Baseball
Attleboro, 6 @ Franklin, 10 – Final – Franklin senior Scott Elliott blasted a two-run home run over the center field fence to lead the Panthers to a win over visiting Attleboro. Jake Macchi (two runs) and Cooper Ross (two RBI, run) each added three hits for the Panthers while Alex Haba had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored, JB Floris knocked in two runs, and Jack Nally had a double, walked twice, scored three times and had one RBI. Liam Dailey pitched for the Panthers, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits, no walks, and two strikeouts. Attleboro Lorenzo Wilson went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.
Milford, 9 @ Canton, 5 – Final (9 inn.) – Milford scored two runs in the top of the seventh to take a lead but Canton answered with one in the bottom half to send the game into extra innings. The Scarlet Hawks (13 hits) plated four runs in the top of the ninth inning to get the win on the road. Nick Marcolini (two walks, two runs, two RBI) and Colby Pires (two RBI) each had two hits for Milford.
North Attleboro, 9 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – North Attleboro had three three-run innings to build a 9-0 lead and then held on as Foxboro rallied late. The Rocketeers scored three runs in second inning and then again in each the fourth and fifth innings. In the third, Shawn Watters (three stolen bases, three runs) knocked in Dennis Colleran (double) and Nick Raneri (2-for-3, two runs, walk) with a double and scored on a fielder’s choice. In the fourth, the Rocketeers cashed in on three batters being hit by pitch, a walk, a passed ball, an error and a sac fly from Jake Palmer to make it 6-0. In the fifth, Raneri scored on a drop third strike, Todd Robinson came home on a throwing error, and Watters scored on a wild pitch. Senior Matt Seavey had his best outing of the season, tossing six scoreless innings with just two hits allowed and eight strikeouts. Seavey retired the side in order in the first, second, and fourth innings. Foxboro scored used six consecutive singles in the seventh inning to score six runs. Michael Devlin (run, RBI) and Sean Yoest (two RBI) each had two hits for the Warriors.
Softball
Franklin, 14 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Franklin scored two runs in the top of the first inning and tacked on six more in the second en rout to a win over Attleboro. The Panthers put the game out of reach with six more runs in the seventh inning. Maddy White went 3-for-4 and knocked in six runs, including a two-run double in the first and a three-run home run in the seventh. Sarah Jackson launched her third home run of the year, this one a three-run shot, in the second inning to help Franklin build its lead. Jackie Cherry allowed six hits while striking out 10 batters to get the win.
Canton @ Milford – Postponed to Friday, 5/3 at 4:00.
Foxboro, 6 @ North Attleboro, 9 – Final – North Attleboro juniors Bella Erti and Ashley Cangiano each had a double in the sixth inning to help the Rocketeers rally past Foxboro. Cangiano also had a strong game defensively, picking off a runner and turned a 4-2-3 double play. Abby Gallagher, Emily Nardelli and Annabelle Hebard all scored two runs for North. Erti earned the win, striking out five and walking one.
Boys Lacrosse
King Philip, 9 vs. Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final – King Philip limited the Shamrocks to just two goals in each half to earn its ninth win of the season. Colin DeVellis had a team-high three goals and Chris Longobardi added two tallies for the Warriors, who led 5-2 at the break. Andrew Sajdak, Sam Mattson, Robbie Tartaglia and Wes Bishop each scored once for KP and Andrew McKinney made 10 saves in net.
Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 19 @ Bishop Feehan, 11 – Final – King Philip senior Caroline Klim had 12 draw controls and recorded a team-high seven goals to lead the Warriors on the road. Jess added five goals, Olivia Tormey scored a hat trick, Dan Truini chipped in with a pair of goals, and Victoria Tormey netted one tally. Caroline Watson made 11 saves in the win.
North Attleboro, 5 @ Hopkinton, 17 – Final
Boys Tennis
Franklin, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – It was a clean sweep for Franklin’s singles players, all winning in straight sets without dropping a game. Liam Marr (first singles), Rohan Herur (second), and Vayshnav Malhotra (third) each won 6-0, 6-0, the team of Lucas Gulick and Shoumik Sompally earned a 6-3, 6-2 win while Ryan McSweeney and Thomas Broyles teamed up for a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Foxboro, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro defended home court with a sweep of visiting Foxboro in a clash of top Davenport teams. Jonah Manso battled for a 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 win at first singles, Alex Pfeffer won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles, and Sam Gallagher didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Vikram Senthilakumaran and Tomas Bentley picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles and Saketh Uppuluri and Justin Strom battled for a 6-1, 6-3 decision at second doubles.
Taunton @ Milford – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro @ Franklin, 3:45
North Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – The Warriors won all five matches to secure a victory against visiting North Attleboro. Pam Nelson won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Sarah Prag picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles, and Julia Muise secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Kendall Milender and Paige Krockta prevailed 6-4, 6-4 at first doubles while Maggie McAuliffe and Neha Jammula emerged with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win at second doubles for Foxboro.
Baseball
Foxboro, 0 @ Attleboro, 8 – Final – Attleboro’s defense was strong and the offense pounded out 10 hits in a win over Foxboro. Max Amaral (4IP, 2H), Anthony Deyesso (2IP, 2H), and Jacob Gorman (1IP, 0H) combined for the shutout for Attleboro. And with a total of just two strikeouts, Foxboro put pressure on the Bombardiers defense, which did not commit an error, highlighted by nice catches from Alvaro Espinal and Sam Larkin in the outfield. The Bombardiers scored three runs in each the second and fourth innings to build separation. Tim Callahan, Espinal (two RBI), Ryan Morry (RBI), and Troy Van Vliet (RBI) each had two hits for Attleboro.
Canton, 1 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield scored a pair of runs in each the first and second innings while starting pitcher Kyle Moran was strong on the mound in the Hornets’ win over Canton. Moran allowed one earned run on four hits and two walks, striking out nine in six innings of work. Offensively, John Carney went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Dan Saraceno (run), Mike Hargadon (RBI), and Nick Dumouchel (run) each had a pair of hits for Mansfield. Chris Rota had two hits for the Bulldogs.
North Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin scored once in each the first, third, and sixth innings and junior Liam Dailey tossed a complete game with just one unearned run allowed as the Panthers beat North Attleboro to claim “The Cup” – the first year the trophy has been awarded since 1909. Alex Haba was the catalyst for two of those runs, drawing a two-out walk in the first, stealing second, and taking the next two bases on wild pitches. In the sixth, Haba tripled to right center and scored on a base hit from Jake Macchi. In the third, Joe Lizotte singled, took second on a pickoff attempt and scored on an RBI single from junior Jack Nally. Dailey scattered six hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Jared Penta and Jake Carroll each had two hits for North. Sophomore Dennis Colleran allowed three hits, issues three walks, allowed two runs and struck out four in five innings of work.
Stoughton, 5 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Stoughton junior Jacob Kaplan and senior Zak Paquette came through with clutch hits in the top fo the sixth inning to lead the Black Knights to a win on the road. With the game tied 1-1 and the bases loaded, Kaplan had RBI single to put the Knights ahead 2-1. Paquette then delivered a two-out, two-run single to extend Stoughton’s advantage to 4-1. Stoughton added an insurance run in the seventh when junior George Currier had a two-out single to knock in Robbie Seaman (three hits, two runs), who singled and stole both second and third. Paquette earned the win on the mound, limiting KP to one unearned run on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Catcher Michael Nazzaro had another strong game behind the plate defensively, throwing out a pair of runners.
Sharon, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Chris Pearsons launched a two-run home run to center field at Frothingham Park to lift the Tigers to a win over the visiting Eagles. Pearsons (save), Tyler Avery, and Jack Richardson were solid in relief for Oliver Ames. Senior Sean O’Brien made a terrific catch on a ball in the gap in the seventh inning, turning it into a double play to help OA secure the win. Jake Erlich added a double for OA and threw a runner out attempting to steal early in the game. Sharon starter Noah Martinez allowed just five hits in six innings of work, striking out seven. Justin Brown had an RBI single to score Max LeBlanc (double) to put Sharon up 1-0 in the fourth.
Milford, 7 @ Taunton, 13 – Final – Taunton’s offense had its best performance of the season, scoring a season-high 13 runs in a win over Milford. Sophomore Danny MacDougall paced the Tigers with two hits, three RBI and three runs scored. Joseph Crawford added three hits and Lucas Martins had three hits, three RBI and two runs scored.
Softball
Attleboro, 10 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Brenna Morse launched a three-run home run, McKenzie Bergdoll had a two-run home run, and Makenzie Killough had a solo shot to lead Attleboro to a win on the road at Foxboro. Jenna Gittle earned the win in the circle for Attleboro.
Canton, 2 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – Canton twice took a one-run lead but Mansfield answered each time, the second time pulling ahead for the win. The Bulldogs went up 1-0 in the fourth but Mansfield answered with a run in the fifth. After Canton went up 2-0 in the sixth, the Hornets rallied for five runs in the bottom half. Casey Moussette led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, Sarah Cahill reached on a fielders choice, Kara Benanillo singled to score a run, and Megan Letendre singled to load the bases. Mady Benanillo singled to score a run, Caty DeMassi knocked in a pair of runs with a single, and Ella Verheggen singled to bring a run home to make it 6-2. Sarah Cahill was strong in the circle for the Hornets, giving up five hits and striking out 13.
Franklin, 5 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Franklin notched seven of its eight total hits in the sixth inning, resulting in five runs and a win on the road at North Attleboro. Ally Shea led off with a single, Anna Balkus had a bunt single and both moved up a base on an infield error. Gabby Golace drove in a run with a ground out, Maddy White followed with an RBI single, and back-to-back base hits from Jackie Cherry and Sarah Jackson loaded the bases. Tara Hartnett had a two-run single to make it 4-1 and Kylie Bouzan added an RBI single to plate Jackson to make it 5-1. North Attleboro took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double from Katie Daby. Cherry earned the win in the circle, allowing just three hits, one walk and one hit batter with three strikeouts.
Oliver Ames, 7 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames didn’t commit an error, playing excellent defense while senior Colleen Larson earned the win in the circle, allowing two runs on nine hits and one strikeout. The Tigers plated four runs in the top of the seventh inning with two-outs to pull away from the Eagles. Kayla Georgeu (double) and Abbi Holmes each knocked in a pair of runs in the seventh to create the separation. Sophomore Grace Simone had two hits and three runs and senior Katie Mills had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored.
King Philip, 2 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final (10 inn.) – King Philip didn’t get its first hit until the seventh inning but that turned into the tying run, and then used a home run in the top of the 10th to escape Stoughton with a win. Stoughton sophomore Nicole Baker kept the Warriors off balance until Meg Gorman led off the seventh with a single, coming home to score the tying run on Faith Turinese’s sacrifice fly. Liliana Rolfe led off the 10th with a home run for the winning run. Turinese allowed a first inning run to Stoughton when Karly Estremera led off with a single and scored on a sac fly from Lexi Baptista, but then prevented the Knights from scoring again over the next nine innings, despite nine total hits from Stoughton. Baker allowed a total of just four hits while striking out 12 and got strong defensive performances from Estremera at third and Baptista in center.
Taunton, 19 @ Milford, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton senior Alexa White scattered four hits and struck out 14, tossing a complete game shutout to lift Taunton to a win. Abbie McDonough (two RBI), McKenzie McAloon (RBI), Ava Venturelli (RBI), Skylar Rheaume (triple, two RBI), and Rylie Murphy each had two hits for the Tigers.
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 12 @ Plymouth South, 5 – Final – Canton built a five-goal lead by halftime and held a 9-2 lead by the end of the third quarter on its way to a win over Plymouth South. Nick Mackay was strong defensively and sparked the Bulldogs at the faceoff X. Dylan Coyne had a terrific game in net with 26 saves, turning away a strong Plymouth South attack. Tommy Vaughan (four goals, two assists) and Griffin Coach (three goals, three assists) each had six points for the Bulldogs while Dan Cohen scored twice.
Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final – Foxboro extended its win streak to seven with a win over the visiting Black Knights. Freshman Tom Sharkey netted a pair of goals, Jack Avery and Matt Collins each scored once and had one assist, and Dylan Kerrigan scored once for the Warriors.
Girls Lacrosse
Milford, 5 @ Attleboro, 8 – Final – Trailing 3-2 at halftime, Attleboro rattled off five straight goals over the first 15 minutes of the second half to pull away with the win. Kyra Lyons paced the offense with four goals and Sydney DiLiddo scored once for the Bombardiers. Holly Kailher netted her first goal of the year while Campbell Compton and Hannah Webster each scored their first career goal for Attleboro.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro continued its unbeaten start to the season, earning a pair of wins in both singles and doubles action to beat Attleboro. Freshman Garrett Spillane won 6-3, 6-1 at first singles and junior Sean McAvoy didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of junior Noah Hicks and senior Brian Gardner notched a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles and the team of sophomore Justin Neale and freshman Max Kornbluth secured a 6-0, 6-3 win at second doubles. Attleboro’s Jared Cooper prevailed 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 at second singles.
Mansfield, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Mansfield went on the road and earned a sweep of the Bulldogs. Luke Nickerson (first singles, 6-2, 6-0), Luke Devine (second singles, 6-2, 4-6, 10-5) and Nilay Pangrekar (third singles, 6-1, 6-2) swept singles action for the Hornets. The team of Sethu Odayappan and Max Bank picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles while Sam Donellan paired with Dheeraj Valluru for a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Franklin, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – For the second straight match, Franklin’s Liam Marr pulled out a big win, this time over North Attleboro’s Jonah Manso, in a battle of top sophomores in the league. Marr won 6-2, 6-2 while Rohan Herur notched a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles. Franklin’s first doubles team of Saketh Saripalli and Vayshnav Malhotra recorded a 6-3, 6-1 win while Saket Gandham and Shoumik Sompally prevailed 6-3, 2-6, 10-6 at second doubles for the Panthers. North Attleboro sophomore Sam Gallagher won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon won all four matches in straight sets, earning a fifth point by default. Freshman Rueman Bhattacharyya won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, freshman Alex Chen recorded a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles, and senior Max Brody picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win at third singles. Senior Alex Aspel and junior Jake Ross teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles.
King Philip, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – The Warriors took all five matches in straight sets to record a win over Stoughton. Nick Putney picked up a 6-2, 6-4 win at first singles, Marco DiStefano didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Jack Cannon lost just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. KP’s first doubles team of Nate Ihley and Zak Ryan won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles while Jake Mager and Tyler Dowd teamed up for a 6-3, 6-0 win at second singles.
Girls Tennis
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro dropped just one game in singles action and added a win in three sets at second doubles to beat Attleboro. Sophomore Pam Nelson won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, sophomore Sarah Prag recorded a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and senior Julia Muise picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Maggie McAuliffe and Kethry Milne prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 at second doubles. Attleboro’s Lauren Anthony and Nicole Matheson battled to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win at first doubles.
Canton, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Canton earned a clean sweep in singles action to pick up a win on the road at Mansfield. Rachel Kupferman (first singles) and Natalie Keppler (second singles) each won 6-0, 6-0 while Sarah Hernandez battled to a 6-3, 6-1 win at third singles. Mansfield’s Hannah Podolske and Sam Sternburg recorded a 7-5 (7-6), 1-6, 10-6 win at first doubles while Alex Burnham and Lauren Hobaica picked up a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win at second doubles.
North Attleboro, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – North Attleboro went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to get the sweep. Tara Nair won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles, Mae McLaughlin recorded a 6-2, 6-4 win at second singles, and Olivia Wills picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles. North Attleboro’s first doubles team of Sam Martino and Haley Strom won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles while Brototi Nandi and Jayli Carmichael won 6-3, 6-4 at second doubles.
Sharon, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – The Eagles won all three singles matches in straight sets and earned another victory in doubles play to beat Oliver Ames. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Charlize Martinez secured a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sophia Fein won 6-1, 6-2 at third singles. The team of Lauren Glass and Jessica Tarnoff won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles for the Eagles. Oliver Ames’ Erika Mekler and Kate McCormick picked up a 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 10-8 win at second doubles.
Stoughton, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final
Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – The Tigers defended home court, winning all five matches in straight sets to sweep the visiting Scarlet Hawks. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, McKenzie Lucie picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Sam Martin and Brianna Fevrier earned a 6-4, 6-1 decision at first doubles and Ogechi Ariguzo teamed up with Kayla Parrett to win 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles.
Baseball
King Philip, 2 @ Attleboro, 2 – Suspended/9th inning – The game will continue on Wednesday afternoon, starting with the 10th inning after the contest was postponed due to darkness.
Franklin, 1 @ Taunton, 0 – Final (11 inn.) – With the bases loaded in the top of the 11th, Franklin senior Alex Haba stole home for the winning run for the Panthers. Haba singled up the middle to reach base and was on third with two outs before sprinting home. It was a pitcher’s duel between starters Brennan Rivera (8IP, 4H, 4K 0BB) and Taunton’s Jack Moynihan (8IP, 3H, 10K, 1BB). Will Pacheco earned the win in relief for Franklin, tossing two innings with three hits, two walks, and one strikeout. Liam Dailey inherited the tying run in the bottom of the 11th but earned three straight outs for the save. Danny MacDougall and Andrew Gomes had two hits apiece for Taunton.
Sharon @ Canton – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
Stoughton @ Foxboro – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
Mansfield @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
Milford @ North Attleboro – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Softball
Foxboro, 1 @ Stoughton, 7 – Final – Karly Estremera, Lexi Baptista, and Nicole Baker all had two hits, including a double each to pace the Black Knights to a win at home over Foxboro. Brianna Ferrandiz and Sydney Menz both had a pair or singles while Jordan Lyons and Sarah McGrath each had a base hit for Stoughton. Baker earned her sixth win of the season in the circle, scattering six hits while striking out seven in front of a strong Stoughton defense.
Attleboro @ King Philip – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
Canton @ Sharon – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
Taunton @ Franklin – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
Oliver Ames @ Mansfield – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/24 at 3:45.
North Attleboro @ Milford – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Girls Lacrosse
Taunton @ Coyle & Cassidy, 6:00
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip senior Ethan Ball earned his first varsity win, teaming with classmate Jake Mager to earn a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles in the Warriors’ win over Attleboro. Junior Nate Ihley and senior Tyler Dowd won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles for KP. In singles action, sophomore Nick Putney, junior Jack Cannon, and senior Zak Ryan each won 6-0, 6-0 at first, second, and third singles, respectively.
Canton, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Danujan Thirumavalavan, Alberto Olivei, and Rueman Bhattacharyya all earned wins in singles action for the Eagles, who knocked off visiting Canton. The team of Max Brody and Max Chen won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles for Sharon as well. Cnaton’s Tyler Duffy and Justin Luk rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win at second doubles.
Foxboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Stoughton won at first and second singles but Foxboro took third and swept doubles play to earn the victory over the Black Knights. Bo Canfield won 6-4, 6-0 at third singled, the team of Brian Gardner and Sean McAvoy won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles, and Noah Hicks and Justin Neale prevailed 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles. Stoughton sophomore Waseem Sablon won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles and senior Erik Anderson took a 6-4, 6-4 decision at second singles.
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin won all five matches in straight sets to knock off visiting Taunton. Liam Marr won 6-3, 6-2 at first singles, Rohan Herur secured a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles, and Shoyaib Shaik won 6-3, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Saketh Saripalli and Vayshnav Malhotra won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles while Shoumik Sompally and Saket Gandham paired up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.
North Attleboro @ Milford – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield swept singles play and added another win in doubles action for a sweep over Oliver Ames. Luke Nickerson didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Luke Devine earned a 6-3, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sam Schirmacher prevailed with a 7-5, 5-7, 10-5 win at third singles. The team of Peter Rouvalis and Kai Schirmacher won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles for the Hornets.
Girls Tennis
King Philip, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip picked up a sweep on the road, winning all five matches in straight sets. Erin Regnier won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Katarina Schneider earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles, and Mia Velancia notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Grace Ely and Katie Welch took a 6-0, 6-3 win at first doubles while Laura Davenport and Izzy MacMeans secured a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Sharon, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Sharon emerged with a 4-1 win in a match that Eagles coach Diane Micheroni noted the score doesn’t reflect how close it was. Nupur Shukla earned a 7-5, 6-1 win at first singles, Valeria Barajas notched a 6-3, 6-3 win at second singles, and Charlize Martinez picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles for the Eagles. The team of Maikala Cheung and Lauren Glass won 6-3, 6-0 at first doubles for Sharon. Canton’s Nyah Claiborne and Rose Hazam picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles.
Stoughton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro didn’t drop a game in any of its singles matches and won both doubles matches in straight sets to beat the Black Knights. Pam Nelson, Sarah Prag, and Julia Muise each won 6-0, 6-0 at first, second, and third singles, respectively. The team of Kendall Milender and Paige Krockta secured a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles while Lindsey Young and Maria Shehata earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Franklin, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – The Tigers defended home court with a sweep over visiting Franklin. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, McKenzie Lucie earned a 6-1, 6-0 decision at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca won by default at third singles. The team of Sam Martin and Brianna Fevrier didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles while Ogechi Ariguzo and Cayeesha Charles earned a 7-5, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Mansfield, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this match. – Mansfield won a pair of matches in singles action and swept doubles action for a win on the road over Oliver Ames. Lizzy Elsner earned a come from behind 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 win at first singles while Aryana Khosravani battled to a 6-4, 7-5 win at third singles. The team of Hannah Podolske and Sam Sternburg picked up a 7-5, 6-3 victory at first doubles while Alex Burnham and Lauren Hobaica secured a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win at second doubles. Oliver Ames’ Maura Kiernan picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win at second singles.
Milford @ North Attleboro – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Boys Outdoor Track
Attleboro, 58 @ Oliver Ames, 78 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Aaron MacDonald was a quadruple winner and the Tigers swept the relays to earn a victory over Attleboro. MacDonald won the 400M (52.8), the 200M (23.0), the long jump (19’10”), and the triple jump (40’11”) for the Tigers. Chucky Akanegbu, Jared Boone, Collin Williamson, and Ashton Hart teamed up for a win in the 4×100 relay (47.5) while Sean Flaherty, Nate Reservitz, Alex Ramirez, and Zane Reservitz (3:46.1) won the 4×400. Flaherty also won the 400M hurdles (59.8) and Zane Reservitz earned a victory in the 1 Mile (4:48.7). Other winners for OA included Kyle Sarney (2 Mile, 10:11.6), Quinn Proudler (shot put, 41’6″) and Ryan Tamasanis (high jump, 5’8″).
Stoughton, 94 @ Canton, 42 – Final – Tommy Pulcini and Cam Sanchez took first and second, respectively, in the discus with both posting big PRs for the Bulldogs. Sanchez also had a third place finish in the 100M while Deyontai Dennis had a four second PR to qualify for divisionals in the 400M hurdles, while adding a third place finish in the high jump. Junior Sainvil won the 100M dash while taking third in the long jump and the 200M for Canton.
Foxboro, 28 @ Milford, 99 – Final – Milford’s Tyler Giroux won a pair of events as the Scarlet Hawks raced past visiting Foxboro. Giroux took first in the 400M hurdles (1:05.5) and the discus (106′ 7″). Other winners for Milford included Anton Luckett (high jump, 5’4), Pedro Moura (100M, 11.1), Joey Madden (1 Mile, 4:37), Rafaell Feliciano (400M, 53.2), Max Manor (800M, 2:05.7), Hugo Lopes (200M, 22.9), Nick Yohn (shot put, 38’4), and Max Martin (long jump, 19’4).
Franklin, 50 @ Mansfield, 86 – Final – Mansfield’s Andrew Williams won three events, anchoring a sweep in the high jump, to help the Hornets get a win over Franklin. Williams took first in the high jump (6’2) with Ethan Thevenot (5’10) and Drew Rooney (5’6) taking second and third. Williams also won the long jump (16’2) and the 110M hurdles (16.6). Greg Waters was a double winner for Mansfield, taking the 100M dash in 11.1 and the 200M in 23.2 with Anthony Comer taking second in both events. Other winners for Mansfield included Danny Knight (400M, 51.9), Jason Windvogel (800M, 2:00.4) and Danny Rapoza (javelin, 144′ 2.5″).
King Philip @ Taunton, 3:45
Sharon @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Girls Outdoor Track
Attleboro, 67 @ Oliver Ames, 69 – Final
Stoughton, 62 @ Canton, 54 – Final – Canton’s Maddie Rousseau went unbeaten for the second straight dual meet, earning wins in the 100M, 200M, long jump, and triple jump to pace the Bulldogs. Rousseau qualified for the 200M with her win. Sarah Collins also notched two wins, taking first in the 400M hurdles and 400M. Chloe Pennacchio added first place finishes in the 1 Mile and 2 Mile and Annie Hoban used a strong final kick to take first in the 800M. Bronwyn Mahoney took first in the discus and grabbed second in the shot put while freshman Talya Mendez-DeGraw placed third in the 100M and qualified for divisionals with a leap of 4’10” in the high jump.
Foxboro, 57 @ Milford, 70 – Final
Franklin, 54 @ Mansfield, 82 – Final – Mansfield senior Amanda Mangano shined, winning four events to help the Hornets beat visiting Franklin. Mangano won 100M dash, 200M dash, long jump, and the high jump for the Hornets. Freshmen Anna Darlington (400M) and Megan Johnston, (2 Mile) each won an event while classmate Anna Buckley broke the school record for freshman in the triple jump and the high jump. Senior Julia Hill won the triple jump while taking second in the 400M hurdles and the long jump.
King Philip, 63 @ Taunton, 73 – Final
Sharon @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ Bellingham, 0 – Final – Milford cruised to a 3-0 sweep (25-8, 25-19, 25-4) win over Bellingham, who is in their first year at the varsity level. Charlie Vo had a team high seven kills for the Hawks while Nathan LeBlanc paced the defense with 20 digs.
Franklin’s Will Pacheco earned the save, getting the final three outs while stranding the tying run at first. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
STOUGHTON, Mass. – Stoughton’s offense came knocking multiple times throughout the game, but in the biggest situations, Franklin’s defense slammed the door shut.
The Black Knights loaded the bases in three separate innings and threatened with the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but three separate Panther pitchers came through to limit the damage, helping the Panthers secure a 5-3 win on the road.
After two quick strikeouts to start the game from Stoughton starter Zak Paquette, the Panthers cashed in. Senior Alex Haba had an infield single and quickly moved into scoring position by stealing second. Haba came in to score on a two-out RBI from senior Jake Macchi to put the visitors up 1-0 after a half inning.
Stoughton loaded the bases in the bottom of the first following a walk to junior George Currier, a single from senior Robbie Seaman, and a catcher’s interference but starting pitcher Liam Dailey induced a ground ball for the third out to keep the Knights off the board.
Franklin capitalized on its chances again in the top of the third. Scott Elliott led off with a single and took second when the hit got by the center fielder trying to make a defensive play. Elliott then stole third and came home when the throw from home was high, giving the Panthers a run without a second player putting the ball in play.
The Panthers struck again with two outs to increase the advantage. Cooper Ross reached on an error, took second on a single from JB Floris, and game in to score on an RBI base hit from Dan Markowski to make it 3-0.
“Two-out RBIs are key, they are clutch,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “This is a good offense, and we’ve found ways to score runs in a number of ways. Today it just happened to be the two-out RBI and not quitting on an inning that made the difference.”
The Black Knights had the leadoff man erased with a double play in the second, and then couldn’t push across any runs when they loaded the bases with one out in the third inning. Currier and Seaman had back-to-back singles and junior James Genest reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases with the Black Knights trailing 3-0.
Again, Dailey was up to the challenge, getting a strikeout for the second out and inducing a pop up behind the plate that was caught on a nice play by Macchi to keep Stoughton off the board.
“With some of the plays we made, we didn’t make it easy for Liam,” Brown said. “He gave us a great effort, we’re proud of that effort. When he’s on the hill, we feel pretty good about our chances.”
Franklin increased its lead with another big play from Elliott. Junior Jack Nally drew a one-out walk and advanced to second and third on back-to-back wild pitches.Elliot laced a shot to right center field that went past the fielder. With no fence at the Stoughton field, the ball continued rolling allowing Elliott to round the bases for an inside the park home run.
Stoughton once again put pressure on the Panthers in the bottom of the fifth, this time pushing some runs across with the bases load. Cian Swierzewski led off with a single, Seaman was hit by a pitch, and Genest single to load the bases with one out.
Jacob Kaplan came through with an RBI single to get the Knights on the board, and Michael Nazzaro followed with a base hit of his own to bring another run in, making it 5-2. With the bases still loaded, Brown elected to go to the bullpen and brought in junior Cody Trotin.
Trotin came through for Franklin, getting the first batter he faced to strikeout and followed by inducing a fly ball to center to prevent Stoughton from adding to its total.
“We’re young and Franklin is a good team,” said Stoughton head coach Mike Armour. “We didn’t do ourselves any favors today. Zak was locked in to start, you saw it with the two strikeouts, and I felt like we could have done him a little better, we could have made some more plays early on. But at the same time, you have to tip your cap to Franklin. They got the bat on the ball and got a few runs across the dish early that ended up being the difference. But we’re still learning, there’s still room for improvement, but all in all, being a hit away from tying this game we’ll take it.
“We had 11 left on base, but you have to tip your hat to Franklin for making some pitches and getting us out. We’re young, we have some guys that are still getting their feet wet at the varsity level and I think they showed today. Hopefully, we learn from it.”
Genest took over on the mound in relief for the Black Knights, and after the first batter he faced reached on an error, he retired six straight Panthers.
Stoughton brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but again the Panthers got the necessary outs. Seaman led off with a triple and scored on an RBI single from Genest to make it 5-3. Genest moved to second when Kaplan was walked, putting runners on first and second with no outs, forcing Brown to go to his bullpen again.
Junior Will Pacheco got a strikeout and then a fielder’s choice, putting runners on the corners for the Knights with two outs. Pacheco then got a soft line drive back to the mound for the third out, stranding the tying run on first to get the win.
“We got some outs when we needed them,” Brown said. “Cody Trotin came into a big spot in his first outing of the year. He really gave us what we needed at the time. And obviously, Will Pacheco has been around the block and he just seems to rise to the occasion in pressure situations.”
Franklin baseball (5-0 Hockomock, 6-0 overall) is back in action on Friday when it hosts one of the top teams in the state in Walpole. Stoughton (3-2, 5-2) is back in action on Tuesday when it travels to Foxboro.
Baseball
Foxboro, 12 vs. Blue Hills, 0 – Final (4 inn.) – Foxboro’s offense exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the first inning, helping the Warriors win big in a mercy-rule shortened contest. The Warriors totaled 12 hits in the contest with senior Brian Duncan leading the way with three hits (one double) and two runs scored. Junior Kyle McGinnis added two doubles and two runs scored and junior James Kaeser had two hits, a run, and two RBI for the Warriors. Michael Develin and Joe Cavaleri each had a double and knocked in a pair of runs in the win. Sophomore Cam Prescott earned the win, allowing just one hit in four innings of work while striking out two. Foxboro will take on Milton in the championship game of the third annual Steven J. Sullivan tournament on Thursday at 2:00.
Franklin, 12 @ Catholic Memorial, 1 – Final – Franklin’s offense plated six runs in the top of the fifth inning, turning a 6-1 lead into a 12-1 win on the road at Catholic Memorial. Senior Scott Elliott blasted a three-run home run to pace the offense while senior Alex Haba went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Joe Lizotte (three RBI, run), Shane O’Neil (run, RBI), JB Floris (double, two runs, two RBI), and Jack Nally (run, RBI) each had a pair of hits for the Panthers. Junior Brennan Rivera tossed a complete game, allowing just one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out six to get the win.
North Attleboro, 10 vs. Somerset Berkley, 1 – Final – North Attleboro burst into the win column behind a strong team offensive performance and a stellar showing on the mound from sophomore Dennis Colleran. The Rocketeers, who trailed 1-0 early, tied the game with a run in the second, plated five runs in the third (all with two outs), tacked on one run in the fourth, and put the game out of reach with three more in the sixth. Colleran allowed just two hits in a complete game effort, striking out seven with no earned runs allowed. Russell Dunlap (four RBI) had a bases-clearing triple with two outs in the third to help the Rocketeers create separation. Jake Palmer led off the fourth with a single and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-1. Jake Carroll added an RBI single in a three-run sixth. Sophomore Jared Penta added two hits in the win.
Oliver Ames, 5 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 3 – Final – With the game tied at 3-3, Oliver Ames senior Matt McCormick delivered a two-run single to put the Tigers ahead for good. Senior Reid Latham earned his third win of the season, striking out eight and walking in two with two earned runs allowed in six innings of work. Senior Tyler Avery recorded the save, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning to secure the win. Jake Erlich went 2-for-3 while Cam Perron and CJ Deveau each had a hit and an RBI. Chris Pearsons added three hits, two runs scored, an RBI and was strong in the field defensively, including turning a key double play.
Sharon, 0 vs. Hingham, 4 – Final
Stoughton, 7 @ Brockton, 6 – Final – For the second time this season, Stoughton junior Jacob Kaplan has delivered a big hit with the bases loaded. After helping the Black Knights beat North in the season opener with a big hit, Kaplan was at it again on Tuesday. This time, with Stoughton holding a 2-1 lead, Kaplan cleared the bases with a two-out double in the top of the fifth and later scored himself to give the visitors a 6-1 advantage. Brockton cut the deficit to one with a four-run fifth, and the teams traded runs in the sixth to make it 7-6. Sophomore Brady Conlin earned the two-inning save with no hits allowed and one strikeout. Senior Evan Jackman picked up the win, scattering seven hits and three walks in five innings of work, striking out two.
Taunton, 8 vs. Durfee, 4 – Final – Durfee cut Taunton’s lead to just one with a run in the top of the fourth inning but the Tigers scored once in the bottom half and added three runs in the fifth inning to conquer the Hilltoppers. Jack Moynihan earned the win on the mound, scattering six hits over six innings of work, striking out five with three earned runs allowed. Logan Lawrence had a hit and two RBI and Colby Lariviere added two hits and two RBI for the Tigers.
Softball
Mansfield, 12 vs. Duxbury, 5 – Final – Mansfield pounded out 14 hits in total and scored four runs in each the fourth and sixth innings to earn a win over visiting Duxbury. Mady Bendanillo got the offense started with a home run in the bottom of the first and was a part of the Hornets’ two-out three-run rally in the third. Megan Letendre singled, Mady Bendanillo (two hits) walked, and Mary Muldoon, Caty DeMassi (two hits), and Ella Verheggen (two hits) each had RBI singles. Kara Bendanillo, Casey Mousette, and Sydney Woods also had two hits for Mansfield. Sarah Cahill allowed five hits while striking out seven.
North Attleboro, 7 vs. Dartmouth, 3 – Final – North Attleboro prevailed in a battle of unbeatens, handing Dartmouth its first loss with a 7-3 verdict. Junior Bella Erti struck out eight without issuing a walk, scattering six hits in a complete game. Erti did not allow any earned runs in the win. Sophomore Emily Nardelli had two hits, a sacrifice fly, and a walk, junior Ashley Cangiano added a triple, and freshman Mandi Hanewich had a single and a run scored. Junior Annabelle Hebard, junior Abby Gallagher, and sophomore Belle Clarkin each had two walks and a run scored.
Stoughton, 5 vs. Brockton, 4 – Final – Stoughton sophomore Nicole Baker hit a walkoff solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap the Black Knights’ comeback against Brockton. The Boxers held a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the sixth but senior Karly Estremera (two hits) delivered a two-out double to score Sarah McGrath to tie it 4-4. After Baker shut the Boxers down in the top of the seventh from the circle, she gave Stoughton the win with her home run. Senior Brianna Ferrandiz went 2-for-3, junior Lexi Baptista added a double, and freshmen Melody Casna and Sydney Menz each had a hit. Baker earned the win in the circle, striking out 12.
King Philip, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 18 – Final
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Sharon, 13 – Final
Foxboro, 13 vs. Hanover, 7 – Final – Foxboro held a three-goal advantage at half and entering the final period but the Warriors were able to pull away to get the win over Hanover in Chowda Cup competition. The Warriors led 6-3 at the break, and 9-6 going into the fourth. Foxboro outscored the Indians, 4-1 in the final frame. Brendan Tully had four goals and one assist, Bobby Yerardi added four goals, and Shayne Kerrigan netted a hat trick and added one helper. Pete Conley and Charlie Baughan each scored once for the Warriors, who will take on Marshfield on Thursday at 12:00 at Westwood High.
Mansfield, 3 @ Marshfield, 16 – Final – Mansfield trailed by just two after the first quarter and at half but couldn’t keep pace with the Rams in the second half. Connor Quirk and Jake Quirk each scored in the second quarter, helping the Hornets stay within two at half (down 4-2). Jake Quirk added a second goal in the second half for Mansfield, who will play Hanover on Thursday at 10:00AM at Westwood High.
Milford @ Dighton-Rehoboth – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
North Attleboro @ Silver Lake – Postponed to Wednesday, 4/17 at 4:00.
Oliver Ames, 19 vs. Norton, 4 – Final – Seven different Tigers found the back of the net as Oliver Ames improved to 5-0 with a win over visiting Norton. Junior Frankie Ireland had two goals and five assists, sophomore Remi Creighton added two goals and three assists, and sophomore Ross Carroll recorded a hat trick in his varsity game.
Stoughton, 2 @ Milton, 9 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 11 @ Milton, 14 – Final
Foxboro, 11 vs. Natick, 15 – Final
North Attleboro @ Walpole, 11:30
Oliver Ames, 9 @ Pembroke, 10 – Final
Sharon, 14 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 3 – Final – Sharon senior Emma Eberhardt and sophomore Jenna Goldstein combined for nine goals as the Eagles rolled to a win over visiting Cardinal Spellman. Goldstein netted a team-high five goals while Eberhardt finished with four tallies. Mia Lappen and Cass Barbera each had two goals, and Bridget McManus scored once.
Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 3 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 – Final – King Philip went on the road and earned its sixth straight win, sweeping D-R (25-18, 25-12, 25-23). Senior Billy Hughes and senior Max Armour both had strong games for KP, with Hughes recording five digs, three kills, and two blocks while Armour added seven kills and six digs. Junior Kyle Desrochers anchored the defense with nine digs while senior Eric Altobello finished with eight kills.
Baseball
Attleboro, 4 vs. Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – Bishop Feehan loaded the bases in the top of the sixth with the chance to take the lead but Attleboro senior Ryan Morry came on in relief and escaped the jam and set the Shamrocks down in order in the seventh to earn the save, securing the Bombardiers win. Junior Max Amaral pitched five innings for Attleboro, scattering three hits with one run allowed in his first varsity start. Senior Mason Houle paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Troy Gamache (RBI), Bailey Camacho (double, run), Tim Callahan, and Robbie Furtado each had a hit for Attleboro.
Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 3 – Final (8 inn.) – Franklin senior Cooper Ross drove in the game-winning in the bottom of the eighth inning, his second RBI of the game, to give the Panthers a walkoff win over Canton. Ross singled in classmate Alex Haba, who singled and stole second to get in scoring position. Canton scored in the first inning off an RBI double from Matt Pigeon but Franklin took the lead away with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Scott Elliott drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a double from Haba. Jake Macchi brought the first run home with a sacrifice fly, and Haba scored when Ross reached on an error. Brennan Rivera earned the win for the Panthers, striking out eight in a complete game effort. Rivera walked just one batter (the first of the game) and scattered four hits.
Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield, 13 – Final – Leading 1-0 through two innings, Mansfield plated five runs in the third, three more in the fourth, and four in the fifth to earn a win over visiting Sharon. Hornet senior Jake Gerraughty had a pair of hits, two walks, three runs scored and an RBI to pace Mansfield’s offense, which totaled 11 hits. Dan Saraceno, Eric Longley, and Nick Dumouchel each knocked in two runs for Mansfield. Gerraughty earned the win on the mound, allowing just one hit and three walks in six innings of work, striking out five. Sharon sophomore Justin Brown reached base three times, getting one hit and walking twice
Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Bishop Feehan, 13 – Final
Sharon, 11 @ Ursuline Academy, 10 – Final – Sharon freshman Trinity Payne launched a three-run home run to help the Eagles earn a win on the road.
Milford, 14 vs. Framingham, 2 – Final (6 inn.) – Milford’s April Swain made her season debut starting in the circle and also had a strong day at the plate to help the Scarlet Hawks break into the win column. Swain struck out five in a complete game effort, and then went 3-for-4 at the plate (double, triple) with four RBI and two runs scored. Lucy Creedon added three hits, including a double and a triple, and two RBI, Amanda Wenckus added a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored, and Elise Fauerbach went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Boys Tennis
Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Brockton, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames freshman Kylah Ganesh prevailed in a tight match at first singles, earning a 6-4, 7-5 win to help the Tigers get their first win of the season. Junior Yusaf Hameed picked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at second singles for OA.
Milford, 1 vs. Medway. 4 – Final
Taunton, 4 @ Durfee, 1 – Final – Taunton picked up a non-league win on the road over Durfee. Brett Beaulieu won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles while Charlie Fiske earned a comeback win at second singles, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. The team of Ryan Hebert and Alex Pugh didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles while Barrett Hodgson and Tyler Goddard prevailed 6-1, 7-6 at second doubles.
Franklin, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Franklin swept doubles play and won two more matches in singles action to pick up a win on the road. Sophomore Liam Marr won 6-3, 6-2 at first singles and junior Rohan Herur won 6-2, 6-1 at second singles. The team of Saketh Saripalli and Vayshnav Malhotra won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles while Shoumik Sompally teamed up with Shoyaib Shaik for a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles. Canton’s Ethan Nguyen 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 at third singles.
Mansfield, 3 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Mansfield earned one win in singles action and swept doubles play to stun a shorthanded Eagles squad. Luke Nickerson won 4-1, injury/ret. at first singles, the team of Max Bank and Sethu Odayappan won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles, and Nilay Pangrekar and Sam Donellan earned a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles. Sharon’s Rueman Bhattacharyya won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles and Max Brody picked up a 6-4, 7-5 win at third singles.
Girls Tennis
Taunton, 5 vs. Durfee, 0 – Final – Taunton won all five matches in straight sets, defending home court against Durfee. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, McKenzie Lucie earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca emerged with a 6-0, 6-1 win from third singles. Sam Martin and Brian Fevrier picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles while Ogechi Ariguzo and Cayeesha Charles-Marc secured a 6-1, 6-3 win at second doubles.
Canton, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Canton lost a total of just one game in singles action on its way to a sweep on the road over Franklin. Rachel Kuperfman (first singles) and Natalie Keppler (second) each won 6-0, 6-0 while Sarah Hernandez earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Stelina Michaelidis and Jamie Cree pulled out a 6-3, 3-6, 12-10 win at first doubles while Alexis Newton and Simela Donovan won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.
Sharon, 5 @ Bishop Feehan, 0 – Final – The Eagles dropped just four games total in the entire match, dominating the Shamrocks for a win. Nupur Shukla (first) and Valeria Barajas (second) each won 6-0, 6-0 in singles action while Charlie Martinez earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Sophia Fein and Sachi Basin won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles, and Lauren Glass and Makaila Cheung teamed up for a 6-2, 2-0 (ret.) win at second doubles.
Boys Outdoor Track
Oliver Ames, 78 @ Taunton, 58 – Final – Zane Reservitz and Aaron MacDonald each had a pair of first place finishes to pace Oliver Ames to a win over Taunton. Reservitz took first in the 800M (2:05.0) and the 1 Mile (4:58.0) while MacDonal crossed first in the 400M (52.0) and won the long jump (20’3′). Other first place finishes for the road Tigers included Sean Flaherty (110M hurdles, 17.8), Kyle Sarney (2 mile, 10:34.8), Ryan Hilliard (triple jump, 41’0″), Jared Mileika (javelin, 139’0″), and Anthony DeCosta (discus, 108’1″).
Girls Outdoor Track
Oliver Ames, 57 @ Taunton, 79 – Final
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip rallied from an 0-2 deficit to stun the visiting Tigers with a 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-17, 15-12) win. “It was such a great game to watch I’m so proud of the boys,” said KP head coach Emily Tkowski. “The team had great chemistry and never gave up, as a coach I couldn’t ask for anything else.” Max Armour had 14 digs and added five kills while Kyle Desrochers paced the defense with 19 digs.
Baseball
Canton, 7 vs. Attleboro, 6 – Final (8 inn.) – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Attleboro scored twice in the top half of the seventh inning to take the lead but Canton tied it in the bottom half to force extra innings then walked off with the win in the bottom of the eighth. Mike Konzal (2-for-4, run) drew a two-out walk, advanced to second on a single from Steve Burbank (2-for-4, run, RBI), and then scored the game-winning run on a hit from Matt Pigeon (3-for-4, two runs, two RBI) for the winning run.
Pigeon was the catalyst for the tying run in the bottom as the seventh as well. Trailing 6-5, Pigeon led off with a double, advanced to third on a fly out from Matt Connolly (double, RBI), and scored the tying run on a two-out double from Rob Sullivan (2-for-3, two RBI).
Each team scored in the first inning but Attleboro seized a 4-1 advantage with a run in the second and two more in the third. Troy Gamache drove in Tim Callahan (3-for-4, two runs) to put Attleboro up 1-0 but Canton responded in the bottom half as Pigeon brought Nate Quan (2-for-4, two runs) home with a sacrifice fly. Attleboro’s Bailey Camacho put the Bombardiers back in front, 2-1, with a sacrifice fly that plated Sam Larkin (double, two runs) in the second inning.
Attleboro extended the advantage to 4-1 when Alvaro Espinal tripled and scored on a wild pitch, and Larkin doubled and came home on an error by the Bulldogs. Canton scored once in the fourth (Rob Sullivan RBI double) to make it a two-run game before putting three on the scoreboard in the fifth to take the lead. Quan, Konzal, and Burbank each singled, the last hit bringing Quan to the plate for a run but Larkin gunned down a potential second run on the play. Canton’s offense continued to battle though, with Pigeon singling to put runners on the corners. A double from Connolly tied the game at 4-4, and an RBI single from Paul Corcoran put Canton up 5-4.
In the top of the seventh, Mason Houle (2-for-4, run, RBI) drove in Callahan with a base hit and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Senior Kevin McGonigle earned the win in relief, tossing two scoreless innings without allowing a hit and striking out one.
Franklin, 5 vs. Milford, 4 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Franklin trailed 4-1 heading into the fifth inning but scored two runs in the fifth and two more in the top of the seventh to pull out a come from behind victory over neighboring Milford at the Taunton High turf. Alex Haba drove in a pair of runs, including the game-tying run, and scored the eventual game-winner in the seventh, coming home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of JB Floris.
Milford jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Nick Marcolini started the inning by getting hit by a pitch, moved into scoring position on a Matt Shaver single. Colby Pires, who also started for the Hawks and struck out four in 4-1/3 innings, plated the opening run with a single to left. Franklin tied the game in the top of the fourth. Haba walked, stole second, and scored on a single to right by Cooper Ross. The Hawks responded in the bottom half with three runs off the Panthers starter Liam Dailey. Danny Corsini started the rally with an infield single and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a Nick Wimette single. Carter Scudo doubled to left to put two in scoring position. Luke Rosa looped a basehit to right to score one and then, after a pitching change, a balk brought in the fourth run.
In the fifth, the Panthers struck for two. Joe Lizotte walked and Jack Nally got hit by a pitch. Scott Elliott loaded the bases with an infield single. A Haba sac fly made it 4-2 and Jake Macchi singled in another to make it 4-3. In the seventh, Elliott walked and stole second before coming around on a Haba single to center to tie the game. With Haba at third, Floris hit a fly ball to left that was deep enough to get in the winning run. Jake Fitzgibbons closed out the game, earning the win with four innings of scoreless relief.
Oliver Ames, 5 vs. Stoughton, 11 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Stoughton scored in each of the first four innings, jumping out to an 11-3 lead and never looking back to get a win over Oliver Ames. Cian Swierzewski, James Genest, and Mike Nazzaro each scored in the first inning to help the Black Knights jump ahead.
After Oliver Ames got on the board in the top of the second (Jake Erlich leadoff double, scored on infield single from Jared Spillane), the Black Knights cashed in on a pair of OA errors and walks to make it 4-1. Chris Pearsons (4-for-4, two RBI, two runs) had an RBI triple and scored on an error in the top of the third to make it a one run game at 4-3, but Stoughton tacked on three runs in the bottom half to regain a multi-run lead.
Three walks loaded the bases for the Knights in the bottom of the third. Stoughton scored on a passed ball, a wild pitch, and an RBI single from Cam Dirosa to make it 7-3. Stoughton pushed across four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jacob Kaplan walked, stole second, and came home to score on an infield error that was put in play by Clayton Rahaman. An RBI double from sophomore Brady Conlin made it 9-3. Swerziewski then connected on the first home run of the season for any Hock player, and first high school player to hit a home run at the new Taunton field, with a two-run blast to make it 11-3. Oliver Ames scored single runs in the fifth (Jacob Levine RBI double) and the seventh inning (Pearsons RBI double).
Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Mansfield junior John Carney pitched a complete game shutout and scored the game’s lone run to help the Hornets open the season with a win. Carney allowed just two hits without issuing a walk, striking out six to get the win. In the second inning, Carney singled and moved to third on a double by Eric Longley (2-for-2). Carney then scored the lone run on a passed ball. Attleboro’s Eoin Kelleher only allowed two four hits in 5.2 innings of work, striking out four with one walk. Sam Larkin had a double (and a terrific catch in right field) and Mason Houle had a single for Attleboro.
Canton, 14 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final – In a game dominated by offense, Canton prevailed with a 14-12 victory over Foxboro. The Bulldogs scored three runs in each the first, third, and fourth innings, and then tacked on five runs in the top of the fifth to take a 14-5 lead. Foxboro scored two runs in the first, three runs in the third, and rallied for seven runs in the fifth to make it a two-run game. Canton sophomore Steven Burbank went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored while sophomore Matt Connolly had three hits, three RBI, and three runs scored. Junior Nate Quan added two hits and four RBI for the Bulldogs. Foxboro junior Kyle McGinnis went 3-for-3 with four RBI and a run scored, Michael Devlin was 3-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored, and Adam Lanctot added two hits, two RBI and a run scored for the Warriors. Phil Thomas pitched three scoreless innings in relief for Foxboro.
Franklin, 11 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Franklin opened its season in style with an 11-1 win on the road against King Philip. Junior Brennan Rivera earned the win on the mound, scattering five hits with no walks over six innings of work. Rivera also struck out three without allowing an earned run. Jack Nally had two hits — a double and a triple — with two RBI and three runs scored while Scott Elliott added three hits, an RBI and a run scored. Alex Haba (RBI, run), Jake Macchi (two runs), Cooper Ross (two RBI), JB Floris (RBI), and Joe Lizotte (two runs) each had two hits apiece for Franklin.
Milford, 9 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Milford went on the road and picked up a shutout win in its first game of the 2019 season. Senior Danny Corsini tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six to earn the win. Offensively, senior Matt Shaver went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, junior Nick Wimmete had three hits and a run scored, and senior Justin Applebee had two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored for the Scarlet Hawks.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – Stoughton junior Jacob Kaplan connected on a two-out, bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the fourth inning to break a 3-3 tie, giving the Black Knights a win over the defending D2 State Champions in the season opener for both teams. Junior George Currier added two hits for the Black Knights. Stoughton senior Zak Paquette earned the win, tossing a complete game with four strikeouts, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits.
Softball
Mansfield, 6 @ Attleboro, 8 – Final – Natalie Mansur gave Attleboro the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pinch-hit, two-run homer. The Bombardiers had jumped out to a 5-2 lead only to have Mansfield respond with four runs in the fifth to take back the lead before Mansur’s big hit. Makenzie Killough continued her hot start to the season with a double and a home, while McKenzie Bergdoll had a pair of hits for the second straight game and drove in a pair. Jenna Gittle pitched the opening 4-2/3 inning and Emily Gittle grabbed the win with 2-1/3 innings of relief. Mady Bendanillo had three hits, including a homer, and drove in four runs for the Hornets in the loss. She plated Kara Bendanillo with a first-inning single, blasted a solo homer in the third and drove in a pair with a single in the fifth. Mary Muldoon also drove in two with a fifth inning single, as the Hornets scored four in the frame to regain the lead at 6-5. Mansfield coach Lori Letendre said, “It was a great back and forth game.”
Canton, 7 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Canton held off a late charge by the Warriors, who got a run in the bottom of the seventh and the tying run in scoring position before Caroline Hughes snared a line drive to end the game. Hughes threw a complete game with a pair of strikeouts, allowing three earned runs. Sarah Kelly went 2-for-4 with four RBI to power the Canton offense and Jackie Morrissey was 3-for-4 with an RBI.
King Philip, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin edged out a pitcher’s duel against the defending league champions thanks to a dominant start from senior Jackie Cherry. She allowed no hits to the potent KP lineup and struck out 10 batters. Cherry allowed only four base-runners, three on walks and one batter reached on an error. Faith Turinese was almost as good for the Warriors, limiting the Panthers to just one earned run. Anna Balkus led-off the bottom of the first with a single, advanced to second on a sac bunt by Gabby Colace and to third on a single by Allie Shea (2-for-3 in the game). Maddy White drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run with an RBI-single. Franklin added a second run in the fifth. Colace doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a groundout, before scoring on a wild pitch. Peyton Arone went 2-for-3 for Franklin and made a pair of great catches in left.
Sharon, 12 @ Milford, 7 – Final – Senior Rebecca Clayman went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and freshman Savannah Gray went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs as the Eagles beat the defending division champs and picked up their first win under head coach Heather Poliferno. Freshman Trinity Payne pitched in relief, getting out of a jam in the fourth by striking out two and going 3-2/3 innings with 5 Ks. She also went 2-for-4 at the plate and hit a fifth inning homer. Meg Hart had an RBI-triple and Taylor Waldrup had two hits for the Hawks.
Stoughton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.
Taunton, 21 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final (5 inn.) – Taunton scored 21 runs on 17 hits in its season opener. Hanna Aldrich powered the offense with a pair of homers, three RBI, and four runs scored. Mckenzie McAloon (three runs), Payton Ceglarski, Riley Murphy (three RBI), and Skylar Rheaume (three RBI) all had two hits for Taunton. Kelsey White earned the win with four strikeouts over three innings with Alexa White and freshman Olyvia Mendonca each taking one inning in the circle. Katie Abreu drove in Emma Varella with a fifth inning double for OA’s lone run. Katie Mills and Colleen Larson each had hits for the Tigers.
Boys Lacrosse
Mansfield, 3 vs. St. John’s Shrewsbury, 19 – Final
Milford, 13 @ Northbridge, 15 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 12 vs. Wellesley, 15 – Final
Milford, 11 @ Assabet Valley, 3 – Final
Boys Tennis
Mansfield, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield picked up a sweep on the road, winning all five matches in straight sets. Senior Luke Nickerson won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, senior Luke Devine earned a 6-1, 6-0 decision at second singles, and junior Nilay Pangrekar won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Sethu Odayappan and Max Bank won 6-1, 6-2 at first doubles and Sam Donellan and Sam Schirmacher picked up a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second singles.
King Philip, 3 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – King Philip’s second doubles team of Tyler Dowd and Jake Mager pulled out a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 win to give the Warriors a 3-2 win over rival Franklin. The Warriors also got wins from Nick Putney (6-3, 4-6, 6-3) at second singles and Jack Cannon (6-4, 6-0) at third singles. Franklin’s Liam Marr won 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3 at first singles and the team of Saketh Saripalli and Vayshnav Malhotra won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles.
Stoughton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – Stoughton sophomore Waseem Sablon won at first singles but North Attleboro won at the other four matches to get the win at home. Junior Alex Pfeffer won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and sophomore Sam Gallagher earned a 6-0, 6-1 decision at third singles for the Rocketeers. The team of Vikram Senthilakumaran and Saketh Uppuluri pulled out a 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles while Tomas Bentley teamed up with Justin Strom to pick up a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles. Sablon earned a 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 win at first singles for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Taunton didn’t drop a game at first or second singles as well as first doubles in a win on the road at Oliver Ames. Brett Beaulieu (first singles) and Charlie Fiske (second) each won 6-0, 6-0 while Dylan Kullas earned a 6-4, 6-1 win at third singles. Taunton’s Ryan Hebert and Alex Pugh won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles.
Sharon, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Sharon swept doubles play and earned two more wins in singles action to defeat Milford. Danujan Thirumavalavan (first singles) won 6-2, 6-3 while Ruemon Bhattacharya (second singles) earned a 6-0, 6-1 victory. The team of Max Chen and Max Brody won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles and the team of junior Jake Ross and freshman Deyan Kassev won 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles. Milford senior Riley Lynch won 6-4, 6-0 at third singles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Attleboro senior Bri Aronne overcame a one-set deficit to win the next two and help the Bombardiers clinch a 3-2 win over Mansfield. Aronne won 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 while the first doubles team of Nicole Matheson and Lauren Anthony won 6-0, 6-4 and the duo of junior Rena Danho and junior Jordan Benardo earned a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 win at second doubles. Mansfield’s Lizzy Elsner won 6-1, 7-5 at first singles and sophomore Aryann Khosravani picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at third singles.
Canton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro picked up a win over division rival Canton, winning all five matches in straight sets. Pam Nelson won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Sarah Prag earned a 6-1, 6-1 decision at second singles, and Julia Muise won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Foxboro’s first doubles team of Kendall Milender and Paige Krockta won 6-1, 6-1, and the Warriors’ second doubles team of Maggie McAuliffe and Lindsey Young won 6-1, 6-2.
Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final
North Attleboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro earned a sweep on the road, winning all five matches in straight sets. Tara Nair won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Mae McLoughlin earned a 6-1, 6-4 decision at second singles, and Jayli Carmichael prevailed 6-1, 6-3 at third singles for the Rocketeers. North Attleboro’s first doubles team of Olivia Willis and Sam Martino won 6-3, 6-1 and the second doubles team of Hayley Strom and Brotiti Nandi didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton defended home court, winning all five matches in straight sets. Jillian Pagliuca (6-2, 6-2), McKenzie Lucie (6-1, 6-2), and Jocelyn Pagliuca (6-1, 6-0) won at first, second, and third singles, respectively. The team of Sam Martin and Briana Fevrier won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles while Ogechi Ariguzo and Kayla Parrett secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Milford, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon didn’t drop a single game in singles play, winning all three 6-0, 6-0 and all five matches in straight sets to beat Milford. Senior Nupur Shukla (first), freshman Valeria Barajas (second), and sophomore Charlize Martinez swept singles play for the Eagles. The first doubles team of Sachi Bhasin and Sophia Fein won 6-3, 6-4 while the duo of Lauren Glass and Makaila Cheung won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles for the Eagles.
Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 3 @ Millis, 1 – Final – King Philip picked up its second win of the season, earning a 3-1 (25-20, 26-24, 22-25, 25-9) win on the road at Millis. The Warriors rode the strong serving of Max Armour (11 service points) and Kyle Desrochers (16 service points), both of whom went on big runs at the service line. Desrochers added 10 digs and Alex Bernhard had a strong game with seven digs. Senior middle Jimmy Peterson paced the net defense with seven blocks.
Stoughton junior George Currier broke onto the scene last year, earning HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year honors after a strong first season in the Black Knights’ starting lineup. Currier played right field last season and really impressed with his consistent defense. Head coach Mike Armour boasts that Currier can play anywhere defensively and that certainly gives the Black Knights flexibility. He also was strong at the plate, batting .328 with four doubles, 14 runs, and 13 RBI. With a year of experience under his belt, Currier will certainly be a leader for the Black Knights this year.
First-year Attleboro head Steve Dunlea put it perfectly when talking about senior Alvaro Espinal: “He’s the type of player that you don’t want to be at the concession stand when he’s up to bat.” Espinal really impressed during his first year in the Bombardier starting lineup last season. He’s got a quick bat and lightning speed that puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. Once he gets on base, he can certainly find his way into scoring position with his legs. That speed is also on display defensively as Espinal showed last year that he can cover a lot of ground and make tough catches look routine.
The Franklin Panthers have had a lot of success over the past two seasons, and one constant in that time period has been shortstop Alex Haba. Haba burst onto the scene as a sure-handed shortstop during his sophomore year and has been one of the best defensive players at any positions since then. At one of the most important spots on the field, Haba routinely makes difficult plays look easy. And over the past two years, he’s really improved on the offensive end. Last season, Haba batted .328 during the regular season with 22 hits, 12 RBI and 15 runs scored. Haba will be a leader for the Panthers this year, both on and off the field, and could be one of the best overall players in the league.
Milford had a bit of a down year in 2018 but the Scarlet Hawks have a lot of players back this year that are looking to make a run to the state tournament. One of those players is senior captain Nick Marcolini, who was one of the strongest players for the Scarlet Hawks. Last year, Marcolini hit .386 with 17 hits, eight runs scored and three RBI. He provided the Hawks with some timely at-bats and will be a leader, both on and off the field this season. He will also see some time on the mound and gives the Hawks a left-handed option. With a solid group of experienced players, such as Marcolini, Milford should be in contention for a playoff spot.
King Philip senior David Morganelli has had a terrific career for the Warriors in both football and baseball, and he will be looking to have another strong season before graduating. He posted a 2-3 record last year on the mound, striking out 43 in 38.2 innings of work. His ability to use multiple pitches, including a good slider, keeps batters off balance. He ranked in the top 10 last season for strikeouts and was among the league leaders in ERA, posting an impressive 1.99 mark. “David has an opportunity to be one of the best pitchers in the Hock,” said KP coach Greg Kessler. “He is competitive and has improved a lot in terms of accuracy.” The Warriors will look for Morganelli to anchor a strong pitching staff this year.
One of the top all-around players in the league, Chris Pearsons is definitely one of the preseason favorites for Player of the Year. Defense seems to come easily to Pearsons, who started at third base last year but will make the switch to shortstop this year. Having such an experienced player patrolling shortstop will bolster the Tigers’ defense, which is strong every single year. He really improved last year at the plate, batting .448 in the regular season, sixth best in the league. He had 30 hits, 17 runs scored and 11 RBI. Expect more of the same this year from Pearsons, who will likely be in the heart of the lineup for the Tigers.
Taunton’s Josh Lajoie proved to be one of the toughest at-bats last season. While sometimes prone to walks, Lajoie showed some really good stuff at times that had batters guessing. He throws very hard and keeps batters off balance. The important thing this year will be pounding the strike zone for Lajoie, who is committed to St. John’s University. He will form arguably the top 1-2 starting pitching combinations with classmate Jack Moynihan. On top of being one of the best pitchers in the league, Lajoie is a key piece of the Taunton offense. He was third on the team last year with a .366 batting average. He had 15 hits with five runs scored and five RBI. Expect Lajoie to have a big impact for Taunton this season.
Taunton’s Jack Moynihan enters his fourth year on the Tigers and will look to orchestrate a memorable season for his final year. Moynihan impressed during his freshman year but injuries slowed him during his sophomore season. He bounced back nicely last year, emerging as one of the top pitchers in a league full of great hurlers. He picked up wins over both Mansfield and Franklin, the two Hock teams in the Super 8, including a 15-strikeout performance against the eventual champion Panthers. He went 4-2 in the regular season with an impressive 0.97 ERA, striking out 40 in the process. He has a great fastball and can mix in offspeed pitches when needed to keep hitters off balance. Moynihan, who is committed to Sienna College, is a preseason favorite for Player of the Year.
One of the most consistent offensive weapons for the Kelley-Rex division champion Hornets last season is back again this year: senior Dan Saraceno. The outfielder spent the majority of the season atop the leaderboard for batting average, finishing the year with a .364 clip. He had 20 hits and tied for third in the league with 21 runs scored and added 14 RBI. The Hornets were first in the Kelley-Rex in runs scored last year and Saraceno’s consistency near the top of the order helped put Mansfield in position to score. He will also be a valuable member of the Hornets outfield defensively. He will return alongside Sam Nugent as starters, giving Mansfield a leg up defensively.
North Attleboro had a tremendous season last year by winning the D2 State Championship, the first in program history. A lot of attention went to the Rocketeers’ relentless offense as well as ace Nick Sinacola. But senior Matt Wanless quietly put together one of the best seasons among all players in the league. He went a perfect 5-0 in the regular season in 31.1 innings pitched. He wasn’t one of the most flashy pitchers, striking out 17 total but he was certainly one of the most effective pitchers in the league. He posted a 0.90 ERA in the regular season, giving the Big Red a chance to win every single time he was on the mound. With Sinacola graduated, Wanless will be a very important piece of the Rocketeer’s pitching staff in 2019.
2018 Record: 9-11 2018 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Steve Dunlea
After missing out on the playoffs by just one game last season, the Bombardiers are hoping to their experience will help them reach the state tournament this year.
Attleboro has experience in its pitching staff, behind the plate, and both in the infield as well the outfield. The Bombardiers pitching was a strength last season and should be again this year. Eoin Kelleher, the 2017 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year, returns for his senior season and will be the anchor on the staff. Junior Ryan Morry impressed during his outings last season and lefty Camden Fitzpatrick will be in the mix as well.
The Bombardiers will be very strong on the left side of the infield. Senior captain Mason Houle will man third base while junior Tim Callahan, a starter last season, takes over at shortstop. Junior Lorenzo Wilson is slated to take the job at first base while Morry and junior Nick McMahon will split time at second base. While it’s a strong group defensively, all four will be relied upon to step up offensively. Attleboro had just 80 runs total last year, least in the Kelley-Rex division.
Another big part of the offense will be center fielder Alvaro Espinal. Espinal is arguably the best fielding outfielder in the league and will also bring a spark to the Bombardiers lineup at the plate. Senior captain Robbie Furtado will fill in at left field while Sam Larkin and Troy Gamache will both see time in right as well as designated hitter. Behind the plate, Troy Van Vliet gives the Bombardiers some experience while sophomore Bailey Camacho gives first-year head coach Steve Dunlea some flexibility at the position.
“The strength of this team is its senior class leadership and team chemistry,” Dunlea said. “We really have a well-balanced team that is strong in all phases of the game. It’s going to be a fun group to watch this year.”
2018 Record: 5-15 2018 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Ben Shuffain
A strong core of returning players along with some young talent should make for a fun season for the Bulldogs in 2019.
After losing a few key pieces from 2018, there is a good mix of experienced players and talented youth for first-year head coach Ben Shuffain to work with. The Bulldogs will look to three senior captains to the lead the way: Matt Pigeon, Paul Corcoran and Robert Sullivan. Pigeon is a three-year starter behind the plate who batted .368 last season. Corcoran and Sullivan will anchor a deep pitching staff that has looked solid in the preseason.
The pitching staff will also include seniors Kevin McGonigle, Nick Murray, and Joe Bates. Along with them Shuffain will also lean on junior Chris Rota and sophomores Nate Hewitt and Matt Connolly on the mound.
The infield has a double play duo that has shown to work well together featuring senior Mike Konzal and returning second baseman Nathan Quan. Offensively Canton will look to senior Max Macort along with juniors Owen Lahane and Lucas Bryant, and sophomore Steven Burbank.
“We have been very fortunate to have a lot of work outside so far this spring and I think it is going to help us start off on a positive,” Shuffain said. “The team is coming together and we have a great group of kids who really want to turn this program around.”
2018 Record: 5-16 2018 Finish: Reached D3 South First Round Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro graduated 10 seniors from last year’s squad but there are 12 Warriors returning with varsity experience looking to make another trip to the state tournament.
The Warriors will be relying on their pitching staff this year to lead the way. There is a lot of optimism surrounding the rotation with senior Anthony Mollica and sophomore Sean Yoest each possessing plenty of varsity experience. Those two will be the top guys in the rotation while sophomore Cam Prescott has impressed during the preseason and could fit into the third starting spot. Seniors Guy Quartarone, Brian Duncan, and Philip Thomas as well as juniors Michael Devlin and Joe Cavaleri will be in the mix as well.
When he isn’t on the mound, Mollica will be the anchor of the defense from the shortstop position. He will be joined by sophomore Michael O’Toole at first base, Cavaleri will man third, and Thomas will take over at second base. Senior Adam Lanctot will also see time at second base this season for the Warriors.
In the outfield, Duncan — a senior captain that missed all of last season — will be the anchor, with Devlin handling center field duties and junior James Kaeser rounding out the Warrior outfield. Junior Zach Jenkins will also be in the mix for time in the outfield while junior Kyle McGinnis takes over behind the plate and will be relied upon as a key piece of Foxboro’s offense.
“Mentally, we have to have the same focus, energy, and intensity every single game,” said Foxboro coach Derek Suess. “There are no easy games in the Hockomock League. We must be consistent in our everyday approach in order to have a chance to compete for a league title.”
2018 Record: 21-5 2018 Finish: Division 1A (Super 8) State Champions Coach: Zach Brown
Coming off the program’s first-ever Super 8 state championship, Franklin is going to have a big target on its back — and the Panthers know it.
Franklin lost its top three pitchers in Jake Noviello, Bryan Woelfel, and Jason Ulrickson. Those were the only three pitchers to play during the Panthers’ Super 8 run. This season, the Panthers will turn to the experience of Ben Guzman, Brennan Rivera, and Will Pacheco. All three made appearances a year ago with Guzman and Pacheco registering wins. Guzman is currently recovering from an injury suffered in the preseason but the Panthers are excited for his contributions when he returns. Juniors Liam Dailey and Cody Trotin will also be in the mix after starting for JV last season.
While the pitching staff gets settled in, the Panthers will rely on its defense and offense. After an up-and-down regular season last year offensively, Franklin will be trying to carry over the success it had in the state tournament. Senior Alex Haba is back at shortstop and is one of the best two-way players in the Hockomock. Jake Macchi had a terrific postseason and will be looking to carry that over into his final year starting at catcher for Franklin. Scott Elliott will be the veteran in the outfield for the Panthers as well as a top offensive weapon. All three players — Haba, Macchi, and Elliott — are committed to playing baseball at Merrimack.
Cooper Ross is coming off a strong postseason and will start at third base while junior Jack Nally had a standout sophomore campaign in center field and will move up to the top of the order to set the table for the Panther offense. JB Floris will move from the designated hitter spot to first base and brings an experienced bat with him. Senior Joe Lizotte should see time in the outfield while senior Shane O’Neil’s versatility gives Franklin a lot of options defensively.
“We know this isn’t last year, this is a totally different team with different dynamics,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “We like the makeup of our team, with guys working hard and the seniors being good leaders. I think we could be pretty good defensively, and we’ve shown at times in the preseason to be pretty versatile on offense.”
King Philip is returning a lot of experienced players from last year’s squad and is hoping that will turn into an improved season and berth in the state tournament.
One big reason for optimism is a seasoned pitching staff, which features seniors David Morganelli and Terry Murray. Morganelli posted a 1.99 ERA last season along with 43 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched. Murray will be the second starter for the Warriors while juniors Chris Sawyer and Robbie Jarest are expected to factor into the rotation as the season progresses.
“David’s size, strength, and velocity make him a formidable pitcher,” said KP’s second-year head coach Greg Kessler. “His slider and ability to locate his fastball are one of the best in the league. David has an opportunity to be one of the best pitchers in the Hock. He is competitive and has improved a lot in terms of accuracy.”
Sawyer and Jarest will handle the left side of the infield again this year, with Jarest returning as the starting shortstop and Sawyer back manning third base. Both players will be key pieces at the top of KP’s batting order. Senior Ian Zimmerman returns at second base while senior Jake Anderson and sophomore Conor Cooke will both see time behind the plate.
Timmy Nault (.311 last year) will lead the way in the outfield while Zachary Zarba will figure in as well. There is a lot of competition for some open spots in the KP lineup as well.
“We have a lot of work to do this season, we need to improve on our hitting and driving the ball,” Kessler said. “We have a great group of seniors who are dedicated and excited to compete for a Hock Title. This senior group is a collection of great student-athletes and really represent KP well. They are leaders on and off the field”
2018 Record: 19-5 2018 Finish: Super 8 First Round Coach: Joe Breen
Mansfield had a very successful 2018 season that saw the Hornets win the Kelley-Rex division and earned a berth into the Super 8 tournament. But the Hornets enter the 2019 campaign hungrier than ever.
After seeing an early exit from the Super 8, Mansfield is aiming to get back and make some noise in the tournament this year. There will certainly be holes to fill after graduating two top pitchers in Tyler Dalton and Kevin Dow, as well as the steady bat of Justin Pena and the terrific defense of catcher Cullin Anastasia. However, there are 11 players due back from last year’s team and a handful of new faces ready to make an impact of their own.
Junior John Carney and senior Kevin Moran will anchor the rotation; the Hornets unfortunately lost ace Connor Sheehan for the season to an injury. Both Carney and Moran have experience though, and Mansfield is looking to seniors Jake Gerraughty, Matt Scibilia, Aidan Angland, Connor Smith, and sophomore Greg Coyle to fill the relief and spot start roles.
Mansfield brings back two of its three outfielders from last year with centerfielder Sam Nugent and right field Dan Saraceno both returning. Speedy shortstop Mike Hargadon is also back so the Hornets have three key pieces from the top half of the lineup back to pace the offense this year. Look for Eric Longley, Jenkins, Smith, Gerraughty, and Scibilia to also factor into to the Hornet lineup this year.
“It’s been a wild offseason here between losing some of our top guys and coming down with the injury bug but we have a great group of self-motivated returning players that we will look to keep our program going in the right direction,” said Mansfield head coach Joe Breen. “There are a lot of positional battles and innings on the mound to be sorted out, but the staff is excited to see the boys compete over the first couple weeks of the pre-season to get ourselves ready for [the first game]. While we had some great success last season, the boys know that we are 0-0 and they are ready to carve their own path.”
2018 Record: 5-15 2018 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Alex Dion
After having a relatively young, inexperienced group in 2018, the Scarlet Hawks have flipped the script, bringing back six starters and eight total players and will be looking to ride that experience to an improved 2019 campaign.
Half of the returning starters are the three starting pitchers from last year, including senior Danny Corsini and juniors Colby Pires and Luke Rosa. Despite a 1-3 record last year, Rosa had a solid 2.97 ERA in 30.2 innings of work with 19 strikeouts. Corsini logged over 35 innings while Pires had over 24, so there is plenty of experience in the Hawk’s rotation.
Senior captain Matt Shaver returns to his shortstop position and will anchor the infield. Corsini and Pires will both see time at third base when they aren’t pitching, Justin Applebee is back for another season at second base, and Tyler Almeida continues his duties as the starting catcher for the Hawks. Senior captain Nick Marcolini gives the Hawks a left-handed option on the mound. Sophomores Carter Scudo (outfield) and Mario Lee (first, pitcher) will also factor in this year.
“I’m looking forward to the 2019 baseball season and am excited about the players that are on our team,” said Milford head coach Alex Dion. “This is a tough league with a lot of good teams and good coaches. I think we have an opportunity to be very competitive this year. I will lead on our returning seniors and captains to push this team in the right direction and I am excited about the young players we have in our program.”
2018 Record: 22-2 2018 Finish: Division 2 State Champions Coach: Mike Hart
North Attleboro is looking to replicate its success from last season, the best year in program history that resulted in the D2 State Championship. And with a solid group of returning players, there is optimism but the Rocketeers know it certainly won’t come easy.
“We are a team with a decent amount of returning players, but we will need everybody contributing to be successful,” said North Attleboro coach Mike Hart. “We are looking for guys to be more consistent, especially on the offensive side of the game.”
The Rocketeers have three returning starters in the infield, so that will certainly be relied upon as the season gets underway. Senior Nick Raneri started at third last season but will move over to first this year while seniors Shawn Watters and Ryan Warren will take care of business up the middle. Hart says there is a lot of competition for the final spot in the infield with a handful of players possibly seeing time. Brendan McHugh returns as the starting left fielder while Kyle Bolger, Russell Dunlap, and Kyle Briere are all in the mix.
Behind the plate, senior Todd Robinson and junior Owen Harding are battling for the starting spot.
While the Rocketeers look to get the offense going, they will rely on their pitching staff early on. Matt Wanless had a very strong junior year and will be counted on heavily this season while seniors Matt Seavey, Jake Palmer, Jake Carroll, as well as Dunlap and Briere, should be in the mix for innings. Sophomore Dennis Colleran will see an increased role this season and could emerge as a top option for the Big Red.
“We will rely heavily on our pitching staff to lead us, and with smart, mistake-free defense, we will be able to win some games,” Hart said. “I really like the competitiveness our team brings every day. If we can learn from our failures and grind through the tough parts of the season that are sure to come, I believe we can win some ball games.”
2018 Record: 16-8 2018 Finish: Reached D2 South Final Coach: Joe Abarr
Oliver Ames is coming off one of its most successful seasons, reaching the D2 South Final last year. The Tigers graduated some key pieces but there is a lot of players back that gives OA hopes at replicating last year’s success.
Senior Chris Pearsons will be a leader on and off the field for the Tigers, moving over from third base to take over the starting shortstop spot. Pearsons is one of the top players in the league, earning HockomockSports.com First Team honors last year after belting out 30 hits for an impressive .448 average. Not only is he a dangerous offensive player, he’s one of the top defensive players in the league as well.
Another key returner for the Tigers is catcher Jake Erlich, who will begin his third year starting behind the plate. Erlich is one of the top defensive catchers in the region and OA is looking for him to have a breakout season at the plate. Junior Jacob Levine showed flashes last season with some timely hits as a pinch hitter. This year, Levine takes over at first and the Tigers will be looking for him to bring a consistent bat to the lineup.
Reid Latham, who went 2-1 last season with a 2.85 ERA, focused heavily on pitching this offseason and will take over as the top starter in the Tigers’ rotation.
“We have an established lineup of varsity hitters with a handful of underclassmen that will be filling in gaps for us,” said Oliver Ames coach Joe Abarr. “Our pitching rotation should be solid as long as everyone stays healthy. Last year, the Hock proved to be one of the best leagues in the state. We need to show up and compete every day if we want to be successful.”
After a couple of seasons of being on the outside looking in, the 2019 Sharon Eagles are looking to make strides towards a state tournament berth.
Although it will be a relatively young group, there is strong senior leadership. Head coach Kee Arguimbau is hoping that a nice mix of veterans and new faces will result in a successful season.
Tarlin was also the ace of the staff for the past couple of seasons but senior Noah Kamens should be ready to step into the top spot after some real strong outings last year. A lefty, Kamens does a nice job mixing up his pitches and will be a key part of Sharon’s defense. Kamens will be complemented by 6’6 righty Max LeBlanc, who burst onto the scene a year and had some impressive outings. Jared Reef returns behind the dish and the Eagles are looking for him to have a breakout year offensively.
Junior Alec Filipkowski is moving in from the outfield to second base while sophomore Justin Brown returns to shortstop after picking up valuable experience last season as a freshman. Noah Martinez, who recently returned to Sharon after living in Florida, could be a key piece of the offense while playing the hot corner defensively.
Seniors Dairell Martinez and Matty Jacobsen will be doing their part for the Eagles in the outfield while = senior Ben Reinbold looks to have an impact for Sharon on the mound.
“This year’s team is young. Luckily, what we lack in experience, we make up for in solid leadership,” Arguimbau said. “The seniors have done a phenomenal job in establishing the culture for the team this season. The young guys in the program have followed their lead and have been working hard in the offseason and are ready to continue to put the work in every day.
2018 Record: 10-9 2018 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round Coach: Mike Armour
Stoughton had a solid season a year ago, but an early exit from the state tournament has left the Black Knights hungry for more in 2019.
It starts with the two co-captains for the Black Knights: senior Zak Paquette and senior Robert Seaman. Paquette emerged as Stoughton’s top option on the mound last season and will be counted on to take on a lot of innings again this season. Paquette isn’t the most flashy pitcher but he helps put Stoughton in position to win games. Seaman will start at shortstop and the Black Knights are looking to him for a big bat in the middle of the lineup.
Last year’s HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year George Currier is looking to pick up where he left off last season, giving the Black Knights flexibility with his ability to play anywhere on the field defensively. Seniors Cian Swierzewski, Kevin Dixon, and Kyle Gagnon are all experienced outfielders, James Genest III gives Stoughton a nice presence at the plate offensively, and Mike Nazzaro will handle catching duties.
Newcomers Clayton Rahaman and Jacob Kaplan should log some innings in the outfield, along with Cam Dirosa in the infield and Brady Conlin in the infield and on the mound. Senior pitcher Evan Jackman has impressed so far this preseason and will be a key piece of Stoughton’s starting rotation.
“The goal this season will be to compete every time we set foot on the field, playing sound fundamental baseball and doing the little things to put us in a position to win some ballgames,” said Stoughton head coach Mike Armour. “The boys have been working hard and I expect us to have some fun this year and play the game the right way.”
2018 Record: 1 2018 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round Coach: Blair Bourque
There is a lot of excitement in Taunton with its new turf field, but the Tigers are hoping it’s their performance on that field that will have people talking by the end of the year.
It all starts with pitching for Taunton this year. With two DI commits in Jack Moynihan (Siena) and Josh Lajoie (St. John’s), the Tigers will certainly be boasting one of the top pitching groups for another season. Moynihan posted a 1.44 ERA with 43 strikeouts while Lajoie fanned 36 batters and had a 1.52 ERA.
Both Moynihan and Lajoie provide a lot of offense as well, but the Tigers will need others to step up to fill some voids from graduation. Tyler Medeiros (.375) and Trevor Pietrzyk (.373) both graduated some Taunton’s offense so head coach Blair Bourque will be looking for some new faces to step up.
The Tigers will be looking to senior Evan Melo to give the offense a spark. Melo will patrol center field and set the table to the offensively from the leadoff spot. Junior Logan Lawrence impressed last year batting .336; Taunton will need his bat to provide pop in the middle of the lineup in 2019.
“We’re certainly excited about having the opportunity to showcase our new turf field,” said Taunton head coach Blair Bourque. “It’s really a dream come true. There’s something special about this year’s team, the senior leadership and camaraderie are substantial.”
