06/02/2017

Mansfield Clipped By Wellesley In First Round

Mansfield baseball — Mansfield senior Nolan Dousa delivers a pitch in the second inning against Wellesley. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

MANSFIELD, Mass. – It’s happened in different innings, and it’s happened in different ways. But one painful constant for Mansfield has been one letdown inning.

Unfortunately for Hornets, that inning was the top of the sixth against 13th-seeded Wellesley, as the Raiders scored all three of their runs and recorded a 3-2 decision over fourth-seeded Mansfield.

Wellesley had just two hits through the first five innings of play but plated three runs on their third hit of the game in the top of the sixth.

With Mansfield holding a 1-0 lead, Wellesley junior John Ciolfi led off with a walk and moved to second when Brendan Dolan reached after his sacrifice bunt was mishandled for an error. Sophomore Henry Weycker (Wellesley’s pitcher) launched a two-run double into right center field to put the Raiders ahead.

A ground out move Weycker to third and before Mansfield senior Nolan Dousa could deliver his next pitch on a 1-2 count, the infield umpire saw something no one else in the park did — a balk. That brought Wellesley’s third run in.

“All season long, our worst games, they have stemmed from one inning,” said Mansfield head coach Joe Breen. “Whether its the first inning, or giving up a couple late or just one single play. When you get to this level of baseball and playing teams like Wellesley, you don’t have room for many errors. We made a couple of errors, made a couple of mistakes and they took advantage of them. That was the difference in the ball game.

“That’s the difficult part of having a one-loss elimination style forms, you have to be at your best every single pitch, every single inning. And if you’re not, you don’t make it too far.”

Both teams put a pair of runners on in the first inning, but neither side could push across a run. Ciofli led off with a walk and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Max Zajec drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and second but Dousa (CG, four hits, three talks, three strikeouts) got a fly ball to right field.

In the bottom half, senior Max Boen led off with a walk and classmate Matt Farragher (two hits) followed with an infield single. But Wellesley quickly picked up two outs with a pick off at second and then catching Farragher at second with a pick off move.

Dousa recorded a pair of strikeouts in the second in a 1-2-3 inning. Colin Gibbons led off with a single, moved to second on a sac bunt from Zack Peterson and took third on a groundout. However, Weycker induced a ground ball to shortstop Isaac Weycker and his throw just beat the runner at first.

“Dousa is the biggest gamer that I’ve ever coached,” Breen said. “I’m glad I had the opportunity to coach him and I’m glad that a lot of the younger pitchers in the program got to watch him come back this year from a pretty bad injury and work through all of it and come out and compete. Our team is very different with Nolan Dousa on the mound and our guys want to win almost a little bit more than normal when he’s out there because of how much effort he’s put in.

After another 1-2-3 inning from Dousa, the Hornets broke through for the first run of the game in the bottom of the third. Anthony DeGirolamo ripped a one-out line drive double and moved to third on a ground out. DeGirolamo then came home to score on a wild pitch, giving Mansfield a 1-0 lead.

Mansfield put another runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth inning as DeGirolamo walked and stole second, but Wellesley picked up the third out via a grounder to second.

After the Raiders took the lead in the top of the sixth, the Hornets were able to get one run back in the bottom of the inning. Gibbons reached on an error and pinch runner Connor Driscoll took third after an errant pickoff attempt. Peterson delivered with a hit up the middle to make it 3-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, Kevin Dow reached with one out on an error but Weycker got a strikeout looking and induced another grounder to second for the final out.

“It’s been a great senior group,” Breen said. “They’ve all played different roles and they all played them very, very well. This was a group that had a handful of guys that were around for our tournament run a couple years ago and saw what it was like to win. Last year, when they took on bigger roles for the first time, they were one game away from the tournament and they came back this year with a great senior year.”

Mansfield baseball finishes the season 14-8.

05/02/2017

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/03/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 3 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro junior Joe Freitas’ third hit of the game broke a tie game, handing the Warriors the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Freitas (3-for-3) slapped a two-out RBI single to bring the game-winning run home for Foxboro. The Warriors held a 3-1 lead until Attleboro tied the game with two runs in the top of the third. Foxboro’s Colin Thoener tossed a complete game to earn the win, allowing just one hit and no earned runs. He struck out seven.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton scored an unearned run in the first and that was all that junior Robbie Wilkinson needed, as he tossed a complete game shutout and allowed only four hits on 76 pitches, striking out two. Sophomore Tom Parker was just about as good on the hill for the Tigers, allowing no earned runs and only four hits in the loss. Sam Burr accounted for two hits for the Tigers.

Franklin, 4 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Franklin junior Bryan Woelfel tossed a complete game shutout and senior Jake Lyons had three hits to pace the Panthers past Sharon. Woelfel earned the win by going the distance, allowing just four hits, two walks and retiring seven batters on strikes. Lyons had a double and a run scored while Ryan Hodgkins had two hits and a run scored and Tyler Gomes went 1-for-1 with a walk and a sacrifice fly.

King Philip, 8 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – King Philip’s offense got off to a strong start with five runs in the first inning but had to rally when the Rocketeers put up seven straight runs. North tied the game with five runs in the second and went up 7-5 on two runs in the fourth. KP tied the game up with two runs in the fifth and knocked in the winning run in the sixth inning. KP totaled 11 hits as a team with Will Weir going 3-for-4, Ben Furfari added two hits and Jeremy Rhines recording two RBI. Jack Webster earned the win in relief while Dan Antunes picked up the save, tossing two innings without giving up a hit.

Mansfield, 12 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Mansfield’s offense wasted little time to get going, scoring two runs in the first inning and then adding on three runs in each the second, third and fourth innings. The Hornets tacked on their final run in the sixth. Colin Gibbons had the big day at the plate for Mansfield, going 2-for-4 with five runs knocked in, Anthony DeGirolamo was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and four runs scored, Matt Farragher had four hits and three runs scored and Max Boen recorded three hits and scored three runs. Kevin Dow earned the win, allowing just one earned run in five innings of work. David Simmons was solid in two innings of relief, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.

Taunton, 3 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Stoughton scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to prevail with a win over Taunton. The Tigers held a 3-1 advantage heading into the final inning but the Black Knights rallied to load the bases. Senior Ryan Sullivan came through and a bases-clearing double to walk off with the win. Ruben Gonzalez knocked in Stoughton’s first run with an RBI double while Pat Hagerty was 2-for-2 with two runs scored for the Black Knights. Justin Hutchinson earned the win in two innings of relief, allowing two hits and retiring three batters on strikes. Tyler Medeiros had a strong outing for the Tigers, striking out six with four hits allowed and just one run in six innings of work.

Softball
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 8 – Final

Canton, 8 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final – Oliver Ames surged ahead to take a 9-7 lead in the fifth inning and tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth to beat Canton. Lexie Campbell was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, Caroline Mahoney went 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI, Rachel Han had a home run and scored a pair of runs, Kayla Georgeu had one hit, two runs and two RBI and Alyssa Gavin added an RBI.

Sharon, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Franklin’s offense started strong with a pair of runs in the first inning, tacked on single runs in each the third and the fourth and then put an exclamation point on the win with three more runs in the sixth inning. Jackie Cherry earned the win with five innings of work while Emily Valentino earned the save, retiring all six batters she faced. Alexx Niss went 3-for-4 with four RBI to pace Franklin’s offense while Olivia DiGiacomo was 2-for-4 with three runs and two assists from right field and Ally Shea recorded two hit and an RBI. FHS head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau said Tara Hartnett (shortstop) and Alyssa DaSilva (first) both had strong defense games for the Panthers.

North Attleboro, 5 @ King Philip, 6 – Final – King Philip’s Sydney Phillips had a standout performance at the plate, collecting three hits and knocking in two runs to help the Warriors edge Big Red. Nicole Carter also knocked in a pair of runs in KP’s win. Elise Pereira came on in relief and provided two scoreless innings for the Warriors. Ashley Cangiano had a pair of triples and drove in a pair of runs and Sam Courtemanche went 3-for-4 for the Rocketeers. Olivia Capobianco had three stolen bases and two runs scored for North.

Milford, 11 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Milford junior Emily Piergustavo hit for the cycle to continue her offense hot streak and the Hawks picked up a big win on the road. Piergsutavo was 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored while Kaitlyn DeCapua also had four hits, scoring once and knocking in three runs. Maggie Farrell was 3-for-3 with a double and two runs score and Maddy Bonvino had two hits, including a triple and an RBI. Kelley Reichert struck out four in a complete game effort to earn the win while also helping the offense with a three-run home run. Sarah Cahill and Caty DeMassi each had a hit Hornets.

Stoughton, 1 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Eighth grader Kelsey White gave up one unearned run and just four hits in her first varsity start. White struck out nine and walked none in a complete game win. Stoughton took the lead but Taunton tied it in the third with a single run and then took the lead in the fifth on an single by Hannah Aldrich that plated pinch runner Alexa White. A leadoff double in the sixth by McKenzie McAloon started a two-run rally that sealed the win for the Tigers. One run scored on an grounder by Jaime Brown and the second on a single by Kya Enos. Stoughton was led offensively by Karly Estremera with two hits and the team’s lone run.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Canton, 6 – Final

Sharon, 3 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final

Franklin, 19 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Thirteen different players found the back of the net as Franklin recorded a league win in its first ever meeting with Stoughton. Zach Alexander recorded a hat trick, including one off an assist from his brother Jacob (goal, two assists). Nitin Chaudhury also had a hat trick for the Panthers.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 23 – Final

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Mansfield, 13 – Final – Tommy Donnelly and Josh London had strong days on defense for the Hornets, who rolled to a big win at home.

North Attleboro, 17 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Andy DeMattio found the back of the net four times, had one assist and scooped up four ground balls to lead the Rocketeers to a big win. Zach McGowan recorded two goals and two assists, Jason McNeany (15 face off wins) scored twice and had one helper, Colin Young, Dan MacDonald and Jack Dackin each scored once and had one assist and Hunter Sarro had a pair of helpers. Nick Ward, Paul Yeomans, Max Fontes, Zac Doucette and Dan Conroy each tallied a goal for the Rocketeers while Jack Connolly had an assist. Jack Puccio (six saves) and Jake McNeany (five saves) split the game in net for North.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 12 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final

Foxboro, 13 @ Sharon, 12 – Final

Franklin, 15 vs. North Andover, 5 – Final – Franklin sophomore Annie Walsh had a standout performance, netting a team-high six goals to pace the Panthers. Jordan Jette had four assists to go along with one goal, Erin Walsh scored a hat trick and had one helper, Caroline Lounsbury also netted a hat trick and Kelsey MacCallum scored a pair of goals and added one assist. FHS head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said Halle Atkinson had a strong game in the midfield with two draw controls and two ground balls.

King Philip, 21 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Katie Crowther led the way for King Philip with six goals and the Warriors had 14 different players tally at least one goal. Caroline Watson made eight saves in net for KP while Christina Hathaway scored her first goal. Olivia Tormey and Caroline Klim each scored two goals in the win. Alana Tavares and Delaney Powell each scored a pair of goals for the Tigers and Lorna Li made 19 saves in the loss.

Mansfield, 14 @ Oliver Ames, 10 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Kendall Clifford found the back of the net five times and Chloe Kikelly scored a hat trick but the Tigers fell just short to Mansfield. OAHA head coach Abby Tepper said Katie Davenport, Sydney Hedrick, Grace McCallum and Dimitra Efremidis all played great defensively. Ari Waldorf made 15 saves in net for the Tigers.

Milford, 4 @ North Attleboro, 16 – Final – Chloe Olsen had three goals and three assists for the Rocketeers. Kenzie Rosenberg and Camille Pizarro each had four goals on the day for North, while Julia Tolfa had a pair of goals and Julia Noreck scored one goal and played stout defense, according to head coach Mike Vitelli.

Boys Tennis
Foxboro, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final

Canton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

Sharon, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Sharon prevailed from a competitive match with a win on the road, taking all five matches in straight sets. Senior Griffin Fein won 6-2, 7-5 at first singles, junior Fred Bondar won 6-4, 6-0 at second singles and junior Andre Olivei won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of senior Alex Romantz and freshman Alberto Olivei recorded a 6-3, 6-4 win at first doubles and sophomore Danujan Thirumavalavan and junior Ashwin Sreevatsa took a 6-3, 6-0 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip won a pair of matches in singles play and came away with a key win at second doubles to edge Big Red. The team of Aidan Ignatius and Marco DiStefano prevailed with a 6-4, 6-3 win at second doubles for KP while Cole Ginter took a 6-1, 6-1 decision at first singles and Martin Matous notched a 6-3, 6-3 win at third singles. North’s Barsomo Nuay won 6-3, 7-5 at second singles and the team of Daniel Zhang and Ben Pfeffer won 6-2, 6-3 at first doubles.

Milford @ Mansfield, 3:45

Stoughton, 1 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton picked up two wins in singles and two wins in doubles to take down Stoughton. Sophomore Brett Beaulieu won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles and junior Mike Briggs took a 6-2, 6-2 win at second singles. The team of sophomores Dylan Kullas and Charlie Fiske won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and junior Kyle Dennehy and freshman Alex Pugh won 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro won all five matches in straight sets to defend home court against Attleboro. Sophia Prinos notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Lexi Nelson won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and Kayla Prag recorded a 6-3, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Olivia Dantona and Morgan Krockta picked up a 6-3, 6-2 decision at first doubles and the team of Jacey Nicklas and Kendall Milender walked away with a 6-1, 6-1 victory.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames won at second and third singles and swept doubles play to take down Canton. Claudia Ferrara won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles and Maura Kiernan took a 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 10-5 win at third singles. The team of Tori Wyman and Tate Hadges notched a 6-3, 6-3 win at first doubles and Kristin Bloumbas and Eva Belanger teamed up for a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles. Canton’s Emma Sokolovsky won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles.

Franklin, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Franklin’s Hannah Sweeney recorded a big win at first singles but Sharon only lost one game total in the other four matches to beat the Panthers. Sweeney won 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 at first singles but Sharon’s Emily Zhang and Lulu Yuan each won 6-0, 6-0 at second and third singles, respectively. The team of Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein paired up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro’s second doubles team of Hana Hershey and Katie Demontigny prevailed in three sets to give Big Red the edge of the Warriors. Hershey and Demontigny won 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 at second doubles while Azka Siddiq and Gabby Duva won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles. Jordan Willis notched North’s lone in singles with a 6-0, 7-5 victory at second singles. KP’s Becca Ricci won 6-2, 6-4 at first singles and Meghan Sepich won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles.

Mansfield, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Mansfield went on the road and swept singles play to notch a win over Milford. Paulina Martin won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Sarah Doyle won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and Elizabeth Elsner completed the sweep with a 6-1, 6-4 win at third singles. Mansfield’s fourth win came via Chloe Peters and Tessa Garufi, with a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles. Milford’s Angela Pillarella and Ashlyn Oliveria won 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 at second doubles.

Taunton, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Taunton lost a total of just three games in a convincing win on the road. Vanessa Rosa (third singles) and the team of Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor (first doubles) both won 6-0, 6-0. Olivia Sweeney (first singles) and Jillian Pagliuca (second singles) each won 6-1, 6-0 while the team of Jordan Martin and Callie Hebert won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 5:00

Taunton, 3 @ Quincy, 1 – Final – Taunton’s Nate Grant dished out 43 assists and the Tigers notched their second win over Quincy (25-15, 14-25 25-12, 25-20) in less than a week. Grant also had two kills and three blocks while Lance Law had a team-high 15 kills and had one block. Lens Esquil had five blocks as well as 13 kills while David Fusiecki had 10 kills and 11 digs.

Boys Track
Stoughton, 15 @ North Attleboro, 121 – Final

Girls Track
Stoughton, 28 @ North Attleboro, 108 – Final

04/30/2017

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/01/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Milford, 9 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Attleboro held a pair of leads, up 4-2 and then again up 5-4 but Milford stormed back to get the win. Kevin Cambrola earned the win in relief for the Scarlet Hawks, shutting down the Bombardiers’ offense. Ryan Goncalves, Alex Macek and Luke Allegrezza each had two hits for Milford while the Hawks capitalized on five Attleboro errors and seven walks.

Canton, 0 @ Taunton, 15 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton scored five runs in the first inning to set the tone and tacked on runs in all other innings except one to beat Canton. Christian Simoes had an impressive day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBI to pace the Tigers’ offense. Jimmy Hoye was 4-for-4 with two RBI and two run scored, Joe Manchester was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, Billy DaRosa had two hits and two RBI and Matt Machado had two hits and two runs scored. Sophomore Griffin Tomaszycki tossed a six inning shutout in his first career start, allowing six hits while recording six strikeouts.

Foxboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final (8 inn.) – Oliver Ames rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the games to extra innings and won with an infield hit an inning later. Senior Cam Johnson came through with the tying hit, driving in Mitch Goulet (walk) and Kyle Gagliardi (single) to tie the game. In the bottom of the eighth, Alden Newman led off with a single, moved to second on a hit batter, moved to third on a sacrifice and beat the tag at home on an infield hit from Gagliardi.

Stoughton, 3 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin sophomore Jake Macchi delivered a double in the bottom of the sixth inning, knocking in classmate Alex Haba for the go-ahead run to break a 3-3 game and give the Panthers the lead. Bryan Woelfel earned the save with a scoreless seventh inning. Junior Jason Ulrickson earned the win following a tremendous outing, striking out 10 while allowing just four hits and two walks. Jake Lyons added a double and a run scored for Franklin. Ruben Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a walk, run scored an RBI and Evan Gibb had a two-run double to tie the game for Stoughton.

Sharon, 4 @ King Philip, 10 – Final – King Philip’s offense erupted for six runs in the sixth inning to break open a tie game. With the Eagles and Warriors knotted at 4-4, King Philip’s bats came to life to plate the go-ahead run and tacked on five more. Chris Wing tossed a complete game, striking out six with three earned runs allowed. Wing also collected two hits at the plate while Stephen Murray went 3-for-3 and Will Weir went 2-for-2.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – North Attleboro got off to a good start wtih a run in the top of the first inning but Mansfield with three runs in the bottom half and never surrendered the lead. Big Red came back to tie the game in the top of the third, but Mansfield plated what turned out to be the game winning run in the bottom half. The Hornets tacked on an insurance run in the sixth. Kyle Moran (2-for-3, run) doubled in Colin Gibbons (two runs, RBI) for the game-winner. Zack Peterson also went 1-for-3 with two RBI for Mansfield. Nolan Dousa earned the win, striking out eight with three earned runs allowed.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – Milford junior Emily Piergustavo continued to dominate at the plate, collecting three hits for the third straight game to pace the Hawks. Piergustavo was 3-for-3 with a double, home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Kaitlyn DeCapua (1-for-2) had two RBI, two runs and a walk, Kelley Reichert also knocked in two runs, Maddy Bonvino (double) reached base three times and Shannon Cormier knocked a run in for Milford. Ali Atherton allowed just two hits while striking out six in a complete game effort to earn the win.

Taunton, 15 @ Canton, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Courtney Fisher retired nine consecutive hitters, including four on strike outs, as the Tigers defeated Canton. Jaylin Couto allowed two hits, but struck out six over her two innings in relief. Jaime Brown (triple, RBI), Liana Duarte (three RBI), and MacKenzie Handrahan (double, RBI) each had two hits, while Couto blasted a three-run home run to lead Taunton’s offensive attack.

Oliver Ames, 10 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Katie Mills, Victoria Ziner and Katie Abreu each had multiple hits and played a big role in Oliver Ames’ offensive outburst to beat Foxboro. Mills went 4-for-5 with three RBI scored, Ziner went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a home run and Abreu was 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Tigers. Lizzie Miller added two hits and a run scored, Caroline Mahoney had two hits and Rachel Han went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Kayla Georgeu earned the win, allowing seven hits while striking out five.

Franklin, 12 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Franklin junior Jackie Cherry retired the final six batters on strikes and notched a career-high 12 strikeouts to help the Panthers earn a win on the road. Offensively, Tara Hartnett had three RBI, Meg Caron had a pinch-hit two-run single and Alexx Niss went 2-for-4 with a triple and scored three runs. Taylor Levine and Alessandra Leffredo each drove in a run for the Black Knights and Nikki Coppola had a pair of hits.

King Philip, 12 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip junior Elise Pereira made her mark on both sides of the ball in the Warriors’ win. Pereira allowed just two hits in a complete game effort while striking out 10 batters. At the dish, she had two hits, including a three-run home run for KP. Meg Gorman (double) had three hits while Betsy Walsh and Sydney Phillips each had two hits apiece.

Mansfield, 4 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro freshman Bella Erti scattered seven hits, struck out five and walked two, while allowing no earned runs to earn the win for Big Red. At the plate, Erti had a solo home run and a double, finishing with two RBI. Sam Courtemanche was 3-for-3 while Meg Barlow and Kristina Murphy were both 2-for-3. Abby Gallagher added three RBI for the Rocketeers and Ashley Cangiano picked up an outfield assist, throwing a run out at home from center. Kara Bendanillo drove in the first Mansfield run with a bases loaded walk in the fourth and Megan Letendre singled in a second. The Hornets added two more in the fifth on an overthrow and a wild pitch. Letendre and Marissa Staffer each had two hits for Mansfield, which finished with eight as a team.

Boys Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 7 @ Attleboro, 11 – Final

Canton, 4 vs. Medway, 13 – Final

Foxboro, 13 @ Bishop Feehan, 12 – Final (OT)

Franklin, 10 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – Franklin limited King Philip to just one goal in the first half and scored five goals in each frame to pick up a key division win. The Panthers raced out to a 5-1 lead after the first two quarters. Eric Civetti scored a game-high four goals and had one assist, Sam Arsenault scored once and had three helpers, Packie Watson notched two goals and one assist, Chase Tanner found the back of the net twice and Nitin Chaudhury had one goal and one assist for Franklin. FHS head coach Lou Verrochi praised the work of sophomore Pat Morrison, saying “he was a beast in close defense.” Connor O’Rourke made eight saves in net and sophomore Jacob Alexander won 13 of 18 faceoffs for Franklin.

Taunton vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 5:00

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final

Foxboro, 13 @ Hingham, 12 – Final (OT) – Sophia DiCenso scored six goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to lead the Warriors to a non-league road win. Meghan Curran scored a hat trick and Sara Addeche made eight saves in the win.

Franklin, 10 @ Medfield, 5 – Final

Mansfield, 8 @ Medway, 12 – Final
North Attleboro, 11 @ Natick, 14 – Final
Sharon, 12 vs. Shrewsbury, 15 – Final
Taunton @ Coyle & Cassidy, 6:00

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 5 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final

Franklin, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Franklin lost just one game in doubles play and won all five matches in straight sets to beat Stoughton. James Johnston and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles. Rahul Herur won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles, Eli Brooks didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles and Dan Angermeier won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles.

King Philip, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – It was another strong performance for the Eagles, who won all five matches in straight sets. Senior Griffin took a 6-2, 6-0 decision at first singles, junior Fred Bondar notched a 6-3, 6-0 win at second singles and junior Andre Olivei recorded a 6-4, 6-4 win at third singles. The team of senior Alex Romantz and Alberto Olivei won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and sophomore Danujan Thirumavalavan and senior Sammy Kirshenbaum won 6-3, 6-3 at second doubles.

Mansfield, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Mansfield edged out Big Red by sweeping all three singles matches. Senior Benny Lin won 7-5, 6-1 at first singles, sophomore Luke Nickerson took a 6-0, 6-4 decision at second singles and senior Gus Daganhardt prevailed with a 7-6, 6-1 win at third singles. North Attleboro won both doubles matches with senior Daniel Zhang and junior Ben Pfeffer taking first doubles 6-2, 6-2 and Andrew Harris and Vikram Senthilakumaran winning 7-5, 6-2 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Milford, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – All matches were competitive but Milford prevailed with a sweep, winning all five in straight sets. Julie Rabinowitz won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Allison Buckenmaier won 6-3, 7-5 at second singles and Caitlin Carafella won 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of Victoria Beyer and Daniella Arojo won 6-4, 6-4 at first doubles and the team of Ashlyn Oliveri and Angela Pillarella won 7-5, 6-1 at second doubles.

Canton, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton first singles player Olivia Sweeney won her 58th career match, setting a new program record as the Tigers swept Canton. Sweeney won 6-0, 6-4 while Jillian Pagliuca won 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and Vanessa Rosa won 6-2, 3-6, 10-6 at third singles. The team of Emily Moor and Ashleigh Eason won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and the team of Jordan Martin and Caroline Hebert won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Foxboro won all five matches in straight sets to bounce back from just its second loss of the season. Junior Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, senior Lexi Nelson won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles and junior Kayla Prag took a 6-3, 6-4 decision at third singles. The team of juniors Morgan Krockta and Olivia Dantona won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles and sophomore Kendall Milender and senior Jacey Nicklas earned a 7-5, 6-0 victory at second doubles for the Warriors.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin seniors Madison Derby and Julia Hogan won a tightly contested match at first doubles in a 10 set tiebreaker to punctuate the Panthers’ win over Stoughton. Derby and Hogan won 7-5, 5-7, 10-6 while juniors Hailey Strier and Jillian McLaughlin won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles. Hannah Sweeney didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and senior Anja Deric won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles. Stoughton senior Ally Swartz won 6-4, 6-0 at third singles for the Black Knights.

Sharon, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Sharon’s three singles players didn’t lose a single game in a dominating performance on the road. Nupur Shukla (first singles), Emily Zhang (second singles) and Lulu Yuan (third singles) each won 6-0, 6-0. The team of Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-3, 6-1 at first doubles and Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein teamed up for a 6-2, 6-1 victory at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – North Attleboro won all five matches in straight sets with its first doubles pair winning without dropping a game. Katie Demontigny and Azka Siddiq won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles for Big Red. Emily Chiasson won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Jordan Willis won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles and Gabby Duva recorded a 6-2, 6-4 win at third singles. Hana Hershey and Shiobhi Nandi capped the win with a 6-3, 6-1 victory at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Medfield, 1 – Final
Taunton, 0 @ Brockton, 3 – Final

04/27/2017

Cahill Powers Mansfield To Win At Frothingham

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – It’s been nearly a year since Oliver Ames pulled out a stunning two-out ray to beat Mansfield at Frothingham Park.

But it was fresh in the minds of many Mansfield players as they returned to North Easton in the Hornets first matchup with the Tigers this season. And this time, they made sure to finish the game off.

Mansfield took the lead with a four run fifth inning, Oliver Ames cut the deficit to one in the sixth but the Hornets tacked on two more in the seventh to pick up a key 6-3 division win over OA.

“OA plays hard and you knew they weren’t going away,” said Mansfield head coach Joe Breen. “We brought it late in the game and talked about how OA would keep fighting to the end so we need to get at least one more to get some breathing room. The guys responded and had a nice inning there to cap it off.

“[OA] is certainly a very strong team, there’s really not a whole lot of weaknesses on that team. We knew we’d have our hands full with OA, especially with the way they’ve played this season. Coach Abarr has done a great job with those guys, they obviously play very hard for him. But our guys played hard today too. I think we had last year’s late inning loss in the back of our minds, a lot of our returners remembered and had a little extra incentive to get a win today.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Both teams put a runner in scoring position in the first inning, with Mansfield’s Matt Farragher (fielder’s choice, stolen base) getting to second and Oliver Ames’ Matt Muir (double, stolen base) reaching third but neither crossed the plate.

Oliver Ames sophomore and left handed pitcher Tom Parker retired the side in order in the second inning while his counterpart, Mansfield junior Kevin Dow did the same.

Mansfield threatened in the third when Dow walked, stole second, advanced to third on a single from Anthony DeGirolamo but Parker escaped, getting a fly ball to right and a line drive to short.

OA finally broke through in the third inning, with sophomore Reid Latham reaching on an error and moving to second on a base hit from Muir. Muir was forced out on a fielder’s choice but Latham moved to third but OA loaded the bases with a steal from Michael Friel and a walk to Mitch Goulet.

Senior Kyle Gagliardi delivered, driving a 1-0 pitch to the outfield for a two-run single.

Parker cruised through the top of the fourth with the help of a double play while Dow put the Tigers down in order to keep the deficit at two.

Mansfield’s offense finally came to life in the top of the fifth to take the lead. Cullin Anastasia set things up with a lead off single and Dow helped his own cause with a deep double. The throw home was high, allowing Anastasia to cross and Dow to take third, cutting OA’s lead to 2-1. DeGirolamo drew a walk and stole second with one out. With a 3-1 count, OA elected to intentionally walk Farragher to load the bases.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Mansfield senior Aidan Cahill came through, taking a 1-0 pitch for a ride with a line drive for a two RBI single that pushed Farragher to third. The Hornets weren’t done in the inning as sophomore Kyle Moran singled off OA reliever Jay Fruci to bring Farragher home for a 4-2 lead.

“He’s come up big for us all year,” Breen said of Cahill. “He started off in the two-hole because he’s a very good situational hitter and can go gap to gap. We moved him back to the three hole because he couldn’t stop hitting. He had a huge two-run homer to win a game against Feehan, he’s been on fire this season. He’s a super hard working kid and I love seeing guys work as hard as he does reap the benefits of it.”

Oliver Ames’ offense had its response in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore Chris Pearsons was hit by a pitch by Mansfield reliever Kyle Moran to start the bottom half and advanced to second on a dropped third strike. Pearsons took third on a fielder’s choice and then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3.

Farragher was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the seventh to get Mansfield’s offense in gear. He went to second on a passed ball and Cahill came through one again with an RBI double. Pearsons got two outs in relief for OA but Cahill took third on a wild pitch. Colin Gibbons looped a hit into shallow center field to bring Gibbons home.

“We’ve been preaching to our guys to be aggressive as much as possible and get up there and swing the bat and try to drive the ball as much as possible,” Breen said. “I think early on we were probably too aggressive swinging at balls outside the zone but we made a little bit of an adjustment and started to swing at better pitches. Our guys, one though nine, anyone can do the job right now and that’s kind of where things turned around for us offensively.”

Moran closed the game with a 1-2-3 inning to earn the save. Dow earned the win in 4.1 innings of work, allowing four hits with one strikeout. The Hornets lost their #2 pitcher Tyler Dalton for the season, so Breen was looking for someone to step up.

“We knew we needed guys to step up,” Breen said. “Both Kevin and Kyle have pitched well in relief for us. We knew going into today it would be a combo effort and I think they split the game pretty well and got their jobs done. Kevin set the table for us and Kyle got some big pressure outs in the late innings.”

Oliver Ames (6-4, 5-3) will host Foxboro on Monday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

04/07/2017

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/07/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Sharon @ Attleboro – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Stoughton, 8 @ Mansfield, 9 – Final – Mansfield scored all nine of its runs in the first three innings and then held off a last inning rally from the visitors to get the win. The Hornets plated three runs in the first, four in the second and two more in the third while Stoughton scored twice in the first, once in the second, twice in the third, and once in the fourth. Stoughton pushed across two more runs in the seventh inning and had the bases loaded but the Hornets escaped the jam for the win. Kevin Dow was 2-for-3 with two RBI and earned the win on the mound in relief, tossing 3.1 innings with two runs allowed and three strikeouts. Colin Gibbons also went 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored while both Max Boen and Aidan Cahill had two hits and two runs scored each. Stoughton’s Justin Hutchinson went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run while Ruben Gonzalez, Pat Hagerty, Luke Johnson, Evan Gibb and Nick Hardy each had one RBI for the Knights.

Taunton @ Milford – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

North Attleboro @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Tuesday, 4/11 at 3:45.

Softball
Attleboro, 8 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Jordyn Lako had two hits and drove in two runs, Julya Woyton went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and freshman Jenna Gittle went 3-for-4 for the Bombardiers, who had 12 hits as a team. On the mound, Gittle allowed only two hits in a complete game shutout.

Mansfield, 2 @ Stoughton, 10 – Final – Gina Carafa went the distance in the circle for the Black Knights, scattering 11 hits while striking out 11 Hornets, while also going 2-for-4 at the plate. Shannon Flaherty went 3-for-3 with two doubles, scored a pair of runs and drove in two others, Val Whalen had a pair of hits, and Nicki Coppola had three RBI for Stoughton, which scored seven runs in the first inning to take control. Megan Letendre struck out seven for Mansfield and Liz Mackin went 3-for-4 in the loss.

Milford, 1 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Oliver Ames @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Tuesday, 4/11 at 3:45.

Boys Lacrosse
Stoughton, 1 @ Mansfield, 15 – Final – Nine different players found the back of the net for the Hornets as Mansfield beat Stoughton in the Black Knights’ first ever varsity game. Joe Cox (three goals, one assist), Hunter Ferreira (two goals, three assists), Sam O’Connell (two goals), Aidan Sacco (two goals) and Cullen Murphy (two goals) paced the offense. Haig Megerdichian (assist), Brady Kessler, Josh London and Liam Carey each scored once. Mike Zampine and Mike DuBreuil both had strong games defensively for the Hornets. Stoughton’s David Cellucci scored the program’s first ever goal in the first quarter.

Milford, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 13 – Final – Oliver Ames junior attack Eric LeBlanc led the way with four goals for the Tigers, while both junior midfielder Jack Lang and senior midfielder Liam Brown registered a pair of goals. Senior Robbie Almeida, junior Owen Gallagher, sophomores Colin Bourne and Cullen Gallagher and freshman Sam Stevens each scored once for OA.

North Attleboro, 12 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Colin Young, Damien Curtis and Andy DeMattio (assist) all found the back of the net twice as the Rockteers rolled to victory at Aleixo Stadium. Nathan D’Amico, James Young and Nick Ward all scored once and had one assist for North Attleboro.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 2 @ Foxboro, 15 – Final

Oliver Ames, 16 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Olivia Piazza scored a career-high six goals to pace the Tigers on the road. Junior Emalyn Duvall added a hat trick while juniors Sofia Masciarelli and Chloe Kikelly each registered two goals. OA goalie Ari Waldorf made 13 saves in the cage.

North Attleboro, 16 @ Taunton, 7 – Final – Julia Dakin scored three goals and recorded two assists for the Rocketeers. North also got hat tricks from Kenzie Rosenberg and Camille Pizarro and a goal and three assists from Chloe Olsen. Alana Tavares and Bre Conlon each scored a pair of goals for the Tigers and Lorna Li made seven saves in the loss.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – The Eagles didn’t drop a single game at either second singles, third singles or second doubles and took all five matches in straight sets against Attleboro. Senior Griffin Fein won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles while junior Fred Bondar and sophomore Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-0, 6-0 at second and third singles, respectively. The team of juniors Arie Chinnappan and Ashwin Sreevatsa won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and sophomores Max Brody and Russell Rapaport won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Mansfield, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Mansfield sophomore Luke Nickerson and senior Gus Daganhardt won in straight sets, with neither dropping a game, at first and second singles, respectively, to lead the Hornets. Junior Ben Salden won 6-2, 6-1 at third singles, the team of Jalaj Singh and Sethu Odayappan won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and sophomores Max Bank and Luke Devine won 6-3, 6-3 at second doubles.

Taunton, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro won all five matches in straight sets, dropping just a combined three games in a win over Oliver Ames. Senior Zac Pfeffer won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and classmate Barsomo Nuay won by the same score at second singles. Junior Alex Rinaldi won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles while senior Daniel Zhang and junior Ben Pfeffer won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and Vikram Senthilakumaran and Mayank Wadekar won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Sharon, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Sharon turned in another dominant performance with all three singles matches winning in straight sets without dropping a single game. Nupur Shukla, Emily Zhang and Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-0 at first, second and third singles, respectively. The team of Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield’s Jessica Hanley and Hannah Podolske won a tiebreaker to win at second doubles, completing the clean sweep for the Hornets. Hanley and Podolske won 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-4) at second doubles while Chloe Peters and Tessa Garufi won 6-4, 6-1 at first doubles. Mansfield had strong performances at singles as well as Paulina Martin (first singles) and Sarah Doyle (second singles) both won 6-0, 6-0 and Elizabeth Elsner picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles.

Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton won in straight sets in all five matches but the Hawks won at least one game in every set except for won. Olivia Sweeney won 6-4, 6-2 at first singles, Jillian Pagliuca won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles and McKenzie Lucie won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles for the Tigers. Emily Moor and Ashleigh Eason won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and Carline Hebert and Jordan Martin won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – The Rocketeers didn’t lose a single game at first or second singles as well as first doubles in a win on the road at OA. Emily Chiasson and Jordan Willis each won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while Katie Demontigny and Hana Hershey won at first doubles by the same score. Azka Siddiq won 6-2, 6-3 at third singles for the Rocketeers. OA freshmen Tate Hadges and Maura Kiernan won 7-5, 1-6, 10-5 at second doubles for the Tigers.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 1 @ Millis, 3 – Final

Taunton, 3 vs. Greater New Bedford, 1 – Final – Taunton overcame a one-set deficit to pick up a win over previously unbeaten Greater New Bedford Voke Tech. GNBVT entered the match ranked #3 overall in the state by Mass Boys High School Volleyball while the Tigers were ranked #25. The Bears won the first set 25-15 but Taunton rallied to win the next three, 25-16, 25-17, 25-21. Lance Law led the way with a team-high 17 kills and added a block. Lens Esquil had 11 kills and six blocks, Malik Charles added seven kills and a block and Collin Hunter chipped in with six kills and a block.

09/23/2016

Mansfield Jumps All Over Attleboro in Hock Opener

Mansfield football — Nick Graham (18) rushed for a pair of touchdowns to lead Mansfield to a 38-7 win in the league opener against Attleboro. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Hornets won the coin toss and elected to defer possession to the second half. With senior Diogo DeSousa kicking with the wind at his back, Mansfield coach Mike Redding knew that he could pin the Bombardiers deep in their own zone.

The strategy worked perfectly. Mansfield started all but two first half possessions in Attleboro territory and the two that started in the Hornets’ half of the field were at the 49 and the 48. Mansfield cashed in every time, scoring each of the first five times it touched the ball and cruised to a comprehensive 38-7 victory at Alumni Field in the league opener for both teams.

“Diogo with wind is going to get it in the end zone and we get three and outs, we get good field position, we get big plays early,” Redding explained. “They gave us a couple of breaks and we took advantage.”

After a three and out to start the game, Mansfield started its first possession at the Attleboro 40. Kristian Conner rushed for 15 yards to the left, Nick Graham went for 11 up the middle, and Will Garvin broke a 15-yard carry on a counter. Joe Cox capped the short drive with a one-yard plunge to put the Hornets on top.

Attleboro got off to a good start on its next possession with Tyler McGovern (7-16, 61 yards) hit James Weir down the seam for 21 yards. But on the next play, Cam Furtado had the ball ripped loose by Julio Arevalo who kept hold of it and returned the fumble 34 yards to the one. Anthony DeGirolamo scored on a QB sneak on the next play and it was 14-0.

“That was a big turnover for us,” Attleboro coach Mike Strachan admitted. “I think that was a big play in terms of momentum and it got kind of blustery there and it pinned us. We’ve got to regroup.”

Another three and out gave the Hornets the ball at their own 49. Four plays later, on fourth and three from the Attleboro 44, Graham took a toss sweep to the left and cut it back inside, finding a hole and taking it to the house for a 21-0, first quarter lead.

The mistakes continued for the Bombardiers with the next possession ending on a low snap that flew past McGovern and was recovered by Jareme Dilorenzo at the six. Two plays later, DeGirolamo hit Hunter Ferreira on the near sideline for a four-yard score.

“It was absolutely brutal for us,” Strachan said, “but we need to find a way as a team to fight through that adversity. We didn’t and they’re just that much more seasoned then us and we’re going to go through some growing pains.”

Ben Budwey returned an Attleboro punt 12 yards to the Bombardiers 27 where Mansfield started its fifth possession. Again the Hornets took advantage of the short field. Cox had two carries for 20 yards and Graham ended the drive with a seven-yard carry up the middle for his second touchdown of the game.

Redding credited the play of the offensive and defensive lines for the dominating performance.

“He’s just a one-man wrecking crew,” said Redding of Arevalo. “Andrew Ducharme, [Shayne] McCoyis playing great at d-end, the young kid [Colbey] Eason is playing well at tackle, [A.J.] Gibbs and [Colin] Gibbons are great guards and they’re just the hidden secret here on why we’re turning the corner.”

He also mentioned the play of Will Shield and Jayson Richwine on the line and Mike Shannon at tight end for creating the space for the playmakers.

Redding continued, “We do have good skill guys but they’re only as good as the guys in front of them. I think our guys on the O- and D-line are very underrated, not real big but tough and athletic. They’re playing really good football now.”

The Bombardiers tried to get back into the game in the second half. McGovern hit Weir again down the seam for 21 yards to the Mansfield 19. After a six-yard gain by Marc Dieu, McGovern hit Elvin Sam for a 13-yard touchdown. The ensuing kick bounced in front of the Hornets’ returner and was recovered by Malik Mcalister-Pruitt. The comeback ended on a turnover on downs at the Mansfield 19.

“They’re a good football team and they’re better than us,” said Strachan. “I think it’s that simple. In every aspect of the game, they came to play and they caught us early.

“We’ve got a lot of young kids who played tonight and it’s going to be that way for us the rest of the year… We just need to get better as the season goes on.”

DeSousa tacked on a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring. Mansfield will head into next week’s showdown with King Philip clicking in all four phases and Redding was already thinking ahead to next Friday.

“We’ve got another huge one next week,” he said. “It won’t determine the league title but whoever wins is certainly in the driver’s seat moving forward. With North leaving the division, it’s kind of us and KP taking over as maybe one of the better rivalries.

“Buy a ticket early for next Friday. It should be a great atmosphere and a great game…As good as we’ve played, we need to bring our ‘A-plus’ game to stop King Philip.”

Mansfield football (2-1) will host King Philip (3-0), which beat Oliver Ames 42-6 on Friday, at Alumni Field next week. Attleboro (1-2) will look to end a two-game losing streak when it hosts Taunton (1-2).

09/07/2016

Football: 2016 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

2016 Kelley-Rex Football Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2016 Kelley-Rex Football Preview

Attleboro

2015 Record: 7-4
2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Mike Strachan

Key/Returning Players: Cam Furtado, Jr., QB/DB; Tyler McGovern, Sr., QB; Andrew Gingras, Sr., OL/DL; Sam Corrado, Sr., RB/LB

Outlook:
Attleboro has developed as a program under head coach Mike Strachan and continues to be one of the teams contend with for the Kelley-Rex title even with a number of new faces on the roster heading into this fall. Even with the loss of standout lineman Kyle Murphy, the Bombardiers will have size on both sides of the ball and use that to control the line of scrimmage.

Offensively, senior quarterback Tyler McGovern returns after an injury knocked him out of the starting lineup midway through last season. He gives Attleboro the chance to look downfield, while junior Cam Furtado stepped in at QB last year and proved to be a dynamic athlete who opened up defenses with his legs.

The offense will flow behind senior lineman Andrew Gingras. At 6’5 and 285 pounds, Gingras will be counted on to open holes for senior running back Sam Corrado and also provide a stout run stopper on defense. Corrado will also provide help at linebacker and on special teams.

“The 2016 Bombardiers are a young team with many players that will be competing for time both offensively and defensively,” said Strachan, who is confident that despite the youth on the roster that Attleboro will be a team to watch this fall.

Franklin

2015 Record: 2-9
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Eian Bain

Key/Returning Players:
Jacob Wolowacki, Sr., RB; Packie Watson, Sr., WR/DB; Joey Blasie, Sr., WR/DB; John Fenton, Sr., OL/DL; Jake Noviello, Jr., QB; Jake Lyons, Sr., RB/DB; Brad Jarosz, Sr., FB/DL; Nick Gordon, So., QB/DB; Khyler Colella, Sr., RB/LB

Outlook:
There is a lot of energy in the Franklin camp over the past couple of weeks, as new head coach Eian Bain takes over from longtime coach Brad Sidwell and looks to give the Panthers a boost after three straight one-win seasons in the Kelley-Rex division. Bain said that he expects there to be a “different vibe” from the team this season.

The Panthers have a lot of experience coming back this season starting in the backfield with quarterbacks Jake Noviello (junior) and Alex Cregg (senior), who both saw action last season. Whoever is starting will have a host of experienced receivers to look for with Eddie Scannapieco, Packie Watson, and Joey Blasie on the outside and 6’5 Connor Peterson at tight end. The bulk of the offense will run through senior tailback Jacob Wolowacki, who emerged last year as a go-to back with three touchdown runs.

Defensively, Franklin has a lot of talent returning in the back seven led by senior safety Jake Lyons, who will also help out as a running back on offense. The secondary also includes Kyle McInery and Nick Gordon with Justin O’Callahan, Bruce Johnson and Khyler Colella manning the linebacker positions. Brad Jarosz will add size to the defensive end position.

Bain said, “It has been an uptempo, high energy camp in Franklin. Players have answered the bell every step of the way to learn both new offensive and defensive systems. While still a work in progress, the team is making strides every day.”

King Philip

2015 Record: 5-6
2015 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Brian Lee

Key/Returning Players:
John DeLuca, Sr., QB; Sean Garrity, Sr., RB/DB; Brett Mazur, Sr., TE/LB; Alex Olsen, Sr., FB/LB; Giovanni Fernandez, Sr., RB/LB; Daniel Loewen, Sr., OL/DL; Michael Sullivan, Sr., OL/DL; Paul Macrina, Sr., OL/DL; Michael Mello, Sr., WR/DB

Outlook:
King Philip got off to a rough start last season, but managed to turn things around with a dramatic victory at Mansfield and won three out of four to get back into the postseason. The Warriors could be inconsistent on the offensive side of the ball in 2015, but with experienced skill position players coming back KP could be ready to challenge for the league title.

It begins in the backfield with senior quarterback John DeLuca, who is ready for his third year as the starter and is one of the toughest signal callers in the league. This season, DeLuca will have a number of weapons to help put points on the board. Senior running back Sean Garrity will add speed to the edge for the Warriors, while his classmate Giovanni Fernandez is a power back to add another dimension inside the red zone. Senior Michael Mello returns to add experience to the receiving corps.

The strength of the Warriors under head coach Brian Lee has been defense and line play and this season should be no different. Seniors Paul Macrina, Michael Sullivan, and Daniel Loewen will be major factors on both sides of the ball. Senior Alex Olsen has the potential to be the defensive MVP this year taking over the role of graduated linebacker Cory Lombardo. Fernandez and fellow senior Brett Mazur will add strength to the linebacker position as well.

Mansfield

2015 Record: 5-6
2015 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinal
Coach: Michael Redding

Key/Returning Players:
Hunter Ferreira, Jr., WR/DB; Ben Budwey, Sr., WR; Brian Lynch, Sr., RB; Nick Graham, Sr., RB/DB; Anthony DeGirolamo, Sr., QB; AJ Gibbs, Sr., OL/DL; Colin Gibbons, Sr., OL/DL; Travis Sjoberg, Sr., LB; Andrew Ducharme, Sr., OL/DL; Nick Krouskos, Sr., RB/LB; Diogo DeSousa, Sr., K

Outlook:
Mansfield’s defense held teams to 15 or fewer points in all but two games last year. Only St. John’s Prep and Marshfield (two teams ranked in the top five in the state when they faced the Hornets) were able to get any rhythm going offensively against the Hornets. Despite strength on that side of the ball, Mansfield struggled to find consistency on offense and ended up one point short of a share of the Kelley-Rex division title.

This season, the Hornets offense could be a huge strength with a number of playmakers returning. Senior quarterback Anthony DeGirolamo will be the starter for the second season in a row and will have a strong backfield around him with senior Brian Lynch as the power back and Nick Graham giving Mansfield speed to the edges. DeGirolamo will be able to aim for junior Hunter Ferreira, who has emerged as one of the top receivers in the league, and senior Ben Budwey.

On defense, the front seven will once again be a strong feature for the Hornets. A.J. Gibbs, Colin Gibbons, and Andrew Ducharme add size and strength on both sides of the ball, while senior linebacker Travis Sjoberg is a leader with the potential for hitting triple digits in tackles this fall. Senior placekicker Diogo DeSousa is a weapon in special teams after being recognized at kicking camps over the summer.

“We are a senior team (30 seniors),” said Mansfield head coach Mike Redding, “but we have some very talented juniors and sophomores that will help us win this year and give us some great depth”

Oliver Ames

2015 Record: 2-9
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mike Holland

Key/Returning Players:
Liston Funai, Sr., RB; Jack Mills, Sr., OL/DL; Travis Campbell, Sr., QB/LB; Kyle Gagliardi, Sr., QB/DB; Leandro Moro, Sr., TE/LB; Jay Fruci, Jr., LB; Noah Fitzgerald, Jr., DB; Michael Mulrean, Jr., DB

Outlook:
Oliver Ames head coach Mike Holland is entering his second season in charge of the Tigers and will also be managing the program’s first fall in the Kelley-Rex division. In the last three games of 2015, OA beat Norwell and North Quincy and battled Sharon in a three-point loss on Thanksgiving Day, building momentum heading into this season.

The Tigers are excited about the potential of the offense with two quarterbacks who can make plays with their feet or their arms. Kyle Gagliardi and Travis Campbell are in the mix to be the starter and Holland expressed confidence in both of his seniors. OA also has a strong running game with senior Liston Funai leading the way for a group of backs that provide the Tigers with toughness and the ability to find open space.

OA has a lot of experience returning on the defensive side of the ball. Jack Mills will be a force on both the offensive and defensive line, while Jay Fruci and Leandro Moro will provide a spark from the linebacker spot. The secondary has also been boosted by Noah Fitzgerald and Michael Mulrean. “[We] have an excellent group of seniors and younger guys,” said Holland. “Kids are working hard and putting in strong efforts in all phases.”

Taunton

2015 Record: 1-10
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brad Sidwell

Key/Returning Players:
Adam Mclaughlin, Sr., WR/DB; Andrew Welington, Sr., TE/LB; Collin Hunter, Jr., QB; Khoury Simmons, Sr., OL/DL; Jake Norberto, Sr., OL/DL; Khoury Simmons, Sr., OL/DL; Paul Corrao, Jr., OL/DL; Zakim Harrow, Sr., OL/DL; Sylvester English, Sr., OL/DL; Mike Fernandez, Sr., TE/LB; Brevan Walker, Sr., RB/DB

Outlook:
The Tigers have a new coaching staff this fall, but it will be one that is very familiar to fans of the Hockomock League. Brad Sidwell moved to Taunton after 20 years in charge of the Franklin program. Sidwell comes into his new position with plenty of experience in the league and an experienced roster that has 14 returning starters, but the Tigers enter 2016 without a Kelley-Rex win since 2012.

There is optimism in the camp this preseason because of the large number of returning players and because of the size that Taunton boasts on the front line. Senior Zakim Harrow checks in at 6’2 and 335 pounds, his classmate Sylvester English is 6’1 and 290 pounds and junior Paul Carrao is 6’3 and 270 pounds. Those players will open holes on both sides of the ball and create space for playmakers such as senior linebacker Mike Fernandez and senior running back Brevan Walker.

There is a battle for the quarterback position this season. Junior Collin Hunter threw 11 touchdown passes last fall but sophomore Noah Leonard has impressed in camp and could snag the starting spot for Friday night’s opener at New Bedford. Whoever is under center will have a couple of strong targets to aim for with senior receivers Adam McLaughlin and Sam Krajewski and senior tight end Andrew Wellington all back.

“We’re just looking for improvement everyday,” Sidwell said. “Hopefully with a little confidence we can get off to a good start.”

05/25/2016

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/25/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 5 – Final (8 inn.) – Attleboro rallied from a five run deficit, scoring four runs in the fifth inning and tying the game with a run in the sixth inning. Tyler Stowe brought in the game-winning run, his third RBI of the day, drawing a walk in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded. Will Carter, Brent Cook, John Burns and Cam Hochwarter each had two hits apiece for Big Blue. James Weir came on in relief for Attleboro, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings without giving up a hit.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

King Philip, 4 @ North Quincy, 1 – Final

Mansfield, 6 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 4 – Final – The Hornets concluded the season by winning their fourth game in the last five, upsetting a tournament bound Trojans squad. Sophomore Tyler Dalton earned the win in six innings of work, striking out one. Jack Neureuter came on to get the save, pitching the seventh inning. Zach Peterson with 2-4 with a pair of RBI singles, Jake Tryder was 2-4 with an RBI single, Colin Gibbons had a pair of hits and an RBI and Max Boen went 1-3 with a squeeze bunt RBI.

Taunton, 10 @ New Bedford, 2 – Final – Sophomore Jacob Crawford broke open a scoreless game with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fourth. Crawford, along with Kevin Griffin, Luke Figueira, Christian Simoes and Joe Manchester each had two hits. Max Bowden pitched four shutout innings for the Tigers, scattering three hits while striking out three.

Softball
Attleboro @ Bishop Feehan, 3:30

Stoughton @ King Philip, 3:30

Taunton, 3 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 2 – Final – Taunton experienced a taste of the tournament with a close win over a talented Dighton-Rehoboth team. Aimee Kistner knocked in Jaime Brown in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Tigers the walk off win. Brown’s lead off walk preceded a single from Jordan Wade. Kistner singled up the middle to bring Brown home for the winning run. Wade went 2-3, scoring the Tigers’ first two runs while Meghan Navarro was 2-3, recording Taunton’s first two RBI. Kya Enos went 2-3 while Brown reached base three times via a walk. Kistner earned her 14th win of the of the season, tossing a complete game, scattering five hits and striking out five.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 @ Canton, 14 – Final – Canton freshman Mike Shaw paced the Bulldogs’ offense with four goals and two assists for a team-best six points. Senior Nick Gustafson netted his first career goal while CJ Martin, a converted midfielder, made two saves in the cage in the fourth quarter.

Foxboro, 4 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Foxboro did all of its scoring in the first half, building a 4-0 lead just before the midway point of the second quarter and held off King Philip the rest of the way. Anthony Truini set of both of KP’s goals in the second quarter while Sam Agricola had a goal and an assist and Harry Fallon found the back of the net twice. Conor Khung had a strong game defensively, Steven Eaton recorded seven ground balls and Paul Macrina made 12 saves in net for KP.

Franklin, 7 vs. Dover-Sherborn, 8 – Final

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Mansfield, 15 – Final

Taunton, 4 @ Bristol Plymouth, 8 – Final – Andrew Wellington netted a hat trick for Taunton while Tommy Joyce scored once. Kyle Hebert added a pair of assists for the Tigers.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 15 @ Attleboro, 9 – Final – Mary Nee and Mary Kent scored scored four goals apiece, leading the Bulldogs to a win. With the victory, Canton punched their ticket to the postseason.

King Philip, 13 @ Foxboro, 15 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

Milford, 3 @ Franklin, 21 – Final – Sophomore Kate Morse found the back of the cage twice and had four draw controls for the Panthers. Abby Egan added two goals and two assists and Shannon D’Arcangelo registered a hat trick in the win.

Mansfield, 18 @ Oliver Ames, 10 – Final

Sharon, 7 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – Erin Holley totaled nine points and Hannah Caster recorded five assists for North Attleboro. Brooke Ebert recorded 15 saves in the cage for the Rocketeers.

Taunton, 12 @ Bristol Plymouth, 2 – Final – Taunton finished its inaugural season with a win on the road at BP. Abbey Kingman and Annie Tate each scored a hat trick to pace Taunton’s offense while Layne Kingman scored once and had four assists. Tatum Speicher, Lindsay Sneyd, Bre Conlon, Hannah Moniz and Alexis Bissonnette each found the back of the net once.

Boys Tennis
Canton, 5 @ Quincy, 0 – Final

North Attleboro, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – The Rocketeers won three matches comfortably but needed three sets to win the final two matches. Mitchell Dyer won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles and Barsomo Nuay won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Jake Fontes and Daniel Zhang won 7-6, 6-2 at second singles. Zack Pfeffer won 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (12-10) at second singles and the team of Jeff Yao and Nick Lockavitch won 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 1-0 (10-5) at first doubles for North Attleboro.

King Philip, 5 @ Walpole, 0 – Final

Mansfield vs. Hingham, 4:00

Milford, 1 @ Hopedale, 4 – Final

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Brockton, 3 – Final

Sharon, 4 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – The Eagles won at second and third singles and swept doubles play to get their 18th win of the season. Sophomore Fred Bondar won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles and Han Cui won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Adam Dobbin and Alex Romantz won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Tilak Mehta and Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-3, 6-2 at second doubles.

Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton finished their season with a sweep on the road against the Whalers. Brett Beaulieu won 6-2 6-0 at first singles, Charlie Fiske won 6-1 6-3 at second singles and Mike Briggs won 6-1 6-1 at third singles. Tom Morrissey and Connor Briggs won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Kyle Medas and Zack Taylor won 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Canton, 5 vs. Milton, 0 – Final

Foxboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final

King Philip vs. Walpole, 3:45

Milford, 1 vs. Hopedale, 4 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Brockton, 1 – Final – The Tigers got wins at second and third singles and swept doubles for the win. Jackie Sulkala won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles and Sarah Leger won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles. Lark Warner and Valeria Tueme won 6-2, 6-4 at first doubles and Claudia Ferrara and Rachel Stryke won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles for OA.

Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final

05/23/2016

Late Runs Help Mansfield Sneak Past Taunton

TAUNTON, Mass. – Despite being limited to just two hits over the first five innings, a single and stolen base paired with a key Taunton error allowed Mansfield to break a scoreless tie in the sixth and slip past the Tigers, 2-0.

With one out in the top of the sixth inning, Mansfield left fielder Zack Peterson grounded one through the hole on the left side for only the third Hornet hit of the game. After Peterson advanced to second on a ball in the dirt, Max Boen hit a grounder to short, and attempting to nab the lead runner at third, a throw from the Taunton defense went out of play, allowing Peterson to cross the plate with the eventual winning run.

“That’s a key in baseball, any opportunity you get you’ve got to capitalize on it and you’ve got to try to limit the other team’s opportunities,” Mansfield coach Joe Breen said. “That’s kind of been the story of our season this year. We’ve had a lot of opportunities with a lot of runners on base and haven’t been able to get them in, and the last two weeks of the season so far we’ve been executing a little bit better, we’ve been putting a little bit more pressure on other teams and guys have been doing their jobs, so it’s been good to see.”

Mansfield added an insurance run in the seventh inning as designated hitter Colin Gibbons was hit with a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Aidan Cahill, to third on a single by Charlie DeMassi, and home on another Peterson grounder that found a hole in the Taunton defense. DeMassi took off on the pitch, forcing Taunton second baseman Kevin Griffin to cover the bag and leaving the right side vacated for Peterson to drive one through into right field and bring home the run.

“We were eliminated on Thursday but we knew we had two big games against two really good teams in Taunton and Bridgewater-Raynham,” Breen said. “Our guys, to their credit, said we’re not giving up, we’re not laying down and we’re going to come out and play the two hardest games we can to end our season with some pride and, led by our seniors, those guys came out today.”

Hornet senior starting pitcher Jack Neureuter kept the Tiger offense off the board over six innings of work, scattering six hits while striking out five and walking only two, one intentionally.

“He’s come out and demanded the ball four out of the last five games and he’s delivered in every single one of the those opportunities,” Breen said. “Jack was the key to today’s victory for sure.”

Taunton did have opportunities to take the lead early in the game, but Neureuter’s pitching combined with stellar defense behind him ended multiple Tiger threats. In the second inning, Taunton first baseman Charles Hearrold III doubled to right center field with one out. Right fielder Dan Noonan then lined one to left center, but DeMassi made a diving catch moving to his right, gained his footing, and fired into second base for an inning-ending double play.

“Charlie is a senior captain who struggled a lot through the beginning of the season and has not been in the lineup for a little bit,” Breen said. “We put him back in the lineup today as a senior captain to try to lead us to a late season win, and he did just that. Those are the types of plays he makes, that’s just a senior captain being a senior captain right there.”

An inning later, with Griffin on second base, Cahill, the Mansfield third baseman, went to the backhand to stab a hard Luke Figueira groundball and throw him out at first. Taunton later had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth inning, and after Neureuter induced a strikeout, Figueira laced one to center field, but DeMassi was there again to make a sprawling grab and end the inning. Taunton left eight runners on base in the game.

“Their center fielder did that to us the first game as well,” Taunton coach Jeff Sylvia said. “He has a great first step, and that’s a matter of talent and coaching. He expects the ball every pitch, and credit goes to Coach Breen for having his kids ready to go today.”

Though he was charged with the loss, Figueira pitched the complete game for Taunton, allowing six hits while striking out three. He allowed just two runs, one unearned, and stranded runners on the corners in both the sixth and seventh innings to give his team a chance.

“They wanted it more than we did, which is a shame,” Sylvia said. “That’s on me, not getting my team physically or mentally ready to play today. Unfortunately I feel like I failed the kids today. Mansfield showed up, they played hard, they played with heart, and they wanted it more than we did.”

Taunton also missed a chance to claim a share of the Kelley-Rex Division title and will now await the result of King Philip and Stoughton on Saturday. If KP wins, the Warriors win the division outright, but if Stoughton wins, Taunton and KP will share the title.

“They beat us, they took it from us, and that’s pretty much it,” Sylvia said. “We’ve got to get back to the drawing board and now we have to work on finding our groove again for the tournament.”

Mansfield baseball improves to 8-11 overall, 7-9 in the league and will travel to Bridgewater-Raynham on Wednesday afternoon. Taunton, now 13-5 overall and 11-5 in the league, will play the first of two non-league games to close out the year with a trip to New Bedford on Wednesday evening.

05/14/2016

Seventh Inning Rally Lifts Oliver Ames to Walk Off Win

Oliver Ames baseball — Oliver Ames senior Josh Minuskin slides in safely before the throw for a three run home run in the seventh inning that tied the game. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning faced with a three run deficit, it looked like Oliver Ames was headed to its ninth loss of the season.

With two outs, not much had changed with the Tigers still trailing 4-1 to the Mansfield Hornets. But on a 2-2 count, OA senior Josh Minuskin belted a three-run home run into left center field, tying the game and it looked like the game was destined to head to extra innings.

But a walk, a single and a hit batter later, suddenly Oliver Ames had the bases loaded and a chance to win. Freshman Chris Pearsons blooped one into left field, right in between a charging left fielder and a pair of back pedaling infielders to score the winning run and the Tigers walked off with a 5-4 win at Frothingham Park.

The rally started with a one out walk drawn by senior Matt Mancini. After a pop out for the second out, sophomore Matt Muir battled his way to a walk to put two on with two outs. Minuskin got a fast ball on a 2-2 pitch and launched it into left center. Mancini and Muir came around to score easily and after a slight bobble at the cutoff in left, Minuskin was sent home and he was able to beat the throw to tie the game.

“He’s a senior captain and that was a bomb, easily the furthest hit all day,” Oliver Ames head coach Leo Duggan said. “With the weather today, we didn’t think the ball would go that far. And then coach [Ed] Rollo sent him home because there was an issue at the cutoff so that was a great call right there.

“We’re thinking we’re going to lose 4-1 or 4-2 maybe if Josh gets a single but then he got a good pitch he could drive and that was a bomb.”

The bases didn’t stay clear for long with Ryan Adams drawing a four pitch walk. Kyle Gagliardi followed with an infield single between third and short to put two on with two out. Sophomore Mitch Goulet was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the freshman Pearson. Pearson connected on the second pitch her saw, blooping one into left as Adams scampered home, sending the Tigers into a frenzy.

“We were happy we tied it so we had [Zach] Sato, probably our best pitcher, was going to warm up for the eighth,” Duggan admitted. “Then Ryan [Adams] drew a walk, Kyle singled and Mitchell got hit. We were playing for extra innings but all of a sudden they woke up. Chris is only a freshman and he seems to be getting better everyday. That was a big situation and he came through.

“That was a great ending, I’ve seen a lot in my long time coaching. We snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.”

Mansfield took the lead in the fourth inning and added a run in each of the fifth and seventh innings. However, the feeling was one the Hornets have had before.

“I just talked to the guys about playing a complete seven innings,” Mansfield head coach Joe Breen said. “For a team that hasn’t had the lead in the seventh inning a lot of times this seasons, I think we get a little too excited and think the game is over and don’t play to the last out. Unfortunately for us and fortunately for them, they played through the last out and came out on top.”

A leadoff single from Zack Peterson in the top of the fourth got things started for the Hornets. Junior Aidan Cahill followed it up by reaching on a throwing error and senior Mike Arnold loaded the bases with no outs after getting hit with a pitch. Tyrone Pascual grounded into a fielder’s choice, plating Peterson to make it 1-0. Jake Tryder singled in Cahill at the next at bat to double the Hornets’ lead.

Mansfield struck again an inning later with freshman Dan Saraceno leading off with a single. A sacrifice bunt from recently called up sophomore Cullin Anastasia pushed Saraceno to second and a ground out from junior Max Boen pushed the runner to third. Peterson came through with a two out base hit up the middle to extend Mansfield’s lead to 3-0.

Oliver Ames was able to pull a run back in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit to two. Mancini reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to third on a double from senior Chris Romero. Muir then knocked Mancini in with a grounder to second.

It looked like the Hornets added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning, again getting the lead off man on base. Colin Gibbons singled and moved to second on a sac bunt from Saraceno. Max Boen’s sac bunt attempt turned into an error with the throw hitting him as he raced to first, allowing Gibbons to scamper home to make it 4-1.

OA’s Michael Mulrean got the win for the Tigers, allowing a run in two innings of work. Muir was the starter, going five innings with two earned runs allowed. Jack Neureuter pitched a scoreless four innings for Mansfield while Jared Menzer pitched the final three innings.

Oliver Ames baseball improves to 6-8 overall and 6-5 in league play, putting them in second place in the Davenport Division. The Tigers will host Sharon on Monday while Mansfield (4-9 league, 5-10 overall) will play host to North Attleboro on the same day.

Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.