s third walk to earn an RBI.

Coady would make it 5-0 in the third with a two-out fielder’s choice that scored Ireland, but Canton rallied in the bottom half of the inning. Joe Peccia drilled a two-run homer to right to get the Bulldogs on the board.

In the fourth inning, Canton took its first lead. Kevin Monagle led off with a walk and Doyle followed with a single to right. After a wild pitch, Daniel Harnett hit into a fielder’s choice that scored one run, but Doyle got caught in a run down for the first out.

Matt Cassamento and Mike McMahon both singled to load the bases and a wild pitch brought in the second run of the inning. Peccia added his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 5-5 and when Griffin Jerrier’s grounder was not fielded cleanly, Canton took the lead.

Another error led to another unearned run for Milford in the fifth and tied the game again.

“Of the 14 runs they scored, I think four or five were earned runs,” said Canton coach J.P. Scott. “We seemed to struggle to make the defensive plays. I think we’re a team that has to make all the defensive plays, we can’t make mistakes, to win in this league.”

Canton had a chance to regain the lead in the bottom of the fifth after Hill walked Jim Jenkins and Monagle with no outs. Milford turned to junior Nate Irwin, who induced a 6-3 double play from Doyle and a pop up into shallow left for Wilde to track down and end the threat. Irwin would allow only one hit and two base runners in three scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win.

“Nothing bothers him, just came out and he did his job,” said Pellegrini. “He doesn’t get upset, doesn’t bother him; he just comes out and does his job.”

The game was won in the sixth. Milford scored seven runs on three hits off Peccia, who took the mound in the fourth inning in relief of Doyle. Canton also made three errors in the inning, extending the at-bat for Milford and leading to 11 hitters coming to the plate in the frame.

With one out, back-to-back errors and a hit batter loaded the bases. Irwin hit a grounder towards third, but the attempt to get the lead runner was bobbled allowing everyone to reach safely. Chris Speroni’s grounder also got away from a fielder to bring in a second run. Coady singled to left and it was 9-6 for the Hawks with the bases still loaded.

Peccia struck out Wilde to get the second out, but he could not limit the damage, as Hill drilled a line drive double to right center that if not for the fence could still be traveling. The hit cleared the bases and Hill came home one batter later on a single by Tamagni.

“He’s been really killing the ball this year,” said Pellegrini of Hill. “I haven’t seen someone who hits the ball as hard as him in a long time.

“He hit a ball against Franklin that I still haven’t seen a ball hit that far at Fino. It hit the branches halfway up the tree at the ‘432’ sign and came down and hit the fence. It was a triple.”

Alex Macek doubled to start the seventh and would eventually score on a wild pitch to wrap ip the scoring for the Hawks (5-10, 5-9), who will need to win all five of their remaining games to earn a spot in the tournament.

“We’ve got some work ahead,” said Pellegrini. “We’re not giving up and we’ve got some tough games coming up, but if we hit the ball like that we’ll be okay.”

The loss could prove pivotal for the Bulldogs as well. Canton (6-9, 5-9) now needs to win four of its last five games to return to the postseason. Scott said, “It’s a question of desire and how much fight do we have.”

He continued, “I think we have the talent, just have to make sure everyone shows up ready to play… We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

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

05/07/2016

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)

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.

05/06/2016

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/06/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 8 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Senior Charles Hearrold III had another strong outing for the Tigers, allowing just one earned in in five innings of work, scattering four hits with six strikeouts. The Tigers’ offense was led by Matt Machado (two hits, three runs), Kevin Griffin (two hits, RBI) and Luke Figueira (two hits, two RBI, run).

King Philip, 8 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Jake Lannigan shined on the mound for the Warriors, scattering three hits without surrendering an earned run in a complete game effort. Lannigan struck out six to earn the win. Offensively, Will Weir drove in three runs, Stephen Murray connected for a two-run home run and Jon Rolfe also knocked in a pair of runs. Kyle Guenthner picked up two of King Philip’s nine hits on the day.

Franklin, 0 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Doug Seaman broke a scoreless game open in the fourth inning by hitting a single, advancing to second on an error, stealing third and coming home on a hit from junior Jack Connelly (2-3). Seaman (2-3) produced the next two runs for the Black Knights with a two RBI single in the next inning to cap the scoring. For the second straight start, Justin Hutchinson was on point, throwing a complete game with just two hits allowed, striking out eight for the win. Franklin sophomore Jason Ulrickson was strong in his first varsity start, throwing six innings and giving up just four hits, two earned runs and struck out four. Junior Ryan Hodgkins went 2-3 at the plate for the Panthers.

Mansfield, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Click here for a full recap.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 1 – Final – It was a classic pitcher’s duel between Milford’s Alex Macek and North Attleboro’s John O’Donnell. In just his second start of the season, Macek was efficient with a complete game, 83 pitch shutout effort. Macek fanned seven batters, allowing four hits. O’Donnell was equally as good for the Rocketeers, striking out six while allowing just five hits. The difference came in the third inning when Milford sophomore Aidan Wilde smacked an RBI triple to score freshman Alex Coady, who reached on a one-out single.

Softball
Canton, 0 @ Taunton, 14 – Final (5 inn.) – Courtney Fisher picked up her fourth win of the season, retiring the final 14 batters in order after allowing just one hit with no walks. With the win, the Tigers qualified for the the state tournament. Offensively, Sarah Bagge went 2-2 with an RBI, Jordan Wade was 2-4 with an RBI, a double and three runs scored, Jaime Brown went 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, Amber Wainwright drove in three runs and had a double and Hailey Medeiros went 1-1 with an RBI for the Tigers.

Foxboro, 0 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (6 inn.) – The Warriors of King Philip recorded 15 hits as a team in a big win. Ashley Hession had a big day at the plate with three hits, including a double and a triple, and knocked in four runs. Brianna Lacy added three hits with a double and three RBI and Jenn Hutnyan had a pair of hits for the Warriors. Hutnyan combined with Kali Magane for a three hit shutout in the circle. Magane struck out 10 in four innings of work.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Franklin head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau praised the effort of senior pitcher Caroline D’Aprile, who tossed a complete game with nine strikeouts and five hits allowed. Offensively, Clara DeCarvalho was 1-2 with a pair of walks and an RBI double, Alexx Niss was 2/4 at the plate, Olivia DiGiacomo had a two RBI double and Kerry Blaney scored a pair of runs for the Panthers.

Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield pitcher Maddie Letendre only surrendered three hits to the Eagles, striking out 12 to earn the win. Offensively, the Hornets notched nine hits with three players getting a pair each. Maddie Letendre helped her cause by going 2-3 with an RBI, Jocelyn Reardon was also 2-3 with an RBI and Bri Homer had a pair of hits. Rachel Carafa drove in a pair of runs and had a hit, Megan Letendre had one RBI and one hit and Liz Mackin also had a hit for the Hornets.

Milford, 3 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – Amelia Murphy got the win in the circle after seven innings of work and helped her cause at the plate, belting a three run home run as the Rocketeers handed Milford its first league loss of the season. Mycala Moody went 2-3 for North Attleboro, scoring a pair of runs while Liz Morehouse reached base three runs with one hit and two walks.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 5 @ Medway, 12 – Final

Mansfield, 15 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Senior Josh Schafer scored his first two goals of the season and classmate Preet Patel netted his first career goal to pace Mansfield. Sam O’Connell scored a hat trick and Billy Grant scored twice and had three assists. Jon Reed, Cullen Murphy, Jarrett Saunders, Joe Cox, Pat Graham, Sean Powers and Dan Plugis all scored once for Mansfield.

North Attleboro, 7 @ Silver Lake, 1 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 9 @ Sharon, 10 – Final (OT)

Foxboro, 8 vs. Walpole, 12 – Final

Taunton, 2 @ Mansfield, 18 – Final – Mansfield had nine different players find the back of the net in the win on Friday. Caroline Maher led the charge with five goals while Julia Todesco scored three times and Emily Aarons scored twice. Taunton’s Abbey Kingman and Kayla Phillips eached scored once and Tatum Speicher had an assist.

Boys Tennis
Taunton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final

King Philip, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Although it was a sweep for King Philip, it was far from a rout. Two matches went to three sets and another was decided in a super tiebreaker. Cole Ginter and Blake Ginter both won 6-1, 6-1 at first and third singles for the Warriors. Garrett Schneider battled back at second singles to score a 1-6, 6-3, 11-9 win. Sam Colella and Ryan Gemelli had to also rally, winning 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (11-9) at first doubles while Justin Rohan and Marco DiStefano won 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 at second doubles.

Stoughton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final

Mansfield, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

North Attleboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – North Attleboro won all five matches in straight sets to earn the win. Senior Mitchell Dyer won 6-3, 6-2 at first singles, junior Zack Pfeffer won 6-3, 6-3 at second singles and junior Barsomo Nuay won 6-2, 6-1 at third singles. Seniors Jeff Yao and Nick Lockavitch won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles and senior Jake Fontes and junior Daniel Zhang won 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles for the Rocketeers.

Girls Tennis
Canton, 2 @ Taunton, 3 – Final

Foxboro @ King Philip, 3:30

Franklin @ Stoughton, 3:30

Sharon, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – The Sharon Eagles scored a dominant victory on Friday, not losing a single set against the Hornets. Sophomore Lulu Yuan won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, freshman Nupur Shulka won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and sophomore Emily Wen won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. Seniors Pooja Puttigampala and Michal Kondratiev won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and sophomore Katie Merpot and junior Sydney Gordon won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Milford, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final

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