Tag: Ben Jarosz

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Taunton players celebrate after beating Franklin to win the D1 state title. Both teams bring back strong teams and are contenders to win the state championship again this spring. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2022 Record: 5-15
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Steve Dunlea
Attleboro returns a strong core from last year and will be aiming to make some noise in one of the toughest divisions in the state. The Bombardiers had three one-run losses last year and two more in extra innings, and despite their record, just missed out on the state tournament. A big reason for that is the challenges they face throughout the season as the Kelley-Rex division last year featured both Division 1 state finalists (Franklin and Taunton), the Division 2 state finalist (KP), plus Mansfield, who reached the Division 2 final four.

The Bombardiers boast a lot of returning players up and down the lineup, and on the mound as well. Although it’s a young rotation, Attleboro has some talented arms that picked up some invaluable experience a year ago. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Dunlea (3-3, 2.74) will anchor the rotation a year removed from striking out 23 batters in 23 innings of work as a freshman. Junior Jonny Pagano is another righty that gained key experience last year and senior Sean O’Hara will be a veteran presence in the rotation. Senior Owen Lombardo, juniors Matt Harvie, Braxton Levin, Tyson Forte, and freshman Ryan Landry are all in the mix to get some innings in relief.

Offense will be an area that Attleboro will look to improve on as they go against some of the best pitchers in the area. Senior Danny Johnson is in his third year as a varsity starter and will lead a talented outfielder group that features Harvie and classmate Brody McKenna. Seniors Casey Victorio and Ran Martin, along with junior Jackson Huntington, will look to provide an offensive punch as well. Senior captains Peter Delpozzo and Cooper Johnson (0.364 average last year) are back in the fold and will lead by example both offensively and defensively for head coach Steve Dunlea. Pagano, junior Andrew Gorman, and sophomore Jacob Bettencourt are all battling for time in the infield as well. Aiden Hochwarter resumes his role as the starting catcher for the Bombardiers.

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

“I am very excited about this year’s team,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have excellent leadership in our three captains. Our pitching and defense will continue to be a strength for us. We also have a great mix of returning starters and new players on offense. These guys are well aware that we play in arguably the toughest division in Massachusetts and you have to be ready to compete every day.”

Canton

2022 Record: 9-12
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: David Walsh
Canton has a new head coach in David Walsh but the goals remain the same as the Bulldogs will be aiming to return to the state tournament again this year. With a talented core back in the fold from last year’s team, not only will the Bulldogs be in the mix to make the playoffs, they could contend for the Davenport division title.

The lineup will feature a lot of familiar faces from last year that is anchored by a seasoned senior class. Shortstop Matt Chafin is among the best players in the league and is committed to play at the next level at Brandies. He will be joined in the lineup by Jack Digirolamo, one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. Digirolamo led the team in average last season with a 0.446 batting average (29 hits), which was good for fourth in the entire league while Chafin finished at 0.350 with 16 runs scored. Senior Hayden Rose (Framingham State) is another familiar name that will play a lot of innings for the Bulldogs, coming off a season in which he hit 0.328 with a team-high 17 RBI.

Rose will anchor a pitching staff that will need to fill some holes this year. Rose was among the league leaders in terms of innings pitched last year, coming in second in the regular season in the Hock with 43.2 innings of working. He posted a 4-4 record with a 2.89 ERA, striking out 28. Andrew Butler and Zach Peters combined for over 50 innings last year but with both players graduated, there will be an opportunity for new faces to step up for Walsh. While the Bulldogs get the rotation set, Walsh is preaching fundamentals and having the team pride themselves on good defense.

“This will be a fundamentally sound group who is gritty, tough, and are not afraid of the everyday grind,” Walsh said. “We will rely on our pitchers to throw strikes, defense to be routine, and situationally hit. If we are able to do all three in each game we will be very competitive.”

Foxboro

2022 Record: 16-8
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Final Four
Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro was one of the feel-good stories last season as the Warriors made a dramatic tournament run to the state semifinals before falling to eventual state champ Austin Prep. While the Warriors are strictly focusing on the road ahead, last season set a new standard for Foxboro.

There is a lot of optimism that the Warriors can pick up where they left off because they have almost their entire roster back for 2023. Last year’s squad had a lot of young and inexperienced players that matured quickly throughout the year. Foxboro won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year as they start the season as a serious contender for the Davenport division title. On the mound, Foxboro has six players back that tossed varsity innings including their top three: senior Sean O’Leary (UMass Lowell), senior Mat Sullivan, and sophomore Nolan Gordon. Senior Alex Stern and sophomores Danny Jacobs and Tommy Watts are also back in the fold and the Warriors have added junior Pradyu Gubbala and sophomore Ryan O’Leary to the mix. Ryan LeClair, a veteran in the group, could also see time on the mound this year.

Sophomore Mike Marcucella returns behind the dish after earning the starting role as a freshman last year. LeClair (Stonehill) returns to shortstop and is one of the best defensive players in the region and he’s complemented by Sean O’Leary, who will play third when he isn’t pitching. On the right side, junior Tyler Prescott will man second base and he will also be counted upon to set the table for the offense out of the leadoff spot. Ryan O’Leary will take over at first base this season. Stern, Sullivan, and Watts will add infield depth when not on the mound.

The outfield will also have a lot of familiar faces with veteran Louis Carangelo back in left field after a breakout junior season. Carangelo was one of the most consistent offensive players in the Hock, hitting 0.333 with 16 RBI. Sophomore Ben Angelini has had a strong preseason so far and will patrol center for the Warriors while junior Shane Henri will be in right field. Senior Kenny Mello was a solid contributor for Foxboro last year but will miss the season with an injury. Freshman Aidan Stow and Gordon will provide outfield depth.

“Despite last season’s success, this season provides new opportunities and challenges for our ballclub,” said Foxboro head coach Derek Suess. “We will be battle-tested, with an always difficult Hockomock League schedule, and a strong non-league slate as well. We need to compete each day, at a championship-level standard, to give ourselves the best opportunity to reach the goals we have set for the season. Our leadership and culture have never been stronger.”







2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Franklin

2022 Record: 23-4
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Final (Kelley-Rex champion)
Coach: Zach Brown
Although Franklin has won three straight Kelley-Rex division titles, there is still plenty of motivation for these Panthers.

The Panthers are coming off a tough one-run loss in the Division 1 state championship to rival Taunton, but with a strong core returning it looks like Franklin will once again be among the top powerhouses in the state this year. One obvious strength will be the offense with five players back in the lineup from last year’s squad. Not only is it an experienced group (multiple players entering their third year starting), but it’s an incredibly talented one that features senior Ryan Gerety (Northeastern), senior Jase Lyons, senior Eisig Chin (Stonehill), senior Ben Jarosz, and junior Henry Digiorgio (Northeastern). Gerety and Chin will return to their spots in the outfield while Lyons (1B), Jarosz (3B), and Digiorgio (SS) are all back in the infield. Seniors Tyler Bellan, Luke Sidwell, and Ethan DePaolo also provide some experienced depth and newcomers Rex Cinelli, Ryan Carlucci, and Koen Bonetti will all try to contribute for head coach Zach Brown.

Pitching will be another strength with senior righty Alfred Mucciarone (UMass Lowell) back after going 5-1 during the regular season last year, posting a 2.33 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 42 innings. His experience gives the Panthers an ace to rely on as they navigate a difficult schedule. Junior lefty Austin Campbell could be the next breakout star for Franklin after some impressive outings last year, and juniors Jake Shaughnessy (LHP) and Matt Miller (RHP) fill out a strong core of pitchers. Both Chin and Lyons will also be in the mix while senior newcomers Dillon Cashin and Zach Ramaswamy are prepared to come on in relief when needed.

“We are returning a strong senior class and veteran core,” Brown said. “We are excited about how hard this group has been preparing for the upcoming season. The seniors have provided great leadership during the preseason and scrimmages.”

King Philip

2022 Record: 16-9
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final
Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
King Philip is another squad that is coming off a tremendous season (a trend among most Hock teams) as they reached the Division 2 state championship, falling to Milton. The Warriors are also following another trend in the league as they have the majority of their lineup back in the mix this season as they look to challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title in a loaded field.

The Warriors have a strong pitching staff in the league, highlighted by senior Rudy Gately. Gately has been KP’s ace for the past two seasons and will resume that role again this year. During the regular season, he tossed 39 innings and struck out 37, posting a 3.41 ERA. He will be joined by lefty Tommy Martorano, who missed virtually all of last year with an injury. Junior Tommy McLeish emerged as a reliable option in relief last year, striking out 22 batters in 20.2 innings and he should be in line for an expanded role this year.

Offensively the Warriors will have a big void with the graduation of Shawn Legere, one of the best hitters in the state. But head coach Jeff Plympton Jr. has plenty of options to work with, including senior Brendan Sencaj, who is coming off a terrific season in which he hit 0.371 with 15 RBI and 21 runs scored. Gately, a middle infielder, is a strong two-way player that hit 0.344 last year with 16 RBI and senior Matt Kelley is a great all-around player that will make the switch to center field this season, and another weapon in the lineup. Junior Max Robison is coming off a breakout campaign (0.359 average) and is one of the best defensive first basemen in the Hock.

“We are excited to be bringing back a great core of guys from our team last year,” Plympton Jr. said. “We’re hoping to build off of our success last season and continue to build a winning culture. We will have a lot of new arms in the rotation and a few very good returning arms from last year.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Mansfield

2022 Record: 17-8
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four
Coach: Chris Hall
Mansfield lost some key contributors from a sizable graduating senior class that led the Hornets to the Division 2 Final Four a year ago, but the cupboard is far from empty for head coach Chris Hall.

The most experience back on the team comes on the offensive end with some key bats back in the lineup. Senior captains Sam Martin and Conner Zukowski look to man the left side of the infield while returning starters Matt DeShiro and Jake Maydak — both juniors — will hold down the right side. Zukowski had a great season at the dish, hitting 0.344 during the regular season with 15 runs scored while DeShiro had a breakout sophomore campaign, leading the Hornets in batting average with a 0.373 average and a team-high 25 hits, driving in 13 runs as well. Defensive wiz and captain Aidan Jones returns as the starting catcher for the squad.

There is a lot of competition in the outfield right now including junior Brian Butler, another returner from last year. Seniors Kyle Marnikovic and Will Lund are also in the mix along with juniors Wyatt Bolduc, Connor Curtis, Drew Urban, Dylan Saraceno, Anthony Saraiva, and Joey MacIntyre. Juniors Matt Tryon and Derek McGrath are versatile pieces that will bring some power to the lineup.

Mansfield lost its top three starters from a year ago in Jimmy Gilleran, Aaron Blinn, and Anthony Sacchetti, who combined to pitch over 100 innings during the regular season. Hall will turn to junior Connor Curtis, who didn’t allow an earned run in 16 innings of work in the regular season last year, recording three saves with 19 strikeouts. Maydak is also in the mix for an expanded role on the staff along with juniors Yuv Sakhalkar and Ryan Jeans, and sophomore Luke Rogan. Senior Nate Thibault will chip in as a reliever.

“Most teams who play in the Hockomock League have a chance to make a run at a state championship due to the competition you face every single game in the regular season,” Hall said. “I believe the makeup of our roster puts us in that conversation this year. This year’s team is a tight-knit, cohesive group that battles with one another at practice. They thrive off competition and work together to do whatever they can to best benefit the program. We are excited for the season and look forward to the challenges presented to us.”




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Milford

2022 Record: 7-13
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Alex Dion
Similar to Attleboro, the Scarlet Hawks were a victim of playing in a division that had three teams reach a state championship game and another reach the final four. With another year of experience, Milford will look to challenge those top teams and make a push for the postseason.

The roster features a lot of familiar names that are either in their third or second year in the lineup and head coach Alex Dion is hoping that experience will lead to competing with some of the state’s best teams. The pitching staff starts with three-year starter and right-handed pitcher Evan Cornelius. A top two-way play and multi-sport athlete, Cornelius leads by example both on and off the field for the Scarlet Hawks. He went 4-2 last year with a 2.31 ERA, ranking among the league leader with 48 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work. Junior righty Damien Carter is also in his third year while senior Tyler Caldon and junior Anthony LaPierre logged a lot of work on the mound a year ago and return as starters this year. Senior Mason Baldic and sophomore Ian Carter are both in the mix for innings this year as well.

While pitching looks to be a strength for Milford this year, the Hawks will rely on a lot of the same names to deliver offensively as well. Cornelius will man first base when he isn’t on the mound and is a reliable offensive option. Damien Carter, junior Sean McGee, and freshman Joey McGee are options in the infield alongside Cornelius while Ian Carter, Baldic, and sophomore Nick Koch are in line for opportunities in the outfield. Junior Keith Lee is back behind the dish as taking on that role a season ago and junior Nate Scudo can be effective in a variety of positions. Seniors Brady Butler, Tony Fontes, Jacob Gove, Guy Saintyl, and Cam DelPrete will provide key depth while junior Victor Martinez will look to provide some pop in the lineup.

“Looking forward to competing in this great league again this spring,” said Milford head coach Alex Dion. “We have a number of guys that have been together for three years now. I have seen strong leadership from veterans early on, a group of guys that are competitive on the mound, and some athletes that are eager to learn and compete at a high level.”

North Attleboro

2022 Record: 18-6
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four (Davenport champion)
Coach: Mike Hart
The Hockomock League had so much success during last season’s tournament that the Rocketeers’ accomplishments almost get lost in the shuffle. North Attleboro went 13-3 in league play last year and reached the D2 final four, picking up wins over D1 state finalists Franklin and D2 state finalists KP in the process. Now the Rocketeers join a loaded Kelley-Rex division along with those two squads, defending state champs Taunton, and two improved squads in Attleboro and Milford.

That means North Attleboro has its work cut out for them as they not only try to navigate a difficult schedule but has a lot of holes to fill in the lineup after graduating nearly a dozen seniors from last year’s 18-win squad. Head coach Mike Hart has done a terrific job since taking over the helm of the program and he will be leaning on the handful of returners he does have to lead the way this year. Hart has a dozen more seniors this year led by veterans Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis. Maceda will patrol center field, Harding is at shortstop, and Paradis is a seasoned pitcher that had 18 strikeouts in 17 innings of regular season work. Maceda will also get some innings on the mound along with classmates Ayden Delaney Peter Santoro, junior Parker Abrantes, and sophomore Gio Martello, and Harding will be a go-to option to close games out.

Martello was a late-season call up to the varsity squad and made an impression in his short stint with the squad. He will complete the middle of the infield at second base and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. Seniors Jack Munley, Mark Vogel, Delaney, and sophomore Bryce Kiser are also in the mix for spots in the infield. Along with Maceda and Paradis, seniors Kyle Conroy and Reed Collins, along with junior Chris Hanewich, will cycle throughout the outfield. Junior Nate Kelly and senior Harrison Gagne are competing for time behind the dish. Hart expects the defense to be a strength of this year’s squad.

“We are looking forward to a season of growth,” Hart said. “We have many quality players new to varsity baseball who are looking to take the next step in their development and continue the success we have been privileged to have over the last few seasons. Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis are three capable and proven players in all three phases of the game. We will look to our pitching staff to lead us. Our team has committed to getting better each and every day. We are excited to get out and compete!”




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Oliver Ames

2022 Record: 11-11
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Joe Abarr
After graduating one of the largest senior classes in the league, there is plenty of opportunity to go around for Oliver Ames and head coach Joe Abarr this season. After an up-and-down year that included a playoff win, the Tigers will be looking to challenge the likes of Foxboro and Mansfield in the division title race.

With a lot of pieces departed from last year’s lineup, Abarr will start the season leaning heavily on the handful of returning pieces that played key roles last year. Senior captain Patrick Finnerty will be a major part of the defense and offense this year, as the Bentley University commit will patrol the center field and anchor the offense. On the mound, the Tigers will turn to senior captain Andrew Zagami to lead a relatively young staff that will include juniors Ian Kelley and Lucas Riley, both returners from last year’s team.

Abarr noted that there is a lot of competition in the squad right now as they battle for spots in the lineup, and he’s hoping the first few weeks will allow for a consistent lineup to emerge. Senior Nathan Luke, another returner from last year’s roster, will play the corners in the outfield at Frothingham Park this year.

“Many players have been stepping up in early practices and inter-squads and will be counted on early in the season,” Abarr said. “If we consistently stay after hitters and throw strikes we will be a competitive club. We have the potential to hit well, but the Hock’s pitching will be top-notch again based on some of the stellar returners around the league.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Sharon

2022 Record: 3-17
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The Eagles will have to replace some of the production lost from the 10 seniors that graduated from last year’s squad, but Sharon has some key pieces in key spots and will look to continue to improve.

One strength the Eagles will have early on is the return of almost all of its pitching staff back from last year, plus the addition of some more talented arms to create some strong depth at the position. Junior captain Luke Meixel was among the league leaders in innings pitched last season and will anchor this year’s staff. He had 33 strikeouts in 38 innings of work as a sophomore year and the Eagles are looking for him to take a big step this year. Senior Alex Coughlin will pair with Meixel to create a formidable 1-2 punch, and the Eagles will also get pitching contributions from Cole Arundale and Zach Loomis.

Senior Palash Raina is a captain alongside Meixel and Coughlin, and he will be a staple in Sharon’s lineup this season. He battled through an injury almost all of last season but is ready for a breakout final year on the diamond as he patrols center field. Head coach Andrew Poliferno believes there is a lot of depth — and internal competition — in the lineup, and that should improve production at the plate. Sophomore Drew Yaffe got his feet wet at the varsity level last season and will be looking to turn that experience into more production this year. Junior Liam Conway is back behind the dish after a strong defensive year in 2022.

“I’m really excited to see what this group of players accomplishes this season,” Poliferno said. “We have a large group of players on varsity and in the greater SHS baseball program who are hungry to compete and win games. My expectations for this team are high and that is a direct reflection of the level of talent and work ethic our players have exhibited since day one.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Stoughton

2022 Record: 3-15
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Kevin Carty
Although the Black Knights lost a lot of production from its eight-member senior class that graduated last Spring, there is a lot of opportunity for new faces to work their way into the lineup for Stoughton head coach Kevin Carty.

There are some key pieces back in the mix this season after getting some valuable experience a year ago. Carty will lean on senior captains Sean Farley and Joe Rush to lead the way, with Farley both patrolling center field and pitching while Rush will play first base when he isn’t on the mound, and potentially some time behind the dish at catcher. There is also a strong contingent of players looking to build off of last year, including seniors Jeriel Cuello, who will play in the infield, and outfielder/pitchers James McCarthy and Liam Dunn, and Andrew Beder, who can play both in the infield and outfield, as well as on the mound.

Juniors Hunter Malkin, Ryan Summers, and Dom Belle all factored into the lineup for the Black Knights a year ago as sophomores and are in line for bigger roles this year. Malkin will pitch and play at first, Belle can play at both corners of the infield, and Summers will see time behind the dish at catcher.

“So far I could not be more impressed with the hard work and attitude from all of our players in the program, especially the new players on the roster,” Carty said. “I am very excited to work with these guys on a daily basis and can’t wait to see them improve throughout the season.”

Taunton

2022 Record: 22-3
2022 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship
Coach: Blair Bourque
The defending Division 1 state champions enter this season with a massive target on their back, but Taunton has the majority of its talented lineup back in the mix and is ready to take on all challengers, including a very competitive and skilled Hockomock League.

Athleticism, competitiveness, and experience will all be strengths for this year’s Taunton squad which has a lot of familiar faces in it including last year’s league MVP Ryan MacDougall, who had the game-winning home run in the state final against rival Franklin. The left side of the infield might possess the best duo in the state in seniors Braden Sullivan, a UMass commit with a strong bat that plays third base, and Dawson Bryce, a slick-fielding shortstop with consistent offensive production that is also going to play at the D1 level at Merrimack. That trio makes up the heart of the lineup for the Tigers and will make life difficult for opposing pitchers. Junior Brayden Cali, who started at second in the championship game, will be another key piece offensively for Taunton.

MacDougall also led the Tigers in innings pitched during the regular season, and classmate Shawn Cali was right there with him, posting a 4-2 record with a 1.60 ERA, striking out 27 in 35 innings of work. That gives Taunton a strong 1-2 punch in its rotation, but there’s also room for opportunity with the graduation of Evan Cali, who went 3-0 in the regular season and started the state championship game.

“The majority of our guys are multi-sport athletes who love to compete,” said Taunton head coach Blair Bourque. “And since many of our starters from last season are returning, they know the challenges of playing in arguably the most competitive league in the state as well as how to manage playing in the high-stress environment that is the post-season. Taunton has never been in a position with such high expectations so as a coach, I’m excited to see how my kids respond. This is a close-knit group and even with all the talent, they have great camaraderie.”

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/31/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 52 @ Taunton, 64 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 60 @ Franklin, 71 – Final – Franklin set the tone early with a suffocating defensive effort and junior Andrew Benoit gave the Panthers an early boost in a win over visiting Stoughton. Benoit scored five of his career-high 13 points in the opening quarter, Ben Harvey added seven of his 11 points in the frame, and Geino Scaringello (12 points) hit a pair of triples as Franklin established an early lead (20-3) after a quarter. Justin Allen scored all of his team-high 14 points in the second half while Sean O’Leary scored all 13 of his points in the second and third quarters. Elijah Connor led the Black Knights with 14 points while Obi Dike chipped in with 12 points.

Mansfield, 69 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Mansfield had all of the answers in a win on the road at King Philip, building a lead early and withstanding a handful of rally bids from the Warriors. The Hornets connected on five three-pointers in the opening quarter, three from Eddie McCoy (20 points) and one each from Caden Colby (11 points) and JT Veiking (15 points, 5 rebounds) to race out to a 20-12 lead after a quarter. KP made runs throughout the game to get back into it but the Hornets had an answer each time, including late in the third when the hosts got within five only for the visitors to answer with a quick 6-0 burst to push the lead back to double digits. Junior Trevor Foley added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists for Mansfield while Chris Hill had 9 points and 11 boards. Will Laplante paced KP with a team-high 20 points while Grant Kinney and Tommy McLeish each added eight points.

Oliver Ames, 37 @ Milford, 60 – Final – Milford used a huge second half to turn a six-point halftime lead into a runaway win over a shorthanded Oliver Ames squad. The Hawks led by just one (11-10) after a quarter and by six (23-17) at the halftime break. Sophomore Andrew Rivera (five rebounds) sparked the big second half on the offensive end, scoring 11 of his team-high 19 points in the third while Luca Testa, Nick Araujo, and Tyler Ballard also contributed to the scoring as the Hawks’ advantage ballooned to 40-22 going into the fourth. Milford’s offense continued its second half success in the fourth, pouring in 20 points to run away with the win. Freshman CJ Farrell had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in the win over OA, who was without its two leading scorers in Cole Craffey and Soren Lolonga.

Sharon, 56 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – Junior Jacob McLoughlin scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the opening quarter as the Eagles set the tone on both ends of the court early, and never looked back in a win over the Rocketeers. Nate Katznelson scored in each quarter and finished with 11 points while both Matt Baur and Dante James chipped in nine points each for the Eagles, who held a 30-11 lead at halftime.








Girls Basketball
Taunton, 22 @ Foxboro, 79 – Final – Foxboro earned another big league win, staying unbeaten in Hock play this season and giving itself a chance to clinch the Davenport title when it squares off against Mansfield on Friday. Addie Ruter scored 20 points to lead the way for the Warriors. Kailey Sullivan had 19, Camryn Collins added 18 points, and Ava Hill chipped in with a dozen for Foxboro.

Franklin, 65 @ Stoughton, 35 – Final – Franklin scored 26 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, rolling to a big win that restored a one-game lead over Attleboro in the division standings and clinched a playoff berth. Chloe Fales scored all of her team-high 15 points in the first half, as Franklin opened up a 44-14 lead going into the locker room. Bridget Leo added six points in the first quarter, Katie Peterson scored seven of her 10 points before the break, and Lizzie Newman added six of her 11. Mallory Santos added six points for Franklin, all in the third quarter. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15, including all nine of the Black Knights’ points in the third. Tat also had three steals on the night. Kirsten McKay had nine points, six of them in the fourth quarter, and Katrina Varnum pulled down nine rebounds.

King Philip, 59 @ Mansfield, 55 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Milford, 26 @ Oliver Ames, 66 – Final – OA scored 17 points in the second quarter to go ahead by 17 at halftime and the Tigers kept it rolling after the break, outscoring Milford 36-13 to earn the big win. The Tigers were strong defensively throughout, not allowing more than eight points in a quarter. Kaydance and Kamryn Derba combined to knock down seven three-pointers. Kaydance led OA with 13 points and Kamryn finished with 11, all in the second quarter. Sarah Hilliard added 12 points, 10 of them in the first half, and Maeve Horsman hit a pair of threes and scored eight points in the fourth. Maddie Homer scored six points for OA and also pulled down 10 rebounds from her guard position, including nine on the offensive end. Emily Croteau had eight for the Hawks, while Maeve Driscoll scored six on a pair of threes, and Katelyn Kearnan added five.

North Attleboro, 50 @ Sharon, 56 – Final – Sharon turned the game around in the third quarter, outscoring North 18-4 to grab the lead. After a nearly even fourth quarter, the Eagles walked away with their second straight victory. Jasmine Davis led the Sharon comeback, scoring 18 of her game-high 30 points in the second half and making clutch free throws down the stretch. North took a 15-13 lead after one quarter and extended the lead to 34-27 at halftime. Sam Faria led the way for the Rocketeers, knocking down five threes and scoring 17 points (all in the first half). Katie Corsetti did her best fronting Davis to make her work for her points and Ava McKeon added 13 points for North. Bailey Garte helped out Sharon’s offense with eight points and Carmen Leonardi had a strong game defensively on the perimeter.

Boys Hockey
Franklin, 4 vs. Archbishop Williams, 3 – Final (OT) – Franklin sophomore Vinnie Pasquarosa celebrated his birthday in style, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to hand the Panthers a big non-league win over Archbishop Williams. Pasquarosa gained possession at the blue line, skated around a defenseman and deposited his shot into the back of the net with just over a minute to go in the extra period for the win. The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the third when Ben Jarosz scored on the power play but the Bishops scored twice with under six minutes to go to jump in front. Jarosz fired a shot from the blue line with just seconds to go to tie the game. Dylan McEvoy also had a goal for Franklin while Colby Wagner made 27 saves in the win.

Swimming
Mansfield @ Seekonk, 3:45

Gymnastics
Canton @ Oliver Ames, 8:00 (@ Spectrum)

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/21/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Milford, 37 vs. Winchester, 31 – Final

Boys Hockey
Canton, 11 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Sophomore Travis Thomas recorded a hat trick while juniors Pat Drury and Brian Middleton each scored twice to lead Canton to a league win on the road. Attleboro’s Colin Flynn had one goal with an assist from Michael LaChance.

Foxboro, 0 @ Northbridge, 3 – Final

King Philip, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Franklin lit the lamp twice in the second period and tacked on an empty net goal with 20 seconds to play to secure a league win over rival King Philip. The Panthers picked up a big win over the Warriors last month but this one played out much closer. After a scoreless first period, Ben Paterson put the Panthers ahead off a pass from Zach Langevin to make it 1-0. Franklin doubled the lead at 5:22 in the second when Dylan McEvoy buried a feed from Ryan Sicchio. KP junior Tim Mullen slammed in a pass from classmate Nate Garstka with 9:39 to go but the Panthers held on. Ben Jarosz scored the empty-net goal for Franklin.

Mansfield, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames built its lead with one goal in each the first and the second periods and used a late empty net goal to cap off a win over Mansfield. Freshman Brendan Teehan gave the Tigers the lead at 7:22 of the first period and Jack Corey doubled the lead at 8:15 of the second period. Mansfield sophomore Brendan Vokey cut the deficit in half with a goal at 7:28 of the third period but the Hornets had some penalties down the stretch, and an empty-net power play goal from Sean McCarthy with 4.1 seconds left iced the game.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 1 – Final (OT) – Taunton senior Dylan McCaughey buried the game-winner less than two minutes into the overtime period to hand the Tigers a 1-0 league win over North Attleboro. Taunton sophomore Cam Tomaszycki (29 saves) and North Attleboro junior Kyle Gruber (31 saves) kept the game scoreless for three periods. In overtime, Taunton senior Connor McGrath used a self pass off the boards to create some separation, skated towards the goal and slid a pass across the middle that McCaughey slammed home for the win.

Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Medfield, 0 – Final

King Philip, 3 @ Westwood, 1 – Final – Kelly Holmes had a hand in all three goals as King Philip picked up a solid non-league road win. Holmes finished with a goal and two helpers. Nicole McDonald (assist) and Katarina Precobb both scored and Mallory Johnston made 40 saves for the Hockomock League leaders.

Hockomock Stars, 3 vs. Medway, 10 – Final

Stoughton/Sharon, 1 vs. Boston Latin Academy, 7 – Final

Wrestling
Weymouth Super Quad (Foxboro, Sharon), 9:00AM
Tewksbury Quad (Franklin), 10:00AM
King Philip Quad (King Philip, Mansfield), 10:00AM
Milford Quad, 10:00AM
Brockton Quad (North Attleboro), 10:00AM
Cape Cod Invitational (Taunton), 10:00AM

Wagner, Franklin Blank Canton In Hock Showdown

Franklin boys hockey Dylan McEvoy
Franklin junior Dylan McEvoy takes a shot in the second period against Canton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 
FRANKLIN, Mass. – On paper, it’s just one of eight league games on the schedule, but there’s no hiding the significance of when Canton and Franklin meet on the ice.

The Bulldogs have won the Davenport every single year since the league split into two divisions and the Panthers have had a hand in all but one — a combined 23 division titles over the past 12 seasons.

Both squads are the favorites to win their respective division again this year and are the top two ranked teams in the league, meaning bragging rights were on the line at Pirelli Veteran’s Arena on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin junior goalie Colby Wagner was terrific in net from the opening puck drop, turning in a 38-save shutout performance to lead the Panthers to a 2-0 win.

The Panthers scored once in the first period and added on a key insurance goal late in the third period, with both goals coming in similar fashion thanks in part to Franklin’s speed.

“It’s one of eight [league games] but it’s a good one,” said Franklin head coach Chris Spillane. “It’s just fun to play teams like this, and you know every year it doesn’t matter who’s up or who’s down, when it’s Franklin-Canton, both teams show up to play. And we get to play them again in a non-league game and it will be the same exact thing, the same exact atmosphere in their building.

“It was a gritty win. Our goaltender [Wagner] kept us in this game tonight, he made some key saves. We struggled breaking the puck out, that’s typically our strongest going from defense to offense, we can fly but credit to [Canton], they took time and space away. It was just one of those typical Franklin-Canton games, it was gritty and there’s no space for anyone.”

It didn’t take long for the scoring chances to start as Canton sophomore goalie Colin Davis (31 saves) was forced into making a terrific save just seconds into the contest as senior Aidan Kuykendall found senior Ryan Sicchio streaking into the offensive zone all alone for a chance in close 15 seconds in. And seconds later, Davis denied Anthony Lampasona after a pass from Ben Paterson in a 2-on-1 situation.

Canton got its early chances too as the Bulldogs went on the power play just 63 seconds into the game. Junior Matt Anderson had a blast from the blueline handled by Wagner, and junior Colin Blake had a bid in close that was turned aside.

That set the tone for the next 40-plus minutes as the Panthers and Bulldogs went up-and-done the ice, back and forth with chances on goal. Franklin had four power plays and Canton had two man-advantage chances throughout the contest but neither team cashed in with its special teams.

The first breakout came right at the midway point of the opening period. Paterson won a faceoff in his own defensive zone to junior Logan Marchand, who chipped one up the left boards that eluded the glove of a Canton defenseman at the blue line. Lampasona raced down and got to the puck first in the offensive zone and centered to a wide-open Dan Daley and he roofed his shot just under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead with 7:47 left in the opening stanza.

“Danny Daley, he’s a player to be reckoned with,” Spillane said. “He’s fast and can shoot the puck, his center [Ben Paterson] and [Anthony] Lampasona are both good at getting him the puck. It’s a nice all-junior line to have as our second line.”

Canton nearly responded a minute later when junior Brendan Tourgee dropped a pass out front for Blake, but his deflection on net was denied by Wagner’s shoulder. The Bulldogs had another big chance with just under two minutes to play as junior Brian Middleton won a battle at the blueline and raced in on a breakaway but his backhand bid was turned away by a pad stop from Wagner.

Davis made a nice stop early in the second after Franklin’s Paterson and Daley played a little catch, the former ripping a shot that was turned aside. Canton countered with a nice tip off the stick of sophomore Travis Thomas but Wagner stood tall.

“He’s very comfortable in the net, his rebound control is really good,” Spillane said of Wagner. “They were pressuring the crease and he never got rattled. He’s our number one right now for sure, but we have two other good options too in Jack O’Connor and Joe Torraco.”

While there were chances in all three periods for both teams, both defensive groups played well to limit how many genuine scoring chances there were. Kuykendall paired with senior Liam O’Rielly while Marchand was matched up with Vinnie Pasquarosa. For Canton, senior James Young paired with classmate Griffin Hughes, freshman Teddy Shuman worked with Anderson, and senior Jack Lauro played alongside freshman Graidy Carr.

Canton did have a powerplay five minutes into the second but Sicchio had a big clear, Ben Jarosz interrupted a pass to clear the zone, and Dylan McEvoy won a key faceoff and cleared the puck himself.

The third featured more of the same with chances from both sides, including an early power play for the Panthers that Canton killed off, including a key clearance from Young.

Jack Digirolamo muscled his way into space for a shot that was tipped by AJ Thomas, only for Wagner to get a stick to it. Tourgee found space shortly after but his bomb of a shot was wide of the net.

“We had a lot of one-and-dones and I think a lot of that was the product of missing the net on some key chances, and that started their break out,” said Canton head coach Brian Shuman. “And I think we were a little intimidated by their speed, guys backing off the line and just not able to win the races to pucks. That was preventing us from getting some good in-zone time.”

Franklin tacked on a key insurance goal with just over three minutes to go in the game. The puck bounced out from behind the Franklin net, and Daley was the first to it. He beat a pinching defenseman, slapping the puck off the boards and up the ice.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Sophomore Carter Balducci raced onto it and centered to his brother, senior Tommy Balducci and he found the back of the net to make it 2-0 with 3:04 to play.

“They have so much speed, they’ll disrupt any team they are playing against,” Shuman said. “That’s the fastest team we’ve seen all year, probably the fastest we will see all year. They can go three lines of speed, and they certainly look a lot faster in person than they do on LiveBarn. They’re a good team and any mistake that we made, they made us pay. Whether it was a bad pinch or a guy slightly out of position…our goaltender played well though and made some big stops.”

Franklin boys hockey (2-0-0 Hockomock, 6-1-0 overall) will head to Foxboro to take on the Warriors on Wednesday at 6:30 while Canton (1-1-0, 6-1-0) returns home to Ponky to take on Oliver Ames.

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview Canton boys hockey Brendan Tourgee
Canton junior Brendan Tourgee and the rest of the Bulldogs are aiming to get back to the TD Garden. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Attleboro

2021-2022 Record: 0-15-0
2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Gary Warren
Last season is not one to remember for Attleboro. The Bombardiers finished winless and had only eight goals in 18 games. New head coach Gary Warren will hope to find more firepower in front of goal and more depth with three forward lines and three defensive pairings as Attleboro tries to get back into the mix for a tournament berth.

Seniors Owen Parker and Colin Flynn will be the leaders on the top line with eighth grader Bryan Capone getting his first taste of varsity hockey. Sophomore Nathan Conroy will center the second line with senior Mike Lachance and junior Nick Fernandes on the wings. Eighth-grader Andrew Bessette will center the third line for the Bombardiers, joining up with sophomores Austin Bessette and Jack Moran.

Defensively, Attleboro will also lean on youth. Sophomores Alex Jarousky and Brody Shaw will partner on one line, eighth graders Beckett Stone and Cam Harrison will be a second partnership, and sophomore Lucas Devonis teaming up with senior Luke Logan. Junior Bradley Lehtonen and freshman Joey Santos will also see time on the blue line this season. After graduating four-year starter Nick Piazza, Attleboro will turn to junior Julien Horton and eighth grader Jacob Westwater between the pipes.

“Our success this season will hinge on good senior leadership, along with our younger players building confidence in their game,” Warren said. “We are a young, inexperienced team that hopefully will get better game after game.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Canton

2021-2022 Record: 22-3-1 (D2 State Finalists)
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final
Coach: Brian Shuman
Only one team has ever won the Davenport division boys hockey title and, despite graduating 14 seniors off last year’s roster, Canton looks well-positioned to extend that run for another winter. After reaching the Div. 2 state title game for the third straight season, the Bulldogs will be incorporating a lot of new faces and young players (five freshmen and three sophomores) into this year’s roster to try and stay among the top teams in the state.

While there are several new players that will be getting time this year, Canton does return its top two scorers from last year. Senior AJ Thomas had a great playoff run to help the Bulldogs get back to the TD Garden and junior Brendan Tourgee was a standout as a sophomore with his combination of stick skills and strength. Juniors Pat Drury, Colin Blake, and Brian Middleton also saw plenty of ice time as sophomores and came through with some big goals during the season, while senior Jack Digirolamo adds some physicality in the attacking zone.

Canton always gets attention for its scoring punch, but its strength on the blue line has been one of the main reasons for its sustained success. Senior Leo Owens will start the season on the sidelines with an injury, so other players are going to need to step in while he gets healthy. Senior James Young and junior Matt Anderson, who scored the overtime winner in the season opener, will get plenty of ice time. Sophomore Colin Davis should provide the defense with plenty of confidence after a stellar rookie campaign between the pipes. He looked unflappable during Canton’s run to the final and senior Carson Eagles is a more than dependable backup in goal.

“As always, strong team defense and the depth to play four lines and six defense pairs will determine whether or not we can make a run for the league title and/or the playoffs this year,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman.







2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Foxboro

2021-2022 Record: 10-11-0
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32
Coach: Eric Galanti
Foxboro has a new head coach this season but it’s a familiar face as Eric Galanti steps in after five years on the bench as an assistant coach for the program. After graduating nine seniors from last year that accounted for a lot of production and ice time, the Warriors are looking for some new names to step up.

Albeit young, Foxboro has a strong core of returners from last year’s squad that had 10 wins and scored 70 goals. Senior Henry Diamond, who plays on the right wing, spearheads a relatively young forward group that includes returners Connor Hayers (left wing) and Luigi Muttart (left wing), both juniors, as well as sophomores Ryan Wood, Dan Jacobs — both centers — and, Finlay Campbell. Senior Jake DeMaino and sophomores Brendan LaCroix, Will Groves, and Connor Reardon bolster the offense. Freshman Michael Ruo and Owen McAuliffe are looking to make an impact right away.

Defense and goaltending will be a strength for Galanti and the Warriors this season. Senior Alex Coviello is a seasoned veteran that will anchor the blue line for Foxboro, joined by junior Tommy Devlin and a handful of sophomores who already have varsity experience including Tom Watts, Evan Paluzzi, Leo Campbell, and Connor Reardon. In net, Galanti has some veteran options with senior Peter Souaiden and junior Trevor Marder as options.

“We have a solid defense and great net minding that will allow a sophomore-heavy team to work toward an offense to match,” Galanti said.

Franklin

2021-2022 Record: 14-9-0 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Sweet 16
Coach: Chris Spillane
A very familiar face has made his return to the bench for Franklin this season, as longtime coach Chris Spillane, who stepped away in 2019, is back in charge of the program. The Panthers have won 11 straight league titles and been a fixture in the Div. 1 state tournament and they boast a strong attacking lineup this season that will be looking to continue its control of the Kelley-Rex division.

Up front, Franklin will be boosted by the return of seniors Ben Jarosz and Ryan Sicchio, who combined for 15 goals and 23 assists last year. Classmate Tommy Balducci will join them on the top line. Last year’s sophomore class was prolific in front of goal and, with a year of valuable experience, looks ready to be even more dynamic this season. Juniors Anthony Lampasona (six goals and 13 assists) and Ben Paterson (10 goals and 14 assists) will lead the way along with classmates Dylan McEvoy and Dan Daley. Sophomore Carter Balducci is a newcomer to look out for in attack.

Four players return on the blue line to give Franklin solid experience in the defensive zone. Seniors Liam O’Rielly, Aiden Kuykendall, and Lucas Sheehan will be joined by junior Dylan Marchand, who had an impressive sophomore season in defense. Sophomore Vinnie Pasquarosa should also see time on the back end. Goalie depth will be a strength for the Panthers this year, with sophomore Jack O’Connor returning, sophomore Joe Torraco making the jump from JV, and junior Colby Wagner coming back to the program after playing last year with the Northeast Generals.

“Offensively we will run three lines who all have the ability to score goals,” Spillane said. “The Panthers’ success will depend on our team defense, and how quickly we can understand our defensive systems.”




2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

King Philip

2021-2022 Record: 10-9-3
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32
Coach: Toby Carlow
King Philip is two years removed from taking a share of the Kelley-Rex division title (joining only the 2011 Mansfield team to win at least a piece of the division crown) and last year the Warriors showed off their potential by giving eventual state champion St. John’s Prep a battle in the opening round of the playoffs. Former Medfield coach Toby Carlow, who won a state title with those Warriors in 2016, take over this season with the intention of elevating these Warriors into one of the state’s top programs.

Carlow will be introducing new systems on both ends of the ice, relying on team speed and structure in the defensive zone to get back into the tournament. One challenge for KP will be replacing standout Brad Guden, who moved to Tabor Academy this season. In the defensive zone, junior Cam Lehan-Allen along with senior Sam Naggar will need to step up to provide leadership at the blue line. Senior Kyle Abbott will help out at the back, as he returns in goal after allowing fewer than two goals per game as a junior.

In addition to Guden, who had 17 points from defense last year, KP also graduated its three top goal scorers from last season, so the forward line will need new faces to step up and consistently find the back of the net. Senior James Boldy is the team’s top returning scorer with seven goals and 10 assists and junior Max Robison adds speed on the wing. Juniors Nate Gartska and Rowan Boulger also saw time as sophomores and provide depth in the forward lines.

“Our goal this year is to establish ourselves as a good solid team in Division 1,” Carlow said. “It’s time for King Philip to step into the upper level of Massachusetts hockey.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Mansfield

2021-2022 Record: 7-12-1
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: Mark O’Brien
Mansfield has a lot of turnover to contend with this season, as the Hornets open their first season of Davenport division play. Former assistant Mark O’Brien has taken over as head coach and he takes over a team that will lean on underclassmen to try and find the attacking threat to keep the Hornets in the league title mix and to stay in the tournament mix.

After graduating its top six forwards from last season, Mansfield will be hoping that a host of freshmen and sophomores can step up to the challenge of leading the line this winter. Seniors Cody Gordon, Connor Davey, and Brendan Flynn will provide much-needed leadership in the attacking zone. Sophomores Brendan Vokey, Matthew Tourigney, Matthew Cromack, and Kevin O’Brien and freshmen James Warren, Matt Kelly, Matthew Rabinovich, Liam Wells, and Cody Silva give the Hornets a lot of depth up front but also a lot of untested talent.

The blue line is a very different story. Mansfield’s defense should be a strength this season. Seniors Ryan DeGirolamo and Patrick Gormley return to anchor that end of the ice along with junior Will Cameron and sophomore Declan Foley. Sophomore Thomas Gormley is a newcomer to watch for the Hornets in defense. Freshman Aidan Shea and sophomore Luke McGuire are versatile players who could see time at forward or defense. In goal, Mansfield will have plenty of experience to call upon with senior Chris O’Brien and junior Josh Hussey.

“We have a tremendous group this season and they are committed to the team concept and giving their best effort for each other,” said O’Brien. “We are excited about our talented younger players and confident that our strong nucleus of upperclassmen will lead the way with a focus on team defense.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

North Attleboro

2021-2022 Record: 10-11-1
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet 16
Coach: Kyle Heagney
North Attleboro head coach Kyle Heagney begins his second year in charge of the Rocketeers and they are looking to improve on last year’s 10-win season as they join the Kelley-Rex division for the second time in program history.

The Big Red will have to look for some new players to step up as they try to fill the void left by the graduation of a talented senior group, including Nik Kojoian, who led the Hockomock League in scoring with 11 goals and 24 assists last season, and Nick Longa, who was second in the league with 17 goals and tied for fifth overall in points with 26 points. The good news is that Heagney and the Rocketeers have one of the top returning forwards in the league in Mark Ayvazyan, who produced 13 goals and 12 assists in the regular season last year.

North will also look for seniors Brody Gaulin and Jack Dluhy to take on increased roles after netting five goals and two assists last season as well as junior Kaden Burns, who had five goals and one helper last season. Junior Kyle Gruber is back between the pipes after impressing last season.




2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Oliver Ames

2021-2022 Record: 6-11-1
2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Jimmy Tierney
Oliver Ames begins a new chapter in program history as they welcome a familiar face as new head coach in Jimmy Tierney, a former player and assistant coach. Tierney was the inaugural HockomockSports Goalie of the Year in 2013 and was a two-team First Team selection during his stellar career with the Tigers.

Now Tierney will look to guide this year’s team back to the success they experienced during his playing days when they reached the South sectional semifinals and finals during his sophomore and junior years. The Tigers have nearly their entire roster back from last year after graduating just two seniors, including senior center Sean McCarthy, who was second on the team with 10 goals and nine assists, and junior Andrew Livingstone, who earned HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors after leading OA with 12 goals and eight assists. The offense will have plenty of depth with seniors Matt Lawson (15 points), Jack Corey (15 points), Daniel Paul, and Jack Perron, who is a team captain for the second year along with McCarthy.

Sophomore Patrick DeLoughrey and freshman Brenden Teehan will look to make an immediate impact on the offensive end. Along the blue line, junior Sean Kearns (three goals, 11 assists) will look to build upon a solid campaign last year when he earned honorable mention for league all star. He’ll be joined by classmates Landon Grothe and Andy Poulos in the defensive group. The Tigers have experience in the net with senior Brandon Burke back between the pipes after playing in 17 games last year.

“Our biggest strength this season will be the team-first mentality our players have,” Tierney said. “The players care a lot about each other and will do what it takes to put the team first. This along with the hard work they are putting in is what will make us successful.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Stoughton

2021-2022 Record: 11-11-2
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32
Coach: Dan Mark
The Stoughton/Brockton co-op team is coming off its most successful season together, and the Black Knights’ best campaign in over a decade after winning 11 games, including a preliminary game in the Division 3 state tournament.

The Black Knights won’t be competing in the Hockomock League again this season as they team up with the Boxers to try and replicate the success from last year. In order to do so, they’ll blend a mix of veteran and younger players as they navigate through their schedule, which will feature games against Hockomock League teams Attleboro, Foxboro, Oliver Ames, and Taunton. Offensively, Stoughton/Brockton returns a strong core led by last year’s leading scorer senior Charlie Caputo, who netted 13 goals along with 14 helpers. Senior Sean Farley added a team-high 16 goals as well as nine assists, while junior Colby Strunk is coming off a 21-point season as a sophomore.

Defensively, longtime head coach Dan Mark will turn to junior Ryan Summers to anchor a relatively inexperienced group. Summers had five goals and seven assists but the Knights lost three defensemen to graduation. In net, juniors Sean McGowan and Dmytro Yakovenko are battling for the starting job.

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Taunton

2021-2022 Record: 7-10-4
2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Kris Metea
Taunton comes into the new season with definitely the youngest roster in the league and one of the youngest rosters in program history. Head coach Kris Metea has 35 players in the system this season and 26 of them are sophomores or younger. There is plenty of energy on the ice and plenty of potential, but there may be some growing pains for players getting their first taste of varsity action.

There are a few seniors on the team to provide the Tigers with much-needed experience and leadership. One of those seniors is Colton Scheralis, who will move up from the blue line to the attack at the start of the season. He recorded 13 points as a defenseman last year and should be able to bring his creativity and stick skills to the forward line. Senior Connor McGrath will also give Taunton a scoring punch, after his 13-goal, 13-assist junior campaign. Junior Conner Goranson scored 14 points last year as a sophomore and will be on the top line.

Experience is in short supply in the defensive zone, especially with Scheralis moving forward at the start. Sophomores Travis Cashman and Jon McGrath both saw time as freshmen and will look to build on that first season on the blue line. Sophomore Cam Tomaszycki is back in goal for the Tigers. He was a standout as a freshman, allowing a little more than three goals per game and saving nearly 90 percent of the shots he faced.

“We have a great group of players,” Metea said. “They are excited to go to the rink every day. They love each other and are willing to fight for one another. They make going to the rink a pleasure every day for our coaching staff.”

Taunton Rallies Past Franklin, Secures D1 State Title

Taunton Baseball
Taunton players celebrate a 2-1 come from behind win over Franklin in the Div. 1 state championship game at LeLacheur Park. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


LOWELL, Mass. – The two teams, which were the top two seeds in Div. 1, were on a collision course all postseason. They split a pair of games during the regular season, both winning on their home fields, and it was only fitting that Saturday night’s rubber match at LeLacheur Park would determine not only who would win the season series but who would win the state championship.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Taunton (22-3) was held without a hit until a leadoff single in the fourth, but scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings and got a stellar, complete game effort from Evan Cali to secure a 2-1 victory over league rival Franklin (23-4). The victory earned the Tigers their second D1 title in three seasons.

“They’ve got great hitters one through nine, so for him to come out and only give up one run was more than you could ask for,” Taunton coach Blair Bourque said when asked about Cali’s performance. “I was hoping to get a couple innings out of him and next guy up, and for him to come out and throw a complete game, what a great culmination of his senior year.”

Even before the season started, Taunton was searching for an ace of its staff. The Tigers relied on their full complement of pitchers to work through games, but Cali delivered one of his best performances in the final game of his high school career. He allowed only one infield single after the second inning, allowing just the one run and out-dueling Franklin starter Jacob Jette.

“I don’t think I’ve cried like this in a long time,” Cali said after the game, smiling despite his eyes being wet from tears and shaking in the cold after getting a Gatorade bucket dumped on him by his teammates. “I thought about everyone that’s helped me and it fueled me through that entire game.

When asked what was going through his mind at the final out, Cali admitted with a laugh, “I have no idea. I threw the pitch and I prayed he didn’t get a base hit because if he did I was getting taken out.”

While the final pitching line looked stellar for Cali, things were far from easy in the opening two innings. Jack Marino singled with one out in the first and took second when Cali’s pick-off attempt was wayward. A wild pitch would move him to third and Evan Raider drew a two-out walk. Cali induced a pop up to end the threat.

In the top of the second, a walk and an error put two on for Taunton but Jette got a groundout to keep it scoreless. Franklin would grab the lead in the bottom half.

Jase Lyons got things started with a single and Eisig Chin followed by crushing a ball off the wall in right, narrowly missing a home run. With two runners in scoring position, semifinal hero Ben Jarosz singled to right center to make it 1-0. Chin was held at third and Jarosz would move up to second after almost being picked off.

Cali hit the corner to get a strikeout for the first out of the inning. A pop up in foul ground and a grounder to Dawson Bryce at short would allow the Tigers to escape the second down by only a run. It felt like a win for Taunton.

Jette was cruising for the Panthers. A perfect third dented any momentum that Taunton may have carried to the plate. He gave up a leadoff single to Ryan MacDougall to start the fourth but struck out back-to-back hitters and got a fly ball that Chin caught in foul territory in right to end the inning.

“Jacob Jette has been everything you could ask for,” said Franklin coach Zach Brown. “He’s been so important to our team and our team’s success. You have to go back six games to find a team who scored a run off him before today. He’s an amazing competitor, just a tremendous leader, does everything right, really threw well today, and gave us a chance to win a state title.”

Taunton finally struck in the fifth. Shawn Cali smashed a ball over the head of Ryan Gerety in center for a leadoff triple. After a pair of failed bunt attempts, Evan Cali put the ball in play with a grounder to short. The infield was back and Henry Digorgio’s only option was to go to first to get the out.

“I saw that our team lost for hope for a second,” Cali said about Taunton’s rally. “Once Franklin gets a run, their whole energy turns around. They’re fired up. I noticed that we were down and I talked to my coach and said, we get them in and we do a huddle and we win this game.”

In the top of the sixth, Jette got a liner to Chin in right for the first out and got two strikes on MacDougall, but the Hockomock League MVP turned on an 0-2 fastball. He sent it seemingly off the wall in right, but the ump put up his hand to indicate the ball hit above the yellow line and was a home run, putting the Tigers ahead 2-1 and sending the bench streaming out to home to meet the junior first baseman.

“We as a team, we tend to get on his back and he’s a big boy so he can carry us and he was able to get ahold of one today,” Bourque said about MacDougall. “We knew with Evan pitching we needed to put some good at bats together and fortunately for us Ryan was in the right place at the right time.”

After another perfect inning for Cali, the Tigers had the chance to add to the lead in the seventh. Senior catcher Colby DeCouta ripped a double to left and, after Franklin turned to closer James Kuczmiec, who started off with a wild pitch allowing courtesy runner Xavier Spencer to take third. Kuczmiec then chose the perfect time to attempt a pickoff attempt behind the runner, with Jarosz firing a strike to Joe Tirrell at the plate for the out.

Shawn Cali came right back with a double to center, but Kuczmiec got a hard line drive to first that Raider snagged and quickly fired to Digorgio at second for an inning-ending double play.

Franklin was fired up after getting out of the jam down by just one run. Cali quickly quelled the energy. He got a grounder to third baseman Braden Sullivan and then robbed Tirrell by getting a piece of a bouncing ball up the middle and making the throw to first while sitting on the mound.

Through the disappointment of the result, Brown was proud of his team’s season and the way the team came together this spring, “We hit a little speed bump early in the year and these seniors did a great job just bringing everyone together and staying the course. Twenty straight wins later, we’re sitting here with one game for a state title. Nothing to hang your head on, we wish the outcome was different but that’s baseball.”

Brayden Cali squeezed a pop up at second base for the final out, sparking celebrations and a dog pile on the mound. Taunton had knocked off the top seed and league champions and clinched just the second state title in program history.

“It’s not something that we harp on,” Bourque replied when asked about title aspirations coming into the season. “We can be successful without winning a state championship. Obviously it’s great to win, but we’re looking to develop young men. Seeing these guys in the community and how they represent Taunton baseball, that’s what I’m most proud of.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Jarosz Walk-Off Sends Franklin Into D1 State Title Game

Franklin baseball
Ben Jarosz (19) sends Franklin to the D1 state title game with a two-strike single, scoring Jase Lyons, in the bottom of the seventh against Shrewsbury. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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WORCESTER, Mass. – One of the strengths for Franklin all season has been that each game a new player steps up to be the hero. The Panthers haven’t relied on only one or two players to get to this stage, but instead have gotten big plays from throughout the roster.

In Tuesday night’s Div. 1 state semifinal at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on the campus of Holy Cross, it was Ben Jarosz’s turn.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After the Panthers let a 3-1 lead slip in the top of the seventh, Jarosz came to the plate with one out, two runners in scoring position, and the infield drawn in all the way around. He quickly fell behind 0-2 to Shrewsbury reliever Benjamin Griffith, but then he started battling. Jarosz fouled off a series of two-strike pitches, staying alive until he got a mistake. Then he pounced.

Jarosz smacked a ball just out of the reach of the diving first baseman, allowing Jase Lyons to race home with the winning run. The Panthers stormed out of the dugout to chase down Jarosz in shallow right, celebrating a 4-3 win and the chance to face league rival Taunton in Saturday’s championship game.

“He was banged up for half the year and just grinding it out for us,” Franklin coach Zach Brown said of Jarosz. “We feel really good when he’s at the plate. I mean, what an amazing at bat. Getting down 0-2, fouling off all those pitches, and then back-siding a baseball for a hit. It’s just special.

When asked what was going through his mind during that last at bat, Jarosz replied, “I just wanted to get the ball in play and I did. Stay alive as long as you can and just get it in play.” And how did it feel to see the ball go through? He said, “Awesome, just an amazing feeling, but we’re not done. We’ve got one more to go.”

Shrewsbury did something to Franklin that very few teams have been able to do when the Colonials took the lead in the top of the first. Andrew Peris singled to center and the ball skipped away, allowing him to reach second. Two groundouts to second baseman Jack Marino later and it was 1-0.

That would be the only hit that Franklin starter Alfred Mucciarone would give up until there were two outs in the sixth. The UMass Lowell-commit was dominant for large stretches of the game, setting the side down in order in the second, fourth, and fifth, and only allowing a batter to reach by error in the third.

Franklin didn’t take long to even the score. Chris Goode (3-for-3 with a walk) belted a two-out double that one-hopped the wall in left and he came into score on Evan Raider’s (2-for-3 with a walk) lined single. The Panthers would outhit the Colonials 11-4 but they struggled to get the big hit with runners on to give Mucciarone a lead to work with.

In the second, Lyons reached on an error and Eisig Chin (2-for-3 with a walk) singled to right. Jarosz put down a sac bunt to move both into scoring position with just one out but they were stranded. An inning later, Goode’s hit was erased when he was caught stealing second but Raider walked and Henry Digorgio beat out an infield hit. Again, Franklin couldn’t bring in the go-ahead run.

The deadlock was finally broken in the fifth. Goode again came through with a one-out single and Raider followed with a double to right center. With two strikes, Digorgio delivered a big hit, bringing in both runners to make it 3-1.

Shrewsbury finally put together a little rally with two outs in the sixth. Digorgio wasn’t able to make a clean play on a soft grounder and Alexander Martin got just the second hit of the game off Mucciarone. Digorgio atoned for his earlier error in spectacular fashion, ranging to the second base side of the bag, scooping a tough hop, and firing a strike across his body on the move to end the inning.

Errors would catch up to Franklin in the seventh. The leadoff man reached on an error and, after a Mucciarone strikeout, Dushyant Singh and John O’Sullivan hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. After a conversation at the mound, and with closer James Kuczmiec ready in the bullpen, Brown stuck with his starter.

Mucciarone got a sac fly to left for the second out, but an attempt to throw out the runner advancing to third sailed and bounced into the Shrewsbury dugout. The umpires discussed it and awarded home to the runner, tying the game. Kuczmiec would enter at that point with a runner on third and got a bouncer back to the mound to get out of the jam.

“He threw well enough today to get a victory, no doubt,” Brown said about Mucciarone. “We probably could’ve done a couple things for him to make it a little bit easier, but he’s a competitor. James came in in a huge spot and he just did a great job getting some soft contact so we could regroup in the dugout.”

Lyons took a couple of close pitches and worked a one-out walk and then went first-to-third on a single by Chin, who took second a few pitches later on defensive indifference. All eyes were on Jarosz as he kept getting a piece, kept staying alive, and then delivered the hit that sent everyone home happy.

“It’s a team,” Brown explained. “It’s not a collection of individuals. That doesn’t mean there isn’t talent there but it truly is a team and a team effort. I’m just really proud of the guys for how they handled the adversity of the game. We probably could have handled the last inning a little better, myself included, but the beauty of this group is they pick each other up, pick me up, and I’m just really happy for them.”

Franklin (23-3) will get the chance to settle the season series with Taunton in Saturday’s final at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. The teams, who are the top two seeds in D1, split during the regular season, each winning at home, and now they get a rubber match on a neutral field for the state title.

“We’ve been on a collision course all season,” Brown said about facing Taunton. “We’re going to have play really well but we’re excited about the opportunity.” Asked about what it means to face a league opponent in a title game, he added, “It says a lot about our league. I’ve felt this for a very long time that our league is one of the toughest leagues in the state. There are tremendous coaches up and down the league, tremendous leadership, and most importantly really good players.”

Jarosz echoed his coach’s sentiments about facing Taunton. He said, “We’re excited. We’ve been going back and forth with them all season. They won one, we won one, and this will probably decide who’s the better team.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/11/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Division 1
#9 Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 @ #1 Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin scored all five of its runs between the fourth and fifth innings and senior Jacob Jette tossed a complete game shutout to lead the Panthers to a spot in the Division 1 Final Four. The Panthers had a run on in each of the first three innings before finally cashing in in the fourth inning, sparked by a leadoff single from Evan Raider. Pinch runner Jacob Crisileo moved to second on a ground out and then to third on a single from Jase Lyons. Eisig Chin smacked a two-run double to score the first two runs, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a squeeze bunt from Ben Jarosz. In the fifth, Ryan Gerety led off with a double, took third on a passed ball, and came home to score after a dropped third strike. Chris Goode, who earned a one-out walk and stole second, came in to score on an RBI single from Henry Digiorgio. Jette worked around a bases-loaded situation in the first, getting his second strikeout in the inning to end the frame. After that, he only allowed one hit (one-out single int he fifth) and one walk (lead off in the fourth) while retiring the side in order in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings, finishing with eight strikeouts. Franklin will play #4 Shrewsbury in the D1 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

#10 Braintree, 0 @ #2 Taunton, 3 – Final – Behind a complete game shutout from Evan Cali and some timely hitting, Taunton blanked Braintree, 3-0, to advance to the Division 1 Final Four. Cali allowed just four hits and one walk, striking out one to deny the visiting Wamps. Offensively, Taunton took the lead with one run in the second inning and then pushed across a pair of runs in the fourth. Dawson Bryce smacked a double and came around to score on a single from AJ Lewis, and then singles from Lewis and Colby DeCouta put a pair of runners on in the the fourth and this time it was Shawn Cali who delivered the big hit, cranking a double to the outfield for two runs and a 3-0 lead. Taunton will play #3 Catholic Memorial in the D1 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

Division 2
#7 Plymouth South, 3 @ #2 King Philip, 14 – Final – King Philip saw its early lead disappear in the top of the fourth inning, but the Warriors responded in a big way with 10 combined runs over the next two innings in a win over Plymouth South that booked a spot in the Division 2 Final Four against Hock rival Mansfield. KP seized a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run single from junior Brendan Sencaj, who finished the day with six RBI for the Warriors, but Plymouth South cut the deficit in half with a run in the third and then took its first lead with two runs in the top of the fourth. Eli Reed got things started in the fourth by taking first after being hit with a pitch, and an error on Max Robison’s bunt put two runs on. An RBI double from Matt Kelley brought Reed home to make it 3-3, and after an intentional walk to Shawn Legere loaded the bases, Sencaj blasted a shot well over the center fielder’s head — a likely home run in most parks in the league — that turned into a three-run triple. A single from Rudy Gately added another run and gave KP a 7-3 lead. Gately (6IP, 3H, 3ER, 3BB, 3K) retired the side in the top of the fifth and the Warriors capitalized on the momentum with five more runs in the bottom half. Robison lined an RBI triple, Kelley drove in a run with a single, an error allowed Sencaj to reach and bring a run in, Matt DiFiore drew a bases loaded walk, and a sac fly from Sean Sullivan made it 12-3. Gately capped the scoring with a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth. King Philip will play #3 Mansfield in the D2 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

#6 Hopkinton, 6 @ #3 Mansfield, 7 – Final – A strong start and a key run in the sixth inning lifted the Hornets to a win over Hopkinton and into the Division 2 Final Four, booking a date against Hock rival King Philip. Mansfield scored twice in the first inning and then added three more in the bottom of the second right after the visiting Hillers had scored twice to tie it. A run in the fourth extended the lead but Hopkinton scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to close within one run. Mansfield answered with what turned out to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth as Cian Goulet drew a bases loaded walk to bring in Conner Zukowski, who had reached on an error. Hopkinton threatened in the seventh with a leadoff single and a walk but the Hornets got a key force out at third on the same play the Hillers scored, and then got a grounder to first to end it. Jimmy Gilleran got the win on the mound, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits and six walks, striking out seven while also helping his cause with a big three-run home run in the second inning. Connor Curtis came in and earned the save in 1.1 innings of work. Brian Butler had two hits and scored a run for the Hornets while Jake Maydak drove in a pair of runs with a hit and a walk. Mansfield will play #2 King Philip in the D2 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

#21 Falmouth, 5 @ #4 North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.








Boys Lacrosse
Division 1
#10 North Andover, 7 @ #7 Franklin, 12 – Final – A dominant first half paved the way for Franklin in a win over North Andover, earning the Panthers a date with Lincoln-Sudbury in Round of 8. A pair of goals from Luke Davis and one from John Walshe presented the Panthers with a 3-0 lead after a quarter, and Franklin followed with a 6-0 second quarter to seize a 9-0 lead by halftime. A dominant defensive performance kept North Andover in check through three quarters, as Franklin took a 10-2 lead into the final frame. Davis finished with five goals, Jayden Consigli added a pair of goals and three helpers, and Tyler Sacchetti chipped in with a hat trick and an assist. Matt Corvi made 19 saves while Justin Alexander went 18-for-23 at the faceoff X. Franklin will travel to #2 Lincoln-Sudbury on Tuesday at 6:30.

Division 2
#24 Mansfield, 5 @ #8 North Attleboro, 11 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Matt Antonetti scored five goals and Brady Backner had a hat trick, as North earned its second win over Mansfield this season and its second win over a Hock opponent in the tournament to reach the D2 Elite Eight. It was the Hornets, who upset KP in round one, who got off to the quick start, as Grady Sullivan scored and assisted on an Andrew Burnham goal to make it 2-0. North would turn things around with a four-goal burst. Backner and Antonetti each scored twice in that run, with Clayton Billingkoff assisting on both Antonetti goals. Antonetti added his third in transition early in the second (North’s fifth straight goal) but that would be the lone goal of the quarter. Mansfield goalie Ryan DeGirolamo came up big on a pair of North breakaways and had five of his 15 saves in the quarter to keep the Hornets in it going into halftime. Drew Sacco took advantage of a turnover to get Mansfield within two just 20 seconds into the third, but North scored the next three to push the lead back to five. Antonetti again had the answer, first dodging from the X to his left and then getting space to fire in a righty shot. He then teed up Connor Ruppert for a bounce shot that went just under the bar. North kept rolling in the fourth with Jack Regan, Antonetti (from Backner) and Backner getting on the board. Tommy Smith and Sullivan also scored for the Hornets. North advances to the Elite Eight to face the winner of No. 1 Longmeadow and No. 16 Wakefield.




Girls Lacrosse
Division 1
#19 King Philip, 2 @ #3 Lincoln-Sudbury, 15 – Final – King Philip scored the first goal of the game to seize an early lead on the road but couldn’t keep pace with state powerhouse Lincoln-Sudbury. Seniors Julia Marsden, Haley Izydorczak, Lily Brown, Colleen Crowther, Margo Riley, Morgan Cunningham, Ally Peterson and Rachael Anderson all played well.

#22 Lexington, 2 @ #6 Franklin, 19 – Final – The Panthers pumped in a dozen goals in the first half and pitched a second half shutout in a big win over Lexington. Franklin raced out to an 8-2 lead with 10 minutes in the half and then outscored the visitors 4-0 before halftime for a 12-2 lead. Franklin went on to win the second half 7-0. Stella Regan scored five goals, including her the 100th of her career, and added an assist, Kaitlyn Carney also had five goals and one helper, while Katie Peterson (three goals, one assist) and Lindsay Atkinson (one goal, two helpers) also had a part in the attack. Head coach Kristin Guarino praised her defense for a great effort in the second half shutout.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/06/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Division 1
#33 Lexington, 0 @ #1 Franklin, 14 – Final – Franklin was firing on all cylinders in its playoff opener, scoring in five of the six innings while Jacob Jette and three relievers dominated on the mound for the shutout. The Panthers pushed across three runs in the first, two more in the second, three in the third, four in the fifth, and two more in the sixth to get the win. Jack Marino went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs to pace the offense, which totaled 19 hits on the day. Henry Digiorgio (three RBI, two runs), Jase Lyons (two RBI, two runs), Esig Chin (RBI, run), and Ben Jarosz (RBI, run) all added two hits in the win. Jette allowed just one hit with no walks, striking out eight in five scoreless innings of work. James Kuczmiec, Evan Raider, and Aidan Langmeyer combined for two scoreless innings of relief, with just one walk issued.

#31 Waltham, 1 @ #2 Taunton, 13 – Final

Division 2
#31 Melrose, 1 @ #2 King Philip, 8 – Final – King Philip wasted little time in getting the offense going with four runs in the first inning to run away with a win over visiting Melrose. Max Robison and Matt Kelley drew back-to-back walks and Shawn Legere was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brendan Sencaj drove in a pair with a single, Travis Crawford added an RBI single two at-bats later, and back-to-back walks to Brendan Weddleton and Max DiFiore brought home a fourth run. KP tacked on one run in the third (RBI single from Weddleton), one in the fourth (Sencaj sac fly), and two more in the sixth (two-run single from Crawford) to make it 8-1. Rudy Gately shined on the mound for the Warriors, allowing one run on six hits and two walks, striking out seven in six innings of work. Tommy Martorano tossed a scoreless inning in relief with one hit and one walk allowed, striking out three.

#30 Danvers, 5 @ #3 Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield senior Jimmy Gilleran led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a game-tying solo home run and then drove in the game-winner with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh as the Hornets walked off with a 6-5 win over upset-minded Danvers. A run in the top of the first presented the visiting Falcons with an early lead but Mansfield jumped ahead with three runs in the bottom of the third, first an RBI single from Brian Butler to tie the game followed by a two-run single from Gilleran to make it 3-1. The seesaw battle continued with Danvers scoring twice in the fifth and Mansfield scoring once (Matt DeShiro sac fly), and the same happening again in the sixth with Danvers taking a 5-4 lead before Gilleran’s solo shot in the bottom half. In the bottom of the seventh, Cian Goulet led off with a single and courtesy runner Caden Colby took second on a sac bunt from Butler. An error allowed DeShiro to reach and Colby to move to third, and Conner Zukowski reached first on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases, setting up Gilleran’s game-winning sac fly.

#29 Somerset Berkley, 2 @ #4 North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North Attleboro exploded for seven runs in the third inning, breaking open a close game and running away with a double-digit decision over Somerset Berkley. The visitors staked an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first but a two-run home run from Tyler DeMattio tied it before the first inning was over, and a Gio Martello RBI single in the second gave the Rocketeers a 3-2 lead going into the third. In the bottom of the third, DeMattio had a one-out walk, Danny Curran followed with a single, Dillon Harding scored both on a single to left, Jordan Paradis drew a walk, David Floyd brought Harding in with an RBI single to left, and Gavin Wells followed with a three-run blast to left field to extend the lead to 9-2. Derek Maceda tacked on an RBI double before the inning was over to make it 10-2. Paradis brought two more runs in in the bottom of the fourth with a single to center. Tyler Bannon earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, striking out nine in six innings. Harding came on for a scoreless inning in relief, striking out one.

#19 Canton, 2 @ #14 Marblehead, 6 – Final – Canton pushed across the tying run in the top of the fifth inning to make it 2-2 but the Magicians quickly made the Bulldogs’ momentum disappear, scoring three runs in the bottom half and one more insurance run in the sixth for the win. Trailing 1-0 in the third, Matt Chafin (two hits) delivered an RBI single to pull the Dogs even, but Marblehead jumped right back ahead with a run in the bottom half. In the top of the fifth, Jack Digirolamo delivered an RBI base hit to left to make it 2-2 before the Magicians scored three in the bottom half, including a pair with two outs. Andy Butler added two hits and a run scored for Canton. Hayden Rose allowed four runs (two earned) on just four hits and no walks, striking out three in 4.1 innings of work.

#25 Oliver Ames, 3 @ #8 Westwood, 8 – Final

Division 3
#28 Saugus, 5 @ #5 Foxboro, 6 – Final – After seeing its lead slip away in the top of the seventh, Foxboro got the fireworks started early with a dramatic walk off win over visiting Saugus. The Warriors held a 4-3 lead going into the final hour and were three outs away from advancing in the Division 3 state tournament. But the visitors took advantage of an infield error to score one and used a sac fly to make it 5-4, meaning the Warriors were just three outs from their season ending. On the first pitch of the bottom of the the seventh, junior Ryan LeClair ripped his first career home run over the fence in left to knot the score at 5-5. On the very next pitch, Sean O’Leary launched his first career home run and Foxboro walked off with the win. Matheiu Sullivan pitched well in relief for the Warriors, tossing three scoreless innings with two hits and no walks allowed with a pair of strikeouts.

Softball
Division 1
#30 Newton South, 0 @ #3 Taunton, 25 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton got its playoff run started in grand fashion as freshman Brooke Aldrich hit three home runs and the Tigers roared to a big win at home. Aldrich launched a three-run home run in the first to highlight a five-run inning, added another three-run blast in an 11-run run second inning, and a two-run blast in the fourth inning. Mia Fernandes added three hits, including a home run, with three RBI and the runs, while Kaysie DeMoura had two hits, including a home run, with two RBI and three runs.

Division 2
#27 Ludlow, 1 @ #6 North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Kelly Colleran matched her career-high with 19 strikeouts, allowed only one hit and three balls in play, leading North to a first round win over visiting Ludlow. Mandi Hanewich got North off to a great start with a solo homer in the first. In the third, Hanewich reached on an error, stole second, and came home for what turned out to be the winning run on an Ally Levine base hit. The Rocketeers would add another run in the fourth. Shaelyn Burns reached on an error and would come around to score on a hit by Grace Simmons. Colleran helped her own cause in the fifth by driving in Mary Rogers and Hanewich, who had both singled and moved into scoring position on a Levine bunt. Colleran sealed the victory by striking out the side in both the sixth and seventh innings. North will face No. 11 Bedford on Tuesday afternoon.

#17 Wakefield, 7 @ #16 Stoughton, 2 – Final

#19 Leominster, 2 @ #14 Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield scored five times in the fourth inning to earn a first round win over visiting Leominster and advance to the round of 16. Liv Madeira opened the rally with a triple and scored on a bunt single by Alanna Conley. Casey Moussette singled and Olivia DeTrolio bunter her way on to load the bases. Julia Kelly plated one with a fielder’s choice and Molly Kucharski added a two-run single. Cat Kipp singled to plate one more and make it 5-0. Leominster answered with two in the top of the fifth but the Hornets got out of the inning and then added an insurance run in the bottom half. Conley singled, Moussette walked and Jill Koppy had an RBI single to make it 6-2. Conley finished the day 3-for-3. Kelly earned the win in the circle, scattering six hits and striking out eight. Mansfield will face No. 3 Walpole on Tuesday.

#23 Oliver Ames, 1 @ #10 Agawam, 4 – Final

Division 3
#24 Diman, 4 @ #9 Foxboro, 5 – Final – Visiting Diman pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to try and force extra innings but a single from freshman Vittoria Cuscia gave the host Warriors a walk-off win to advance to the next round. Foxboro held a 4-2 lead going into the final frame but Diman struck twice for make it 2-2. In the bottom of the seventh, senior Peyton Feldman had a single, stole second, and came home to score the winning run on a base hit from Cuscia. Cuscia got the win in the circle, striking out nine. Freshman Jill Slattery added two hits, two runs, and a stolen base in the win.

Girls Lacrosse
Division 1
#38 Milford, 4 @ #27 Newton North, 14 – Final

Boys Tennis
Division 1
#18 Algonquin, 4 @ #15 Franklin, 1 – Final

Division 2
#23 Nauset, 1 @ #10 Mansfield, 4 – Final
#19 Oliver Ames, 2 @ #14 Plymouth North, 3 – Final
#22 Canton, 1 @ #11 Wakefield, 4 – Final
#31 King Philip, 0 @ #2 Westboro, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Division 1
#25 King Philip, 0 @ #8 Hingham, 5 – Final
#30 Franklin, 0 @ #3 Brookline, 5 – Final

Division 2
#27 Ludlow, 1 @ #6 Sharon, 4 – Final
#20 Marblehead, 2 @ #13 Oliver Ames, 3 – Final

Division 3
#26 Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 @ #7 Foxboro, 5 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Division 2
#29 Boston Latin Academy, 0 @ #4 Milford, 3 – Final

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/26/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro got off to a great start with four runs between the first two innings and then delivered a big response late when Attleboro mounted a comeback in the final innings. Jordan Paradis reached on a two-out error with the bases loaded to bring in two runs, and a second error on the same play brought in another as the Rocketeers jumped ahead 3-0. Tyler Bannon added an RBI in the second inning to give the hosts a 4-0 edge. Attleboro rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to make it a one-run game as Owen Taber scored on a wild pitch, Billy Saltmarsh drove in a run with a single to center, and Peter DelPozzo laced a two-out double to right to bring in another run to cut the deficit to 4-3. But North had an immediate response as Anthony Wescott brought in a run on a fielder’s chioce, David Floyd stole home, and Tyler DeMattio made it 7-3 with a sacrifice fly to right. Bannon got the win on the mound, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks, striking out nine in five innings. Paradis and DeMattio each tossed an inning in relief. Freshman Tyler Dunlea allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits and five walks, striking out three in 4.1 innings.

Franklin, 5 @ Natick, 0 – Final – Franklin’s Jacob Jette and James Kuczmiec combined for a shutout performance with just three hits allowed and a total of 13 strikeouts to lead the Panthers to a win over Natick. Jette allowed just one hit and one walk in five innings of work with nine strikeouts to earn the win. Kuczmiec came on in relief to finish the game and struck out four with two hits and one walk allowed. Offensively, Franklin jumped ahead right out of the gates as Evan Raider smacked a two-out double to score Chris Goode in the top of the first inning. An inning later, Franklin struck again with two outs as Ben Jarosz singled and Joe Tirrell followed with a home run to left field to make it 3-0. The visitors added two more runs in the top of the fifth when Goode drove in both Ryan Gerety and Jack Marino, who both walked, with a double.

Softball
Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 14 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip opened the bottom of the first with five straight hits and turned nine first-inning hits into eight runs, and never looked back in a big win over visiting Franklin. Ava Kelley (3-for-3) led off with a double and the hit parade was on as Ava Lanza followed with an RBI single, Meg Sherwood singled, Taylor Regan drove in two with a single, Charlotte Raymond followed with an RBI double, Maddie Paschke then tacked on a two-out RBI, Sarah Cullen smacked an RBI double, Kelley singled again, Lanza drove in another run with a single, and Sherwood reached on an error to bring in KP’s eighth run of the inning. KP added four runs in the third and then two more in the fourth on a two-run blast from Cullen. Jordan Bennett earned the win in the circle, allowing just two hits and no walks with six strikeouts in five scoreless innings of work.

Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro @ Milford, 4:15

Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 8 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final

Taunton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 17 – Final – For Taunton, Sarah Clark scored a pair of goals while Cali Melo, Isabella Leite, and Madison Szala each scored once.

Sharon @ Ursuline, 3:45

Boys Tennis
North Attleboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames wrapped its best regular season in years with its second straight win over North Attleboro, taking a pair of wins from both singles and doubles action. Seniors Raphael Vache (6-2, 6-0) and Kylash Ganesh (6-0, 6-3) won in straight sets at second and third singles, respectively. Patrick Dolan and Alex Efremidas added a hard-fought 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles and the team of Ben Dias and Alex Vasiliou earned a 6-4, 6-0 win at second doubles. North Attleboro senior captain Will Folan capped an impressive season with a 7-6 (5), 6-0 win at frist singles.

Girls Tennis
Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Taunton @ Milford, 5:00