06/16/201806/16/2018

Taunton Gets Right Bounce to Beat KP in South Final

Taunton softball — Taunton sophomore Rylie Murphy celebrates at first after driving in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

TAUNTON, Mass. – In the bottom of the sixth inning, Taunton put together a rally to try and regain the lead against King Philip (21-4) in Friday night’s Div. 1 South final at Jack Tripp Field. The first two batters reached and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. An intentional walk loaded the bases for No. 9 hitter Rylie Murphy.

The sophomore made her first start of the playoffs, after playing a handful of games and getting fewer than 20 at-bats on varsity in the regular season, and was now up in the biggest moment of the spring against the team’s biggest rival. Taunton coach Dave Lewry admitted that adding Murphy to the lineup was a “hunch.”

It was a hunch that paid off with a South title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Murphy battled to a 3-2 count against KP starter Elise Pereira, who was only a strike away from escaping the jam, before turning on a pitch and smacking a grounder down the third base line. KP third baseman Jess Bonner dove but the ball hit a mound of dirt in front of her, took a huge hop, and bounced into shallow left field, bringing in the game-winning runs.

“It’s like what you have in dreams, two outs, 3-2 count, bottom of the sixth inning and you just hit it and you don’t even know where it goes and all of a sudden your coach is screaming, jumping up and down and you’re so excited,” said Murphy after Taunton’s 4-2 victory, which earned the program’s first South title since 2007.

Lewry was all smiles as he talked about Murphy and the contributions she has made to the team off the field all season. He said, “A kid who sits the bench all year, cheering for everybody, and comes into this game and gets the winning hit, unbelievable.”

He added, “She’s a kid that puts the bat on the ball all the time. You’ve got to put the bat on the ball to get hits. If you swing and miss or take a called third then you’re not going to get anything.”

The Warriors were far from finished. In the top of the seventh, Bonner ripped a hard line drive to third but Jaime Brown knocked it down and made the play for the first out. Brooke Taute and Brianna Lacy were both hit by pitches from freshman Kelsey White to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.

“Probably the most nervous she got all year was hitting two batters in the last inning,” said Lewry of White. He gathered the team in the circle to settle everyone down. “That’s one of her traits, she’s just so composed,” he added. “She’s amazing, I love her demeanor out there on the mound.”

White got a pop-up in foul ground and a soft liner that shortstop Hanna Aldrich made a nice running catch on to end the game. It meant the Tigers won the season series with KP, after splitting two games in the regular season (and losing the Kelley-Rex title to the Warriors) and fulfilled a mission for the team’s three seniors and for Brown, who was an eighth grader when Taunton made the final in 2015 but lost to Silver Lake.

“Since my eighth grade year, being here and losing, we’ve been working for this for so long,” Brown explained. “It gave you that pit in the bottom of your stomach. There was no other option; we knew we were winning today.”

Taunton took the lead for the first time in the second inning. Kelsey White lined a one-out single to left and her sister Alexa, a junior second baseman, drilled a double down the leftfield line to bring in the game’s first run.

As expected in a rivalry that is fast becoming one of the best in the state, one run was not going to be enough. KP battled back in the top of the fourth to jump in front.

Hailey McCasland led-off with a walk and moved to second on a groundout. Faith Turinese singled to right but the runner had to hold at third. After Turinese stole second, KP coach Norm Beauchemin called for a Pereira squeeze bunt, but Kelsey White fielded her position well to scoop the ball to catcher Kya Enos for the second out.

The Tigers nearly got out of the inning unscathed, but Aldrich bobbled a Bonner grounder to extend the inning and bring in the tying run. Taute followed that by crushing a ball to dead center that was inches from being gone. Instead it was an RBI-double to put KP up 2-1.

“We didn’t beat ourselves tonight and that’s what I’m proud of,” said Beauchemin of the Warriors battling back. “We know we’re going to have a tough game and they expect a tough game on their end as well.”

Taunton almost came right back to tie it after Handrahan started the bottom of the fourth with a double, but she was stranded. In the fifth, the Tigers did even the score. Paige Silvia lined a double to left center and moved to third on a sac bunt by Murphy. Brown grounded a ball to KP shortstop Meghan Gorman, who was playing deep enough to allow the run to score.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been more confident in this team in years. Even when we were down, we knew we could pick it up,” said Brown. When asked about the contributions from the bottom of the order, she added, “We’ve been working on it all season and trying to get that whole lineup going and it’s a perfect timing for all of it to come together.”

In the sixth inning, Handrahan again got things started with a single off the glove of Bonner, who was at full stretch going to her left. Aldrich lined a ball off the leg of Pereira and into no-man’s land in front of second base. Kelsey White’s sac bunt moved the runners into scoring position and Beauchemin called for an intentional walk of Alexa White to give KP a force at the plate.

It worked on the next hitter, as Silvia’s grounder to Bonner turned into the second out when the third baseman gunned down the lead runner. Murphy came up next and with the pressure on, she delivered the hit that decided the South title.

“It wasn’t only the lucky break,” said Beauchemin, “they earned the first two runs and of course they got a lucky break, but such is life. I thought it was two evenly-matched teams coming into this game.”

Lewry said, “It took kind of a bad-hop ground ball to make the difference, but we’ll take it all the time. These kids don’t quit. They’ve got a lot of guts and they hung in there and found a way to come back and do the job.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Murphy tried to reflect on what was going through her mind as she stepped up to the plate in the decisive moment, knowing that this was a chance to not only win the game, but also to give the upperclassman the title that they have been craving since their last final appearance four years ago.

“It’s so overwhelming,” she said. “I’m just so glad that I got to be to be able to be in the game and be around to hit the ball. I just feel so amazing to win.

“I’ve never wanted to win this for them and for everybody so badly in my entire life.”

Taunton (24-2) will face the winner of Methuen and Newton North in the state semifinal on Tuesday night at Martin Field in Lowell.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

06/13/201806/14/2018

Fourth Inning Explosion Carries KP To South Finals

King Philip softball — Hailey McCasland celebrates with teammates after scoring a run in the Div. 1 South semifinal against Braintree. KP scored six times in the fourth on its way to a 9-3 win. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By Brian Hines, HockomockSports.com Contributor

TAUNTON, Mass. – King Philip has had no problem scoring runs all season, so after their bats were silenced for three innings, the sense was that an offensive explosion was coming.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After Meghan Duffy doubled and scored on a sacrifice squeeze in the second inning to give the Wamps a 1-0 lead, the Warriors plated six runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good, on their way to a 9-3 win in Wednesday night’s Div. 1 South semifinal at Jack Tripp Field.

“They obviously never quit and they have a lot of confidence in themselves even when we were down 1-0,” King Philip coach Norm Beauchemin said about his team. “[Braintree has] an extremely good pitcher but they always thought they could come back and score at least two runs.”

The fourth inning rally started with back-to-back singles, then a misplayed ball loaded the bases for the Warriors. Catcher Brianna Lacy laced a one out single, driving in two runs and opening up King Philip’s first lead of the afternoon.

The runs didn’t stop there, as Sydney Phillips scored Lacy two batters later through a sacrifice fly. After another error scored Phillips, Meghan Gorman ripped a single to score two more for the Warriors.

“Today we scored,” Beauchemin said. “It’s not how many hits you get its when you get the hits and today we got the hits when we needed them. We took advantage of whatever mistakes they made, but for the most part our girls played very intelligent today, very intelligent game.”

After surrendering six runs in the fourth, the Wamps continued to fight back, but the Warriors had an answer every time.

In the fifth, Kara Paquin’s RBI double gave the Wamps life, but King Philip answered with two runs of their own after three consecutive singles.

Braintree again added a run in the sixth looking to get back into the game, but King Philip matched them yet again after scoring on a pass ball.

“We kept matching them when they scored,” Beauchemin said. “They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t a good team, plain and simple. You got four really good teams here so anybody is capable of beat anybody at this point.”

The offensive outburst was due to the same approach they’ve followed all year: being aggressive. The Warriors had seven stolen bases and laid down two bunts, both part of the six-run fourth inning.

“We’re aggressive all the time, we’ve got the talent to be aggressive,” Beauchemin said. “We try to do whatever they’ll give us. If it looks like we can put the bunt down we’ll put the bunt down, if it looks like we’ll have to swing away well swing away. We do whatever the other team wants to give us and we have the personnel to take advantage of whatever mistakes the other team makes.”

For as good as King Philip’s offense was, starting pitcher Elise Pereira was very economical on the mound.

The right-handed senior threw an 89-pitch (71 for strikes) complete game for the Warriors. Pereira was able to limit the Wamps damage all game, including ending the Wamps second inning rally with back-to-back strikeouts.

King Philip (21-3) advances to take on league rival Taunton in the Division 1 South Finals on Friday night at 7:00 back at Jack Tripp Field.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

06/11/201806/12/2018

Strong Pitching, Timely Offense Lead King Philip To Win

King Philip senior pitcher Elise Pereira tossed a complete game, giving up seven hits and a run while striking out six. (Cameron Merritt/HockomockSports.com)

By Cameron Merritt, HockomockSports.com Contributor

PLAINVILLE, Mass. – Last year, the King Philip Warriors saw their season end in the MIAA D1 South Quarterfinals.

This year, the #4 Warriors were able to book their trip to the D1 South Semifinals in Taunton for the third time in four years as they beat the #11 Somerset-Berkley Raiders, 4-1, on Monday afternoon at the Plainville Athletic League fields.

“We’re feeling very confident and we’ve got a big, senior-heavy lineup,” said King Philip pitcher Elise Pereira. “We all want [the state title] really badly. We’re all ready to work for it.”

The senior tossed a complete game for the win, giving up seven hits and just one run while striking out six.

On the Raiders side, pitcher Abigail Cadorette also went the full game, giving up 10 hits, four runs and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in the loss.

The King Philip offense saw contributions from several players, including catcher Brianna Lacy, who went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. First baseman Brooke Taute and second baseman Hailey McCasland both went 2-for-3 with a run, while shortstop Meghan Gorman went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

For Somerset-Berkley, catcher Lindsay Chubbuck scored the team’s sole run, going 1-for-3 in the process. Shortstop Megan Antaya hit 2-for-4 with a single and a double from the Raiders’ leadoff spot.

The game started off, and for the most part remained, a pitchers duel between Pereira and Cadorette, with each side’s getting a hit or two before being shut down by the opposing pitcher.

The Warriors broke through and put themselves on the board first in the bottom of the third as they put three of their first four batters of the inning on base, and a bases-loaded walk to third baseman Jess Bonner sent Gorman home for the early lead and easy RBI.

Both pitchers would again shut down their opponents in the fourth, with Cadorette retiring the side in order. After giving up a leadoff hit to designated player Courtney Faris to start the inning, Pereira sent down the next three batters, two through strikeouts.

That would change in the fifth, however, as Cadorette walked McCasland to start the inning, then gave up a single to Gorman to put her in scoring position. Outfielder Faith Turinese lined out through a diving catch by second baseman Julyanne Pacheco, but her ensuing throw back to first went out of bounds, allowing both KP runners to advance.

After initially sending McCasland and Gorman to second and third respectively, both umpires convened and ruled that the runners had tagged up and awarded them each an extra base, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead as McCasland crossed the plate.

Somerset-Berkley made their offensive presence felt in the top of the sixth as Chubbuck led off the inning with a single down the right field line, and found herself in scoring position shortly after through a sacrifice bunt by Faris. Cadorette hit a grounder, but an infield error allowed her to reach and advance to second and for Chubbuck to score, pulling the Raiders within one run.

The Warriors, however, had different plans.

Back-to-back-to-back singles from the bottom of the order loaded up the bases quick for King Philip in the bottom of the sixth, and Taute and Lacy were able to score off tag ups on fly outs from outfielder Sydney Phillips and Gorman respectively, making it 4-1 for the home team.

Somerset-Berkley attempted to come back in the seventh, as a two-out single by Antaya gave them hope, however a ground out to Pereira by Pacheco on the next at-bat ended the game, as the Warriors sealed the deal.

King Philip (20-3) will return to action Wednesday against #9 Braintree at 5:00 Taunton High School for a shot at going to the D1 South championship.

05/29/201805/29/2018

Pereira Leads King Philip To Big Win Over Milford

PLAINVILLE, Mass. – As the warm weather has rolled in, so have the dominant performances from King Philip’s Elise Pereira.

The senior right-handed pitcher has been superb in the circle over the past few weeks for the Warriors and has also shined at the plate as well.

That was the case again on Tuesday afternoon as Pereira earned the win in the circle and highlighted offensive attack with a grand slam in the third inning, helping King Philip pick up its most impressive win of the season, 12-2, over Milford.

The win snapped the Scarlet Hawks’ 43-game win streak dating back to early 2017. It also clinches the second straight Kelley-Rex title for the Warriors.

“Elise has been phenomenal for the last three or four weeks,” said King Philip head coach Norm Beauchemin. “Her bad games were in cold weather at the beginning of the season. We basically weren’t playing great ball anyways. If you look at her earned run average after the second Newton North game, it’s minuscule. Since then she’s been lights out.”

Pereira allowed two runs on five hits and just one walk in a complete game effort, striking out six. Milford had three of its five hits in the fourth inning and scored both of its runs in that frame. Pereira only allowed three base runners in the other six innings.

“Her off-speed has been strong all year,” Beauchemin added. “That was her pitch last year and she threw it too many times. This year she’s got a lot of confidence hitting the corners, her curveball is working, everything is working. She’s using the whole plate – up and down, side to side. She’s just been lights out.”

“Tip your cap to KP, they played a great game,” said Milford head coach Steve DiVitto. “Pereira was excellent, she kept us off balance all game. We were able to put the bat on the some on the second and third time through but you just have to tip your cap, today was their day. It most certainly wasn’t our day but I’m proud of the way the girls continued to battle and fight. They played a full seven and that’s what you look for at this time of the year.

After a quiet first two innings for both sides, King Philip made a big splash in the bottom of the third. Bri Lacy lined a single into right to lead off and Nicole Carter laid down a sac bunt to move courtesy runner Marjorie Guerrier to second.

A single from Sydney Phillips put runners on the corners and Hailey McCasland reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases with one out. Meg Gorman drove in the first run with a single, keeping the bases loaded. After an out, Pereira hit a sharp line drive over the center field fence at the PAL fields for a grand slam.

Two pitches later, Jess Bonner got a hold of one and launched it over the fence in left for a 6-0 lead. The Warriors loaded the bases again, all with two outs, but Kelley Reichert induced an infield pop up to escape further damage.

“We hit the snots out of the ball,” Beauchemin said “We had 12 hits today….we don’t have fictitious batting averages, ours are earned. Our batting average against [the Davenport] division is 0.489 as a team. And I don’t think we lowered it today. We bat 0.379 against [the Kelley-Rex] so when you compare apples and apples, and oranges and oranges, we’re not a bad team.

“This team likes being the underdogs because they have the toughness that it takes. [Milford] is a tough team too. This [score] is unusual, but we’ll take it. I’d rather 12-2 than 4-3.”

Milford responded in the top half of the third as Kate Irwin raced around to third for a leadoff triple. A sacrifice fly from Emily Piergustavo put the Hawks on the board, and Jess Tomaso followed with a single.

The Hawks had a player ejected on the next play after a close call at first but Shannon Corier came up with a line drive single to bring Tomaso in to make it 6-2 but Pereira got a strikeout to end the inning.

With the ejection, the Hawks were forced to put a field player at catcher for the remainder of the game.

KP’s Brooke Taute reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and quickly stole second. Lacy connected on an RBI double to make it 7-2. Nicole Carter reached on an infield error and Phillips loaded the bases on a fielder’s choice.

McCasland connected on a single to bring a run in, Carter scored on a passed ball, and Phillips crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from Gorman to put the hosts up 10-2.

“That’s what we lacked last year…we had a lot of hits but we didn’t get the hits at the right time,” Beauchemin said of his team putting up runs in bunches. “Now we’re getting them at the right time. We have confidence 1 through 9, every girl can put the bat on the ball. We came into this game with 58 strikeouts on the season, now we’re at 59 in 21 games.

“And I think their [Milford] defense showed a little bit. When the ball is hit hard they have a little trouble catching it. It’s much easier when the ball is hit soft to you.”

The Warriors tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Pereira got things started with a leadoff walk and courtesy runner Liliana Rolfe went to third on a single from Taute, who quickly stole second. A walk to Lacy loaded the bases and Rolfe raced home to score on a passed ball.

“I say this no matter who you’re playing, you’ve got to treat every opponent the same,” DiVitto said. “If you’re too up for KP and not up for other teams, that’s when you’ll get caught. Our girls are up for each game and today was no different. You want to obviously play a great game against a team like KP but you tip your cap, they had a great game and we didn’t have that timely hit and we made a couple of mistakes here or there that cost us.”

Carter brought in another run with a line drive single to center to plate Taute but Milford center fielder Kate Irwin gunned the second runner down at the plate for the third out.

“I told the girls that this game is on me, it’s my fault,” DiVitto said. “It’s my job as a coach to have them prepared to play. They fought and battled but I don’t think they had their ‘A’ game and that’s on me. As their head coach, that’s on me. But I told them that’s not going to happen again. We’ll have a great practice tomorrow and get ready for Senior Day against another great team in North Attleboro.”

King Philip softball finishes the season 18-3 overall and 15-1 in Hockomock play. Milford (18-1 overall, 14-1 Hock) closes the regular season on Thursday when it hosts North Attleboro.

05/21/201805/22/2018

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/21/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Taunton scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning but Attleboro chipped away with single runs in the third and fourth innings and then scored the winning run in the top of the fifth. Dakota Kirby had a leadoff single in the third and scored when Jon Candiales drew a bases-loaded walk. In the fourth, Troy Gamache led off with a single and scored to tie the game on an RBI double from James Weir. The Bombardiers took the lead in the fifth when Corey McKenna had a two-out single, stole second, and scored on an RBI single from Gamache. Ryan Morry earned the win, allowing two first-inning runs in a complete game effort. Morry allowed six hits — four in the first inning — before settling down, striking out three and walking one.

North Attleboro, 13 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro’s Nate Pearce launched a grand slam in the second inning, highlighting the Rocketeers’ sixth run frame in a win over Foxboro. North scored two runs in the first inning and tacked on five more in the third inning. Nick Sinacola improved to 7-0 on the season, allowing one run on two hits and one walk, striking out six in four innings of work. Matt Seavey earned the save, striking out five in three innings of work. Brendan McHugh went 3-for-3 and Zach DeMattio was 2-for-2 with five RBI.

Stoughton, 9 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Stoughton got off to a great start, pushing across six runs in the first inning and never looked back. The Black Knights added three more in the second inning to build a large lead. Evan Gibb got the win on the mound, going 6.2 innings with three earned runs allowed on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Gibb, Ruben Gonzalez, and George Currier each had two hits. James Genest added a two-run single, Robbie Seaman had a double with two walks, and Mike Nazzaro had two RBI and two stolen bases. Jack Brown got his first varsity hit and Tim Kellogg played stellar defense in the field for the Black Knights.

King Philip, 2 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin senior Jake Noviello scattered five hits, struck out five, allowed two runs and didn’t issue a walk in a complete game effort to lead the Panthers to a win. Steve Luttazi (two doubles, RBI, run) and Jack Nally (RBI, run) each had two hits for the Panthers while Alex Haba (triple, run), Jake Macchi (RBI), and Colby Fitzgibbons (double) each had a hit. Pat Limerick (RBI, run), Jeremy Rhines (RBI), and Ian Zimmerman each had a hit for KP.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final (8 inn.)

Softball
Taunton, 21 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton held a one-run lead after five innings but exploded in the sixth for 15 runs to get the win. Kya Enos had four hits, including a double, with five RBI and four runs, Hanna Aldrich (double, home run, six RBI) and Mackenzie Handrahan (two runs) each had three hits, and Liana Duarte went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Jaylin Couto got the win with four strikeouts and three runs allowed in 3.2 innings of work. Kelsey White came on in relief and struck out five with two runs allowed in 2.1 innings of work.

Canton, 0 @ Stoughton, 7 – Final – Gina Carafa was 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored, Karly Estremera and Nikki Coppola each had two hits, and Taylor Levine contributed with a hit and two RBI. Carafa picked up her sixth win of the season, striking out five and allowing only four hits.

Foxboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 16 – Final – Bella Erti struck out sixth, recording her 100th of the season and went 3-for-4 with a double at the plate to pace the Rocketeers to a win over Foxboro. Olivia Capobianco was 3-for-3, including a leadoff home run and had four RBI, Annabelle Hebard added three hits and two runs, and Jaclyn Buckley had two hits and four RBI. Emily Nardelli and Stephanie Inglese both added two hits while Emily Pastore and Katherine Munley had one hit apiece and a run scored.

Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 9 – Final – Brooke Taute set the tone early with a first-inning grand slam to help the Warriors sweep the season series against Franklin. Sydney Phillips, Jessica Bonner (two-run home run) and Brianna Lacy each had two hits. Elise Pereira pitched a complete game shutout, giving up only three hits while striking out five.

Oliver Ames, 9 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final

Boys Lacrosse
Taunton, 2 @ Attleboro, 12 – Final

Foxboro, 7 @ Xaverian, 17 – Final

Franklin, 17 vs. Dover-Sherborn, 7 – Final – Franklin’s offense had another strong game, picking up a win over D3 powerhouse Dover-Sherborn. Eric Civetti was responsible for 10 of those goals, scoring seven and assisting on three more. Jake Davis (three goals, one assist), and Matt Lazzaro (two goals, two assists) each had four points while Nitin Chaudhury and three assists. Jacob Alexander dominated the face-off X, winning 24 of 28 attempts. Connor O’Rourke made nine saves while Will Davis came in and made two stops.

King Philip @ Westford Academy, 5:00

Mansfield, 11 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final

North Attleboro, 8 @ Scituate, 7 – Final

Oliver Ames, 17 @ Southeastern, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames recorded its 12th win of the season, setting a new program mark for regular season wins. The Tigers had 11 different goal scorers in the win with Owen Gallagher leading the way with three goals and three assists.

Girls Lacrosse
Taunton vs. Southeastern, 3:30

Attleboro @ Oliver Ames, 3:45

Canton, 7 @ Holliston, 15 – Final – Leah McClellan scored three goals and assisted on three others for the Bulldogs in the loss. Maggie Connolly had a goal and an assist, while Caroline Tourgee, Molly Colburn and Rachel Beatty had one goal apiece. Vicki Revanche made 21 saves in defeat.

Foxboro, 13 @ Wellesley, 14 – Final

King Philip, 15 vs. Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final – Caroline Klim continued her all-star season with six goals to lead KP to a big win over a potential playoff opponent. Alli Meehan added four goals and an assist and Olivia Tormey had two goals and an assist for the Warriors. KP also got goals from Shayla Weitzman, Jess Sullivan, and Mackenzie Mazur.

North Attleboro, 4 vs. Natick, 18 – Final – Julia Tolfa scored two goals for North but the Rocketeers fell at home to Natick.

Sharon, 13 @ Ursuline Academy, 12 – Final – For the second time this season, the Eagles rallied from four goals down at halftime to beat Ursuline. Sharon went on an 8-3 run in the second half and won the game on Sabrina Robbins’ fourth goal of the afternoon with just one second remaining. Emma Eberhardt scored five goals to lead the Eagles, adding the 100th of her career in the process. She also had two assists. Rose Wald made nine saves, including six in the second half. Maeve Barbera scored a pair of goals and Cass Barbera and Lydia Chase each had one.

Boys Tennis
Taunton, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final

Canton, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Stoughton won at first and second singles but the Bulldogs got the win at third singles and swept doubles play to beat the Black Knights. Freshman Minh Duong won 7-5, 6-2 at third singles, the team of Charlie Malloy and Aidas Jakubenas earned a 7-6, 6-3 win at first doubles and Ethan Nguyen and Justin Luk picked up a 6-1, 7-6 (4) win at second doubles. Stoughton freshman Waseem Sablon won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles and junior Erik Anderson earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at second singles.

Foxboro, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro’s three singles players combined to lose just a single game in a convincing sweep over Foxboro. Richard Bermudez won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles while Christian Bermudez and Jonah Manso each won 6-0, 6-0 at second and third singles, respectively. Ben Pfeffer and Vikram Senthilakumaran pulled out a 6-3, 6-2 win at first doubles and senior Alex Rinaldi and freshman Sam Gallagher notched their fourth straight win, 6-3, 6-2, at second doubles.

Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip clinched its second straight Kelley-Rex title with a sweep over Franklin. Marco DiStefano earned a 6-1, 6-4 win at first singles, Nick Putney prevailed 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 at second singles and Jack Cannon won 6-1, 6-4 at third singles. The team of Sean Desroches and Nate Ihley emerged with a 7-5, 3-6, 10-5 at first doubles and Nick Ihley and Aidan Ignatius teamed up for a 6-1, 6-0 victory at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final

Sharon, 5 @ Martha’s Vineyard, 0 – Final – Sharon swept the first of two matches with Martha’s Vineyard, winning all five matches with proset rules. Fred Bondar won 8-2 at first singles, Andre Olivei earned an 8-6 win at second singles and Danujan Thirumavalavan won 8-5 at third singles. The team of Max Brody and Ashwin Sreevatsa picked up an 8-5 win at first doubles and Arie Chinnappan and Alex Asprevailedaled 8-5 at second doubles.

Sharon, 3 @ Martha’s Vineyard, 2 – Final – Sharon earned its second win on the day with a 3-2 proset win. Fred Bondar won 8-3 at first singles, Danujan Thirumavalavan earned an 8-7 (7-1) win at third singles, and Arie Chinnappan and Alex Aspel recorded an 8-2 win at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton earned its second win of the season over the Bombardiers, this time taking all five matches and doing so in straight sets. Junior Jillian Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles, senior Vanessa Rosa picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and freshman Jocelyn Pagliuca walked away with a 6-0, 6-0 decision at third singles. Juniors McKenzie Lucie and Samantha Martin won 6-0, 6-3 at first doubles and seniors Amanda Pugh and Gabrielle Fagundes earned a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Canton freshmen Natalie Keppler and Rachel Kupferman had strong performances on the day with neither losing a game in their respective matches. Keppler (first singles) and Kupferman (second) each won 6-0, 6-0 while sophomore Sarah Hernandez picked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at third singles. Senior Caitlin Matthews and sophomore Stelina Michaelidis won 6-1, 7-6 (6) at first singles and the team of seniors Jenna Moyle and Anjali Mandal earned a 6-1, 6-4 win at second doubles for the Bulldogs.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final

King Philip @ Franklin, 3:45

Mansfield, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames swept doubles play and earned a win at third singles to edge Mansfield. Kristin Bloumbas and Emily You prevailed 7-6 (5), 6-0 at first doubles, Olivia Groebe and Rachel Stryke picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles, and sophomore Maura Kiernan dropped just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. Mansfield’s Sarah Doyle recorded a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles while Elizabeth Elsner emerged victoriously, 6-4, 7-5, at second singles.

05/15/201811/23/2018

Strong Start Helps Taunton Edge King Philip

TAUNTON, Mass. – After losing the first game of the season series to King Philip on a walkoff home run, it didn’t take long to see how ready the Taunton Tigers were to extract some revenge.

The hosts came out swimming, plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by a three-run home run, and then held off a late surge from the Warriors to earn a 4-3 win.

“I think they definitely ready to play tonight, this was an absolute must win for us when you think about the Hock championship,” said Taunton head coach Dave Lewry. “We came out with four runs in the first but kind of struggled a bit after that. We got some base runners but couldn’t come through with the clutch hit. They are a good team…that shortstop [Meghan Gorman] played a tremendous game for them, just tremendous. We just couldn’t get the base hit when we needed it [for insurance]. But the four runs held up for seven innings so we’ll take that.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Junior Jaime Brown had a line drive double to lead off the bottom of the first, Kya Enos gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with an RBI single through the left side, Mackenzie Handrahan took first after being hit by a pitch, and freshman Hanna Aldrich blasted a deep shot to center field for a three-run homer, giving Taunton a 4-0 lead.

“It’s a good spot for her,” Lewry said of Aldrich’s spot in the order. “She’s a clutch hitter for us but I don’t want her any further up in the lineup so there isn’t too much pressure on her. And she’s gotten a lot of big hits for us in the five-hole so I think its a real nice spot for her. And none bigger than tonight. When you hit the ball out to center, you crush the ball. It’s 220 out there, and that cleared by a good 20 feet if possible.”

The Tigers had a chance to add to their lead but KP starter Elise Pereira (6 IP, 8 H, 5 K) settled in nicely, only allowing five hits over the next five innings. And even when Taunton did get a hit, or looked like they might, KP shortstop Meghan Gorman had a handful of highlight reel plays to stall Taunton’s attack.

For example, in the second inning, the Tigers had runners on first (Brown via a walk) and second (Alexa White leadoff double) with just one out. But Pereira induced a pop up to center field and then Gorman robbed Enos of a hit with a diving catch at short.

King Philip got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Pereira helped her own cause with a one-out double to center and courtesy runner Liliana Rolfe came around to score on an RBI single from Jess Bonner to make it 4-1.

The Warriors had a chance to cut into the lead more when Brianna Lacy singled to get runners on first and second but Taunton freshman Alexa White (5.2 IP, 9 H, 3 K) got a strikeout to escape the jam.

It looked like Taunton was going to add to its lead in the bottom of the fourth when Alexa and Kelsey White had had back-to-back singles to begin the inning but Gorman snagged a line drive and got the tag at second for the force out for an unassisted double play.

Sydney Phillips led off with a double in the fifth and made it to third with two outs, but White once again came up with the right pitch, getting a fly ball that senior centerfielder Liana Duarte tracked down and made the catch over her shoulder just before the fence.

“Liana is clearly our best outfielder, this is her fourth year in the outfield for us, Lewry said. “When a ball is hit to her, I don’t have to hold my breath. And Mack is developing into a real solid left fielder, she keeps the ball in front of her and makes the plays. And Alexa is an infielder who’s learning how to play out there and she’s doing a nice job out there. Liana definitely made some nice plays for us today. A couple of those balls, they could have been trouble and been over her heard but she made the plays.”

But an inning later, King Philip’s offense did cash in, pushing across two runs. Jess Bonner singled and moved to second on a groundout. Lacy reached after an infield throwing error, allowing Bonner to come home to make it 4-2. Courtesy runner Majorie Guerrier stole second and came in to score on a two-out single from Nicole Carter.

Sophomore Jaylin Couto came in to relieve White, inducing a pop up behind the plate that Enos made an acrobatic play on to get the third out.

“It’s hard a decision for me to get used to making because I haven’t had that in the past,” Lewry said of using multiple pitchers. “When you have a pitcher out there, she’s throwing a good game, it’s hard to pull her and put someone cold. You just hope they don’t come in and walk three batters in a row. But Jaylin did her job, she does throw hard, she had some nice stuff. The whole key there was to throw quality strikes and she did that.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Alexa White picked up her third hit of the day, her second double, with two outs but Pereira picked up a strikeout to end the threat in the bottom of the sixth.

KP threatened in the top of the seventh when Hailey McCasland drew a walk but Brown made a phenomenal play at third, grabbing a hard hit line drive and getting the double play at first. Faith Turinese singled with two outs, and Guerrier stole second to get into scoring position, but Couto got a fly ball to center for the final out.

Taunton softball (10-2 Hockomock, 11-2 overall) moves into a first place tie with the Warriors with the win, though KP has a game in hand. The Tigers are scheduled to be back in action on Wednesday when it hosts Oliver Ames. King Philip (10-1, 12-3) will try to bounce back on Tuesday when it hits the road to take on Franklin.

04/28/201804/29/2018

Pereira Provides Heroics, KP Rally Stuns Taunton

PLAINVILLE, Mass. – Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday afternoon’s first meeting between the preseason Kelley-Rex title favorites at the Plainville Athletic League fields, King Philip had been held without a hit by Taunton freshman pitcher Kelsey White.

The Warriors had the middle of the order due up for the final at-bat and plenty of confidence on the bench that a comeback was still possible.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

A lead-off single by Meg Gorman broke up the no-hitter, catcher Brianna Lacy battled for a two-out walk to keep the game alive and senior pitcher Elise Pereira, who had not gotten the ball out of the infield in her first two at bats, drilled a two-out, walk-off three-run homer over the left-field fence.

Pereira’s blast gave KP a 3-2 victory, stunned the Tigers, and gave the Warriors an early edge in the race for the league title, which KP has won 11 times in the past 12 years.

“You’ve just got to be loud and you’ve got to try and create the energy if you can’t do it with the bats,” Pereira explained. “We knew that was our last shot, so we gave it all we had.”

When asked if she had learned anything helpful from her two previous at-bats, Pereira said, “She was throwing all fastballs inside, so I backed off the plate a little so I could get my hands inside and she threw it right there.”

Coming into the game, both teams had been relying on potent offenses, but Saturday was a pitcher’s duel, as White and Pereira were both keeping hitters off-balance by hitting spots and mixing speeds.

“I thought there would be more runs today,” said KP coach Norm Beauchemin, “but it was excellent pitching on both ends. It was fun. It was a fun game.”

MacKenzie Handrahan lined a single to left to start the second and, after a strikeout, she barely beat Gorman to the bag after the KP shortstop made a superb diving stop behind second. With two on and no outs, Pereira got a strikeout and a fly ball to left to get out of the jam.

Taunton broke the deadlock in the fourth inning. Kya Enos got it started by drawing a walk and advancing to second on a comebacker from Handrahan. A wild pitch moved the Taunton senior catcher to third and with a 3-0 count, freshman Hanna Aldrich dropped down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to get the run home.

It was a game with few mistakes, as both defenses were just about flawless through the first few innings. In the sixth, Taunton added an insurance run and again it was the middle of the order that came through.

With one out, Enos lined a single to left and Handrahan followed by driving a bouncing ball through the left side. Enos stole third on a ball in the dirt and Aldrich had a swinging bunt up the first base line, which she turned into a hit by avoiding the tag of Brooke Taute, and earned her second RBI of the game.

Taunton coach Dave Lewry said, “We didn’t hit any great shots but we did what we had to do to get the runs in there. For a ninth grader she does pretty good job. Our offense revolves around Kya, we all know that, and she’s having a great year for us so far.”

KP had little going offensively. After getting a runner to second in the first and another baserunner in the second, the Warriors did not get another player on base until two outs in the sixth when Sydney Phillips reached on an error. White fielded a pop up in front of the plate to close out the inning and preserve the two-run lead.

“She was hitting her spots beautifully,” said Lewry of White’s performance. “We were in and out, up and down a little bit, and she might have gotten a little tired because it was her first time going past five innings actually. She acted like an ace today.”

The Tigers could have put the game away in the seventh. Alexa White ripped a single down the left-field line and Kelsey White drew a four-pitch walk. Jaime Brown dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both into scoring position and an error on a popped up bunt by Liana Duarte loaded the bases with one out.

Enos hit one to Taute at first, who was able to get the lead runner at the plate, and Handrahan bounced back to Pereira to end the threat. Pereira scattered six hits in the game, while striking out seven (many on her change-up) in what both she and her coach called her best start of the season.

Pereira said, “This was my best outing of the season. I learned a lot from the last couple games, Newton North and Feehan, and learned where I needed to put the ball and pitches I needed to throw to get them where I wanted the batters to be.”

“We got a couple of gifts there to load the bases with one out and had the three, four hitters coming up but it didn’t happen,” said Lewry of the missed opportunity to add insurance runs. “Then you walk a batter in the seventh, and she pitched a fabulous game, but put the runner on and home run and it’s over.”

Gorman started the rally in the bottom of the seventh with a single to left, her second time reaching base in the game. After a pop up to Aldrich at short and a liner right to Handrahan in left, Taunton was one out from the win. Lacy put a scare into the Tigers ripping a long foul ball to left that would have been gone had it been pulled a little less. She fouled off several White pitches and fought her way to a hard-earned walk that brought the winning run to the plate.

“I think Bri’s at-bat was the big one,” said Beauchemin. “That helped Elise realize we’re making good contact now.” Pereira added, “Her at-bat definitely wore out the pitcher a little and then I got a great pitch.”

Beauchemin was asked if he had any advice for Pereira before her final at-bat and he replied, “Nope. Not at all. I don’t want to jinx anybody.”

Pereira fell behind but she squared up the pitch she was looking for and crushed it over the left-field fence to the right of the scoreboard and lifted KP to an improbable win when it seemed like the Warriors were going to fall behind their biggest rivals in the division.

King Philip (5-2, 4-0) will be on the road to face Stoughton on Monday, while Taunton (5-2, 4-2) will try to bounce back on Monday at Foxboro.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

04/11/201804/12/2018

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/11/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 6 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Attleboro senior James Weir shined on the mound, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts in a complete game effort. Weir earned the win with just one earned run allowed. Eoin Kelleher (double) and Dakota Kirby each had a pair of hits for the Bombardiers along with an RBI each. Jon Candiales added a pair of hits and three runs scored for Attleboro.

Foxboro, 3 @ Sharon, 8 – Final – Sharon junior Noah Kamens tossed a complete game without allowing an earned run to help the Eagles pick up their first win of the season. Kamens stuck out four while walking three in the win. Senior Drew Naisuler went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI while junior Jared Reef added two hits, an RBI, and a run scored.

Canton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – North Attleboro broke open a tie game with three runs in the top of the fourth and then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth to earn a win over Canton. In his varsity debut, senior Ben Arrighi came on with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and induced a ground ball to get out of the inning. Arrighi then escaped another bases loaded jam in the top of the seventh to earn the save (2.1 IP, 0 R). Jeff Gale went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, including a triple, and had an RBI single in the sixth inning to put Big Red up 6-2. Nick Sinacola added two hits while Peter Cohen earned the win on the mound. Canton’s Matt Casamento had a two-run home run in the third that tied the game 2-2.

Franklin, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final (8 inn.) – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Taunton, 3 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Mansfield took the lead in the bottom of the first inning but Taunton answered with three runs in the top of the second to earn the win. Jack Moynihan earned the win on the bump, scattering five hits with five strikeouts and just on unearned run allowed. Josh Lajoie didn’t allow a hit in two innings of relief, striking out four to earn the save. Offensively, Trevor Pietrzyk (2-for-4) knocked in one run and Jacob Crawford had two RBI. Moynihan also had a hit and scored a run. For Mansfield, Sam Nugent went 2-for-3 and Tyler Dalton had an RBI single. Sophomore John Carney struck out five without allowing a hit in 3.2 innings of relief.

Stoughton, 10 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Stoughton’s offense exploded for seven runs in the top of the eighth inning to pick up a victory on the road. Sophomore James Genest went 3-for-5 (double, run, RBI), while Ruben Gonzalez (double, run), Robbie Seaman (double, two runs), and George Currier (run, RBI, SB) each had two hits. Sophomore Michael Nazzaro chipped in with a two-run double. Zak Paquette started for Stoughton and went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs (1 earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts. Junior Evan Gibb got the win pitching 2.2 scoreless innings allowing just one hit.

Softball
King Philip, 7 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip’s Elise Pereira allowed just four singles and one run while striking out 12 batters to lead the Warriors to a win on the road. Brianna Lacy paced the offense with three hits, including a home run. Faith Turnese added two hits and Sydney Phillips had two RBI in the win.

North Attleboro, 20 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Bella Erti (three innings, one hit allowed) and Jaclyn Buckley (two innings and two hits allowed) combined for the shutout for North, which has scored at least 20 runs in each of its two games this season. Ashley Cangiano and Olivia Capobianco each went 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBI, while Abby Warren went 3-for-3 with two triples and six RBI. Erti also went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in a pair and Emily Nardelli had one RBI and three runs scored. North coach Bill Wallace said Andrea Miceli had a great game in the field.

Sharon, 7 @ Foxboro, 18 – Final – Foxboro seniors Hannah Davis and Mandy Ryan, and freshman Nicole Theriault each had three hits to pace the Warriors to a big win at home. Junior Emma Rohan recorded 10 strikeouts for the Warriors.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Franklin, 15 – Final (6 inn.) – Franklin scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back to secure its first win of the season. The Panthers tacked on four more in the second, five more in the fourth and a single run in the sixth inning. Kylie Bouzan and Meg Caron finished with two RBI apiece while Emily Valentino earned the win, striking out four while scattering six hits. For Oliver Ames, Marissa Guarino was 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored, Kayla Georgeu added a double, and Katie Abreu scored a run.

Mansfield, 4 @ Taunton, 13 – Final – Taunton sophomore Jaylin Couto allowed just one earned run on four hits in four innings of work. Couto also struck out four while Kelsey White finished with three innings of no-hit ball with three strikeouts. McKenzie McAloon (3-4, two doubles, three RBI), Hanna Aldrich (2-3, two doubles, three RBI), Jaime Brown (2-3, double), Kya Enos (1-2, two RBI), and Kelsey White (triple, two RBI) paced the Tigers’ offense. Grace Benton went 2-for-3 on the game for the Hornets, recording half of the team’s hits on the day.

Milford, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Milford rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning to escape Stoughton with a win. The Hawks put the bat on the ball but Stoughton played phenomenal defense to keep them off the board for six innings. In the top of the seventh, Emily Hartman (2-for-2, run) led off with a double, Shannon Cormier walked and Maddy Bonvino loaded the bases with a bunt single. Kelley Reichert gave Milford the lead with a two-run single and Sabrina Haarstick gave the Hawks insurance with another two-run single. Antonia Bonina had another strong day offensively, going 3-for-3 while Reichert earned the win, striking out seven with three hits allowed and just one unearned run. Stoughton took the lead when Nikki Coppola led off the bottom of the first with a walk, took second on an error and scored on a ground ball to short from Jordan Lyons. Gina Carafa tossed a complete game for Stoughton, allowing just six hits.

Boys Lacrosse
Franklin, 18 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final

Milford, 2 @ Canton, 14 – Final – Canton senior Charlie O’Connor made his season debut and didn’t lose a face off, scoring two goals as well, to help the Bulldogs pick up a win over visiting Milford. The Bulldogs had eight different players score a goal including junior Teddy MacDonald, who notched his first career goal. Freshman goalie Dylan Coyne had a shutout in net in the fourth quarter for Canton.

Stoughton, 1 @ Foxboro, 19 – Final – Louis Piccolo recorded six points while Andrew Whalen and Pete Conley each picked up five points as Foxboro improved to 4-0. Piccolo had three goals and three assists, Whalen scored once and had four assists, and Conley scored four times and chipped in with one helper.

Mansfield, 10 @ King Philip, 14 – Final

Oliver Ames, 7 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – North Attleboro senior Jason McNeany dominated the face off X (18-for-20) to help the Rocketeers pick up a win at home over OA. Sophomore Andy DeMattio scored five goals, Damien Curtis scored four goals, and McNeany added four points in the win. Nate D’Amico made eight saves in net for the Rocketeers. Eric LeBlanc had three goals for Oliver Ames while Shane Kilkelly found the back of the net twice.

Sharon, 14 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Brothers Brett and Drew Litner each finished with six points to pace the Eagles to a win on the road. Brett had five goals and one assist while Drew had one goal and five assists. Kadin Nestler added three goals for Sharon while Johnny Greenberg posted the shutout.

Girls Lacrosse
Taunton, 2 @ Sharon, 15 – Final – Sharon coach Shara Ginthwain called the Eagles’ win a “total team effort,” as eight different players scored goals. Sabrina Robbins had another strong overall game with three goals, three assists, and six ground balls, while Emma Eberhardt also finished with a hat trick and three assists and added 10 draw controls as well. Freshman Jenna Goldstein made it a hat trick of hat tricks for the Eagles and Cass Barbera chipped in with six ground balls. Taunton’s Hannah Moniz and Alana Tavares each scored once while Lorna Li made 11 saves in net.

Attleboro, 3 @ Franklin, 20 – Final – Halle Atkinson and Shannon D’Arcangelo each recorded three goals to pace the Panthers to a win at home. Alex Field scored her goal of the season while Victoria Quinn had a strong game in midfield with four draw controls. Grace MacCallum anchored the defense with three ground balls.

Canton, 7 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Maggie Connolly scored a first half hat trick to help the Bulldogs pull out their first win of the season and first under new coach Laurie Chabot.

Foxboro, 10 @ Norwell, 11 – Final

King Philip, 12 @ Mansfield, 8 – Final – KP made it three wins in three games to start the season with six different players finding the back of the net. Katie Crowther and Caroline Klim each scored three goals for the Warriors, while Alli Meehan added two goals and an assist, Dana Truini had a pair of goals, Jess Sullivan had a goal and an assist, and Olivia Tormey scored in the win. Caroline Watson made 13 saves in the win.

North Attleboro, 18 @ Oliver Ames, 10 – Final – For Oliver Ames, Ella Hogan and Olivia Piazza each netted three goals while Chloe Kilkelly and Sofia Masciarelli added two goals apiece.

Boys Tennis
King Philip, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip lost a total of three games in singles play on its way to a sweep on the road at Attleboro. Marco DiStefano won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles, Nick Putney didn’t lose a game in a win at second singles and Jack Cannon took a 6-0, 6-1 decision at third singles. The team of Nick Ihley and Nate Ihley registered a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles and Zak Ryan and Jake Mager made their varsity debuts with a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro picked up its third win of the season, sweeping Canton on the road. Senior Richard Bermudez won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and Christian Bermudez won with the same score at second singles. Freshman Jonah Manso won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Ben Pfeffer and Vikram Senthilkumaran won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Alex Pfeffer and Sam Gallagher teamed up for a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Sharon picked up its third win of the season with a sweep on the road against division foe Foxboro. Fred Bondar notched a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles, Andre Olivei picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles and Danujan Thirumavalavan didn’t lose a game at third singles. Junior Max Brody and senior Russell Rapaport won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles while Sharon’s pairing of Ashwin Sreevatsa and Arie Chinnappan, won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin earned a clean sweep, dropping just one game in the five matches. Rohan Herur and Saketh Saripalli each won 6-0, 6-0 at first and third singles, respectively. Liam Marr recorded a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles for the Panthers. The team of Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu (first doubles) and the pairing of Tony Calderone and Dan Angermeier (second doubles) each won 6-0, 6-0.

Mansfield @ Taunton, 3:45

Milford, 0 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final – Stoughton picked up its first win of the season, sweeping Milford. Freshman Waseem Sablon picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, junior Erik Anderson recorded a 7-5, 6-1 win at second singles and LJ Fernandiz won 6-3, 6-3 at third singles. Stoughton’s team of Hassan Khan and Andrew Chiang won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and the pairing of sophomores Brendon Buckley and Mike Veliotis won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Taunton won in straight sets in all five matches to notch a victory on the road. Jillian Pagliuca won by default at first singles, senior Vanessa Rosa won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles, and freshman Jocelyn Pagliuca earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at third singles. The team of juniors McKenzie Lucie and Sam Martin won 6-3, 6-3 at first doubles for the Tigers and senior Amanda Pugh and junior Brianna Fevrier won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles.

Attleboro @ King Philip, 3:30

Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro picked up a pair of wins in both singles and both doubles to beat Canton. Senior Jordan Willis won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and senior Katie Ovoian won 6-1, 7-5 at second singles. The team of seniors Leah Marceau and Shurobhi Nandi won 6-0, 6-3 at first doubles while juniors Mae McLaughlin and Tara Nair emerged with a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles. Canton freshman Rachel Kupferman won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles.

Foxboro, 2 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sharon emerged with a 3-2 victory in a showdown with division rival Foxboro. The Eagles picked up wins at second singles and both doubles matches. Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles, Katie Merport and Emily Wen prevailed with a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles and Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein teamed up for a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles. Foxboro’s Sophia Prinos won 6-2, 7-5 at first singles and freshman Pam Nelson earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at third singles.

Franklin, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames defended its home court with a sweep of visiting Franklin. Sarah Leger won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Tate Hadges took a 6-0, 6-1 decision at second singles and Maura Kiernan didn’t lose a game in a win at third singles. The team of Kristin Bloumbas and Emily Yu recorded a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles while Rachel Stryke and Olivia Groebe prevailed 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.

Stoughton, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final

04/02/2018

2018 Hockomock League Softball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Hockomock Softball Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 9-10
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Mark Homer

Attleboro made a return to the state tournament last spring thanks to a no-hitter from McKenzie Bergdoll in the final game of the regular season and now the Bombardiers, who lost only three players from last year’s roster, are looking to build on that success to make another run at the postseason this year. Bergdoll, a junior, will be back in the circle again this season as well as one of the big bats that Attleboro will rely on to make it back-to-back playoff appearances.

Senior rightfielder Casey Whelan will add experience to a relatively young outfield unit and fellow seniors Vanessa Dancer and Adrianna Elel will provide leadership. Juniors Jordyn Lako and Kayla Battisti are back to contribute to the Bombardiers playoff challenge and there are high expectations for a talented group of sophomores that includes Makenzie Killough, Ashley Macia, and twin sisters Emma and Jenna Gittle.

“With the loss of only three seniors last year, our season has several impact returning veterans along with some new freshman that will fill the holes quite nicely,” said Attleboro coach Mark Homer. “This season’s early player roster looks very promising but it will be the leadership of the team that will determine our direction and state the facts at the end of the season.”

Canton

2017 Record: 1-19
2017 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Jennifer Robillard

Canton is coming off a difficult 2017, after winning one game under first-year head coach Jennifer Robillard, but both the coaches and players have a year of experience to build on and an infusion of young talent, with five freshmen being added to the varsity roster, has the Bulldogs looking at 2018 as a year to get the program heading in the right direction.

Sophomore Caroline Hughes will be the starting pitcher and will bat third this season and the coaches are confident that she can provide a lift to the team. Senior Hannah Jerrier will also be back in the middle of the order, after missing almost all of last season after breaking her hand during basketball, and should give the Bulldogs some added pop in the lineup. Senior Katie Halloran will be back in the middle of the infield and senior Evelyn Carrington returns in center. Unfortunately, injuries have struck again with sophomore Jackie Howard lost for the season, but Robillard believes that several of the new faces can come in and contribute right away.

“As a first-year varsity coach, last year was a learning experience for both myself and the girls,” Robillard said. “I am confident that we will make great strides towards success this season.”

Foxboro

2017 Record: 5-16
2017 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Mark Maguire

Foxboro earned a playoff berth through the Sullivan Rule a season ago, despite 15 losses in the regular season, but the Warriors were much better than their overall record and No. 20 seed may have suggested. Out of the 16 games that Foxboro lost in 2017, six were by two runs or less, including a 2-0 loss to Ursuline Academy in the tournament, and those close games are what head coach Mark Maguire is hoping his team can turn into wins this year to make a run at the playoffs.

The Warriors will be looking to senior catcher Hannah Davis to provide the offensive punch, as the perennial league all-star has been among the Hockomock’s best hitters for the past three seasons. Classmate Lexi Buckner will also add some offense in the middle of the order and the lefty will be moving from second base to first this year. Senior Kelly McCarthy will be back in center and at the top of the order, while Chelsea Gibbons will be at third and Camryn Willis will be back at shortstop. Foxboro also has experience in the circle as third-year starter Emma Rohan will get the ball again for the Warriors.

“We have good senior leadership,” said Maguire about the team’s strengths. “Right down the center of the field we have vocal leaders to help the defense. We’re a good hitting team and I think fielding and pitching should be even better this year.”

Franklin

2017 Record: 10-12
2017 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Kate Fallon

Franklin missed the playoffs a season ago and have a relatively young roster this season, with just one senior in the squad, so the Panthers are flying under the radar as the season gets underway, but they don’t mind if teams overlook them at the start of the season as they try to get back into the postseason.

While there are a number of new faces for Franklin this season, the battery of junior pitcher Jackie Cherry and junior catcher Ally Shea are back, which gives the Panthers a strong foundation on which to build. Junior shortstop Tara Hartnett is also back to give Franklin strong middle of the infield defense and sophomore Anna Balkus will be in center. Senior Meg Caron, the lone upperclassman on the team, will add versatility playing at third and some outfield this season.

“We’re looking to make it back to the tournament this season,” said Franklin coach Kate Fallon. “Ally Shea and Meg Caron will provide excellent leadership for our up and coming athletes and no doubt in my mind they will be an integral part of our successes this season!”

King Philip

2017 Record: 18-7
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Norm Beauchemin

Despite a lot of turnover in the lineup last spring, King Philip followed up its 2016 state championship by winning the Kelley-Rex division title and reaching the quarterfinal of the Div. 1 South sectional. With 10 returning players this season, KP has typically high expectations and one of the state’s perennial powers seems poised to make another run at a league title, which would be its 11th in the past 12 seasons, and to go deep in the state tournament.

The biggest change for the Warriors this season will be in the circle where senior Elise Pereira takes over as the primary starter after the graduation of Jenn Hutnyan. Pereira saw plenty of action last year too, but will have to shoulder the majority of the innings this season, backed up by Faith Turnese. Brianna Lacy will be behind the dish, returning as one of the league’s top defensive catchers. Senior Hailey McCasland returns at second base and junior Meghan Gorman is back at shortstop after a breakout sophomore season. Jess Bonner returns at third and senior Sydney Phillips will once again be in centerfield.

It is a loaded lineup with a ton of speed and a strong defensive unit, according to KP head coach Norm Beauchemin. He added, “This is a very hungry team that should compete for the Kelly-Rex and make a strong run in the playoffs.”

Mansfield

2017 Record: 13-9
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Lori Letendre

After booking a return to the state tournament last spring, Mansfield returns 10 players, including five starters, to try and make it four playoff appearances in a row. The Hornets are relatively young with only three seniors on the roster and have some holes to fill, including two-thirds of the outfield, but there is a lot of confidence that the program will be able to compete with the best in the league.

Sarah Cahill took over as the starter during the season last year and she will be back in the circle again this spring trying to build on an impressive debut. Cahill will be throwing to her battery mate, as Caty DeMassi is back behind the plate. While the corner infield spots are open this year, Megan Letendre and Kara Bendanillo are back to fill the other infield spots and give the Hornets strength up the middle. Junior Mady Bendanillo is also back to patrol centerfield and fill one of the middle of the order spots, as one of the league’s most dangerous hitters. Freshman Elle Veheggen joins the team this spring as a newcomer to keep an eye on.

“We are a young team,” said Mansfield coach Lori Letendre. “The girls have been working hard in the off-season and came into tryouts well-prepared.”

Milford

2017 Record: 25-1
2017 Finish: Won D1 State Championship
Coach: Steve DiVitto

The defending Div. 1 state champions look loaded for another run at the title with nine returning players, including six starters, back from last season’s tournament run. Kelley Reichert will take over for Ali Atherton in the circle after seeing time as a reliever and starter in each of the past three seasons. The lineup looks just as potent as last year with senior shortstop Emily Piergustavo back after being named HockomockSports.com Player of the Year and league MVP.

Senior first baseman Jess Tomaso is back to add power in the heart of the order and senior Kate Irwin, fresh off reaching 1,000 points in her Milford basketball career, will return to set the table as the lead-off hitter and emotional spark plug. Senior second baseman Maddy Bonvino, senior rightfielder Shannon Cormier and junior catcher Emily Hartman will add depth to a fearsome lineup that features lots of power and speed.

“This year’s team is focused on the here and now and not the past,” said Milford coach Steve DiVitto. “Each year a new page is turned over, and the focus this year is: what’s your legacy going to be? Keeping our awesome team chemistry will be an important part of this season.”

North Attleboro

2017 Record: 14-7
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinal
Coach: Bill Wallace

The Rocketeers had a young squad last season but managed to surprise a few people by reaching the Div. 1 South semifinal, including an upset of league rival Taunton, and after that year of experience North Attleboro is expecting to be competitive again this spring. Sophomore pitcher Bella Erti is back in the circle after a strong freshman campaign and will be throwing to classmate Ashley Cangiano with the hope of improving on her breakout season.

Olivia Capobianco is back in centerfield after turning in a strong season and she will also be one of the table-setters for the lineup. Abby Gallagher and Katherine Munley will join Capobianco in an experienced outfield for the Rocketeers. Annabelle Hebard, Katy Daby and Abby Warren will play the corner infield positions, while Andrea Miceli is back at second base after a strong year at the plate and in the field. Stephanie Inglese and freshman Emily Nardelli will compete for the shortstop position.

North Attleboro coach Bill Wallace said, “If we want to repeat the success of last year we will need to find some power in the middle of the lineup lost to graduation last year.”

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 4-16
2017 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Lindsey Allison

Oliver Ames will have plenty of experience this spring as it makes a run at a return to the state tournament. The Tigers have 10 players back from last year’s roster, including six seniors, highlighted by junior pitcher Kayla Georgeu, who will take the ball as the primary starter again this spring and who head coach Lindsey Allison thinks is ready to “come into her own” both in the circle and at the plate.

The strong senior class includes infielder Alexis Campbell, who will also chip in as a pitcher this year, outfielders Sarah Tetrault and Marissa Guarino, infielders Caroline Mahoney and Rachel Han, and catcher Antonia Peretti. Sophomore Katie Abreu had a strong rookie campaign and is expected to have an even better second season with the Tigers.

“The best thing about this team is their heart and determination – they show up to practice excited to work together and work hard every day,” Allison said. “They are coachable and strive to get better at every opportunity.”

Sharon

2017 Record: 6-14
2017 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Heather Poliferno

There is a change at the top for Sharon this spring and Heather Poliferno takes over for the Eagles, replacing Deb Parker after her move to league rival Stoughton, and the new staff is confident that the experienced players on the roster will set the tone for the team and give the Eagles a chance at booking a place in the state tournament.

Seniors Jamie Kessler and Jenika Patel and junior Rebecca Clayman are the captains this season and will provide leadership that Poliferno called “key to our success this season.” Junior Alli Small and freshman Julia Earley are players to keep an eye on this season for the Eagles as they could be big contributors in the field and at the plate. Junior outfielder Courtney Sollis brings an accurate arm and consistent contact at the plate.

“Our passion for the game and drive to compete is why we will be a strong contender in the Hock this year,” Poliferno said.

Stoughton

2017 Record: 10-11
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Deb Parker

After back-to-back playoff appearances, Stoughton welcomes a new coach this spring to take over a roster filled with experience and talent. Deb Parker has made the move across the Davenport from Sharon to take over the Black Knights with an eye at another run at the postseason and with senior pitcher Gina Carafa back in the circle and the middle of the order there is plenty of optimism for a strong spring.

Joining Carafa in the Stoughton lineup is junior Jordan Lyons, who Parker called a “standout” third baseman. Lyons is one of a group of talented juniors that Stoughton will be counting on this season, including second baseman Nikki Coppola, shortstop Karly Estremera, and catcher Brianna Ferrandiz. Sophomore Lexi Baptista will add versatility to the lineup and Parker is excited about the freshmen class and expects that they will be able to contribute as well.

“The energy of this team is infectious!” said Parker. “ I am looking forward to this season and have very high expectations about what this team will be able to accomplish.”

Taunton

2017 Record: 17-5
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Dave Lewry

Even with a host of underclassmen in the lineup, this is an experienced Taunton roster that will be trying to put together a run not only at a league title but also at a deep tournament run, after seeing the last couple of seasons end earlier than expected. With 10 returning varsity players, including seven starters, the Tigers will have high expectations and the key to reaching those goals will be replacing pitcher Courtney Fisher, as freshman Kelsey White and sophomore Jaylin Couto will step into the circle as regular starters this season. Junior Alexa White will also see time at pitcher.

The lineup is loaded again this spring, starting with senior catcher Kya Enos, who added power to her game last year. Junior Jaime Brown is in her fourth year on varsity and is coming off a season in which she was named HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year. Freshmen Hanna Aldrich and McKenzie McAloon stepped right in at the middle infield positions last year and will be building on that experience this year. Senior Lianna Duarte is back in center and senior left-fielder MacKenzie Handrahan will bring power to the middle of the lineup as well.

“I think we should have a solid infield defense,” said Taunton coach Dave Lewry. “Offensively we have the capability of putting runs on the board with a deep and experienced lineup.”

06/03/2017

KP Advances With Extra Innings Win at Feehan

When the pitch hit Bri Lacy’s glove, the King Philip players and fans leapt to their feet in celebration only for it to be called a check swing. The game continued, but unlike in the seventh when Bishop Feehan rallied for a tying run that forced extra innings, Elise Pereira reached back for a little extra on the next pitch and this time there was no doubt.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The strikeout, only the third of the game for KP pitchers and first of the game for Pereira, sealed an 8-7, eight-inning, two-hour and 15-minute marathon win for the Warriors in a Div. 1 South first round contest that had enough twists, turns, comebacks, and game-winning plays for an entire playoff run.

“This was two teams refusing to lose,” said KP coach Norm Beauchemin. “Fortunately, we didn’t let what happened in the seventh inning bother us in the eighth inning. The kids didn’t give up; they didn’t let it get them down and they came back. “

Pereira added, “You’ve just got to forget. If it’s a bad call, let it go and you’ve just got to get the next one. We battled so hard. I’m so proud of my team right now.”

KP needed plenty of resiliency to pull out the win and avoid a three-game sweep against the Shamrocks (who won 10-5 and 7-5 in the regular season).

The Warriors led 7-6 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a bad bounce put a Feehan runner on with an infield single. The pinch runner stole second but Pereira appeared to end the game with a nasty changeup only to have the umpire keep his arm fixed to his side. A couple pitches later, Jess Levesque lined a single to center to tie it.

Feehan’s comeback was short-lived, as the bottom of the KP order sparked a rally in the top of the eighth.

With one out, Lacy was hit by a pitch, Sydney Phillips dropped down a perfect bunt single and Meg Gorman was hit by Feehan pitcher Sarah Magro. Hailey McCasland chopped a bouncing ball to short with the bases loaded that was not fielded cleanly and gave the Warriors a one-run edge.

In order to beat the Shamrocks, KP needed everyone in the lineup to contribute at one point or another. It started in the first with Gorman beating out a double to open the game. Nicole Carter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate the first run and Brooke Taute brought in two more with a single to center.

Jenn Hutnyan threw a clean first inning and then helped her own cause with an RBI single to bring in Gorman in the second for a 4-0 lead.

Feehan fought back with two homers in the next two innings, including a solo shot by Julia DaCosta that tied the game at 4-4. In the fourth, KP regained the lead when Gorman singled and then stole second. With McCasland at the plate, the Feehan defense was aligned so that the centerfielder was forced to cover the steal. The ball got through and Gorman raced all the way home.

Again, Feehan battled right back. A pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position with two outs for DaCosta and Beauchemin made the decision to intentionally walk the Shamrocks power hitter. Magro followed with an unintentional walk to tie it and then a wild pitch gave the Shamrocks their only lead of the game at 6-5. Pereira took over and got a line drive to Phillips in center to end the inning.

“She’s got a lot of grit,” said Beauchemin of Pereira. “That whole junior class has got a lot of grit. This is a team that when they were freshmen could have made the playoffs…they were that good.”

There was no quit in the Warriors. KP rallied for two more in the next frame. Pereira battled for a lead off walk and Jess Bonner dropped a bloop down the right-field line. Carter picked up her second RBI with a base hit to right and Lacy drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI-groundout.

“I think they’re just mentally tough,” said Beauchemin. “Last year we had three seniors who were really, really tough and they fed it to everyone else. These guys are mentally prepared…they’re more focused. They know it’s crunch time.”

The drama continued in the bottom of the fifth when Feehan loaded the bases for DaCosta with two outs. She swung at the first pitch and popped it up off the end of the bat and Lacy was quickly out from behind the plate to make a sliding catch that got the Warriors out of the jam.

“Everybody has to be in the game because the ball always finds the person who’s not. It’s huge and everyone was hitting,” said Pereira.

When the final out was finally recorded, gloves and arms flew into the air. It felt like a game that could have been played in the sectional final rather than the first round and the players, many of whom were important contributors on a state title team last spring, reacted like it was a final.

“I’m pumped,” said Pereira with a wide smile. When asked about taking on top seed Silver Lake in the next round, Pereira responded, “We’re going to go get them.”

King Philip (18-6) will have a quick turnaround, traveling to Kingston to take on the Lakers on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.