Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Kelley-Rex Division MVP
Danny MacDougall, Taunton
Kelley-Rex Division All Stars
Matt McMahon, Attleboro
Bailey Camacho Attleboro
Nathan Cooke, Franklin
Jake Fitzgibbons, Franklin
Alfred Mucciarone, Franklin
Conor Cooke, King Philip
Shawn Legere, King Philip
Rudy Gately, King Philip
Anthony Sacchetti, Mansfield
Mario Lee, Milford
Daniel MacDougall, Taunton
Ty Cali, Taunton
Davenport Division MVP
Dennis Colleran, North Attleboro
Davenport Division All Stars
Andrew Middleton, Canton
Steve Burbank, Canton
Matthew Chafin, Canton
Sean O’Leary, Foxboro
Dennis Colleran, North Attleboro
Jared Penta, North Attleboro
Danny Curran, North Attleboro
Jadon Ricci, Oliver Ames
William Whiteside, Oliver Ames
Matthew Nigro, Oliver Ames
Justin Brown, Sharon
Brandon Mantilla-Mercado, Stoughton
Honorable Mentions:
Jake Gorman, Attleboro
Sawyer Julier-Albert, Canton
Ryan LeClair, Foxboro
Jacob Jette, Franklin
Nick Viscusi, King Philip
Eric Sullivan, Mansfield
Evan Cornelius, Milford
Derek Maceda, North Attleboro
Nick Clark, Oliver Ames
JD Rittenberg, Sharon
Kyle Doolin, Stoughton
Conor Quinlan, Taunton
Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league.
Baseball D1 South
#26 New Bedford, 0 @ #7 Taunton, 10 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton belted out 10 hits and walked nine more times to produce 10 runs in a five-inning rout of #26 New Bedford. Senior Alyjah Marshall led the charge for the Tigers, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk, smacking a pair of triples and driving in five runs. Sophomore Braden Sullivan added a hit and two RBI in the win. Senior Conor Quinlan earned the win on the mound, allowing just one hit without issuing a walk in four scoreless innings of work, striking out two. Taunton will host #10 seed Walpole on Monday at 4:00.
#21 Weymouth, 2 @ #12 Mansfield, 8 – Final – Mansfield scored in four straight innings punctuated by a big sixth inning to earn a win at home over visiting Weymouth. The Hornets pushed across two runs in the third, one run in each the fourth and fifth innings, and put the game away with a four-run sixth inning. Junior Anthony Sacchetti tossed six scoreless innings before the Weymouth offense got going. Sacchetti (6.1 IP) earned the win, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks, striking out seven. Offensively, sophomore Conner Zukowski had two of the Hornets’ eight hits, including a triple, and drove in four runs to lead the way. Luke Urban (run), Liam Anastasia (run), and Jared Fraone (double, two runs) all had a hit and an RBI in the win. Mansfield will travel to #5 seed Wellesley on Monday at 4:00.
#22 Attleboro, 11 @ #11 Hingham, 5 – Final – Attleboro outscored Hingham 7-0 over the final three innings to earn an upset win over the Harbormen on the road. Hingham held a 5-4 lead going into the fifth but the Bombardiers pushed across four runs to take an 8-5 lead and then put the game away with three more runs in the seventh. Sophomore Danny Johnson had a huge day at the plate for Attleboro, going 5-for-5 and recorded six RBI. He also came in and pitched a scoreless seventh inning to secure the win. Dillon James came on in relief to get the win, allowing two hits with six strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. Matt McMahon (3-for-4) and Evan Houle each clubbed a pair of doubles while senior Bailey Camacho had a pair of hits. Attleboro will travel to #6 seed Braintree on Monday night at 7:00.
D2 South
#17 Sharon, 5 @ #16 Somerset-Berkley, 8 – Final
D3 South
#18 Foxboro, 4 @ #15 Sandwich, 6 – Final – Foxboro had the tying run on base and the go-ahead batter at the plate in the top of the seventh inning but a bad bounce closed the door on the Warriors’ season. Sandwich scored once in each the second and third innings to stake a 2-0 lead but Foxboro responded with a run in the fourth and a run in the fifth to tie the game. Sandwich came back with four runs in the sixth to take the lead; Foxboro pushed across two in the top of the seventh and had runners on the corners but a ground ball hit one of the base runners and the Knights got the final out. Junior Mike LaVita went 3-for-3 at the dish with a run scored while sophomore Ryan LeClair (RBI, run) and senior Cam Prescott (two doubles, RBI) each had a pair of hits in the win. Mike O’Toole and Jack Watts both knocked in a run as well.
Softball D1 South
#27 Durfee, 8 @ #6 North Attleboro, 9 – Final (10 Inn.) – Ally Levine’s 10th inning single brought in Belle Clarkin with the game-winning run, as North avoided the upset and advanced to the next round. Clarkin started the two-out rally in the 10th with a single. She advanced to second on a Zoey McDonough base hit and got to third after Shaelyn Burns walk. Levine provided the big moment walking it off with an RBI-single. Mandi Hanewich had a big day at the plate for North, recording three hits, including a two-run homer. Emily Nardelli reached base four times (three walks and a hit), Grace Simmons had a hit and two walks, Julia Forman had a double and a run scored, and Emma Bailey was on base twice. McDonough threw all 10 innings and struck out 16 to get the win. North will host #11 seed Bridgewater-Raynham on Monday morning.
#19 Whitman-Hanson, 2 @ #14 Attleboro, 15 – Final
#17 Marshfield, 7 @ #16 Stoughton, 10 – Final – Down to their final six outs, Stoughton rallied to erase a five-run deficit and stun visiting Marshfield. The Rams held a 7-2 advantage going into the bottom of the sixth but Stoughton put together eight hits to score eight runs, knocking off Marshfield in the playoff opener for both squads. Senior Nicole Baker, who tossed a complete game, helped her own cause by going 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Junior Sydney Menz added three hits as well, including a double and a triple, with two RBI, Julia Driscoll plated two runs with a base hit, Melody Casna added an RBI double, and Kate Bulger chipped in with a pair of hits. Alyssa Edwards, Julie Powers and Sarah McGrath all had a single in Stoughton’s big sixth inning. Stoughton will travel to #1 seed Taunton on Monday at 6:30.
#18 Mansfield, 10 @ #15 Needham, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored early to get in front and then put the game away with seven runs over the final two innings to secure the win at Needham in the D1 South preliminary round. The Hornets grabbed three runs in the first. Callie Lake led off with a single, Liv Madeira walked, and Jill Koppy singled to load the bases. Casey Moussette provided what turned out to be the game-winning hit with a single that plated two. Nicole Kobasa added a single to make it 3-0. Third baseman Olivia DeTrolio came through with a big defensive play in the fourth, erasing a lead-off triple by getting the lead runner on a fielder’s choice. Mansfield broke the game open with a four-run sixth. Molly Kucharski started the rally with a walk, followed by singles from Ashlyn Conley and Kobasa. Alanna Conley drive in a pair and the Madeira followed with a two-run single of her own. The Hornets tacked on three more in the seventh with four hits and a walk all with two outs. Mansfield will face another road trip to a Bay State Conference opponent when it travels to #2 seed Natick on Monday.
#22 Canton, 5 @ #11 Cardinal Spellman, 4 – Final – Canton was able to hold on to pull the upset on the road against Spellman and advance in the D2 South sectional. Liz Bickett sparked the offense with a big two-run homer in the third inning. Sarah Kelly went 2-for-3 and scored two runs and Steph Trendell also drove in a pair of the Bulldogs. Sophia Santos went the distance and struck out seven to pick up the win. Canton will travel to face #6 seed Plymouth South on Monday afternoon.
Boys Lacrosse D1 South
#17 Weymouth, 6 @ #16 Mansfield, 8 – Final
#18 Attleboro, 4 @ #15 Marshfield, 18 – Final
D2 South
#16 North Quincy, 1 @ #1 Canton, 16 – Final – Top-seeded Canton opened its playoff run in style, earning a big win over North Quincy. The Bulldogs built an early 3-0 lead, extended it to 8-0 by halftime and carried a 15-0 advantage into the fourth quarter. Junior Sam Carlino paced the offense with seven goals and four assists and senior Michael Mondillo added a pair of goes in the win. Freshman Brendan Tourgee won 12 face offs, scoring twice with one assist while classmate Pat Drury scored twice and had three helpers. Canton will host #8 seed Nauset on Monday at 5:00.
D2 Central/East
#9 Belmont, 7 @ #8 North Attleboro, 20 – Final
Girls Lacrosse D1 East
#10 Mansfield, 0 @ #7 Concord-Carlisle, 20 – Final
#12 North Attleboro, 2 @ #5 Lincoln-Sudbury, 20 – Final
D1 South
#18 Whitman-Hanson, 13 @ #15 Canton, 12 – Final (OT)
#17 Marshfield, 9 @ #16 Taunton, 7 – Final
Boys Tennis D1 South
#14 Attleboro, 0 @ #3 Sharon, 5 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this match – Sharon started its tournament run with a 5-0 sweep of Hockomock rival Attleboro, winning all five matches in straight sets. Freshman Mehul Bhattacharyya picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles, Ruemon Bhattacharyya added a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Max Chen grabbed a 6-0, 1-0 win at third singles. Junior Deyan Kassev and freshman Matthew Lally emerged with a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles while the team of sophomore Mitch Weiss and freshman Alex Budovalcev didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles. Sharon will host #11 Plymouth North on Monday at Sharon Middle School at a time to be announced.
#9 Mansfield, 0 @ #8 Needham, 5 – Final
#10 North Attleboro, 0 @ #7 Newton North, 5 – Final
#12 King Philip, 1 @ #5 BC High, 4 – Final – King Philip senior Nick Putney was the lone winner for the Warriors as BC High claimed a 4-1 win at home. Putney grabbed a hard-fought 6-2, 6-4 win at first singles for the lone KP point.
D2 South
#11 Foxboro, 0 @ #6 Westwood, 5 – Final
Girls Tennis D1 South
#9 Mansfield, 0 @ #8 Sharon, 5 – Final
#12 Attleboro, 0 @ #5 Bishop Feehan, 5 – Final
#14 Franklin, 0 @ #3 Wellesley, 5 – Final
D2 South
#1 Foxboro, 4 vs. #16 Somerset-Berkley, 1 – Final – Foxboro’s dominance in singles action carried over into the playoffs as the Warriors rolled to a win over visiting Somerset-Berkley. Athena Li notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles, Pam Nelson didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 decision at second singles, and Sarah Prag rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles. Foxboro got its fourth point from the second doubles team of Makayla Peck and Juliana Preston, who secured a 6-0, 6-1 victory. Foxboro, one of four undefeated teams in the D2 South bracket, will host #8 seed Monomoy on Monday at 5:00.
Baseball
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Franklin scored once in the first and tacked on two more in the second and that was enough for its pitching staff as the Panthers picked up a 3-1 win on the road, clinching the Kelley-Rex division title for the second straight season. Senior Jake Fitzgibbons drove in a run to put the visitors up 1-0 in the top of the first and then junior Chris Goode and senior Nate Cooke each singled in a run in the second to make it 3-0. Attleboro scored in the bottom of the fifth, when Bailey Camacho (2-for-3) doubled and courtesy runner Hayden Hegarty scored on a single from sophomore Dillon James. Franklin sophomore Alfred Mucciarone earned the win with one run allowed on five hits and one walk, striking out four in five innings. Ethan Voelmicke threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with four strikeouts while James Kuczmiec got the save, striking out one in 0.2 innings. Dillon came on in relief for the Bombardiers and tossed five shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton scored a pair of runs in back-to-back innings and junior Andrew Middleton struck out 11 as the Bulldogs claimed a win at home. After three scoreless innings, Canton pushed across two runs in each the fourth and fifth innings with four players collecting an RBI. Middleton (2-for-3), Steven Burbank, Nico Bonnano, and Sawyer Julier-Albert each drove in a run while sophomore Matt Chafin scored twice. Middleton allowed one run on one hit and four walks in six innings of work. Foxboro’s Ryan LeClair drove in a run in the sixth inning while Sean O’Leary tossed a complete game, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk, striking out six.
Milford, 3 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Sophomore Conner Zukowski cleared the bases with a three-run double to highlight a four-run fourth inning as Mansfield defended home field against visiting Milford. The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third but the Hornets responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Milford tacked on another run in the fifth to cut the deficit to two but Mansfield added the run back in the bottom half. Liam Anastasia added had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored for the hosts. Anthony Sacchetti earned the win on the mount with 6.1 innings of work, allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits and two walks, recording seven strikeouts. Milford’s Carter Scudo went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Oliver Ames, 9 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – With it’s division title hopes hanging in the balance, Oliver Ames turned a three-run deficit into a three-run advantage between the final two innings, knocking off the Black Knights and clinching a share of the Davenport division title alongside North Attleboro. OA knotted the game at three apiece in the top of the fifth but Stoughton pushed across three runs in the fifth for a 6-3 lead with OA down to its last six outs. In the top of the sixth, Ryan McKenney, Nate Fulford, and Derek Milliken (two RBI) all singled, the latter bringing in two runs, and Jack Muir plated the tying run to make it 6-6. An inning later, Fulford smacked a two-run triple and Max Tower brought Fulford in with a base hit and OA took a 9-6 lead after 5.5 innings. Kosta Spiliakos earned the win in relief, tossing three innings with one run (unearned) allowed on three hits, striking out one. Nick Clark started for OA, striking out seven with four hits and four walks issued. Stoughton’s Brandon Mantilla-Mercado (two runs) and Jonah Ly each had two hits and two RBI.
Softball
Milford, 6 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – Mansfield scored nine times in the opening two innings to earn the sweep of Milford and close out the season at .500. The Hornets scored five times in the first to seemingly grab control of the game. Callie Lake got it started with a walk and stolen base and moved to third on a single by Jill Koppy. A sac fly scored the first run and hits from Ashlyn (2-for-4, two RBI) and Alanna Conley and Abby DeCoste and a walk by Nicole Kobasa brought in the other four. Milford answered right back, putting up a five-spot of its own in the top of the second to tie the game. Mansfield took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom half. Lake drew another leadoff walk and stole second for the second straight inning. With two outs, Ashlyn Conley double, and Kobasa and Alanna Conley (3-for-3, three RBI) each singled to put the Hornets in front. Alanna Conley double and DeCoste (2-for-3, three RBI) tripled to tack on a 10th run in the fifth. Elise Fauerbach went 4-for-4 for Milford, driving in a pair of runs while Camille Bonina collected three hits, including a triple, with three RBI.
Attleboro, 4 @ Franklin, 12 – Final – Franklin scored runs in four of the seven innings, exploding for a game-changing six runs in the fourth inning to earn an upset win over visiting Attleboro. The visitors struck first in the top of the first but the Panthers took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the first. Franklin added one more in the third and then six more in the fourth to grab a 10-1 lead. Attleboro rallied for three runs in the fifth inning but Franklin put the game away with two more runs in the sixth inning. Freshman Carly Johnson-Pellegri had a big day at the dish, smashing a three-run home run in the fourth inning along with an RBI in the third (fielder’s choice) and the sixth (double). Senior Mary Collins added two hits (including a triple) and two runs, senior Gabby Colace had three hits (including a double) and scored two runs), junior Julia White scored twice and had two singles, and junior Aislinn Lavery used her speed for three singles, scoring twice. Georgia Harvey also had a triple for Franklin while Kelly Moussa had a strong day defensively in right field. For Attleboro, Hailey Perry scored twice and had a triple and both Meghan Gordon and Gabby Bosh had a hit and scored a run.
Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final (10 Inn.) – Eighth grader Emma Callahan not only went the distance in the circle but also drove in Peyton Feldman with a double in the bottom of the 10th to pick up the win for the Warriors. Gillian Gordon also pitched a complete game, striking out three and delivering a key hit in the fourth inning. Liz Bickett powered the Bulldogs offensively, going 4-for-5 with three RBI, and Olivia Mackwell went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. Laura Valkanas made several important plays for Canton in extra innings.
North Attleboro, 12 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Kelly Colleran and Zoey McDonough combined to strikeout 12 and allowed only one hit in the shutout. Belle Clarkin had three hits and four RBI and Colleran had three hits, three runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Ally Levine and Emma Bailey chipped in with two hits apiece. Mandi Hanewich scored three times and Emily Nardelli crossed the plate twice.
Boys Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 13 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Remi Creighton and junior Wyatt Fritchman each accounted for eight points as the Tigers went on the road and earned a victor over Stoughton. Both Creighton and Fritchman scored four goals and added four assists in the while while sophomore Ben Reardon netted a hat trick. Sophomore Jake Manthous won 14 faceoffs for OA while sophomore Noah Isleib made nine saves in net.
Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final – Hailey Bourne and Emma Sharkansky were the catalysts for the OA attack as the Tigers picked up a big victory on senior night. Ashley Almeida scored once in her first start of the season, both Emma Pereira and Catherine O’Donnell played well on the draw for OA, and seniors Emilee Nuss, Lili Lozano, Ella Isleib and Emma O’Donnell played tough defense against a good Canton attack.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin dropped a total of three games as it rolled to a big win over visiting Attleboro. Senior Liam Marr notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while Drew Mahoney won by the same score at third singles for the Panthers. Vayshnav Malhotra recorded a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles and the tream of junior Thomas Broyles and freshman Jay Gorgas took care of business by the same scoreline at second doubles. Senior Anish Gundimeda and junior Sameen Shaik dropped a game in the first set but won six straight in the second set for a 6-1, 6-0 victory at first doubles.
Canton, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Canton’s Minh Duong overcame a one-set deficit to take his match in a third-set 10-point tiebreaker to help the Bulldogs complete a 5-0 sweep over Foxboro. Duong dropped his first set 1-6 but rallied to take the second set 6-4 and emerged victorious with a 10-7 win in the tiebreaker. Suraj Ramanathan was a 6-0, 6-1 winner at first singles while freshman Max Kupferman notched a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles. The team of Ethan Nguyen and Jalen Townsend prevailed 7-5, 6-2 in a hard fought match at first doubles while Davis Lamb and Elias Jabbour teamed up to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory at second doubles for Canton.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Stoughton won twice in singles play and twice more in doubles action to pick up a 4-1 decision over visiting Oliver Ames. Senior Waseem Sablon didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while sophomore Rayan Sablon notched a 6-1, 6-2 victory at second singles. The team of Evan Khang and Jonah Hochberg were 6-3, 6-3 winners at first doubles while Ben Dias teamed up with Nikhil Khond for a 6-2, 7-5 decision at second doubles. Oliver Ames freshman Nick Westerbeke earned a 6-2, 6-4 win at third singles.
Milford, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final
Girls Tennis
Franklin, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro swept doubles action and won at first singles to secure a 3-2 win at home over visiting Franklin. Junior Ella Lynch-Bartek earned a 6-3, 6-0 win at first singles for the Bombardiers, senior Rachel Rainey and junior Saharla Yusuf emerged with a 7-6 (6), 6-3 win at first doubles, and the team of freshmen Maddie Fuscaldo and Kyra Johnson rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles to give Attleboro the win. Franklin junior Vedika Vinayak prevailed in a marathon match at second singles, taking a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6) win while classmate Sarah Schiavo earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at third singles.
Foxboro, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Foxboro freshman Athena Li dropped a set for the first time all season but rallied to win two straight to get the win and stay undefeated, helping Foxboro complete a sweep of Canton. Canton’s Rachel Kupferman grabbed the lead with a 6-2 win in the first set but Li battled back to take the second set 6-4 and then got the win with a 6-0 third set. Pam Nelson (second singles) and Sarah Prag (third singles) each won 6-0, 6-0 for the Warriors. Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa earned a 6-4, 6-0 win at first doubles while Makayla Peck teamed up with Emily Stow for a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory at second doubles.
Stoughton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Stoughton rallied from one-set deficits at both first and second singles and grabbed another win in doubles play to earn a close victory over Oliver Ames. All five matches were competitive with OA winning at third singles (Mia Corradini, 6-3, 6-2) and first doubles (Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou, 6-0, 6-2). At first singles, Ally Lada fell behind 4-6 but rallied for a 6-0 win in the second set and a 6-4 victory in the third set. Lena Allie also dropped the first set, 4-6, but came back to win 6-4 in the second and 6-3 in the third for a win for the Black Knights. The team of Nadia Prokupiuk and Emilia Lada prevailed with a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 6-3 win at second doubles.
Mansfield, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final
Wrestling
Mansfield @ Stoughton, 3:45
Oliver Ames, 22 @ Taunton, 45 – Final – For the first time since joining the Hockomock League, Taunton pinned down a win over Oliver Ames. James Collins (113, 4:37), Ben Mandeville (138, 0:48), Sazlily St. Marc (145, 5:11), Jackson Mandeville (170, 1:04), and Logan Frank (195, 4:30) all won by pin for the host Tigers while Brandon Mendes (126, 4-0), Christian Balmain (160, 6-3), and Peter Ye (220, 4-3) each won by decision. Oliver Ames got wins from Kyle Hardie (120, 10-4), Stavros Constantinou (132, 10-6), Deric Lipski (152, 1:05), Anthony Hoffman (182, 9-0), and Jaden Hinton (285, 1:51).
Franklin, 50 @ Canton, 18 – Final
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 2 @ Greater New Bedford, 3 – Final – For the third time in the past week, Taunton won the fourth-set to force a fifth but for the first time all season, the Tigers suffered a loss, 3-2 (25-27, 25-22, 19-25, 28-26, 13-15). Tyler Stewart had 27 kills, seven blocks, and 19 digs, Mattia Casagrande added nine kills and 16 digs, Jakob Thorpe finished with seven kills 10 digs, and three aces, and Dolan Campbell had eight kills and four blocks. Travis Nunes anchored the Taunton serve receive and finished with 15 digs and Daniel Medina had 33 assists.
Baseball
North Attleboro, 0 @ Attleboro, 10 – Final – Attleboro had one of its most complete games of the season, pushing across 10 runs while securing its first shutout of the 2021 campaign. Junior Billy Saltmarsh pitched five shutout innings, letting up just a pair of hits while striking out three to get the win. Offensively, Matt McMahon smashed a three-run home run while seniors Bailey Camacho, Jake Gorman, and Ben Lehane all had big hits in the win.
Taunton, 8 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Danny MacDougall blasted a three-run home run in the middle of a five-run sixth inning as the Tigers turned a one-run deficit into an 8-4 win on the road. Foxboro scored in each the first and second innings, the latter to take a 2-1 lead. Taunton jumped ahead 3-2 in the top of the fourth but the Warriors regained the lead with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth. Colby DaCouta added two RBI and two runs for the Tigers while Ty Cali and Ethan Ross each had two hits and scored a run. Evan Cali picked up the win in relief for Taunton, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings with two hits and one walk allowed, striking out four. Tom Marcucella stayed hot offensively for the Warriors with a hit and two RBI while Cam Prescott went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
Franklin, 8 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Holding a 2-0 lead through three innings, Franklin tacked on two runs in each the fourth, fifth, and the seventh innings to leave Frothingham Park with an 8-0 win. Ethan Voellmicke (4.2 IP, two hit, no walks, five strikeouts) and James Kuczmiec combined for the shutout on the mound for the Panthers. Chris Goode (two hits) and Eisig Chin (three hits, three runs) each hit a triple in the win, Ryan Gerety added two hits, two RBI, and a run scored, and Luc Boudreau drove in a pair of runs and scored twice for the Panthers. Christian Papasodero allowed just two earned runs in five innings of work for the Tigers.
Mansfield, 8 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Mansfield collected 11 hits as a team and took the lead with a four-run second inning and never looked back in a non-league win over Davenport foe Stoughton. The Black Knights scored first in the bottom of the first inning but the Hornets pushed across four runs in the top of the second and tacked on two runs in each the fifth and sixth innings. Anthony Sacchetti belted out three hits, knocking in one run and scoring twice while Eric Sullivan (double, RBI) and Jake Maydak each had a pair of hits in the win. Brandon Mantilla-Mercado (two RBI) and Kyle Doolin (two runs) each had a pair of hits for Stoughton.
Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – The first two batters King Philip sent to the plate earned walks and came around to score and that was enough offense for sophomore Rudy Gately, who tossed a complete game shutout. Nick Viscusi and Shawn Lagere earned back-to-back walks to lead off the bottom of the first and each scored and that was all of the scoring on the day. Gately allowed just four hits while striking out five to earn the win. Sharon freshman Luke Meixel allowed just two total hits in a complete game effort.
Softball
North Attleboro, 1 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro erased a one-run deficit and took a lead all in one play in the fifth inning and that was enough for the Bombardiers to keep the Blue-Red Cup. In the bottom of the fifth, Kayla Goldrick and Lindsey Perry both reached after being hit by a pitch and freshman Rylie Camacho connected for a base hit to right field to bring Goldrick home to tie the game. Perry came around to score on an errant throw, which allowed Camacho to reach third. Camacho then came home after an another throw got away, putting the hosts ahead 3-1. Perry tossed a complete game for the Bombardiers, retiring the last 12 batters she faced. She also had four strikeouts with five hits allowed. North took the lead on a solo home run from sophomore Kelly Colleran, who also pitched a strong game with sevens strikeouts and four hits allowed.
Foxboro, 0 @ Taunton, 16 – Final (5 inn.) – Taunton senior Hanna Aldrich blasted two home runs and Kelsey White and Kylie Thorpe each one as the Tigers rolled to a win at home. Aldrich finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored while Thorpe had three total hits, three runs scored and drove in six runs. White was nearly flawless in the circle with five shutout innings, striking out 14 of the 15 batters she faced.
Oliver Ames, 14 @ Franklin, 16 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game – Franklin rallied from nine runs down to build a seven-run lead, but then had to hold on as OA stormed back and brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh. It was all OA early. The Tigers took the lead in the first on an RBI single by Grace Simone and then extended the lead to 4-0 heading into the fourth. In the fourth, the Tigers scored five times to break the game open. Taylor Lake had a bases-clearing double and Caitlin Miller brought in a run with a single. Franklin got one back in the fourth, but it still looked like a comfortable advantage for the Tigers until the Panthers exploded for 15 runs in the bottom of the fifth. Molly Collins drove in five runs, including a bases loaded triple, in the inning and Lauren Cote had a couple of hits and three RBI during the rally. From 9-0 down, the Panthers now held a 16-9 lead. OA didn’t go quietly. In the top of the seventh, OA scored five times, including two more RBI for Lake and had runners at first and second with two outs. Gabby Colace was able to turn a grounder in the hole at short into a force at third to seal a wild win for the Panthers.
Stoughton, 11 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final (11 inn.) – Stoughton scored three runs in the top of the 11th and held off a Mansfield rally in the bottom half to come out on top in a back-and-forth game at the East St. field. The Black Knights jumped ahead early, leading 6-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Junior Sydney Menz (four runs) homered to lead off the game, freshman Alyssa Edwards hit a home run to lead off the second and the Black Knights added four runs on four hits in the third. Mansfield stormed back with seven runs on six hits to grab the lead. Olivia Madeira led off the inning with a triple, and later singled in the same rally, followed by base hits from Jill Koppy, Casey Moussette, and Alanna Conley. Abby DeCoste also tripled in the inning. Stoughton would get the run back on a two-out single from Julia Driscoll, who stole second and scored on a fielding error to force extra innings. Menz hit her second home run in the top of the eighth to regain the lead, but the Hornets answered back to stay alive. With the tiebreaker in place, the visitors plated three runs in the top of the 11th to lead 11-8. Menz led off with a double and scored on a double from Driscoll, who scored herself on a sac fly from Mel Casna. Mansfield nearly managed to send the game to the 12th. Koppy, who had three hits on the day, tripled to score the runner from second and Moussette (two hits) singled to make it a one-run game. Ashlyn Conley’s infield single put runners at the corners with just one out, but Stoughton was able to escape the jam and snag the road win. Nicole Baker pitched a complete game for the Black Knights with 14 strikeouts.
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 15 @ Milford, 5 – Final
Foxboro, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Wyatt Fritchman and Doug Oliveira scored for OA, sophomore Noah Isleib made 15 saves in net and Jack Magit played a great defensive game while making his first career start.
Girls Lacrosse
Milford, 8 @ Attleboro, 9 – Final
Sharon, 7 @ Canton, 10 – Final – Canton came from behind to pick up the league win, scoring the only two goals of the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Jenna Goldstein had three goals and an assist for Sharon, which led 4-2 after the first. Molly McAlevey had two goals and an assist and Athena Merck and Anna Hertzel each scored once for the Eagles. Tess Letendre had a big game in the loss, making 17 saves.
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Foxboro, 20 – Final – The Warriors completed the season sweep of OA with another impressive offensive display. Seven different Foxboro players found the back of the net, led by Lilly Vey with five goals and an assist, and five players had at least four points. Ella Waryas scored four times and assisted on one and Mary Collins had three goals and three helpers. Kate Collins also scored three goals for the Warriors and recorded one assist, while Paige Curren added two goals and three assists. Val Beigel (two goals and an assist) and Mya Waryas (one goal and two assists) each totaled three points in the win. Maddie Maher came up with seven saves for Foxboro. For OA, Reese Pereira had a strong showing on the draw, Emma Sharkansky scored twice, and Emma O’Donnell had some great saves in net.
Boys Tennis
North Attleboro, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – North Attleboro picked up its sixth win of the season, earning a sweep over rival Attleboro. The Rocketeers dropped just one game in singles action and won both doubles matches in straight sets. Jonah Manso and Sam Gallagher both won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while junior Will Folan picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of seniors Connor Willis and Sayf Siddiq emerged with a 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) win in a hard fought match at first doubles while the team of senior Niteesh Saravanan and sophomore Brody Carter earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Canton, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Canton went on the road and picked up a win over Kelley-Rex division foe Milford. Suraj Ramanathan, Max Kupferman and Minh Duong swept singles action for the visiting Bulldogs. The team of Jalen Townsend and Charlie Doody battled to a 7-6, 6-4 win at first doubles while the team of Huy Hoy and Elias Jabbour earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Foxboro, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Foxboro took all five matches in straights to record a 5-0 win on the road at Taunton. Junior Bo Canfield (third singles) and the team of senior Jason Kandula and freshman Justin Kandula (first doubles) each rolled to 6-0, 6-0 wins. Junior Garrett Spillane added a 6-2, 6-0 win at first singles, senior Justin Neale prevailed 6-1, 6-0 at second singles, and the team of senior David Marroquin and freshman Visruth Chavalam recored a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin took care of business in its crossover match with Oliver Ames, winning four matches in straight sets (a fifth match ended by default). Liam Marr rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Vayshnav Malhotra picked up a 6-0, 6-1 decision at second singles, the team of Thomas Broyles sand Jay Gorgas added a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles, and juniors Tyler Fitzpatrick and Tim O’Keefe secured a 6-1, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Stoughton, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Mansfield won a pair of matches in both singles and doubles to knock off visiting Stoughton. Sophomore Benson Delaney was victorious 6-2, 6-4 at second singles while senior Kai Schirmacher picked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at third singles. The senior of seniors Nikhil Lankipalle and Adam Elsner earned a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles while Mansfield’s second doubles team of junior Jonah Fine and freshman Nikhil Nain walked away with a 6-1, 6-0 win. Stoughton senior Waseem Sablon continued to impress with a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro’s pairing of freshmen Maddie Fulscado and Kyra Johnson overcame a one-set deficit on the road to prevail in three sets, giving the Bombardiers the clinching point in a win over rival North Attleboro. Fulscado and Johnson picked up a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles while Attleboro’s first doubles team of Saharla Yusuf and Rachel Rainey won 7-5, 6-4. Attleboro also got a win from senior Lauren Anthony (6-3, 6-2) at second singles. North Attleboro freshman Lauren Hunt won 6-1, 6-3 at first singles while senior Haley Strom earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at third singles.
Milford, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Canton defended home court by winning all five matches in straight sets against the visiting Hawks of Milford. Rachel Kupferman (6-0, 6-0), Laura Correal (6-1, 6-1), and Grace Powers (6-3, 6-4) swept singles in order, Lily Hazam and Olivia Durham didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles and the pairing of Olivia Mahoney and Allie Wong picked up a 6-4, 6-2 decision at second doubles.
Taunton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro’s Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa picked up a win in straight sets while the Warriors swept all three singles matches in a win over Taunton. McAuliffe and Costa earned a 6-3, 6-3 win at first doubles while all three of Foxboro’s singles players (Athena Li, Pam Nelson, Sarah Prag) won 6-0, 6-0. Taunton’s Morgan Smith and Courtney Martin secured a 6-3, 6-4 win at second doubles.
Franklin, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames broke into the win column with a win over Franklin prevailing 4-1 in contest that featured five well-played and well-contested matches. OA’s Kate McCormick was victorious at first singles 6-2, 6-2 while Mae Holmes prevailed 7-6 (8-6), 0-6, 12-10 in a battle at third singles. OA’s double success continue as Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou turned in a 6-1, 6-4 win at first doubles and the team of Marina Mierzwinski and Elizabeth O’Brien emerged with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) win at second doubles. Franklin’s Hailey Morin won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles.
Mansfield, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – For Stoughton, senior co-captain Lena Allie rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 win at second singles while senior co-captain Brooke Bulger won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, at third singles.
Outdoor Track
North Attleboro @ Oliver Ames, 3:45
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Nipmuc, 0 – Final
Wrestling
Franklin, 48 @ Sharon, 26 – Final
King Philip, 48 @ Oliver Ames, 30 – Final – For Oliver Ames, junior captain Gio Juste moved to 4-0 on the season with his fourth first period pin of the season at 160. Senior captain Stavros Constantinou added a first period win at 126 and junior Anthony Hoffman picked up his first career win at 182.
Baseball
Attleboro, 8 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Attleboro exploded for six runs in the top of the first and never looked back, securing their first win of the season with an 8-3 decision over Taunton. Senior Jake Gorman, junior Evan Houle, and sophomore Owen Taber each had two hits for the Bombardiers while senior Bailey Camacho drove in a pair of runs. Junior Billy Saltmarsh picked up the win with five strong innings of work on the mound while sophomore Danny Johnson pitched well in two innings of relief.
Canton, 6 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Canton junior Andrew Middleton dazzled on the mound for the second straight start, tossing his second straight shutout. After a perfect game in his first start, Middleton allowed just one hit — a bunt — in a complete-game effort, striking out 16 for the second straight contest. He walked just two batters while throwing 65 of his 94 pitches for strikes. Offensively, senior Cam Sanchez set the tone from the leadoff spot with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI, sophomore Matt Chafin drove in two runs on two hits, and Steven Burbank and Middleton each had an RBI.
Foxboro, 4 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Foxboro got the bats going early with three runs in the second inning and Dylan Quinn was solid on the mound from start to finish as the Warriors picked up their first win of the season. Quinn allowed one run on three hits and two walks, striking out two in five innings of work. Sophomore Sean O’Leary pitched two scoreless innings in relief with one strikeout for the save. Sophomore Ryan LeClair (run) and junior Jack Watts (run) each had a pair of hits for Foxboro, which totaled 10 as a team. Liam Mulkern and Quinn reach drove in a run in the win.
Franklin, 4 @ Milford, 2 – Final – After Milford tied the game with a run in the bottom half of the sixth, Franklin regained the lead with two runs in the top of the seventh to sweep the series with the Hawks. Jacob Jette’s pinch-hit RBI single drove in Jack Marino for what proved to be the game-winning run, and Jette scored the insurance run on contact from Ryan Gerety. Ethan Voellmicke picked up the win in a relief appearance, tossing two innings with three strikeouts while James Kuczmiec earned the save, stranding the tying run at first. Jake Fitzgibbons was the starter for the Panthers, allowing one run on three hits in four innings of work with three strikeouts. Nate Cooke added a hit, a walk, and two RBI for the Panthers. For Milford, Wes Solomon tossed a complete game with four runs allowed (three earned) on four hits, striking out two while Mario Lee had a hit and a run scored.
King Philip, 5 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – King Philip rallied to erase a five-run deficit but Mansfield jumped back ahead with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior Chris Potts drew a bases-loaded walk to push across the go-ahead run as Mansfield moved to 2-0 on the season. The Hornets plated four runs in the top of the first and added one more in the second but KP responded with two in the third and three in the fifth to tie the game. Potts’ walk was one of nine drawn by the Hornets on the day, who had just five hits total. Juniors Anthony Sacchetti and Aaron Blinn each had a hit and an RBI for Mansfield. Freshman Jake Maydak earned the win in relief, striking out three with just one walk allowed in 2.1 scoreless innings of work. For KP, Shawn Legere went 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored, and Conor Cooke recorded a pair of hits, runs, and RBI.
Oliver Ames, 8 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames rallied from a four-run deficit, scoring four runs in the top of the sixth inning to secure a win on the road against North Attleboro. Jadon Ricci had the big two-run hit in the sixth and added a run himself on a passed ball. Jake Waxman added a hit and an RBI and Derek Milliken had two hits, including a double, and an RBI to pace the Tigers’ offense. Kosta Spiliakos pitched five innings for OA with two strikeouts and two walks while Nick Clark threw two innings of hitless relief, striking out the last four batters to earn the save.
Softball
Taunton, 13 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Hanna Aldrich hit a pair of homers and drive in five runs and freshman Sam Lincoln struck out 10 over five innings to earn a win in her first career start, as Taunton swept its home-and-home series with Attleboro. Taunton wasted little time getting its offense into gear. Angie Lynch and Kyleah Plumb had back-to-back singles and then Aldrich drilled a homer to left center. Although one of the runners was ruled out for not touching third, Taunton got its third run when McKenzie McAloon crushed a solo homer to left field. The Tigers added one in the fourth when Hayley Krockta’s base hit skipped past the left fielder and she came all the way around to make it 4-0. The floodgates opened in the fifth, as Taunton scored six times on four hits and a couple of costly Attleboro miscues in the field. Aldrich and Kelsey White each plated a run with singles and Skyler Rheaume drove in one with a sac fly. Taunton scored five unearned runs off Attleboro starter Lindsey Perry in the game. Lincoln dominated the first five innings, allowing only three base runners, two hits, and one ball out of the infield (a single to right by Rylie Camacho). Lincoln struck out the side in both the third and fourth innings. Aldrich tacked on two more with her second homer of the day in the sixth and White scored on a passed ball to end the scoring. White, who struck out 16 on Monday, came in to pitch in the sixth and struck out the side to seal the win.
Sharon, 1 @ Foxboro, 11 – Final – Foxboro eighth-grader Emma Callahan continued to shine during his debut season, getting it done both in the circle and at the plate. Callahan allowed just one hit while striking out 12 in the win. At the plate, she helped her own cause with three hits. Sophomore Ally Foulsham made her pitching debut for the Eagles and struck out five. Trinity Payne accounted for the lone Sharon run with a solo homer.
Milford, 9 @ Franklin, 11 – Final – Franklin prevailed with an 11-9 win in a back-and-forth battle with visiting Franklin to present head coach Katie Holbrook with her first career win. In an offensive battle, senior Gabby Colace clubbed out four hits and scored four runs, driving in three runs and junior Julia White added three hits with two RBI. Senior Lauren Cote (two doubles, two RBI) and freshman Carly Johnson-Pellegri (two doubles, two runs) each added two hits in the win. Milford’s Carly Ferreira went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, three runs, and RBI, Elise Fauerbach went 5-for-5 with two runs, and freshman Maddie Burns had four hits, two RBI, and a run scored.
Mansfield, 0 @ King Philip, 17 – Final (5 inn.)– King Philip’s offense continued its hot start to the season, this time putting up 17 runs at PAL in a win over visiting Mansfield. Charlotte Raymond clubbed four doubles for the Warriors, driving in three runs and crossing home three times as well. Sophomore Libby Walsh added three hits, including a double and a triple, while knocking in four runs, and sophomore Sarah Cullen went 3-for-3, reaching a fourth time after being hit by a pitch, and had a home run, a double, and a single with three RBI. Jordan Bennett, who had two doubles at the plate, tossed a five-inning shutout, allowing two hits while striking out six.
Stoughton, 9 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Stoughton sophomore Kerry Driscoll earned her first career win as the Black Knights earned a season sweep of rival Canton. Driscoll threw four innings with one run allowed on four hits and four strikeouts. Nicole Baker came in for three innings of relief for Stoughton. Offensively, freshman Julie Powers led the charge with three hits, including a double and a triple, with two RBI and two runs scored. Mel Casna and Alyssa Edwards each drove in a pair of runs for Stoughton, Sarah McGrath added two hits, and Sydney Menz and Catherine Leal (RBI) each had a hit in the win. Liz Bickett went 4-for-4 and Ellie Bohane went 2-for-3 with a double for the Bulldogs.
North Attleboro, 15 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final (5 inn.) – Kelly Colleran earned her career win, allowing only one hit and striking out eight Tigers over five innings. She also continued her hot start at the plate, racking up three hits and driving in three. She now has 10 hits in the first three games of her career. Belle Clarkin had two hits and also drove in three for North, while Emily Nardelli had two hits and three runs scored. Mandi Hanewich scored three times and Ally Levine hit a homer and drove in a pair. Caitlin Miller had a hit and scored a run for OA while Emma Varella had three strikeouts in the circle.
Boys Tennis
Taunton, 0 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Attleboro completed the series sweep of the Tigers, this time taking a 5-0 decision. All three singles players won in straight sets for the Bombardiers with Ethan Johnson winning 6-4, 6-3 at first singles, Evan Sousa winning 6-2, 6-2 at second singles, and Matt Lortos taking a 6-3, 6-2 decision at third singles. The team of Alejandro Jimenez and Kevin Rebelo prevailed 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 at first doubles while Malachi Jefferson and Alex Suarez didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second doubles.
Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Waseem Sablon won in straight sets at first singles for Stoughton but Canton took the points in the other four matches to get the victory. Sablon won 6-0, 6-3 at first singles for the Black Knights while Max Kupferman earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles for Canton, and Minh Duong grabbed a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Bulldogs. The team of Ethan Nguyen and Jalen Townsend secured a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles while Elias Jabbour and Charlie Doody picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Sharon, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Sharon went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to sweep the series against Foxboro. Mehul Bhattacharyya didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Max Chen secured a 6-3, 6-3 win at second singles, and Rithrik Neti emerged with a 6-4, 7-5 win at third singles. The team of freshmen Matthew Lally and Alex Budovaloev earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles while juniors Mitch Weiss and Deyan Kassev teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin defended its home court, taking care of business with a clean sweep of visiting Milford. Both Liam Marr (first singles) and Vayshnav Malhotra (second singles) won 6-0, 6-0 while Drew Mahoney earned a 6-1, 6-0 victory at third singles. The first doubles team of Anish Gundimeda and Sameen Shaik took home a 6-2, 6-0 win while Thomas Broyles and Jay Gorgas won at second doubles with a score of 6-0, 6-0.
Mansfield, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Mansfield went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to sweep the series against King Philip. Kailash Elumelai earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles, Dheeraj Valluru took a 6-1, 6-4 decision at second singles, and Benson Delaney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of seniors Kai Schirmacher and Nikhil Lanikpalle secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles while the team of junior Jonah Fine and senior Adam Elsner picked up a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles.
North Attleboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – North Attleboro made it three straight wins to start the season, taking another 5-0 decision over Oliver Ames. Jonah Manso (first singles) and the team of Brody Carter and Niteesh Saravanan (second doubles) both won by the score of 6-0, 6-0 for the Rocketeers. Sam Gallagher added a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, Will Folan picked up a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles, and the team of Connor Willis and Sayf Siddiq earned a 6-1, 6-1 decision at first doubles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Attleboro won a pair of matches in both singles and doubles action to get their second straight win over the Tigers. First singles Ella Lynch-Bartek (6-3, 6-4) and second singles Lauren Anthony (6-1, 6-1) each won in straight sets for the Bombardiers. The first doubles team of Rachel Rainey and Tina Lam won 7-5, 1-6, 10-8 while the pairing of freshmen Maddie Fulscado and Kyra Johnson picked up a 7-5, 6-1 win at second doubles. Taunton’s Cayeesha Charles won 6-0, 6-3 at third singles.
Canton, 2 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – A day after suffering a loss to Canton on the road, Stoughton flipped the script and earned a 3-2 win at home over the Bulldogs. Allie Lada emerged with a three-set win at second singles (6-0, 3-6, 6-4) to secure the winning point for the Black Knights. Lena Allie added a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles, and the team of Nadia Prokopiuk and Stefani Reznikow picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win at second doubles. Canton’s Rachel Kupferman won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles while Lily Hazam and Olivia Durham teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles.
Foxboro, 3 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – For the second straight day, Foxboro won at all three singles matches to get a victory over Sharon. Freshman Athena Li won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Pam Nelson earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sarah Prag once again won a close set at third singles, this time 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to help the Warriors earn the victory. The team of Anjali Jha and Julia Zevelinsky emerged with a 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-1 win at first doubles while Alice Zaniewski and Sophia Oh picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Franklin, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Franklin won its second straight match, this time going on the road to Milford and getting a sweep. Junior Vedika Vinayek picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at first singles, freshman Hailey Morin earned a 6-0, 6-3 win at second singles, and junior Sarah Schiavo was victorious at third singles with a score of 6-0, 6-0. The team of sophomores Kelsey Maguire and Allison Bagley prevailed at first doubles 5-7, 6-4, 10-7 while the pairing of sophomores Lexi Masters and Tanvi Shah won 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.
King Philip @ Mansfield, 3:45
Oliver Ames, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro won all three singles matches to defend home court, earning a second straight win over Oliver Ames. Junior Charlotte Moynihan prevailed in a tight battle at first singles, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-3), senior Haley Strom earned a 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 win at second singles, and freshman Lauren Hunt won 6-2, 6-4 at third singles. Oliver Ames’ Kate McLaughlin and Grace Houser picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win at first doubles while Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper secured a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Boys Outdoor Track
Stoughton, 91 @ Canton, 45 – Final – Canton’s Deyontai Dennis broke the school record in the long jump, taking first with a leap of 21’11.5″, while also winning both the 400MH (60.4) and the 110MH (17.0).
Oliver Ames, 88 @ Foxboro, 47 – Final
Sharon @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Taunton, 67 @ King Philip, 69 – Final
Girls Outdoor Track
Stoughton, 62 @ Canton, 74 – Final – Canton’s Maddie Rousseau won four events and broke her school record for the second straight meet. Rousseau set a new Bulldog record in the 100M hurdles, clocking in at 14.9. She also placed first in the 200M (26.2), the triple jump (31’0.5″), and the high jump (4’10”). Kiara Cerruti set a pair of new PRs in the win, taking first in the 1 Mile (5:46.9) and second in the 800M (2:36.2).
Taunton senior Danny MacDougall, pictured here as a sophomore in 2019, is one of the few returners for the defending D1 State Champs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2019 Record: 14-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Steve Dunlea
Two years ago, Attleboro made a run to the Div. 1 South final, only to run into league rival and eventual state champ Taunton. While the Bombardiers only return three players with varsity experience, Attleboro will be looking to replicate some of that momentum and challenge the top teams for the Kelley-Rex division title this spring.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Senior catcher Bailey Camacho caught half the innings during his sophomore season and will be the starter this spring, as well as an important presence in the lineup. Seniors Jake Gorman and Matt McMahon will both be part of the rotation and play corner infield spots when they’re not on the mound building off the experience they got two years ago. Senior Cam Foster adds speed at short and will be the closer, while juniors Billy Saltmarsh and Cian Kelleher, and sophomores Dillon James and Danny Johnson are part of what should be a deep staff for the Bombardiers. Speed should also be a strength for Attleboro, including outfielders Ben Hochwarter, Nate George, Hayden Hegarty, and Packer Sackett, and middle infielders Owen Taber and Evan Houle. Junior Christian Dame is a versatile player who can step in at multiple positions.
“We’re excited to get our players out there to see what we can accomplish,” said Attleboro coach Steve Dunlea. “Our guys have worked very hard during the off-season and have come a long way in the past few years. We are particularly proud of our senior leadership. It’s been a tough year and we are so grateful to the MIAA and ADs for making this season happen for our seniors.”
2019 Record: 6-14 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton had a great start to the 2019 season under then first-year head coach Ben Shuffain, including an impressive win over Wellesley. But almost all of the Bulldogs’ wins came in the first half of the season. Now Canton will look to start strong and continue that throughout the year as they look to challenge for the Davenport division title.
The Bulldogs are one of the teams that have a good number of players that played back in 2019 so there is a lot of optimism surrounding the experience on the roster this season. Canton has four starters back for this year’s campaign: shortstop/right-handed pitcher Steve Burbank, outfielder Cam Sanchez, catcher/outfielder Sawyer Julier-Albert, and right-handed pitcher Nate Hewit. Both Burbank (0.328) and Julier-Albert (0.395) were among the league leaders in batting average as sophomores so they will be key pieces for the offense this year. Shuffain will also look for contributions from outfielders Andy Butler and Zach Peters, infielder Nico Bonanno, and utility option Matt Quan — all four could also see time pitching.
Burbank will also see time on the mound and Hewit will be an important piece of the pitching staff this year. Junior Andrew Middleton, who tossed a perfect game in the season-opener, will obviously be a major part of the rotation as well, giving the Bulldogs solid depth. Behind the pitching staff, there will be a lot of players who have experience at the varsity level so Shuffain hopes mistakes will be at a minimum.
“We are lucky to have a good number of players who have varsity experience from 2018 and 2019,” Shuffain said. “They have been preparing for 18 months for this season and this group has tremendous leadership and a ton of talent. I am excited to see what they can do on the field.”
For the 2021 season, it all starts with pitching for the Foxboro Warriors. The 2019 squad graduated six players, and there were nine juniors on that team that missed out on their senior season a year ago. That means Foxboro has four players coming back for this spring, and almost all picked up a lot of valuable experience the last time out.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Seniors Cam Prescott and Sean Yoest will headline the Warriors’ rotation, bringing a lot of experience to the staff. Prescott logged over 26 innings as a sophomore, allowing just four walks with a 1.86 ERA. Yoest had a lot of success at the plate as a sophomore and will be looking to replicate that on the mound this year. Sophomore Sean O’Leary will likely be a key piece on the mound when fully healthy and the Warriors will look to seniors Dylan Quinn, Mike O’Toole, Ryan Jacobs, and Sebastian Ortiz, as well as juniors Liam Mulkern and Tom Marcucella to provide pitching depth.
Yoest will patrol the outfield when he’s not on the mound and will be a key piece offensively after hitting 0.346 as a sophomore with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI. Yoest will be joined in the outfield by junior Jack Watts, a three-sport athlete who has excelled in golf and hockey, and sophomore Kenny Mello. Marcucella will also see time in the outfield while senior Griffin Morse is a solid depth piece that can play all three spots in the outfield.
Prescott will see time at either third or shortstop when he’s not pitching. Beyond Prescott, the Warriors will have some inexperience around the infield with freshman Tyler Prescott (second base) and sophomore Ryan LeClair (shortstop) impressing early on. Mulkern and O’Toole will provide the infield with some senior leadership from first while Marcucella and Ortiz providing depth. Mulkern will also be an option behind the plate while junior Mike LaVita will step into the starting role at catcher.
“We are excited for the opportunity to get back on the field and compete every day,” head coach Derek Suess said. “Having our top two arms still here is comforting, but we will need contributions from many different guys. We have a good mix of seniors and underclassmen who have bought in to our vision for the season.”
2019 Record: 22-3 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Zach Brown
While Franklin won’t be able to make it three straight appearances in the Super 8 with the tournament not happening this year (and possibly for a couple of years), there is something the Panthers can do: defend their Kelley-Rex division title.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Panthers were nearly perfect in league action during the 2019 season (15-1) and will be one of the favorites for the title again this year. But it will be almost an entirely new cast of players doing so. Franklin had 10 seniors on that team plus another seven juniors that graduated last year, meaning just a handful of players from the roster are back. Of that group, just one starter is back in senior Jake Fitzgibbons, who played second base at the time.
Now Fitzgibbons moves behind the plate and will be in charge of handling a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. Having him behind the plate should make it easier for the likes of junior Jacob Jette and sophomore Alfred Mucciarone, who figure to be two of the key components of Franklin’s rotation this season. And when needed, Fitzgibbons will switch out from behind the plate and take the mound himself.
Seniors Nate Cooke and CJ Jette serve as captains alongside Fitzgibbons and will provide leadership both on and off the field. Cooke is slated to start at first base and will bring a big bat to the lineup while Jette will see time both in the outfield and at designated hitter. Seniors Luc Boudreau (outfielder) and Nick Quinn (right-handed pitcher) have impressed early on as well.
“As always the cornerstone of our program is pitching and defense,” said head coach Zach Brown. “We believe we have the right mix of athletes and arms to compete daily this season. Offensively, we believe that our line-up can be pretty athletic. Obviously, we are all in the same boat missing last season so it will be an exciting season to get back out onto the field. I know the players and our coaching staff are really excited for the games to start up.”
2019 Record: 8-12 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jeff Plympton
There will be a lot of new faces on the mound, in the field, in the batter’s box, and even on the bench for the King Philip Warriors this season. Looking back at the 2019 season, only one name is back in action for the Warriors this season. And on top of that, there’s a new coach in the dugout in Jeff Plympton.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Both Conor Cooke and Jack Silveria saw plenty of action during their sophomore seasons but Silveria will miss his senior campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That means that Plympton and the rest of the Warriors will lean heavily on Cooke, a three-year starter who will guide KP from behind the plate. Cooke, who is committed to play at Brown University, is a rock behind the plate and that will be important as KP deploys a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. That rotation will feature junior Nick Viscusi and sophomore Rudy Gately, with seniors Jack Mullen, Grayden Lawrence, Harry Brown, and Jake Burns all providing depth.
Cooke will be a key part of the offense as well, slated to hit from the clean up spot. Viscusi will set the tone from the leadoff spot and can cause some damage on the base paths with his speed. Junior Shawn Lagere will start at shortstop and bat third in the lineup, providing the Warriors with some power while Gately will see time at third when he isn’t on the mound. Seniors Ethan Hurwitz and Mikey Malatesta provide outfield depth and Plympton has 10 juniors on the roster to help fill out the lineup.
“Looking forward to getting the season going and watching the team play together,” Plympton said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had high school baseball and most of our guys, like many teams, are new to the varsity level. We have some good talent on our team. Plenty of good throwing arms to get us through the new pitching restrictions. The infield is solid with very dependable fielders around the diamond. The outfield is fast and does a great job tracking fly balls. I believe defense will be our best strength this season. The players have been putting in a lot of hard work during practices.”
2019 Record: 18-7 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Chris Hall
Joe Breen had a very successful run at the helm of the Hornets, and his successor is one that the program is very familiar with. Chris Hall, who served as Breen’s assistant, takes over and is aiming to continue the success that Mansfield has had in recent seasons.
Coming off one of their best seasons in program history that culminated in a second straight Super 8 appearance, the Hornets will try to rebuild their lineup with a strong core of seniors. Eric Sullivan will move into the starting role behind the plate and will be a vocal leader both on and off the field for the Hornets. Three-sport athlete Jack Colby is slated to take over at first base, Luke Urban looks to take over at second base, Ben Mintz can slot into a variety of roles, including in the field or on the mound, and Greg Coyle, the lone returner from the 2019 team, will be an option on the mound for the Hornets. Juniors Jared Fraone and Liam Anastasia will help round out the lineup.
Coyle will be joined by juniors Aaron Blinn, Anthony Sacchetti, and Jimmy Gilleran on the Hornets’ staff. That group brings a lot of baseball experience and a range of knowledge, and Hall is hoping all of that will translate to the varsity level. Mintz, Colby Geddis, and Brayden Purtell will look to provide additional innings in relief.
“With two years off due to COVID-19, and few players having varsity experience, I expected tryouts to be exciting,” Hall said. “Our players knew they had to come in and earn everything to gain a spot in the starting lineup. There continues to be daily position battles daily and it pushes players to improve. The talent we have in the program is consistent from top to bottom. The team brings energy and enthusiasm to everything they do and it truly makes the atmosphere on the field second to none. We cannot wait to get out on the field and compete against some of the best competition in the Hockomock League.”
2019 Record: 11-11 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal Coach: Alex Dion
Milford will be the new kids on the block this season in their first year apart of the Kelley-Rex division, which features two teams that went to the Super 8 last time out and another that won the D1 State title.
The Hawks are going to rely on their pitching as they compete for the division title. Senior right-hander Mario Lee and classmate Wes Solomon, another righty, both picked up valuable experience as sophomores during the 2019 season and will anchor the Milford pitching rotation. Lee, who is committed to playing both football and baseball at Wesleyan, pitched in 10 games out of the bullpen in 2019 while Solomon appeared in five games with a 2.33 ERA.
Sophomore Evan Cornelius is a “big, physical kid” according to head coach Alex Dion, and he will round out the Hawks’ rotation this season. When he isn’t on the mound, Cornelius will be behind the plate and the same goes for Solomon, who could also see him in the middle infield. Lee will also be in the lineup when he’s not on the mound, playing at either first or third. Senior Carter Scudo burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting 0.352, and will be the catalyst to the offense this year, batting in the leadoff spot. He will anchor the outfield defense from center field.
“I’m excited to start our 2021 season,” Dion said. “It has been great to get back out on Fino Field for the first time since 2019. I have a good group of young men this year with players from all four classes making the varsity roster. This is a great league with quality teams, players, and coaches throughout. We will go out and compete to the best of our ability on a daily basis. I am optimistic about what this group has to offer this year and in the future.”
2019 Record: 11-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Mike Hart
North Attleboro head coach Mike Hart has the best arm in the Hockomock League in senior Dennis Colleran and the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jared Penta as the catalyst for the offense so the Rocketeers will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title this season.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Colleran, who is committed to pitch at Northeastern, has been a member of the Rocketeers since his freshman year, making his first appearance in North’s D2 South Semifinal win over Dartmouth back in 2018. He logged 37.1 innings as a sophomore, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.63 ERA during the 2019 season. Since then, Colleran has honed his skills on the club scene and is poised to lead the Rocketeers this year. Senior Joe Hartnett and junior Danny Curran look to fill out the rotation while the Rocketeers have plenty of depth pieces including Tyler Bannon, Dan Pedro, Derek Maceda, and Aidan Weir.
Penta will hit from the leadoff spot and set the tone for the offense. Weir and classmate Justin Vecchiarelli will anchor the infield Maceda, a sophomore, could be poised for a breakout season at shortstop. Curran will also see time in the outfield when he isn’t pitching while senior Evan Vigorito, and juniors Brody Rosenberg, and Gavin Wells will be in the outfield mix. Bannon and Nik Kojoian will be options behind the dish for the Rocketeers.
“Just like other teams in the league, we are curious how our players will make the jump to varsity baseball,” Hart said. “We will do our best to be fundamentally sound and keep things simple. Our pitching staff has a handful of competitive guys who are looking for an opportunity to help the team. The boys are excited about the season and hope we can bring a consistent approach to all our opportunities this year.”
2019 Record: 12-13 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Joe Abarr
After reaching the D2 South Sectional Final in 2018, the Tigers fielded basically an entirely new squad during the 2019 campaign. Two years later, Oliver Ames looks to be in the same boat as there minimal varsity experience on the roaster.
Senior Nate Fulford is one of the few players that did see varsity action two years ago, emerging as a go-to option offensively as a pinch-hitter as a sophomore. Now Fulford will be a key piece in the lineup each game, manning third base and bringing a big bat to the heart of the lineup. Senior Jadon Ricci will take over at shortstop and is slated to hit near the top of the lineup.
Junior Jack Richardson was a part of the Tigers’ varsity squad as a freshman and is now in position to anchor the rotation. He’ll be in the lineup even when he’s not on the mound, patrolling the always tricky outfield at Frothingham Park for the Tigers. When it comes to new faces on the squad this year, junior Jake Waxman brings a big bat to the lineup and can bring some pop to the offense; he will start at first base defensively. Junior Joe Cicchetti has impressed early on in tryouts and the preseason both offensively and defensively, and he is slated to start in center for the Tigers.
“We should have a solid lineup,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “We have depth at most positions and decent options on the mound. With so little practice time prior to the first game, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but we have a great group of guys that are really looking to compete this year.”
2019 Record: 2-18 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The last time the Eagles hit the field, they had one of the youngest teams in the Hockomock League. Now that means there is a lot of returning players back in the dugout this year and Sharon should be one of the most experienced groups in terms of baseball played.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Sharon has a new head coach in alum Andrew Poliferno, who is no stranger to the program after coaching at each level over the past few seasons. Poliferno takes over for Kee Arguimbau, who had been with the program as a coach for nearly 20 years including the last four as head coach. Poliferno has 10 seniors at his disposal this year including two of the most experienced players in JD Rittenberg and Justin Brown, who both started as sophomores in 2019. Playing at second and short, respectively, the Eagles will have solid defense up the middle of the field. Sharon expects strong defense to come with the experience it has.
Junior Dylan Labbe pitched some innings as a freshman so the Eagles will lean on him as one of the anchors of the pitching staff. Senior Justin Nault and junior Ryan Baker will also see time on the mound while freshman Luke Meixel is slated to be a part of the starting rotation right away. Offensively, Rittenberg and Brown will lead the way once again. Baker and classmate Nate Yaffe should slot into the lineup in their first year on varsity, playing third and outfield, respectively. Poliferno is also looking for contributions from Damien Bonner and Daniel Zagoren offensively.
“After a missed season, it’s wonderful to see our players back out on the field,” Poliferno said. “Despite the year off, I was impressed with the growth and progress our players made since they last played high school baseball. It was clear to me we have a program of players who work hard during the off-season and I look forward to seeing their hard work translate to wins this season.”
2019 Record: 14-9 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Mike Armour
Like most schools, Stoughton has a limited number of players with varsity experience on the roster this season. It will be baptism by fire for a lot of new faces as head coach Mike Armour will look to get the most out of his lineup to try and compete for the Davenport division title.
The players that do have any varsity experience will be key, especially early on in the season as the rest of the Black Knights get used to the varsity level. Senior Brady Conlin will anchor the Stoughton staff on the mound this year and also hit in the heart of the lineup. Conlin has experience both pitching and at the plate and could be one of the most dangerous all-around players in the league. Senior captain Kyle Doolin will anchor the infield and is an option to pitch as well. He is slated to hit near the top of the lineup and could also see time behind the plate defensively.
Jake Queeney, another senior captain, will patrol center field for the Black Knights and hit from the leadoff spot. Queeney’s speed has been on display on both the basketball court and football field, so his legs could cause some damage on the base paths. Senior captain Brandon Mantilla-Mercado will take care of the pitching staff this year as the starting catcher and will bring some power to the plate offensively. Junior infielder Anthony Tilton has impressed early and figures to be a top bat in the lineup, juniors Jonah Ly and James Price will both see innings in the infield and on the mound, and junior Brad Franey is slated to take over at second. Seniors Joe McNulty, Colby Andrews, Andrew Scardina, and junior Colin Alessi provide lineup depth. Freshmen Hunter Malkin and Ben Zola will likely make an immediate impact for Stoughton.
“The kids are excited to play baseball,” Armour said. “They have brought a positive attitude and willingness to work to practice, which is all I can ask for as a coach. We are excited to get a little bit better every day, and put ourselves in a position to win some ballgames this season.”
2019 Record: 21-7 2019 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship Coach: Blair Bourque
It seems like just yesterday the Tigers were celebrating their Division 1 State Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. Yet at the same time, it somehow also feels like a lifetime ago.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Tigers are one of the teams that will “what if” when it comes to the 2019 season, as they were set to have eight starters back to try and defend their first-ever state championship. Now for the 2021 season, there is just one Tiger starter back from that regular season. That is senior pitcher/infielder Danny MacDougall, who will anchor the pitching staff and also return to his shortstop position. Ty Cali, who took over for MacDougall after an injury sidelined him for the postseason, is also back to give Taunton a solid 1-2 punch up the middle of the field. Cali can also slide over and play short when MacDougall, who is committed to playing at the University of Hartford next year, is on the mound.
Sophomore Ryan MacDougall is set to finally make his varsity debut this year. A verbal commit to the University of Dayton, Ryan MacDougall was on the playoff roster for the state championship team as an eighth-grader. Not only does he bring a big bat and power to the lineup, head coach Blair Bourque described his plate discipline as “well beyond his years.” If the Tigers want to compete at a high level, Bourque noted the importance of senior pitchers Conor Quinlan, Bretton Heggs, and Matthew Ferrara. In total, Taunton boasts a dozen seniors on the roster.
“My expectation for this season is for us to compete as a team and individually every day as best we can, but ultimately, I will be grateful I get to spend time on the field with my players,” Bourque said. “It is always about the relationships formed with your players throughout the course of a year, you don’t always appreciate how good you have it until it’s gone. Losing last season really made me appreciate my role as the head coach for the Taunton High baseball program.”
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).
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.”
