Tag: Damien Carter

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/12/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
King Philip, 0 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Attleboro junior Jonny Pagano had a stellar outing on the mound and the Bombardiers used a late run to slip past visiting King Philip. Pagano tossed a complete game shutout, scattering four hits (two singles, two doubles) and five walks while striking out five in the win. The game stayed scoreless for five-and-a-half innings before the Bombardiers were able to break through in the bottom of the sixth. Casey Victorio drew a two-out walk and Jackson Huntington sent the third pitch he saw into left for an RBI double for the lone run of the game. Rudy Gately had a strong game on the mound for KP, allowing just one run on three hits and four walks, striking out five in 5.2 innings of work.

Canton, 12 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final – Canton rallied from a 5-2 deficit to take the lead in the fifth inning, before breaking the game open with a six-run sixth to earn a big bounce back win. Jack Digirolamo was 2-for-4 with a run scored and three driven in. Owen Lane sparked the offense from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a pair of runs scored. Matt Hart was also 2-for-3 and drove in three, while Nick Gillis had a double and a triple and drove in two. James Young added two hits and an RBI from the nine-hole. Hunter Malkin had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI for the Black Knights, who also got a double and an RBI from Sean Farley. Freshman Chris Pirrera hung tough after giving up five runs (one earned) in the first two innings and ended up going 4-2/3 with three strikeouts. Kyle Redquest earned the win in relief, throwing 2-1/3 scoreless innings.

Sharon, 4 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final (6 Inn.) – Foxboro jumped out to an early lead with five runs between the first two innings and exploded for six more in the fifth to earn a win over visiting Sharon. Ryan LeClair had a big day at the dish for the Warriors, going 3-for-3 with a triple, three RBI, a pair of stolen bases, and two runs scored to pace the offense. Ben Angelini (two RBI, two doubles, run), Mat Sullivan (two runs), and Aidan Stow (run) each added two hits in the win. Tyler Prescott reached four times from the leadoff spot with a hit and three walks, driving in three runs with four runs scored. Nolan Gordon earned the win on the mound after tossing five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks, striking out two. Palash Raina had a double and a triple with a run scored for the Eagles while sophomore Casey Stengel went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs.

Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – In a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s state championship game, Franklin edged out Taunton by a run in the first meeting between the two teams. Junior Austin Campbell had another stellar start as he allowed just two runs on six hits and no walks, striking out nine to earn the win. The Panthers plated all three of their runs between the first two innings, taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Back-to-back two-out singles from Henry Digiorgio and Jase Lyons resulted in the first run of the game as Eisig Chin (who reached on a fielder’s choice) crossed home plate. In the second, Ethan DePaolo singled and Luke Sidwell reached on an error, and two batters later, both came home to score on a single from Lyons. Taunton got two back in the bottom of the fifth as Ryan MacDougall smacked a one-out, two run triple to score both Dwayne Burgo (double) and Brayden Cali (single). Shawn Cali pitched well in the loss with three unearned runs allowed on nine hits and no walks, striking out one in a complete game.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Jake Maydak went the distance, scattering eight hits and allowing only two runs, helping Mansfield end its three-game losing streak and get back to .500 in Hock play. Maydak also went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Mansfield opened the scoring in the first but the Tigers tied it with a single run in the top of the second. The Hornets broke the game open with three in the third. OA cut the lead to two with a run in the fourth but Mansfield tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Matthew DeShiro had a hit, an RBI, and scored two runs, Sam Martin scored a run, and Connor Curtis drove in one for the Hornets. Patrick Finnerty was 2-for-3 with a run scored, Harrison Fitzpatrick was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Colin Costello drove in one for the Tigers.

North Attleboro, 8 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Milford erased a four-run deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning but North Attleboro responded with four more in the top of the sixth to get a key win on the road at Fino Field. The Rocketeers built a four-run lead with single runs in the second, the third (Dillon Harding sac fly), the fourth (two-out RBI single from Jack Munley), and the fifth (Nate Kelly infield single), but that lead was quickly erased by the Scarlet Hawks in the bottom of the fifth. Joey McGee drove in Louis Consigli (leadoff walk), Damien Carter drew a bases loaded walk, and Keith Lee tied the game with a two-out, two-run single to score both Sean McGee and Joe Butler, who had both walked. But in the top of the sixth, North loaded the bases when Munley was hit by a pitch, Kyle Conroy and Derek Maceda drew consecutive walks, and Harding came through with a bases-clearing double. After two more walks, Gio Martello brought Harding home with a sac fly to make it 8-4. Martello pitched two scoreless innings in relief, walking two and striking out two with no hits against.








Softball
Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 16 – Final (6 Inn.) – King Philip’s offense continued its strong start to the season, scattering 14 hits — including three home runs — to land a big win over upset minded Attleboro. The Bombardiers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first (helped by a solo home run by Rylie Camacho) but the Warriors wasted little time erasing that deficit with five runs in the bottom of the first, including a two-run triple from Ava Kelly and an RBI single from Maddie Paschke. The Bombardiers got back on the board with a run in the top of the second when Lily Routhier was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded but KP answered with a run of its own in the bottom half, and then tacked on 10 runs over the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Freshman McCoy Walsh was strong in relief for KP for the second straight came, coming in in the top of the third with the bases loaded and getting a strikeout to end the threat. Walsh finished with just one hit allowed and four walks in 3.1 innings of work, striking out nine. Sarah Cullen set the offense in motion from the leadoff spot, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored while Kelley (3-for-4, three runs) and Paschke (2-for-4, run) each finished with four RBI. Libby Walsh and Liv Petrillo hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning, and Paschke ended the game with a three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth.

Stoughton, 8 @ Canton, 9 – Final – Canton walked off with a big division win over Stoughton. Jess Wright led the Canton offense with three hits. Olivia Mackwell, Kailyn Durham, Anna Lehan, Sam Grady, and Kiera Redquest each 2 hits apiece in the win.

Foxboro, 13 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Emma Callahan and Ava Hill each went 4-for-4 to power the Warriors to a big road win. Callahan also picked up the win in the circle with five innings of one-run ball. Autumn Stowell threw the final two innings for the Warriors. Manasa Josyula went the distance in the circle for the Eagles, striking out seven. Isabella Zelenchuk scored twice and Maddie Hu had the third run scored for Sharon.

Franklin, 0 @ Taunton, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – After two scoreless innings, Taunton’s offense roared to life with 11 runs between the third and fourth innings while Sam Lincoln had another dominant performance in the circle for the Tigers in a win over Franklin. Taunton was limited to just one hit in the first two innings but Mia Fernandes launched a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third and the Tigers rolled from there. Ava Venturelli and Kaysie DeMoura had back-to-back two-run doubles to push Taunton’s lead to 5-0 after three innings. After Lincoln struck out the side in the top of the fourth, Mia Torres had an RBI single, Kyleah Plumb drove in a pair with a single, and Hayley Krockta smacked a one-out, two-run single to extend the lead to 11-0. An RBI double from Abbey Doherty in the bottom of the fifth ended the game. Lincoln allowed just one hit — a single in the first inning — while striking out nine with no walks allowed.

Mansfield, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 17 – Final – Oliver Ames scored in every inning, including a huge seven-run sixth inning that featured three home runs to pull away from Mansfield in an offensive showdown. After teams traded runs back-and-forth, the game stood knotted at 6-6 after five innings of play. The Hornets jumped back in front after Molly Kucharski smacked a two-out double, stole third, and came home to score on an error. But OA had another response, this time in a big way. Maddie Homer (three RBI, three runs) smacked a three-run home run with two outs and three batters later, Katherine Farley (five RBI) did the same, and Crystaliah Covel followed with a solo blast as the Tigers surged ahead 13-7. A pair of bases loaded walks to Devon Morris (two home runs, four RBI) and Katie Melendy added insurance for the Tigers. Mansfield rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh with an RBI triple from Julia Marnikovic but the Tigers closed it out.

Milford, 0 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – Kelly Colleran continued her dominant season, striking out 19, walking none, and allowing only four hits. She also led the way on offense. Batting leadoff, she went 1-for-2 with two walks, a homer, three runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Arianna McDavitt had a two-run single in the second inning, helping North jump out to a 5-0 lead. Molly Willey added two hits and an RBI for North. Cae Pellegrini had two of Milford’s four hits and was 2-for-3 on the day.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro bounced back from its first loss of the season by holding off Attleboro in a defensive battle. Tony Sulham scored two and assisted on two others to lead the Foxboro attack. Conor Noone added two goals and one assist and Jon Sachetti had one of each. Aidan Waller and Ian Foley each found the back of the net once. Adam Addeche recorded eight saves for the Warriors.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Canton, 13 – Final – OA got three goals and an assist from Ben Reardon. Shawn Teehan chipped in with a score and a pair of assist and Jake Manthous and Ryan Jaco each got a goal apiece.

Sharon, 7 @ Franklin, 22 – Final – Franklin’s Jake Davis and Tyler Sacchetti each scored five goals and had three assists as the Panthers rolled to another league win, this time over visiting Sharon. Franklin jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter as, Davis, Sacchetti, Jayden Consigli (four goals, one assist) and Ryan Grasso each scored once. The Panthers then rattled off 11 unanswered goals in the second quarter to take a commanding 15-1 lead by halftime. Justin Alexander went 21-for-23 on face offs and had an assist in the win.

King Philip, 20 @ Milford, 7 – Final – KP had 11 players record a point in a big win. Donovan DeVellis was the top scorer for the Warriors with five goals and three assists. Mason Thompson scored twice and dished out five assists, Hayden Schmitz had two goals and three assists, Jacob Booth had three goals and one helper, and Aiden McCarthy had a pair of goals. James Boldy was big in the cage, coming up with 15 saves for KP.

Mansfield @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 18 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – The Warriors stayed perfect with a big win over Attleboro. Mya Waryas and Paige Curran each scored five goals for Foxboro. Waryas added three assists. Val Beigel had a hat trick, Mary Collins had two goals and two assists, Addie Riley had two goals and a helper, and Cate Noone scored one and added a hat trick of assists. Audrey Campbell had a pair of saves in the win. Amelia Collins and Isabella Cavallini each scored twice for the Bombardiers, while Addison Papagolos had one goal and Makenah Stones had one assist. Cavallini also chipped in with five draw controls.

Canton, 8 @ Oliver Ames, 7 – Final – Sierra Abbott had a hat trick for the Bulldogs, who picked up an important division win. Nara Giannacopoulos added her first varsity goal, one of seven Canton players to record at least one point. Ashley Balunas came up with seven big saves to help secure the win.

Franklin, 20 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Franklin went on the road and came back home with another league win, rolling to a 20-1 decision at Sharon. Katie Ryan had a strong game with three goals and two assists, Payten Crandall added two goals, and Norah MacCallum had a strong game defensively for the Panthers.

Milford, 4 @ King Philip, 19 – Final – Ten players recorded points for the Warriors, who bounced back with a big home win. Makenzie McDevitt continued her strong start to the season with a career-high nine points. She scofred four goals and added five assists. Nicole McDonald also tallied four goals, while Alyssa Legere, Lily McNulty, Emily Heslin, and Abby MacDonald each had a pair of scores. Haley Bright made five saves in the win. Emily Croteau scored twice for the Hawks, Carly Haley and TJ Downing each scored once, and Rhea Mathew and Erin Michelson each recorded an assist. Caitlyn Bangert played well in net for Milford with 11 saves.

North Attleboro, 6 @ Mansfield, 16 – Final – Mansfield built a three-goal lead but pulled away with a strong second half to knock off visiting North Attleboro. Ava Adams led the charge offensively with five goals while Cammy Shanteler, Tessa Johnson, Lola Varricchione, Ella Palanza, and Stella Moore (two assists) each scored twice. Rose Maher added a goal and two helpers with Carys Colby and Ella Souza each had one assist in the win. Caitlyn Zajac made eight saves for the Hornets.

Stoughton, 9 @ Taunton, 13 – Final – Taunton broke into the win column by taking down visiting Stoughton on Wednesday. Cali Melo paced the offense with five goals and two assists while Maddi Szala had a strong game with three goals and one assists. Raquel Azevedo added two goals while Caroline Vallarelli and Talia O’Leary each scored once; Mel Jesus turned away 12 shots for the Tigers. Stoughton had its best performance of its debut season. Morgan Groppi led the way for the Black Knights with six goals, while Amanda Reid added two and Nicole Reid had a goal and an assist. Mia Rivera added an assist and Jordan Coleman made six saves for Stoughton.




Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Attleboro won a pair of matches — one singles, one doubles — in three sets to secure a 4-1 decision on the road at KP. Tyler Rocchio overcame a one-set deficit to win two tight sets in a row at second singles (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) while the team of Noem Cook and Clay Tyler prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 at second doubles to help swing the match to the Bombardiers. Kyle Neuendorf picked up another win at first singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win while the team of Brady Rosen and Luke Hinton earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at first doubles. KP’s Luke Bailer didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles.

Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton’s first and second singles players Max Kupferman and Bharat Ramanathan continued to roll early in the season, helping the Bulldogs knock off neighboring Stoughton. Both Kupferman and Ramanathan won in straight sets without dropping a game while sophomore Justin Ngan added a 6-3, 6-3 win at third singles to complete the singles play sweep. The team of Drew Garrett and Matt Wright added a 6-2, 6-0 win for Canton.

Foxboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon defended home court by taking all five matches in straight sets against Davenport foe Foxboro. Sophomore Jacob Slavsky earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles, junior Matthew Lally dropped just one game in each set for a 6-1, 6-1 win, and Alex Budovalcev rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. Sharon’s first doubles team of sophomore Sava Kassev and senior Rithvik Neti emerged from a hard-fought match with a 6-2, 7-5 win while junior Savir Basil teamed with senior Hyojae Park for a 6-1, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Franklin, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – All three singles matches went three sets and first doubles was a back-and-forth battle but it was Franklin that came out on top in all five matches in a win at Taunton. Jay Gorgas prevailed with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win at first singles, Tyler Fitzpatrick added a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win at second singles, and Will Forrest rallied from a one-set deficit to secure a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win at third singles. The team of Ahan Shetty and Eric Tomaino picked up a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at first doubles while Andrew Amante and Aaron Ramaswamy had an impressive 6-0, 6-3 second doubles victory.

Mansfield, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Mansfield had one dominant doubles win and swept all three singles matches to return home from Easton with a win over Oliver Ames. The team of Jacob Weiner and Josh Weiner didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles. Neema Khosravani earned a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 win at first singles, Nikhil Nain added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Iniyan Karruppusami picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win at third singles. OA’s Nick Washner and Jared Murphy emerged with a 7-5, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Milford, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro senior Brody Carter battled his way to a three-set victory, completing the Rocketeers’ sweep on the road at Milford. Carter took a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 decision at first singles, sophomore Darren Liang added a 6-3, 6-1 win at second singles, and junior Caleb Cheney earned a 6-4, 6-4 win in a competitive third singles match. The team of Brody Gaulin and Quinn DiFiore added a 6-2, 6-4 win at first doubles while Arnav Raghuvanshi and Aaryan Anjna didn’t drop a game in a clean 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
King Philip, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip made it back-to-back wins, handing Attleboro its first loss of the season with a 5-0 verdict. Senior Ahunna James had a terrific showing, rolling to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first single, Shea Mellman added an impressive 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Caroline Freese emerged from a hard-fought three-hour marathon of a match with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Carlie Burns and Priya Rirar used strong net play in a 6-2, 6-4 win at first doubles, and Lauren Casper and Jaelyn Dang earned a 6-4, 6-1 second doubles win.

Canton, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – It came down to a third set tiebreak at second singles but Canton’s Olivia Duruham was able to pull it out and secure the win for the Bulldogs. Durham dropped the first set but rallied to take the second and third, the latter in a tiebreak (4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (1)) to help complete Canton’s victory. The Bulldogs also got a pair of hard-fought victories in doubles play as Grace Powers and Kelli Woodworth went the distance, overcoming a one-set deficit for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win at first doubles, and Canton’s second doubles pairing of Panayiota Michaelidis and Liv McCloskey prevailed 6-4, 7-5 at second doubles. Stoughton’s Ally Lada earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles while Dhruvi Patel secured a 6-3, 6-3 third singles victory for the Black Knights.

Sharon, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Sharon took two wins from both singles and doubles action to earn a key division win on the road at Foxboro. Navya Shukla dropped just one game in each set in a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles while Ale Aguilar had an impressive 6-0, 6-3 win at third singles for the Eagles. The team of Sophia Oh and Abby Vilk battled to a 6-4, 7-5 win at first doubles, and Sharon’s second doubles squad of Olivia Landstein and Ellie Zhao emerged with a 6-3, 7-5 win. Foxboro sophomore Hailey Kornbluth earned an impressive 6-0, 6-3 win at first singles.

Taunton, 3 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Taunton picked up two wins from singles matches and one more in doubles to prevail over Franklin. Junior Morgan Smith battled to a key three-set win at third singles (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) while the all-junior second doubles pairing of Courtney Martin and Caroline Pietnik emerged victorious in three sets (6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5). Taunton junior Ava Alves added a win at second singles, splitting the first two sets before getting the win when her opponent retired. Franklin’s Chloe Essam picked up a 7-6 (1), 6-0 victory at first singles and the Panthers’ first doubles team of Brooke Daniels and Ava Davies won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – OA rallied for a pair of three-set wins in the doubles matches to earn the sweep. Emily Beaulieu and Ava Barth dropped the first set 6-4 to Jillian Hanley and Savannah Carey at first doubles, but battled back to win the next two sets 6-2, 6-2. At second doubles, Marina and Ella Mierzwinski lost the opening set 6-0 to Caroline Guravage and Rachel Goldman, but the Tigers bounced back to win the final two sets 6-1, 6-2. Hannah Farber (6-1, 6-0), Olivia Querzoli (6-4, 7-6), and Stella Zachos (6-2, 6-1) all won their singles matches for OA.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – North won four of its matches in straight sets to earn a big road win and stay perfect on the season. Lauren Hunt (6-0, 6-1), Megan Atwood (6-0, 6-4), and Grace Noreck (6-1, 6-0) swept singles for North. Audrey Noreck and Liz Silva also won in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) at first doubles. The second doubles match went to three sets. Sophomores Grace Manning and Jayla Stone pulled out a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 match against Milford’s Audrey Brannigan and Paige Caldon.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Millis, 6:00
Milford, 1 @ Newton North, 3 – Final

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/05/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 1 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Milford junior Damien Carter dazzled on the mound in his first start of the season, leading the Hawks to a win on the road at Attleboro. Carter allowed just one run on one hit and six walks, striking out 11 in five innings of work. Mason Baldic came in for a two-inning save, allowing just one hit and one walk, striking out four — three in the seventh inning. Offensively, Milford took an early lead on a two-out bases loaded walk from Louis Consigli. In the top of the second, Carter helped his own cause as he reached on an error that allowed Brady Butler (single) to score, and the Hawks pushed the lead to 3-0 on a sac fly from Evan Cornelius that scored Joe Butler (walk). Consigli’s patience paid off again as he drew yet another two-out bases loaded walk in the top of the sixth to push the lead to 4-0. Attleboro got on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Jackson Huntington scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Cooper Johnson.

Sharon, 6 @ Canton, 10 – Final – Canton jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the fifth, but Sharon, which was the home team in this game, rallied with a five run bottom of the fifth to get back within one. After each team scored once in the sixth, Canton put the game away with a three-run seventh to pull out a second straight win. Matt Hart went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a pair of runs scored to lead the Canton offense. Matt Lesser (3-for-5) also had three hits for the Bulldogs, scoring once and driving in one. Owen Lane went 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot, scoring twice, and driving in a run. Matt Chafin was 1-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI, while Jack Digirolamo was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Freshman Chris Pirrera went 4-1/3 innings giving up five runs to earn the win. James Young (one run allowed) and Kyle Redquest each went 1-1/3 innings in relief. Sharon’s offense was led by Cole Arundale, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBI. Drew Yaffe (1-for-4) also drove in two, while Palash Raina and Liam Conway each drove in runs.

Mansfield, 3 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Buoyed by a big third inning and a strong pitching performance from senior Mat Sullivan, Foxboro earned a key early win over division rival Mansfield. The Hornets had a strong start to the third as Will Lund drove in two runs on a single and Matt DeShiro plated another with a single to right for a 3-0 lead but the Warriors answered with five runs in the bottom half to take the lead for good. Foxboro started the inning with three straight singles from Louis Carangelo, Ben Angelini, and Ryan O’Leary, the latter scoring the former to get the hosts on the board. After a one-out walk to Alex Stern, freshman Aidan Stow ripped a two-run double to left to tie the game. Tyler Prescott drew another walk to load the bases and Ryan LeClair delivered a two-run single to put Foxboro head. Foxboro tacked on another run in the fourth (Carangelo RBI single) and three more in the sixth, including a two-out, two-run single from sophomore Mike Marcucella. Sullivan earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out a pair in five innings. Tommy Watts tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

Franklin, 11 @ King Philip, 0 – Final (6 Inn.) – Franklin’s offense plated double-digit runs for the second straight game to start the season, this time on the road over rival King Philip. The Panthers scored one run in the first and another run in the third, then pulling away for good with four runs in the fourth and five more in the sixth inning. Junior Austin Campbell was dominant on the mound for the visitors, allowing just two hits (both singles) and one walk, striking out six in five shutout innings. Dillon Cashin came in and threw a shutout inning in relief with one strikeout. Ryan Gerety went 2-for-4, including his first career home run, and Eisig Chin (RBI), Ben Jarosz (run), and Luke Sidwell (RBI, two runs) each added two hits in the win.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Taunton’s Jack Cali impressed in his first start of the season and the Tigers used two runs in the third inning to land a close win over visiting North Attleboro. The Rocketeers got off to a strong start when Derek Maceda led off with a double and came around to score on a one-out single from Dillon Harding, but Cali and Dawson Bryce combined to silence North the rest of the way. Cali allowed just one more hit in six innings of work and one walk, striking out four to earn the win. Bryce pitched a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout for the save. In the bottom of the third, Andrew Cali had a one-out single, stole second, advanced to third on an error, and scored on an infield single from Brayden Cali. AJ Lewis moved Brayden Cali to second with a single, and both runners advanced on a double steal. Brayden Cali then scampered home on a throwing error to make it 2-1. Jordan Paradis was strong on the mound for North with just two runs (one earned) allowed on four hits and no walks, striking out nine in six innings of action.

Stoughton, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 15 – Final – Oliver Ames got off to a great start with six runs in the first inning and then pulled away for good after a Stoughton comeback bid, plating six more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Matt Lawson went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored to pace the Tigers’ 11-hit game. Patrick Finnerty added two hits, two RBI, and a run scored while senior Ryan Lemay drove in a team-high three runs and had a double.








Softball
Attleboro, 21 @ Milford, 3 – Final (5 Inn.) – Attleboro’s lineup continues to rake. The Bombardiers had 17 hits as a team, including 14 from the first six batters in the order, to open the season with a third straight win. The visitors wasted no time on Wednesday, scoring four in the first, nine in the second, and four each in the fourth and fifth innings. Lily Routhier went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs scored, and four RBI and Lauren Eby went 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI to lead Attleboro’s attack. The Bombardiers also got two hits apiece from Sarah Maher (2-for-4, four runs, and two RBI), Rylie Camacho (2-for-2, five runs, one RBI, three walks), Emily Eby (2-for-4, three runs, and three RBI), and Jenna Callahan (2-for-5, three RBI). Callahan also picked up the win in the circle. Grace Bonina went 2-for-2 with a run scored and Olivia Baglione was 1-for-3 with an RBI for Milford.

Sharon, 1 @ Canton, 18 – Final (5 Inn.) – Canton’s offense exploded and the Bulldogs earned their first win of the season. Olivia Mackwell had three hits and four RBI, while Jess Wright and Kailyn Durham each had a pair of hits for the Bulldogs. Shaelyn Murphy picked up the win for Canton.

Foxboro, 10 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – Foxboro scored eight straight runs to take an 8-1 lead and then scored a pair of insurance runs in the sixth to hold off a Mansfield comeback, pulling out a big division win. Freshman Mia Flannagan had a big game for the Warriors, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a solo homer. Ava Hill also went 3-for-3 and scored once, while freshman Meghan Kelly went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Autumn Stowell was 0-for-4 but drove in a pair of runs for the Warriors. Mansfield scored first with a single run in the first and then battled back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut Foxboro’s lead to 8-5. The Hornets added a sixth run in the seventh. Callie Lake had a pair of hits, pair of runs, and a pair of walks from the leadoff spot, reaching base all four times. Julia Marnikovic was 1-for-4 with two runs, four RBI, and a homer.

King Philip, 16 @ Franklin, 4 – Final (6 Inn.) – KP pounded out 12 hits, four home runs, and scored 16 runs to earn a big division road win. The Warriors scored five in the first, five more in the third, three in the fourth, and sealed the win with a pair of runs in the sixth. Franklin scored twice in each of the fourth and fifth innings. Freshman Ali Gill (1-for-3, two runs scored), junior Maddie Paschke (2-for-4, run scored), and senior Charlotte Raymond (2-for-2, three runs scored) each hit homers and drove in three runs for KP. Libby Walsh went 1-for-3 with a homer and a pair of runs scored and Taylor Regan (1-for-3) also drove in two. Jordan Bennett gave up an earned run over 4-1/3 innings to earn the win. Carly Johnson-Pellegri was the star for Franklin’s offense, going 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI.

Taunton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. Taunton was able to manufacture just enough runs to score a close win on the road, emerging victorious from a pitcher’s duel between junior lefty Sam Lincoln and North Attleboro senior righty Kelly Colleran. The Tigers pushed a single run across in the second and third innings while North had a single run come home in the fourth inning. Lincoln was the winning pitching, allowing one unearned run on one hit and two walks, striking out 16. Colleran tied the program record for strikeouts in a seven inning game, fanning 19 batters while allowing three hits and two walks. In the top of the second, Brooke Aldrich hit a dribbler that stayed on the third baseline and fair for an infield single. Aldrich stole second, moved to third on a dropped third strike, and came home for a run on a wild pitch. In the top of the third, Ava Venturelli had a one-out single and moved to second on a throwing error. A sac bunt from Kaysie DeMoura moved Venturelli to third, and that allowed her to score on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Colleran led off the bottom of the fourth by reaching on an infield error and raced to third on an infield single from Maryann Charette. An RBI ground out from Molly Willey cut the deficit down to one but Lincoln was able to strand runners at second and third to escape the inning.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – Stoughton rallied with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to secure a bounce-back win against a fellow Davenport title contender. Camryn Whitman and Angelina Berry each went 2-for-3 for the Black Knights, with Whitman driving in a pair and Berry plating one. Alyssa Edwards also went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Kerry Driscoll went the distance, overcoming a four-run third inning and striking out seven to pick up the win. Maddie Homer was 2-for-4 for OA, while Devon Morris was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Katie Melendy was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Melendy would pick up the loss in the circle, despite allowing only one earned run and striking out six.




Boys Lacrosse
Taunton, 8 vs. Norton, 7 – Final (2OT) – Taunton broke into the win column in its second game of the season as senior Connor McGrath potted the game-winning goal in overtime to hand the Tigers a thrilling double overtime win over Norton. Senior Israel Cruz paced the offense with four goals and an assist, Tommy Selfridge added three goals, and Colton Scheralis had one assist. Freshman Brody Coute had a strong showing in net with 10 saves.

Girls Lacrosse
Sharon, 14 @ Norwood, 20 – Final

Boys Tennis
Attleboro. 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Attleboro’s Kyle Neuendorf rallied from a one-set deficit to take the win at first singles, highlighting the Bombardiers 4-1 victory on the road at Milford. Neuendorf dropped a tight first set but lost just five games between the final two sets for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win at first singles. Tyler Rocchio added a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles, the team of Luke Hinton and Brady Rosen secured a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles, and Noem Cook and Clayton Tyler dropped just two games in a win at second doubles (6-2, 6-0). Milford sophomore Corey Rattray earned his first win of the young season with a 6-4, 6-1 win at third singles.

Sharon, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Sharon swept both doubles matches and won two more in singles action, all in straight sets, to earn a 4-1 decision on the road in Canton. Junior Matthew Lally earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles and classmate Alex Budovalcev dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 victory at third singles. The senior of sophomore Sava Kassev and senior Kevin Li rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 first doubles win and sophomore Joel Zwicker and senior Savir Basil earned a 6-2, 6-1 victory at second doubles. Canton junior Max Kupferman earned a hard-fought 6-4, 6-1 win at first singles.

Foxboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield junior Iniyan Karruppusami prevailed in a second-set tie break to secure a win at second singles and the Hornets edged out visiting Foxboro. Karruppusami was one of two singles players to win for the hosts, taking a 6-2, 7-6 (1) win at second singles while sophomore Neema Khosravani grabbed a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles. Mansfield’s second doubles team of Jesse Colchamiro and Dhruv Jain helped clinch the win with a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Foxboro sophomore Luca Meyer earned his second win of the week with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 decision at third singles and the Warriors’ first doubles team of Hajji Glover and Evan Paluzzi battled to a 6-4, 6-3 win.

King Philip, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin swept a pair of competitive doubles matches and added two more straight-set wins in singles action to knock off visiting King Philip. The team of junior Ahan Shetty and senior Eric Tomaino prevailed in a third set super tiebreak 6-2, 5-7, 10-6 at first doubles while Franklin’s second doubles pairing of sophomore Aaron Ramaswamy and junior Andrew Amante grabbed a 7-6 (8-6), 6-0 win at second doubles. Junior Jay Gorgas added a 6-1, 6-2 first singles win and senior Tyler Fitzpatrick was victorious with a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles. KP sophomore Arjun Kollu rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles.

Taunton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – After dropping the first set, North Attleboro senior Brody Carter rallied to win two straight to complete the comeback, capping a 5-0 sweep for the Rocketeers. Carter emerged with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win at first singles, sophomore Darren Liang earned a 6-3, 6-0 win at second singles, and junior Caleb Cheney secured a 6-2, 6-1 win at third singles. North swept both doubles matches with junior Quinn DiFiore and senior Collin Lufgren taking a 6-1, 6-3 win and junior Arjav Raghuvanshi and freshman Rowan Kimmer winning 6-2, 6-2 at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final




Girls Tennis
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – With a pair of wins in both singles and doubles play, Attleboro moved to 2-0 on the season by knocking off visiting Milford. Junior Maddie Fuscaldo had an impressive showing with a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while junior Presley Biller earned a hard-fought 7-6 (4), 6-2 win at second singles for the Bombardiers. Senior Zoe Stanley teamed up with junior Kyra Johnson and the duo earned a 6-3, 6-3 win at first doubles while the sophomore pairing of Julia Leonardo and Katie Lortos dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles. Milford sophomore Mallory Brickley secured a 6-3, 6-3 win at third singles.

Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – After dropping a tight second set in a tiebreaker, Sharon’s Sophia Oh emerged with a win in a third set super tiebreak to complete the Eagles’ 5-0 sweep against visiting Canton. Judy Song (first singles) and Ale Aguilar (second singles) each won by a 6-2, 6-1 score while Oh emerged with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-8 win. In doubles play, Ellie Zhao and Abby Vilk grabbed a 6-0, 6-3 win at first doubles and the pairing of Jenny Sand and Olivia Landstein didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro won a pair of singles matches and both doubles matches to pull out the league win. For the second time this week Haley Kornbluth took the win at first singles without dropping a game and Makayla Peck added a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles. The doubles teams of Analise Jia and Audrey Paolino (6-2, 6-3) and Emily Stow and Katelynn Dineen (6-3, 6-2) also won in straight sets to keep Foxboro unbeaten through three matches. Mansfield’s Kristin Coombes earned the team’s lone point with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at third singles.

Franklin, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Franklin earned one win in singles action and swept both doubles matches, overcoming a one-set deficit in all three matches to edge out KP on the road. Junior Chloe Essam rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win at second singles, the sophomore team of Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen erased a three-game deficit in the third set to prevail with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 win at first doubles, and seniors Shriya Rajesh and Allison Bagley landed a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 comeback win at second doubles. KP senior Ahunna James rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and senior Caroline Freese landed a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Warriors.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Anchored by a sweep in singles play, North Attleboro picked up a close win on the road at Taunton. Junior Lauren Hunt continued her strong start to the season, dropping just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles, sophomore Megan Atwood grabbed a 6-3, 6-1 win at second single, and senior Grace Noreck was impressive in a 6-1, 6-0 third singles victory. Taunton’s Morgan Smith and Janelle Garcia took a 6-3, 6-1 first doubles win and the team of Courtney Martin and Caroline Pietnik earned a victory at second doubles (6-1, 6-2) for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames swept all three singles matches and both doubles to grab a win over Stoughton at home. Hannah Farber picked up another win to start the year, earning a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 win at first singles, Olivia Querzoli took the win at second singles after an incredible back and forth battle (6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 10-2), and Ava Barth picked up a 6-1, 6-4 win at third singles. The team of Marina Mierzwinski and Ella Mierzwinski grabbed their frist win of the year with a 6-0, 6-3 first doubles win, and the team of Emily Beaulieu and Abby Borden completed the sweep with a three-set victory (5-7, 6-1, 6-3).

Boys Outdoor Track
North Attleboro @ Milford, 3:45

Girls Outdoor Track
North Attleboro, 70 @ Milford, 66 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – King Philip kept the match going with a tight win in the third set, but Taunton completed the win by taking the fourth for a 3-1 (25-9, 25-17, 23-25, 25-16) decision. Matt Freitas paced the Tiger attack with 14 kills, adding five aces, a pair of blocks, and eight digs in a solid all-around performance. Owen Kelley added four kills, two aces, and eight digs while Josh Duncan pitched in with five kills and an ace. Ty Ekstrom (14 assists) and Daniel Freitas (16 assists, four digs) set the offense in motion while Bradley Hylander (five digs) played well defensively in the back row.

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

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

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

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

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

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

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

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

Canton

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

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

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

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

Foxboro

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

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

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

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

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







2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Franklin

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

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

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

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

King Philip

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

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

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

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

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Mansfield

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

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

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

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

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




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Milford

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

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

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

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

North Attleboro

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

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

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

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




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Oliver Ames

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

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

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

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

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Sharon

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

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

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

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

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Stoughton

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

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

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

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

Taunton

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

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

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

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

Milford Rushes Past Franklin and Into First Place Tie

Milford football
Romeo Holland (44) and the Milford ground game dominated against Franklin, rushing for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns in a 43-24 win. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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FRANKLIN, Mass. – When Milford was putting together its game plan for Friday night’s visit to Pisini Stadium, the Hawks thought there were opportunities to attack Franklin’s defense with the passing game, trying to utilize their weapons on the edges. After 24 minutes, the game plan was boiled down to line up behind the big offensive line and let the running game do the work.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Hawks rushed for more than 300 yards as a team, all but nine of those yards from running backs Nick Araujo and Romeo Holland and quarterback Evan Cornelius, and five touchdowns. Milford only threw one pass in the second half, even as Franklin’s offense started to click, and rolled to a 43-24 victory that sets up a three-way tie atop the Kelley-Rex division.

“Up front, we were incredible tonight,” said Milford coach Dale Olson about his offensive line of Oliver McKee, Anthony Dew, Ryan O’Connor, Keith Lee, and Tyler Potter. “I looked at the kids at halftime and said we might not throw a forward pass because every time it’s 4, 5, 6 [yards]. That’s a testament to our guys up front. They just dug in and they pushed a good Franklin team around tonight.”

In addition to its big offensive line, Milford boasts three big guys to carry the ball as well and Franklin had problems trying to bring all three of the down all night long.

Olson explained, “It’s a three-headed monster, and they all weigh 230 pounds. That run Romeo had early, every kid on the Franklin team had a shot at him. He’s just a tough kid, Nick’s a tough kid, and eventually we had some options on the outside and I was just like don’t do it.”

The Milford defense forced three-and-outs on each of Franklin’s first two possessions. Milford’s second possession got down to the Franklin 25, but a nice tackle by Bobby Padula stopped Isaiah Pantalone short of the marker on fourth and five and forced a turnover on downs.

On its next drive, starting in Franklin territory for the second time, the Hawks got on the board. Cornelius found Pantalone for seven yards and a personal foul tacked on 15 more. Araujo hit Franklin for 11 yards on a counter to get the ball to the three and he finished the drive on the next snap to make it 7-0.

Franklin’s offense finally found some success on its next possession. Jase Lyons hit Luke Davis for a 30-yard gain, as Davis proved to be as hard to tackle as Milford’s running game. A 14-yard and a 10-yard completion to Grayson Hunter (eight catches, 70 yards) got down to the Milford 32 and Mike Davide (10 carries, 43 yards) went for 17 to get inside the 10. Holland stuffed a run and Damien Carter broke up a pass, forcing the Panthers to settle for a 28-yard Garrett Portesi kick.

Milford answered right back on its next drive. Araujo (12 carries, 81 yards) got it started with an 18-yard burst over a couple of would-be tacklers and the Hawks kept grinding to the red zone. On fourth and one, the Panthers jumped, giving Milford a first down at the 15. Holland for the call and he went through the left side of the line all the way to the end zone.

Things were starting to look bleak for the Panthers, who needed a spark. Davis would provide one. On third and six, Lyons (24-of-34, 299 yards) hit the senior receiver in stride on the right sideline, Davis (nine catches, 176 yards) shrugged off an attempted tackle and raced away for a 69-yard score.

Franklin’s momentum was short-lived. Milford got the ball with a little more than two minutes to play in the half and immediately went to work. A 15-yard pass from Cornelius (9-of-12, 75 yards) to Andrew Rivera (five catches, 42 yards) got the ball to midfield. A personal foul would help get into Franklin territory and a 12-yard pass to Rivera moved it to the 21. After converting on third and two, Cornelius lofted a pass over the middle to Rivera who hauled it in for a 10-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead at the break.

“I think the play of the game was the drive before half,” Olson said. “That just shows you what kind of kids we have. We had one timeout, went down the field, and we score right before half. That’s a huge, huge thing. The kids just dug in. They knew what type of team Franklin was, that’s a good team.”

The home team looked determined to make it a game coming out of the locker room. Davide broke a 20-yard run to get things going, his longest rush of the night, and Lyons would scramble for 24 yards down the near sideline, lowering his shoulder for some extra yards. He would then throw one to the end zone for Hunter, who managed to lay out and pull in the pass while staying just inbounds.

“I think we were really trying to find the run game and there were a couple things there that we liked, maybe we just didn’t execute as well as we could have,” Franklin coach Eain Bain said. “We wanted to compete and the best way for us to compete tonight was to throw the ball and we figured that out pretty quick.”

It was an impressive start to the second half, but again the visitors made sure to immediately quell all the momentum from the touchdown. Holland (20 carries, 141 yards) just barreled his way through the line of scrimmage, into the secondary, and then through the secondary, carrying tacklers along the way. His 53-yard run got the Hawks quickly down to the Franklin three. Two plays later, Cornelius (11 carries, 72 yards) went up the middle for the four-yard TD.

Suddenly, it was a back-and-forth game. Franklin was finding all sorts of room in the passing game. Lyons hit Davis on a deep crossing route and Davis proceeded to weave his way past a couple of Hawks and then lower the shoulder to get 30 yards. After an 11-yard catch for Hunter over the middle, Lyons tossed a strike to Davis, who pulled in an over-the-shoulder grab for the 12-yard score.

The Hawks went right back to work. Holland gained 11 to the 41. On third and four, Araujo took a sweep around the left side and rumbled for 25 yards all the way down to the Franklin 28. Cornelius followed with a 17-yard keeper on the final play of the third quarter. Holland got eight yards on two carries and Cornelius capped it off with a three-yard plunge. Araujo got the handoff to convert the two-point try and give Milford a 36-24 lead.

For the first time in a while, Franklin wasn’t able to respond. On fourth and eight, Lyons was chased out of the pocket by Mason Baldic and lost the ball, which was recovered by Rivera at the Franklin 41. Nine rushing plays later, Holland found the end zone for the second time, this one from a yard out, to seal the win.

“They threw a couple of fine passes but they didn’t have to throw to beat us and we could run the ball either,” said Bain. “That’s your game. We played very poor fundamental football tonight. We played bad football tonight and that shows up in the penalty sheet as well as the yards per carry on both sides of the ball.”

Milford (7-1) entered the night at the top seed in Div. 2 and will await its opponent in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks will also face Taunton on Thanksgiving Day, knowing that a win will clinch the team’s first Hockomock title.

Franklin (5-2) was the top seed in Div. 1 entering Friday and will now wait to see who they will play in the first round of the tournament. The Panthers will face King Philip on Thanksgiving, looking to repeat as league champ for the first time since they won three straight titles between 1969-71.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Football: 2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Milford and King Philip will both be contenders for the Kelley-Rex division title this season. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Kelley-Rex Football Preview

2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 4-6
Coach: Jim Winters

Key/Returning Players: Matt Harvie, Jr., QB; Ethan Lako, Sr., LB; Isaiah Miranda, Sr., OL/DL; Ayden Ramirez, Sr., WR/CB; Adrian Rivera, Jr., RB; Anthony Salviati, SR.; WR/S; Spencer Sherck, Sr., S

Outlook:
In a loaded Kelley-Rex division, Attleboro has largely been on the outside of the title race and the Bombardiers enter this season with an eye to the future, as they have a relatively inexperienced roster. First-year coach Jim Winters, who came from Silver Lake to replace Mike Strachan after his move to North Attleboro, will lean on a talented crew of skill position players and an aggressive mindset to be competitive with the league’s top teams.

Offensively, the Bombardiers have a lot of depth and athleticism at receiver. Senior Anthony Salviati is a dynamic playmaker who can line up in multiple positions, whether out wide or in the backfield. He was also the team’s kicker last year. Junior Matt Harvie gets the nod at quarterback to start the season after seeing time under center as a sophomore. His strong arm and ability to read the defense will be key. Senior Ayden Ramirez will be another threat on the outside and junior Adrian Rivera will be the team’s go-to back at the start of the season. Senior center Isaiah Miranda is the team’s only returning lineman, on either side of the ball, and his leadership is going to be critical to the offense’s success.

Athleticism is going to be important on defense as well. Salviati will bring his playmaking to the secondary as a safety. Winters called Ramirez one of the best corners that he has coached, while senior linebacker Ethan Lako is a ball hawk who led the team in interceptions last season. Senior safety Spencer Sherck is recovering from a preseason injury and the Bombardiers will be hoping to have his leadership back on the field as soon as possible. The defensive line remains a question mark with young players getting their first taste of varsity action this season.

“We should be fast and aggressive at the skill positions,” Winters said. About the challenges on the line, he added, “We will be very inexperienced and do not have the size of Attleboro teams of the past.”










2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Franklin

2021 Record: 10-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Eian Bain

2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Key/Returning Players: Jase Lyons, Sr., QB/S; Luke Davis, Sr., WR/CB; Grayson Hunter, Sr., TE; Ben Papa, Sr., OL; Ben Ryan, Jr., OL; Leo Meuse, Soph., OL; Jay Gulla, Sr., DL; Emmett Lackey, Sr., DL; Julian Rampino, Soph., DL; Nick Quintina, Sr., LB; Luke Sidwell, Sr., CB; Devine Johnson, Sr., CB;

Outlook:
Franklin was not only the best team in the Kelley-Rex division last year, winning its first league title since 2009, but also proved to be one of the top teams in the state. The Panthers were a win away from a spot in the Super Bowl, going toe-to-toe with Springfield Central in the state semifinal. This season, the Panthers will have to overcome the graduation of a lot of skill position players to keep the positive momentum that the program has shown over the past few seasons.

Last year’s offensive group was as good as any in the state and it showed. This season, Franklin will have a lot of new faces and a lot of versatile athletes that will be part of the game plan. Senior Jase Lyons will take over at quarterback and is a dual threat with his legs and his arm. Senior Luke Davis will be one of the primary targets out wide along with junior wideout Derek Dubriske and senior tight end Grayson Hunter. The graduation of Mack Gulla opens space for new running backs to step up. Juniors Mike Davide and Cody Howard are backs to watch out for this year. Senior Ben Papa will lead the offensive line with junior Ben Ryan and sophomore Leo Meuse adding depth and size. Senior Garrett Portesi will be back on kicking duties and gives Franklin a consistent source of points.

While the offense got a lot of attention last season, Franklin’s defense allowed fewer points than anyone else in the league. The secondary was one of the biggest strengths in 2021 and should be again this year. Senior Devine Johnson is a lockdown corner, while classmates Luke Sidwell, Bobby Padula, and Davis all are playmakers in the passing game. Junior Connor Klawson will add depth in that position. The linebacking group is led by senior Nick Quintina, who will make plays in the middle, and Howard will be a new face in that position. Senior Emmett Lackey will control the defensive line, while senior Jay Gulla is a constant threat on the edge and sophomore Julian Rampino gives another big athlete at defensive end.

“We are taking this one day at a time,” said Franklin coach Eian Bain. “Last year was a whirlwind, and culmination of many years of hard work. It is important not to lose sight of the process that got us to such great accomplishments. It remains all about the process.”




2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

King Philip

2021 Record: 9-3
Coach: Brian Lee

Key/Returning Players: Will Astorino, Sr., FB/LB; Thomas Brewster, Sr., WR/DB; Rudy Gately, Sr., RB/DB; Nathan Kearney, Sr., RB/DE; Sean King, Jr., OL/DL; Chris Sesay, Sr., OL/DL; Matt Kelley, Sr., K/WR/DB; Tommy McLeish, Jr., QB;

Outlook: Last season was another banner year for the Warriors, reaching another Division 2 state final and took second in what was one of the most talented years in the Kelley-Rex division.

Certainly, the Warriors have plenty of holes to fill in due to graduation like at quarterback (Charlie Grant), running back (Crawford Cantave), Jonathan Joseph (defensive back), and on both the offensive and defensive line. But head coach Brian Lee has to like the weapons he does have back this season.

It starts with one of the best two-way players in the state in senior Rudy Gately, who will be a workhorse in the backfield and a reliable option at linebacker. He’s been making plays for KP for two years and that’s likely to continue again this year. He’ll be joined in the backfield by Will Astorino (full back) and Nathan Kearney, and they’ll work with junior Tommy McLeish (6’3), who takes over at quarterback. McLeish has weapons in Matt Kelley, who is not only one of the best kickers around but will also line up at receiver and defensive back, as well as Thomas Brewster.

The strength of the squad likely lies where it usually does: in the trenches. The Warriors are big up front on both sides of the ball and return two of the best linemen in the state in 6’6 265-pound Chris Sesay, who holds D1 offers from Eastern Michigan and Brown among others, and 6’0, 260-pound junior Sean King.

Defensively, Astorino will be one of the key pieces at linebacker while Sesay looks to be a force to reckon with on the defensive line.

“As far as strength and weaknesses go, we lost a lot of players from all different positions so we are just in the process of still figuring out what we are, who we are, and if we have all the right guys on the field and in the right spot,” Lee said. “Despite what we’ve lost, our goal is to be prepared and focused each week so that we can be competitive.”




2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Milford

2021 Record: 9-3
Coach: Dale Olson

Key/Returning Players: Key/Returning Players: Nicholas Araujo, Jr., LB/K; Jayden Archeval, Sr., DB; Damien Carter, Jr., WR/DB; Evan Cornelius, Sr., QB/DE; Keith Lee, Jr., G/DT; Isaiah Pantalone, Sr., WR/DB; Tyler Potter, Sr., T/DT

Outlook:
Milford has come a long way in the past couple of seasons, earning wins over its Kelley-Rex division rivals, putting in a challenge for the league title, and making a run to the Div. 2 semifinals. The Hawks will try to continue building on that momentum this fall with the hope of a talented and experienced lineup bringing home a first Kelley-Rex title.

Senior quarterback Evan Cornelius is back to run the Milford offense after a strong junior campaign. Cornelius gives the Hawks a threat with either his strong arm or his ability to make plays with his legs and he helped Milford put together one of the league’s top offensive units last year. Senior wideout Isaiah Pantalone had a breakout junior season and emerged as one of the most dangerous receivers in the Hock. Junior Damien Carter can line up in multiple positions and classmate Nicholas Araujo can make an impact at receiver or as one of the league’s top kickers. Junior Keith Lee and senior Tyler Potter will be two of the top returning lineman and the Milford line got a huge boost by the transfer of Ryan O’Connor from Lawrence Academy.

Cornelius is just as impactful on the defensive side of the ball with his speed and size at defensive end. Lee, Potter, and O’Connor add strength to the interior of the Milford line. Araujo will be one of the key returning players at linebacker. Milford’s athleticism at receiver translates into a strong secondary as well. Carter and Pantalone are both playmakers on the edge and senior Jayden Archeval emerged as one of the top one-on-one cover guys in the league last year.

“We don’t have great numbers and will have to stay healthy,” Milford coach Dale Olson explained, “but have a talented group that has worked hard to rebuild this program.”




2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

North Attleboro

2021 Record: 8-4
Coach: Mike Strachan

Key/Returning Players: Greg Berthiaume, Sr., RB/LB; Zack Gallagher, Sr., OL/DL; Nate Shultz, Sr., RB/DB; Kaden Leary, Sr., OL/DL; Jack Munley, Sr., OL/DL; Chase Frisoli, Soph., QB; Lucas Mattson, Jr., OL/DL; Nolan McLaughlin, Sr., OL/DL; Aidan Conrad, Sr., RB/DB;

Outlook: The 2022 season marks a new chapter in the very rich history of North Attleboro football. Coming off a narrow loss in the Division 3 state championship, the Rocketeers have a brand new head coach along with a slew of new faces in new positions.

Mike Strachan is now at the helm of the Big Red. Strachan, who played for the Rocketeers in high school for legendary coach Ray Beaupre, had been the head coach of rival Attleboro since 2013 before switching in his Bombardier blue back to Rocketeer red.

He’ll have the tough task of finding replacements for a very talented senior class from last year, including star Tyler DeMattio – who played a handful of positions over the past four years, including quarterback, running back, linebacker, and kicker – as well as fellow league all star Tyler Bannon. But the cupboard is far from empty for Strachan, who is looking to uphold the high standards and tradition of North Attleboro football.

Sophomore Chase Frisoli returns at quarterback after an impressive freshman season. He will have a lot of new weapons to work with this year, and Strachan is leaning heavily on a big offensive line to not only protect Frisoli but set the tone with a strong running game. The line is anchored by Zack Gallagher (6’3, 280) and North will look to run behind him as well as Kaden Leary, Lucas Mattson, Jack Munley, Nolan McLoughlin, and Danny Locke. Nate Shultz will be the primary ball carrier and brings an explosive run game to the table.

“Nate will lead the defense at free safety [too],” Strachan said. “Nate brings breakaway speed to the offense and has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. In addition, Nate is a tremendously smart player and gives us the on-field leadership required to have a great team.”

On the defensive side, the Rocketeers will turn to veteran linebacker Greg Berthiaume, who lead the D3 finalists in tackles last year. With Berthiaume in the mix, North’s strength defensively will be its linebackers, with Ryan Bannon, Aidan Conrad, and Julian House also in the mix.

2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Photos

Taunton

2021 Record: 5-6
Coach: Brad Sidwell

Key/Returning Players: Ryan MacDougall, Sr., OL/LB; Nathan Laplante, Sr., OL/DL; William Guachichulca-Torres, Sr., OL; Logan Frank, Sr., OL; Jacob Leonard, Sr., QB; Bryan Batista, Sr., RB; Tanner Brannon, Sr., OLB; Dom Kessel, Sr., DL; McKyen Gonsalves, Sr., WR/DB; Jose Touron, Jr., WR/DB; Bryan Joanis, Jr., OL/DL; Ethan Harris, Jr., RB/LB;

Outlook: Taunton took a step in the right direction during the 2022 season with five wins and a trip to the state tournament, but the Tigers went without a win in league play. With an experienced and talented group back in the fold this year, head coach Brad Sidwell and his Tigers will look to make a splash in the league and continue to move the program forward.

It will all start up front for Taunton because of a big and talented group of linemen that have a lot of varsity experience. The team’s three captains are all members of the offensive line: seniors Ryan MacDougall (center), Nathan LaPlante (guard), and William Guachichulca-Torres (tackle). They’ll be joined by senior Logan Frank (guard) and junior Bryan Joanis (tackle). All five register above 6’0 and have a lot of varsity experience under their belt.

Behind them will be returning quarterback Jake Leonard, who is in his third year as the starting quarterback for the Tigers. While Leonard lost some of his top targets from last year, he has some dangerous weapons at his disposal still, including Jose Touron (fresh off an impressive sophomore campaign), seniors Mckyen Gonsalves and Braden Mullen, and speedy junior Dmitrius Shearrion. After a promising start to last year was cut short due to injury, Bryan Batista is back in the mix at running back along with Etha Harris and Malachai Johnson.

Defensively, the Tigers boast an athletic secondary, a big defensive line, and a mix of veteran and new linebackers. Laplante will be among the most disruptive defensive linemen in the league and will be joined by Frank, Joanis, and senior Dom Kessel. MacDougall had a great year at linebacker last year and will be flanked by Harris, senior Tanner Brannon, junior Ryan Keenan, and sophomore Elijah Prophete.

“We have a solid nucleus of experienced players that have worked hard during the off-season,” Sidwell said. “As always, we look to play well, improve, and gain some momentum during our non-league battles to prepare us for the highly competitive Hockomock Kelley-Rex Division.”

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/19/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
North Attleboro, 9 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Buoyed by a big start, North Attleboro went on the road and returned home from Fino Field with a 9-2 win over Milford. The Rocketeers scored three runs in each of the first two innings and then tacked on single runs in three straight innings to get the win. Tyler DeMattio brought in the first run in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly and Jordan Paradis drove in two runs with a single to center to an early 3-0 lead. The Big Red doubled the advantage in the top of the second right after David Floyd escaped a bases-loaded situation in the bottom half of the first. DeMattio drew a bases loaded walk to bring in a run and Danny Curran followed with a two-run double to right to make it 6-0. Gio Martello (sac fly), Floyd (bases loaded walk), and DeMattio (sac fly) each brought a run in over the next three innings for North. Grant Scudo had an RBI single and scored after Damien Carter reached on an error. Floyd got the win, tossing four shutout innings with five hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. Paradis pitched three innings in relief with two runs (both unearned) allowed on three hits and a walk, striking out three.

Taunton, 8 vs. New Bedford, 0 – Final

Franklin, 8 vs. Framingham, 6 – Final – Franklin rallied to erase an early deficit and went ahead with a big fifth inning, let the lead slip away, but rallied once again to secure a win over Framingham. The visiting Flyers struck for three runs in the second and once in the top of the fifth to claim a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth. Franklin’s offense came alive with five runs for a 6-4 lead but that quickly evaporated after Framingham tacked on two runs in the top of the sixth. But once again Franklin responded as Joe Tirrell delivered an RBI triple to score Ben Jarosz (triple) and Ryan Gerety followed with an RBI single to left to put Franklin ahead for good. Gerety had two hits while six other Panthers had one hit, including Evan Raider who had two RBI on the day. Raider, the Panthers’ fourth pitcher, earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk, striking out four in 2.2 innings of work. Austin Campbell tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in relief early in the game, allowing one hit and two walks with one strikeout.

Softball
Franklin, 3 vs. Abington, 9 – Final

Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final (5 inn.) – Mandi Hanewich had a big day at the plate and Zoey McDonough was dominant in the circle as the Rocketeers grabbed a big win over Sharon. Hanewich broke the game open in the second inning, blasting a three-run home run as one her four hits on the day. Ally Levine, Grace Simmons and Kelly Colleran had three hits apiece for the Rocketeers. McDonough tossed a no-hitter, retiring 15 of the 16 batters she faced with 10 strikeouts. Offensively, she helped her cause with a three-run home run while Emma Hanwell and Grace Barry each had a double, and Shaelyn Burns reached base three times.

Foxboro, 8 @ Uxbridge, 5 – Final – Foxboro went on the road and knocked off Uxbridge to make it four straight wins. Vittoria Cuscia tossed a complete game for the second straight game, striking out eight in the win. Offensively, she helped her cause with two hits while freshman Ava Hill drove in a pair of runs for the Warriors.

Boys Lacrosse
Milford, 5 @ North Attleboro, 16 – Final – North Attleboro took down visiting Milford and clinched the Davenport division title in the process. Connor Ruppert scored a pair of goals, including the 100th of his career, while Matt Antonetti added two goals and freshman Brady Backner scored three goals.

Mansfield, 4 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final – Conor Noone and Lincoln Moore each had five points as Foxboro doubled up on rival Mansfield. Noone had two goals along with three helpers while Moore scored a hat trick and added two assists in the win. Jack Avery and John Sacchetti each had a goal while Nate Urman made three saves in the fourth quarter for Foxboro.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 11 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final

Sharon, 7 @ Milford, 10 – Final – Milford erased an early deficit to tie the game by halftime, and then outscored the visiting Eagles to secure a win on senior night. Milford scored the first goal of the second half to make it 5-4 but two straight from Sharon put the visitors back in front with 12 minutes to go. Milford came right back with four straight goals to take the lead for good. Sharon cut the deficit down to two late but Emily Croteau put the game away with a late goal.

Boys Tennis
North Attleboro @ Oliver Ames – Postponed

Franklin, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Franklin beat both the rain and rival King Philip, taking a 5-0 sweep on the road to clinch at least a share of the Kelley-Rex division title. The Panthers took all five matches in straight sets with Vayshanv Malhotra (6-1, 6-2), Sameen Shaik (6-1, 6-0), and Drew Mahoney (6-2, 6-1) taking care of business in singles action, and the teams of Thomas Broyles and Tyler Fitzpatrick (first doubles, 6-2, 6-3) and Jay Gorgas and Ahan Shetty (second doubles, 6-3, 7-5) sweeping doubles action.

Mansfield, 4 @ West Bridgewater, 1 – Final – Mansfield took both doubles matches and two more victories in singles action to sweep the season series against non-league foe West Bridgewater. Freshman Neema Khosravani earned a straight set win at second singles, dropping just two games on his way to a 6-1, 6-1 verdict while sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami prevailed from a hard-fought battle at third singles with a 7-5, 6-4 win. The team of Jonah Fine and Nikhil Nain earned a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles and Jacob Weiner and Josh Weiner rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Behind two wins from both singles and doubles action, Foxboro earned a division win over Canton at home. Athena Li rolled at first singles 6-0, 6-0 while Hailey Kornbluth added a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles. The team of Abby Costa and Juliana Preston secured a 6-4, 6-2 win at first doubles for the Warriors and Emily Stow and Sydney Lebow added a 6-4, 6-2 win at second doubles. Canton’s Olivia Maloney emerged from a hard-fought, competitive match at third singles with a 5-7, 7-6 (4), 10-7 win.

King Philip @ Franklin – Postponed to 5/25

Milford @ Whitinsville Christian, 3:30

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ King Philip, 0 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 – Final

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/06/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Attleboro took the lead with a run in the bottom of the second but Canton surged ahead with a three-run fourth, tacking on an insurance run in the fifth to take a 4-1 verdict on the road. Owen Taber had a leadoff double in the bottom of the second, moved to third on a groundout from Matt Harvie, and scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0. Canton jumped ahead on a two-run home run from Hayden Rose and Matt Lesser added a two-out RBI double in the same inning as the Bulldogs took a 3-1 edge. Matt Hart added a two-out RBI double to push across an insurance run in the fifth. Rose got the win on the mound, allowing just the one run (unearned) on three hits and two talks, striking out three in a complete game effort.

Foxboro, 1 @ Taunton, 7 – Final – Foxboro pushed across the first run of the game to stake a 1-0 lead through four innings of play but Taunton grabbed the lead away with two runs in the fifth and put the game away with a five-run sixth inning. Louis Carangelo doubled home Ryan LeClair to give the visiting Warriors a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth but a solo home run from Ryan MacDougall and an RBI single from Colby DeCouta in the bottom of the fifth had the hosts ahead. MacDougall added an RBI double to start the fifth, AJ Lewis brought in two runs with a single to left, and DeCouta recorded two more RBI with a base hit to left. Evan Cali earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on two hits and two walks, striking out three in four innings of work. Shawn Cali pitched three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three.

North Attleboro, 7 @ King Philip, 6 – Final (9 inn.) – North Attleboro rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning to keep the game going, and then used aggressive base running in the ninth inning to score the winning run in a close game against King Philip. North pushed across a single run in each the second and third, but KP answered with two runs in the bottom half each time for a 4-2 lead. Rudy Gately had an RBI ground out in the bottom of the fifth as KP extended its lead to 5-2, which lasted until the final inning. North loaded the bases to start the seventh as Dillon Harding and Gavin Wells each singled and Aidan Conrad with hit by a pitch. Tyler Bannon drew a bases loaded walk and an infield error allowed Derek Maceda to reach and Wells to score to make it a one-run game at 5-4. A fielder’s choice allowed the tying run to come home and Danny Curran put the Rocketeers ahead with a sac fly. Shawn Legere walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh for KP, stole second, and scored after an error to force extra innings.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield senior Jimmy Gilleran capped a big comeback from the Hornets with a walk-off home run to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning. Oliver Ames jumped out to a 4-0 lead after just a half an inning but Gilleran, who also started on the bump, settled in and pitched six scoreless innings after that. The Hornets cut the lead in half with two runs in the third and then pushed two more acrsos in the fifth to tie the game, setting up Gilleran’s heroics in the final inning. Patrick Finnerty brought in two runs after reaching on an error, Joe Cicchetti drew a bases-loaded walk for another run, and Lucas Riley had an infield hit for an RBI to make it 4-0. Both Conner Zukowski (single) and Anthony Sacchetti (walk) came around to score on a pair of passed balls in the third to make it 4-2, and Connor Curtis and Jake Maydak had back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth to tie the game. Gilleran got the win, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks, striking out nine in a complete game effort.

Stoughton, 0 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Milford took the lead with two runs in the first inning and that was enough for junior Evan Cornelius, who tossed a complete game shutout to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a 6-0 win over Stoughton. Cornelius scattered five hits and two talks, striking out eight to get the win. Alex McColl put the hosts ahead with a two-run, two-out double in the bottom of the first, and that 2-0 lead lasted until the fifth inning. Damien Carter extended the advantage with an RBI single and Keith Lee added a two-out RBI double to make it 4-0 in favor of the hosts. Mason Baldic tacked on two key insurance runs with a two-run single in the sixth inning.








Softball
Attleboro, 12 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Riding the combination of timely hitting and good defense early, Attleboro picked up a 12-3 win on the road at Canton. The Bombardiers had 12 hits as a team and the first seven hitters in the lineup came around to score in a big first inning for the visitors. Attleboro tacked on four more runs in the fourth and one more in the seventh. Lauren Eby made her return to the lineup with a splash, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, Sarah Maher (two RBI), Kayla Goldrick (two RBI), and Emily Eby (RBI) each added two hits in the win and Lindsey Perry had one hit, two walks, and two RBI in the win. Lily Routhier picked up her fifth win of the season in the circle, scattering seven hits with four strikeouts for the win.

Taunton, 15 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton got off to a great start with six runs in the top of the first inning and then tacked on nine runs over the final three innings to take down Foxboro. Angie Lynch (five RBI, two runs, home run) and Kylie Thorpe (one RBI, three runs) paced the Tigers offense with three hits apiece, and Hayley Krockta had two hits, including a home run, and three RBI and two runs scored in the win. Liv Mendonca (3.1 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) and Cate Larson (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) combined for the win on the mound for the Tigers.

King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Kelly Colleran set a new school record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game with 19, but the Warriors were able to get the one run of the game to sweep the season series with North. KP pushed across the lone run of the game in the top of the third as Maddie Paschke reached on an error to start the inning. Courtesy runner Liv Ali stole second and moved to third on a bunt single from Ava Lanza, who accounted for half of KP’s six hits on the day. Meg Sherwood then reached on a bunt single to bring in the lone run of the game. The Rocketeers had a chance to tie the game in the seventh with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with two outs but a bang-bang play at first ended things. For KP, sophomore Jordan Bennett tossed a complete game shutout, scattering six hit and a pair of walks while striking out nine. For North, Grace Simmons had a pair of hits and reached base three time, while Ally Levine, Mandi Hanewich, Shaelyn Burns, and Colleran each had one hit.

Mansfield, 12 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final – Mansfield pounded out 16 hits as a team and held off a furious OA rally in the final two innings to get the bounce back win on the road. The Hornets took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Callie Lake (five hits) singled and came in to score on a Cat Kipp groundout. Casey Moussette plated two more with a single. OA wasted no time getting back into the game, scoring six runs in their half of the first and making it 6-3. Mansfield closed within one with a pair of two-out runs in the third. Jill Koppy started the rally with a double and scored on a Julia Kelly base hit. Following singles by Olivia DeTrolio and Lake, Alanna Conley would make it 6-5 with a bases loaded walk. The game was tied in the fourth, Conley coming home on a deep sac fly by Molly Kucharski. The Hornets jumped back in front in the fifth. DeTrolio, Lake, and Kipp all reached and Liv Madeira drove in a run with a sac fly and Mansfield added two more to make it 9-6. The lead doubled in the sixth. Koppy (three hits) doubled in a run, Lake singled to score one, and Kipp’s base hit made it 12-6. OA nearly pulled off the comeback, scoring three times in the sixth (RBI double from Katherine Farley and a single from Maddie Homer [3-for-5, two RBI] plated two) and adding two more in the seventh (RBI single from Lexi Galsband and a sac fly from Emily Martin) but Mansfield was able to survive, stranding the tying run at second to take the victory. Katie Melendy had four hits, an RBI and two runs scored for OA.

Milford, 0 @ Stoughton, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – Junior Kerry Driscoll tossed a five-inning no hitter for the Black Knights, striking out three to get the win. The defense backed Driscoll up in the circle as just the Hawks had just four base runners on the day. Offensively, Alyssa Edwards got the hosts off to a good start with a two-run home run and Stoughton scored in each of the next four innings. Driscoll and Maddie Hinds each had a pair of hits an an RBI while Sydney Menz (three walks, one HBP) scored three runs for the Knights. Camryn Whitman (triple), Julie Powers (double) and Melody Casna each chipped in with a hit.




Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 12 vs. Hopkinton, 1 – Final – Foxboro had eight players find the back of the net in a balanced scoring attack that led to a dominant win over Hopkinton. Lincoln Moore had a team-high thre goals, Conor Noone scored twice with three assists, and Tommy Sharkey had a multi-point effort with two goals and an assist. Finn Stapleton, Sully Kenneally, Ryan Cotter, Tony Sulham, John Sacchetti all added one goal for the Warriors.

North Attleboro, 7 @ King Philip, 8 – Final

Oliver Ames, 11 @ Middleboro, 6 – Final – Junior Ben Reardon recorded seven points to lead Oliver Ames to a big non-league win on the road at Middleboro. Reardon scored a hat trick and added four assists to pace the offense while Wyatt Fritchman scored four goals and Ryan Jaco scored twice in the win. Noah Isleib made 13 saves in net while defenders Kyle Szumylo, Cam Tower and Adams Becerra had strong games.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton @ Quincy – Postponed to TBD.

Foxboro, 11 @ Hopkinton, 8 – Final – Foxboro went on the road and picked up an impressive victory over Hopkinton as both Mya Waryas (two assists) and Paige Curran each scored three goals apiece. Val Beigel added two goals and two assists in the win while Mary Collins (two assists), Grace Riley, and Kate Collins each scored once. Audrey Campbell made seven saves in net for the Warriors.

King Philip, 19 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Emily Campbell and Haley Bright combined to make six saves in net as King Philip rolled on the road at North Attleboro. Morgan Cunningham orchestrated the offense with six assists, scoring once as well, while Julia Marsden (two goals three assists) had five points and Julia Marsden added four goals.

Oliver Ames vs. Middleboro, 3:45

Sharon, 3 @ Holliston, 20 – Final – Bailey Garte continued her solid scoring form with a pair of goals for the Eagles and Anna Hertzel added the other. Sharon coach Shara Ginthwaine highlighted the effort of her defense, Serena Bien-Aime, Ava Jacobson, Keira Lydeard, and Lauren McLaughlin, for battling against the Panthers for the full 50 minutes.




Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Attleboro sophomore Tyler Rocchio overcame a one-set deficit to win two straight, clinching the third point to give Attleboro a 3-2 win over Canton. Rocchio grabbed a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 win to clinch the victory at third singles. Luke Hinton and Brady Rosen added a 6-2, 6-1 first singles win and the Bombardiers also won in straight sets at second doubles. Max Kupferman (first singles) and Suraj Ramanathan (second singles) continued to roll, both winning in straight sets.

Taunton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final

King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – Behind a pair of wins in singles action and one more in doubles, North Attleboro defended home court with a 3-2 win over King Philip. Senior Will Folan captured a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles and junior Brody Carter secured a 6-1, 6-4 win at second singles for the Big Red. Juniors Griffin Rodden and Brody Gaulin added a 6-2, 6-1 win to clinch the win for the hosts. Freshman Jackson Hom won 7-6 (15), 6-2 at third singles for KP and the team of Adam Gousie and Arjun Kollu earned a 6-3, 7-6 (1) win at second doubles.

Milford @ Stoughton, 3:45

Girls Tennis
Canton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro continued to have strong performances in doubles action and added another key win from third singles to knock off visiting Canton. Seniors Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf continued to impress at first singles, overcoming a one-set deficit to earn a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory while the sophomore tandem of Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller secured a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles. Attleboro junior Zoe Stanley added a 6-4, 6-2 win at third singles to give the Bombardiers the edge. Canton’s Camila Cutter won 6-2, 6-4 at first singles while senior Laura Correal added a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2 win at second singles.

Foxboro @ Taunton, 3:45

North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip junior Ahunna James prevailed from a highly contested first singles match that went on for over two hours to help the Warriors claim a 3-2 win over North Attleboro. “Not many unforced errors by both players and the level of intensity was incredibly high,” said longtime KP tennis coach Bob Goldberg. “It was very high level tennis by both players.” James earned a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win for the point. KP also swept doubles play as senior Resha Ajoy and junior Lauren Casper used strong net play to secure a 6-3, 6-3 win at first doubles, and juniors Carlie Burns and Sammie Taylor played a consistent match for a 6-3, 6-1 verdict at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – OA senior Elizabeth O’Brien won a third-set tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets to get the win and complete the sweep on the road for the Tigers. O’Brien prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 10-3 while Hannah Farber added a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and Mia Corradini secured a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles. Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory at first doubles, and the team of Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles for OA.

Stoughton @ Milford, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Agawam, 0 – Final
Taunton @ Durfee, 5:15

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/29/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton @ Cardinal Spellman – Postponed to Saturday, May 14 at 10:00.

King Philip, 4 @ Braintree, 5 – Final – King Philip scored a run in the top of the seventh to take a 4-3 lead on the road at Braintree but the Wamps pushed across two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the win. KP plated a single run in each of the first innings but two runs in the bottom of the third and one in the bottom of the sixth brought the hosts level. Brendan Sencaj had an RBI single to score Travis Crawford in the first to make it 1-0, Eli Reed drove in a run with two outs in the second to make it 2-0, and Rudy Gately had a two-out RBI single to plate Shawn Legere in the third to build a 3-0 lead. In the top of the seventh, with the game knotted at 3-3, after Legere was intentionally walked, Sencaj drove in Crawford for the second time to make it 4-3. Braintree used a walk and an error to get into scoring position, and another infield hit to score the game-winner. Sophomore Tommy McLeish was strong on the mound for the Warriors, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks, striking out three in three innings while sophomore Max Robison allowed just one run (unearned) on one hit and no walks in three innings.

Mansfield, 4 vs. Walpole, 2 – Final – A day after handing Taunton its first loss of the season, Mansfield added another quality win by knocking off visiting Walpole. Similar to the prior game, Mansfield got off to another great start offensively with three runs in the bottom of the first, and one more in the bottom of the second to offset the Timberwolves’ run in the top half. Conner Zukowski got the offense going again with a leadoff single and Matt DeShiro added a double to put runners on second and third. Anthony Sacchetti brought Zukowski home on a sac fly, Jimmy Gilleran had an RBI double, and Connor Curtis brought in the third run on a two-out hit for a 3-0 lead. After Walpole scored in the top of the second, Mansfield answered on a single from Sacchetti to score Zukowski (walk). Aaron Blinn got the win on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, striking out seven in four innings of work. Curtis earned a three-inning save, allowing just one hit over that span with a pair of strikeouts.

Milford, 5 @ Hopedale, 1 – Final – Milford junior Evan Cornelius dazzled on the mound for the Scarlet Hawks, striking out a career-high 17 batters in a 5-1 win over non-league rival Hopedale. Cornelius tossed a complete game with just one run allowed on six hits, walking two to get the win. Milford pushed across two runs in the second inning and added on three key insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Cornelius helped his cause at the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Damien Carter, Alex McColl, and Nate Scudo each drove in a run for the Hawks as well.

Sharon, 3 @ Norwell, 9 – Final – Alex Coughlin (4.1IP, 3K, 1ER) and Zack Loomis (1.2 IP, 2K, 0ER) both pitched well for the Eagles while Luke Meixel (two hits, RBI, run), Nate Yaffe (hit, two walks), and Will Hippler (1-for-3) led the offense.

Softball
Franklin, 8 vs. Needham, 3 – Final – Needham pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game but Franklin answered with five runs in the bottom half to pull away for the win at home. Reece Allen led off with a single, Georgia Harvey walked, and Katy Liberman reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases for the Panthers. Hailey Fales drove in one run with a single, and Carly Johnson-Pellegri followed with a two-run base hit to make it 6-3. The Panthers pushed another run across on an error and Kiera Kotwicki plated another run with a sac fly. Aislinn Lavery got the win in the circle, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and two walks, striking out six in a complete game effort.

North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – For the second time in as many days, King Philip sophomore Jordan Bennett tossed a complete game shutout without issuing a walk, this time leading the Warriors to a non-league win over North Attleboro. Bennett allowed four hits, including a leadoff single that was erased at third by catcher Maddie Paschke, and struck out five for the win. Offensively, KP took the lead with a run in the bottom of the second and tacked on two more in each the third and the fifth to secure its 10th win of the season. Ava Kelley singled and came around to score after a throwing error to make it 1-0. Meg Sherwood delivered a two-run single, scoring both Liv Petrillo (walk) and Sarah Cullen (dropped third strike) to extend the lead to 3-0 after three innings. In the fifth, Sherwood brought home Cullen (double) on a ground out, and Charlotte Raymond had a two-out RBI to bring Kelley in for her second run of the game.

Oliver Ames, 0 vs. Walpole, 14 – Final

Sharon vs. Ursuline, 4:00

Boys Lacrosse
Franklin, 10 @ Lincoln-Sudbury, 13 – Final

Mansfield, 2 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 10 – Final

Oliver Ames, 11 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Wyatt Fritchman exploded for seven goals as the Tigers secured a non-league win on the road over Milford. Ben Reardon added a hat trick in the win while Victor Romeiro netted his first career goal. Noah Isleib turned away 11 shots in net for OA.

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 14 vs. Braintree, 8 – Final – Foxboro pulled away in the second half to secure a third straight win. Paige Curran scored five goals and had one assist and the Warriors also got hat tricks from Val Beigel and Mya Waryas. Beigel added a helper. Mary Collins had a goal and three assists and Kate Collins and Cate Noone both scored once apiece. Audrey Campbell made 10 saves for the second straight game to pick up the win in goal.

Sharon, 4 @ Mansfield, 16 – Final

Milford, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 15 – Final

Taunton @ New Bedford, 4:30

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final

Girls Tennis
North Attleboro, 1 @ Milford, 4 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 1 vs. Nipmuc, 3 – Final
Milford vs. Norwood, 6:00

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/21/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Foxboro, 11 vs. Quincy, 5 – Final – Foxboro erased a five-run deficit with a huge fifth inning to score a win over Quincy at Adams Field. The Warriors pushed across 10 runs in the fifth inning to turn a five-run deficit into a five-run cushion. Liam Mulkern (two RBI, two run) had three hits while Sean O’Leary (RBI) and Tyler Prescott (two RBI, run) each had two hits in the win. Ryan LeClair also drove in two runs while Kenny Mello and Louis Carangelo each had one RBI. After the Warriors took the lead, O’Leary came in and pitched three strikeout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out seven.

King Philip, 7 vs. Nipmuc, 1 – Final – King Philip bounced back from its first loss of the season by taking care of business in a win over visiting Nipmuc. The Warriors plated three runs in the first, tacked on single runs in the second and fifth, and had two runs in the fourth inning. Shawn Legere and Dan Nineve (two RBI) each had singles in the first to drive take a 3-0 lead. Legere extended the lead with a second inning sac fly, and both Eli Reed and Brendan Senjac each had an RBI single in the fourth inning. Nick Viscusi had a strong outing on the mound, allowing just one run (unearned) on three hits and one walk, striking out five in five inning of work. Senior Quin Garstka tossed two shutout innings in relief, striking out four without allowing a hit or a walk.

Milford, 3 vs. Oxford, 2 – Final – Milford overcame an early two-run deficit, plating all three of its runs in the bottom of the fourth in a win over visiting Oxford. Oxford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before Milford sophomore starter Anthony LaPierre settled down, pitching five straight shutout innings after. He finished with four strikeouts, four walks, and two earned runs on six hits. In the fourth, Alex McColl singled, Tyler Lane walked, and Grant Scudo singled to load the bases for the Hawks. Ian Carter drew a walk to bring in the first run, and two at-bats later, Damien Carter laced a two-out, two-run single to left field to put Milford ahead.

Stoughton, 5 @ Brockton, 3 – Final – Trailing 3-0 after three innings, Stoughton rallied for two in the fourth and three more in the sixth to break into the win column by knocking off the Boxers. With two outs, Sean Farley reached on an error allowing both Jonah Ly and Anthony Tilton (walk) to come home to score to make it a one-run game. The Black Knights added three more runs with two outs in the top of the sixth. Farley again reached on an error as Brad Franey and Tilton came home to score, and three pitches later, Anthony Girlamo hit a single to score Farley for a 5-3 lead. Sophomore Hunter Malkin allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks, striking out four in 3.1 innings of work. Tilton was strong in relief, with just two hits and three walks allowed, striking out three in 3.2 scoreless innings.

Softball
Foxboro, 1 @ Silver Lake, 13 – Final

Sharon vs. Duxbury, 2:00

King Philip, 13 @ Milford, 1 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip scored in each inning, including a five-fun fourth inning to blow it open for a win on the road over Milford. The Warriors had nine hits as a team, including a team-high three hits from Charlotte Raymond, who also had four RBI and three runs scored. KP also showed patience at the plate with eight walks on the day, two apiece from Meg Sherwood (run) and Taylor Regan (run). Sarah Cullen and Caitlyn Sencaj each added an RBI double in the win. Jordan Bennett and Emma Sheehan combined to allow just one run and strike out 11. Sophomore Maddie Burns had an RBI double for the Scarlet Hawks, scoring classmate Sarah Wengal (walk) in the second inning.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 8 @ Ashland, 3 – Final – Sam Carlino led the charge with six goals as Canton went on the road and picked up a win over Ashland. Jeffrey Chaput added two goals while Sean Connolly, Brendan Tourgee, and AJ Thomas recorded an assist. Pat Drury had a big day in net, making 17 saves in the win.

Foxboro, 12 vs. Falmouth, 8 – Final – Foxboro bounced back from a loss in the opening round of the Chowda Cup to take down Falmouth. The Warriors had a balanced attack with Tommy Sharkey (two assists) and Lincoln Moore (assist) leading the way with four goals apiece while Conor Noone scored twice and had one assist, and Jack Avery and Ian Foley both scored once. Adam Addeche made seven saves in net while Finn Stapleton and Matt Grace both played well defensively in front of the cage.

Franklin, 21 vs. Walpole, 6 – Final – After an even first quarter (2-2), Franklin dominated the second with eight goals and never looked back in a win over visiting Walpole. The Panthers will take on St. John’s on Saturday at Lexington. Jayden Consigli led the charge offensively wiht seven goals and two helpers while Jake Davis (five goals, two assists) and Tyler Sacchetti (three goals, four assists) each added seven points in the win.

Mansfield, 0 vs. Norwell, 13 – Final

North Attleboro, 17 @ Silver Lake, 16 – Final (2OT) – Silver Lake scored as time expired in regulation to force the extra period but North Attleboro recovered to get the win in double overtime. Connor Ruppert (four goals, two assists) took a pass from Clayton Billingkoff (two goals, three assists), split a double team and deposited the winner into the back of the net. Brady Backner added a hat trick, Luke Ward scored twice, and Luke Antonetti added one goal for the Rocketeers. JT Gallagher had 12 saves, including some key stops in overtime to keep North alive. Jared Vacher continued to impress from the X, winning 26 of 33 faceoffs.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Nipmuc, 12 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 8 vs. Medfield, 16 – Final – King Philip trailed by just three at halftime (6-3) but Medfield had a big second half to pull away for the win. Makenzie McDevitt had four goals for the Warriors while Lily Brown added a pair of goals. Head coach Kourtnie Wilder praised the defensive effort for Margo Riley and Sammy Cloutier.

Oliver Ames, 13 vs. Nipmuc, 5 – Final

Richardson, Oliver Ames Take Down Milford

Oliver Ames baseball Jack Richardson
Oliver Ames senior Jack Richardson struck out 10 in a five-inning effort against Milford. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 NORTH EASTON, Mass. — Oliver Ames senior Jack Richardson had strike three called for the final out of the top of the fifth inning and headed to the dugout with five shutout innings under his belt.

But an umpiring mistake on the third strike, which was dropped with runners on first and third, ended up being corrected and it put the batter on first to load the bases instead of the third out.

Oliver Ames baseball

Milford cashed in when sophomore Keith Lee snuck a grounder up the middle to plate two to make it 5-2, and the tying run came to the plate. But Richardson quickly jumped ahead of the next batter and induced a fly ball to left that was hauled in by a sliding Ian Kelly to get the third out, again.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

That was the only damage done by the visiting Scarlet Hawks, as OA junior reliever Andrew Zagami pitched out of a bases-loaded threat an inning later and the Tigers secured a 5-2 win at Frothingham Park.

“We try to do one thing at a time and we focus on what we can control,” said Oliver Ames head coach Joe Abarr. “We don’t let the calls influence us, we ignore what’s going on in the stands, we just focus on the next pitch and try and be as competitive as possible. And I think Jack has bought into that completely. You see it at the plate, he’s unshakable in the box. He’s been a tremendous leader for us at the plate, on the mound, he’s been phenomenal.”

Richardson (5IP, 2R, 0ER, 4H, 2BB, 10K) worked around a leadoff walk (erased by catcher Nathan Carpentier at second) in the first, stranded runners at second and third with a big strikeout in the second, and retired the side in order in the top of the third.

OA left a runner at second in both the first and second innings but finally broke through in the bottom of the third. Nathanial Lewis reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a single from Patrick Finnerty. Lewis came in to score on a single from Ian Kelly, and both Finnerty and Kelly moved up a bag on the throw.

A walk to Jake Waxman loaded the bases and Richardson came through to help his own cause, smacking a single to bring in two runs. Two batters later, Joe Cicchetti was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Carpentier connected on a two-out single to bring in two more runs for a 5-0 lead.

“I think we’re getting a little more confident at the plate, we had good at-bats both yesterday (at Canton) and today,” Abarr said. “And it’s getting to be contagious too. Now we have a little bit of a gap until our next game next week so we have to keep that mindset rolling until then.”

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Milford sophomore Anthony LaPierre (6IP, 5ER, 7H 3BB, 4K) bounced back with a strikeout to end the inning, stranding runners at first and second.

LaPierre finished the game strong, only allowing three Tigers to reach in the final three innings. The tall righty sat the home side down in order in the fourth, erased a walk with a 6-3 double play by shortstop Damien Carter to first baseman Evan Cornelius, and ended the inning with a fly ball to center after an infield single from OA’s Jack Muir.

“I thought Anthony LaPierre did a really good job for his first varsity start as a sophomore, before and after that inning really settling down keeping them five to give us an opportunity,” said Milford head coach Alex Dion. “Obviously we didn’t capitalize on it, but for his first varsity start, I was impressed with that.

“I think we’re seeing some growing pains right now, when we have the opportunity to make a play, we just aren’t making. We were a play or two away from getting out of that inning with two runs instead of five, and then it’s a different game.”

After OA’s big third inning, Cornelius drew a one-out walk but Richardson got all three outs via strikeout.

“I told him that was one of the best high school pitching performances that I’ve seen,” Abarr said. “He had great stuff, he had swing and miss stuff, but he was willing to attack and get those swinging strikes. And he himself made a couple tremendous defensive plays. I give him a tremendous amount of credit and I think the rest of the guys saw what he was doing and bought into it.”

An infield error allowed Ian Carter to reach in the top of the sixth for the Hawks and a passed ball and wild pitch moved him all the way to third. After Tyler Lane drew a walk, the Tigers went to their second reliever of the day in junior Andrew Zagami.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Zagami got the second out with a pop-up to the shortstop Jack Morley but a two-out walk to Grant Scudo loaded the bases for the Hawks, with Scudo representing the tying run at first. Zagami induced a grounder to third and got the force out at the bag to escape any damage.

Zagami closed the game by retiring the side in order in the top of the seventh.

“He fills up the strike zone, that’s his thing,” Abarr said of Zagami. “He’s worked on holding runners and looked pretty good today in that regard. He loves baseball, he wants to get out and throw strikes, work with his catching staff, and he went out there and did exactly what we needed him to do today.”

Oliver Ames baseball (4-1 Hock, 4-1 overall) is off until next Wednesday when it hosts non-league foe Dighton-Rehoboth at Frothingham. Milford (2-2, 2-2) returns home for a date with Mansfield on Friday.

Oliver Ames baseball