06/17/2023

King Philip Falls Short In Final Against Top Seed Milton

King Philip Baseball — King Philip senior Tommy Martorano reacts after driving in the opening run of the D2 state final against Milton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

WORCESTER, Mass. – It was like déjà vu. For the second season in a row, King Philip was able to push through the gauntlet of the Div. 2 tournament, winning its last three games by two runs or fewer, and reached the state title game. But, standing in the way of a trophy was top seed Milton.

A new season and a new venue, but the result was the same.

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The defending state champion Wildcats scored three times in the third inning and tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth to pull out a 6-2 victory at Polar Park.

“I thought we were pretty locked in,” KP coach Jeff Plympton, Jr. explained. “We were excited to be back and to play in a venue like this is awesome. The guys were super pumped.

“It didn’t go our way. We’re playing one of the better teams in our division….it happens. I’m super proud of these guys.”

Although KP was disappointed to be leaving with runners up medals for the second year in a row, to be able to reach the final stage in back-to-back seasons is an impressive accomplishment in its own right.

“Absolutely, it’s not an easy thing,” Plympton, Jr. said. “I think that the schedule that we play, playing in the Hockomock League, helps us get back. Moving up to Div. 1 next year isn’t an easy thing, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

KP got off to a great start. Max Robison led off the game by ripping a single up the middle against Milton ace Owen McHugh, who responded by striking out the next two batters. With two down, Drew Herlin lined a single to center. Tommy Martorano followed by knocking a base hit into left and bringing in the game’s opening run.

Milton tried to answer right back in the bottom half of the inning. McHugh drew a leadoff walk against KP starter Rudy Gately and stole second. Brendan Sencaj made a nice play to cut off a bouncer between third and short. After a fly ball to center that moved McHugh to third, Gately closed out the first with a strikeout.

Gately started the second with a single to right and, after another McHugh strikeout, Cam Hasenfus reached on an error. McHugh didn’t allow the Warriors to build additional momentum by striking out a pair and ending the threat.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Ryan Kelly beat out an infield single that went off the glove of Robison’s dive at first. Tommy McLeish ended any rally by making a nice diving grab on a sinking liner at short.

Matthew Kelley had a single in the third, but KP weren’t able to get anything going against McHugh. In the bottom half, Milton grabbed control of the final.

Harrison Hinckle, MIlton’s No. 9 hitter, started things by ripping a double into left center. McHugh followed with a single and then stole second. Jimmy Fallon walked to load the bases and Scott Longo drew a free pass to tie the game. A grounder to McLeish got the runner at second, but a throwing error would allow two runners to come home.

Gately got a grounder and a strikeout to limit the damage, but Milton led 3-1. He then reached on an error in the fourth, but was caught in a rundown trying to take third on a grounder to short. Milton went around the horn on a double play to end the inning.

Things looked comfortable in the bottom of the fourth after two quick outs, but the Wildcats rallied. Hinckle again got things going with a single and then stole second. McHugh turned on an 0-2 pitch and pushed the lead to 4-1.

Robison got a leadoff walk in the fifth, but McHugh ripped off three straight strikeouts. Martorano took over on the hill for the Warriors. A one-out error put a runner in scoring position, but he bounced back with a couple of strikeouts.

KP kept battling and had an opportunity to get into the game in the sixth. With one out, Aidan Astorino drew a walk. Gately reached for the third time, dropping a single into shallow left. McLeish went the other way, knocking a hit between first and second to score Astorino. A wild pitch allowed McLeish to put the tying run at second.

McHugh struck out his 11th batter of the night to put the Wildcats on the edge of escaping the jam. With Robison coming up, Milton turned to lefty Tommy Mitchell out of the pen. A 2-2 pitch got away from catcher Jack Finnegan and Gately tried to take advantage. Although Gately got a good jump, Finnegan pounced quickly and made a perfect toss to Mitchell to get the out at the plate.

Plympton, Jr. said, “It’s tough to get runs and we were at the heart of our lineup and I trust Rudy to make decisions. I support him on that. I thought he got a decent jump and they made a great play. We’re looking to get runs and I can’t fault him for being aggressive.”

The Warriors were only down two, but momentum was fully with Milton. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Jack Sullivan singled to right and stole second. After Hinckle drew a walk to reach base for the third time, a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Milton continued to make those situations count. Following a strikeout, Fallon lined a single to left to score one.

Fallon appeared to slip while taking his lead with the intention of drawing a throw over. Once Martorano went to first, Hinckle broke for the plate. The throw home got away allowing the second run to score, but Leo Dowling was able to recover and throw out Fallon, who attempted to go first to third on the play.

Mitchell sealed the win for Milton. He got a groundout and a pair of strikeouts before being surrounded by his teammates on the mound, celebrating a second consecutive state title.

“McHugh is an awesome pitcher and Mitchell coming in is like us bringing in Martorano, so we knew they had velocity and I was happy how we responded in that first inning putting a run up,” Plympton, Jr. said. “We went a little flat there and were threatening there at the end but just couldn’t get the hit that we needed.”

King Philip finished the year at 17-8.

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06/12/202306/14/2023

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/13/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Division 1 Final Four
#21 Methuen, 0 vs. #1 Franklin, 4 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

#6 St. John’s Shrewsbury, 5 vs. #2 Taunton, 10 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Division 2 Final Four
#10 St. Mary’s, 4 vs. #3 King Philip, 6 – Final – King Philip quickly erased an early two-run deficit and the Warriors earned a 6-4 win over St. Mary’s to earn a return trip to the Division 2 State Championship game. The Spartans plated a pair in the top of the first inning but senior Matt Kelley raced all the way around the bases for a two-run inside the park home run in the bottom half to quickly tie the game. The Warriors cashed in for three more runs with two outs in the third inning as Drew Herlin drove in Brendan Sencaj (triple) and Kelley (walk), and Aiden Astorino had an RBI double to score Herlin from second to make it 5-2. Sencaj drove in another run on a fielder’s choice to extend the lead to 6-2. Nate Pennini got the win for the Warriors, allowing four runs on six hits, four walks, and four strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. The Spartans had the bases loaded in the top of the sixth but Camerson Hasenfus helped KP escape by getting a fly ball to right after a walk. Tommy Martorano tossed a scoreless seventh inning for the save, retiring the side in order with a pair of strikeouts. #2 King Philip will have a rematch against #1 Milton for the Division 2 State Championship at Polar Park in Worcester. The date and time to still to be announced.

Girls Lacrosse
Division 1 Final Four
#7 Franklin, 9 vs. #3 Westwood, 10 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Division 2 Final Four
#4 Milford, 1 vs. #1 Westfield, 3 – Final

06/07/2023

King Philip Squeezes Out Extra Innings Win Over North

WRENTHAM, Mass. – When the game started, there was some concern about smoke and rain, but three hours and 11 innings later, light was starting to become an issue at Lombard Field. Wednesday afternoon’s Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen matchup between league rivals North Attleboro and King Philip turned into a marathon.

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In the bottom of the 11th, KP was at the plate with its fifth chance to walk off with the win. For the third time in those five innings, KP had the bases loaded and the winning run just 90 feet away. KP coach Jeff Plympton, Jr. decided it was the perfect opportunity to try something different.

With one out, Rudy Gately surprised the North defense by squaring around and pushing a bunt towards the second baseman. The safety squeeze made it just past the mound, North had no play at the plate, and the Warriors celebrated a 4-3 victory and a return to the D2 quarterfinal.

Plympton, Jr. said, “I thought we had a few too many mental errors to win that game and, you know, our pitching kept us in it and gave us that opportunity to finish it off. Rudy is an excellent bunter and I knew that he’d get it down and that he’d get it down far enough that he’d get in.”

Asked what he was looking for in that at-bat, Gately replied, “Just bunting there, a little safety squeeze, just get it in play so we can score. That’s all I needed to do. Struggling at the plate, I think half my hits are bunts right now, so stick with it.”

North Attleboro (8-14) came into the playoffs as the No. 19 seed and went on the road to upset No. 14 Duxbury in the first round. Head coach Mike Hart was proud of the way his team battled one of the favorites for the state title and a team had already beaten the Rocketeers twice this season.

“The last two weeks of practice have been phenomenal,” Hart explained. “KP’s a great team, we knew they were going to fight, and we were ready for it. This caliber of kids is fantastic. Seeing it all come together over the last two games, over the last two weeks of practice, it’s been a fun time.”

Way back in the top of the first, it was North that jumped in front. With two outs, Derek Maceda drew a walk. He stole second and then stole third as well, with the throw getting away into left field to allow him to come home and make it 1-0.

The lead was short-lived. In the bottom half, Matthew Kelley beat out a two-out, infield single to short. Drew Herlin singled to center and the ball was misplayed, allowing Kelley to come all the way around from first and tie things up. Jordan Paradis would make a nice grab on a long fly by Aiden Astorino to end the inning.

In the third, Paradis led off with a single and, with one out, Maceda lined a single to center. He would steal second to put two in scoring position. Cam Hasenfus threw a nasty fastball on the corner to strike out fellow sophomore Gio Martello and then got a high chopper to Brendan Sencaj at third to escape the jam.

KP grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Sencaj drew a one-out walk and Kelley crushed a ball that one-hopped the right field fence for a run-scoring triple. Herlin came through with his second hit of the day to bring in Kelley. Dillon Harding gave up a double to Tommy Martorano but Martello made an excellent play on a ball that tipped off Harding’s glove and then the pitcher got a comebacker to end the threat.

It stayed 3-1 until the fifth inning. Paradis led off with a walk and stole second. Hasenfus got a strikeout for the first out, but Maceda smashed a ball over the fence in right for a game-tying homer that sent the North bench (and Hart in the third-base coach’s box) leaping towards the plate in jubilation.

After Martello singled and stole second, sophomore Nate Pennini came in for KP and got a grounder to second and a strikeout to keep the game tied.

The home team’s first chance to win it came in the seventh. Sencaj singled and Kelley followed with a grounder, but North couldn’t get the force at second. After a grounder moved the runners up, Martorano was intentionally walked to load the bases. Martello had another nice play, cutting down the potential winning run at the plate and a bouncer to short ended the inning.

KP had another golden opportunity to win it in the eighth. With two outs, Max Robison hustled to beat out an infield hit. Sencaj lined a double just inside the line in right, putting two in scoring position. Again North intentionally loaded the bases, this time giving Kelley the free pass, and Maceda came in to relieve Harding (7-2/3 innings, two earned runs).

Maceda got Herlin to fly out to left and the game continued on.

“Dillon and Derek have been our horses on the mound,” said Hart. “It was getting close, Dillon’s pitch count was getting up, but there was nobody we were going to put there in that spot. He puts the team on his back, he’s so mentally tough, the situation is never too big for him.”

Both teams had base runners in the ninth, but Leo Dowling threw out Chris Hanewich trying to steal second and Maceda got a strikeout after Gately’s infield single.

North’s best chance to go in front came in the 10th. Pennini walked Harding and Maceda to start the inning, but Sencaj handled a tough grounder and got the lead runner at third for the first out. Pennini (5-2/3 innings, no runs, seven strikeouts) then bore down, striking out the next two hitters to get out of the inning without any damage.

Maceda allowed a leadoff walk in the bottom half, but Nate Kelly threw out Tommy McLeish stealing second. It was the second runner Kelly threw out in extra innings. Martorano came in to pitch the top of the 11th and set North down in order, with a little help from Dowling who made a couple of excellent plays on popped up bunts around the plate.

“Two sophomores, Hasenfus and Pennini, got us the majority of the innings and having Martorano back being able to come in and chuck, he throws hard and got us that last inning that we needed,” said Plympton, Jr.

As the light was starting to dim and there was concern creeping in about how much more baseball could be played on Wednesday, Kelley sparked the Warriors with another infield single. Hanewich made a great running grab on a Herlin ball in the gap, hanging onto it despite a nasty collision with Paradis. Martorano added another infield hit and Astorino was intentionally walked to load the bases.

That brought up Gately with the chance to be a hero. It wasn’t a blast to the gap that would decide the game, but a well-executed bunt, put in just the right spot.

“It’s always hard playing a rivalry team three times in a year,” Gately said. “No matter what the records are, it can always go both ways.” He continued, “It was definitely a long game. We haven’t played a game that long all year. It’s difficult to stay in it, especially all the ups and downs, but we stayed focused in at the end to get the win.”

“We’ve been in tight games, but there’s nothing like this throughout the season,” Plympton, Jr. said. “It’s good to show to the team that we can win these type of games and it’s only going to get harder down the stretch trying to make a good run.”

King Philip (15-7) will host No. 6 Westwood on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 with a spot in the D2 Final Four on the line.

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06/05/202306/05/2023

King Philip Rolls Past Agawam Into Round of 16

King Philip baseball Matt Kelley — King Philip senior Matt Kelley celebrates with teammates after scoring a run in the first inning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. — Having not played an actual game in two weeks, it was fair to wonder if the King Philip baseball team would show any signs of rust in its playoff opener against Agawam.

The third-seeded Warriors quickly erased that notion with some early offense and cruised to a comfortable 12-1 win over the 35th-seeded Brownies in a Division 2 Round of 32 clash at Lombard Field.

KP pushed across three runs in the first inning, created a big lead with five more runs in the second, and reached double digits with a pair in the third.

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Meanwhile, senior ace Rudy Gately worked around some early threats from Agawam, stranding runners at second and third in the first inning with one out, and then again in the second inning after allowing back-to-back hits to lead off. Gately earned the win, striking out six with four hits and one walk allowed in three innings.

“Having two weeks, we really tried to stay fresh at practice,” said King Philip head coach Jeff Plympton. “We brought some past guys in and had our own guys throw live, so I was happy with how the bats responded today. I think that was one of the better hitting performances we’ve had this year. It was good to get all those guys, all those arms in, and get them an inning.”

KP’s big lead allowed Plympton to get Gately out with under 65 pitches thrown. It also set the stage for four KP relievers to get an inning in relief: sophomore Nate Pennini struck out one and had one walk, junior Tommy McLeish was charged with an unearned run and had one strikeout, junior TJ Ahern only needed six pitches to get through a quick sixth inning, and junior Ian Knott struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning. Freshman Leo Dowling caught all seven innings for KP.

“We have depth, and we were throwing them in practice but it’s better to get them in live game situations,” Plympton said. “To be able to get Rudy out of this one, you know if we go on a run here, having him at 60 pitches in the first game is fantastic.”

Junior Max Robison set the table with a leadoff walk and senior Matt Kelley dropped a one-out single into shallow center to put a second runner on. Senior Tommy Martorano sliced an opposite field double that just fell fair for a two-run double to get the Warriors on the board. Sophomore Aiden Astorino followed with a dribbler that got by the pitcher, and Martorano scampered all the way home to make it 3-0.

A leadoff double from McLeish started things for KP in the second inning, and sophomore Cameron Hasenfus (walk) and Robison (singled) both reached to load the bases.

Senior Brendan Sencaj had a bloop single drop into shallow left to bring McLeish in but Hasenfus was tagged out at third after having to wait halfway. Kelley lined an RBI double for another run and sophomore Drew Herlin smashed a monster double to right to score two more. After advancing on a passed ball, Herlin scored on Martorano’s sac fly to center to make it 8-0 after just two innings.

“We have a good lineup, and some games it would flash and some games it wouldn’t but today, it all clicked together and it’s infectious,” Plympton said. “I think that playoff run last year really helps, and the familiarity of being in this situation. They are a confident bunch. We had a really good practice yesterday, probably the best of the season, which is good because of the long break since our last game.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Gately worked around a one-out double in the third, getting his sixth strikeout to end the inning. KP kept the momentum going in the bottom half when Hasenfus brought Gately (walk) home with a sac fly, and Robison’s RBI ground out plated McLeish (single) to make it 10-0.

Pennini recorded an RBI with an infield single that scored Martorano in the fourth inning, and Ahern reached on an error that allowed Herlin (walk) to come home to make it 12-1.

King Philip baseball (14-7) will meet a familiar foe in the Round of 16 as the Warriors will host Hockomock rival North Attleboro (8-13) on Wednesday at 3:45. The 19th-seeded Rocketeers upset #14 Duxbury, 2-1, on Monday.

05/15/202305/16/2023

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/16/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 12 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Taunton’s offense roared in the second inning and sophomore Johnny Escobalez had another strong outing on the mound in a win over Attleboro. Escobalez allowed only one unearned run on one hit and one walk, striking out seven in five innings to earn the win. Brady Boucher (two strikeouts) tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Offensively, Sean Murphy opened the scoring with an RBI triple, Braden Sullivan added an RBI double, and Bryce smacked his second three-run home run in the past week to put the visitors ahead 6-0. Bryce and Murphy (three RBI) each had three hits, AJ Lewis and Dwayne Burgo each had two hits, and Ryan MacDougall added a solo home run. Cooper Johnson had two RBI for the Bombardiers and Andrew Gorman had one.

Oliver Ames, 16 @ Canton, 6 – Final (6 Inn.) – Oliver Ames had its biggest offensive output of the season, pounding out 17 hits on the way to a 16-6 win. Seniors Jack Morley (two RBI, four runs) and Patrick Finnerty (two RBI, two runs) led the charge with four hits apiece. Lucas Riley also had a big day with a double and a triple, driving in five runs in the process. Nick Ferrini (run) and Ryan Lemay (two RBI, three runs) each had a double. For Canton, Jack Digirolamo went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs, and an RBI while Matt Hart and Kyle Redquest each had two hits and a run scored.

Stoughton, 1 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final (5 Inn.) – Buoyed by a pair of early five-run innings, Foxboro landed a 12-1 decision over visiting Stoughton. Ryan LeClair (run), Ben Angelini (double, triple, four RBI, two runs), and Louis Carangelo (triple, RBI, three runs) each had two hits in the win. Freshman Aidan Stow and sophomore Ryan O’Leary each drove in a pair for the Warriors. Senior Alex Stern earned the win for Foxboro, allowing one run on three hits and four walks, striking out a pair in four innings.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – A three-run third and strong pitching from Austin Campbell helped Franklin fight off an upset bid from the visiting Rocketeers. To start the bottom of the third, Ryan Gerety drew a leadoff walk, stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and came in to score when Luke Sidwell reached on an error. An infield single from Henry Digiorgio put runners on the corners, and both came in to score on Tyler Bellan’s single to center. North made it interesting in the top of the third by scoring two runs with two outs. Gio Martello scored after a walk, a double from Dillon Harding, and a passed ball to get North on the board. Derek Maceda followed with a single to bring Harding in to cut the deficit to one but Dillon Cashin (1.1 IP, 1H, 0BB, 0R, 2K) came in to get the third out of the inning. Austin Campbell earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks, striking out 10 in 5.2 innings. Jordan Paradis pitched well for the Rocketeers, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks, striking out six in four innings while Martello tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

Milford, 5 @ King Philip, 9 – Final – After some early offense from both teams, King Philip was able to outlast Milford in a battle of two strong teams. The Scarlet Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first but King Philip plated three runs in the bottom half and four more in the second, and never trailed the rest of the way. Milford pulled within two runs with a three-run third but KP pushed across one run in each the fourth and fifth innings. Matt Kelley went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs and Brendan Sencaj also had two hits along with three runs. Drew Herlin drove in a pair and Tommy Martorano had three RBI, two coming on a big double in the second inning. TJ Ahern was stellar in relief, tossing four scoreless innings with just two hits and one walk allowed, striking out three for the win. Louis Consigli went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Damien Carter had a two-run inside the park home run, and Joey McGee and Sean McGee each had one RBI.

Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield, 13 – Final (5 Inn.) – Mansfield scored its fourth straight win, capitalizing on early offense against Sharon. The Hornets scored three times in the first, four runs in the second, twice in the third, and four more in the fourth. Sam Martin (three runs, RBI), Matt DeShiro (three RBI, two runs), and Joe McIntyre (run) each had two hits to pace Mansfield offensively. Brian Butler drove in two runs while Anthony Saraiva, Jake Maydak, Luke Rogan, and Will Lund each had one RBI. Connor Curtis earned the win, tossing 3.1 perfect innings with four strikeouts while Yuv Sakhalkar tossed 1.2 shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 11 – Final – Taunton’s Sam Lincoln and Cate Larson combined to allow just one hit while the Tigers offense scored in four out of six innings in an 11-0 win over visiting Attleboro. Lincoln didn’t allow a hit in five innings, issuing just one walk while striking out 10 while Larson had three strikeouts and no walks in two scoreless innings. Offensively, Bella Bourque went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored, Mia Torres went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI, and a run, Ava Venturelli had two hits (including a double and a home run), three RBI, and one run scored, and Hayley Krockta recorded a pair of hits (one home run), two RBI, and a run scored. Kaysie DeMoura also had a home run for the Tigers.

Foxboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

Franklin, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final (8 Inn.) – North scored in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game and then won it in the eighth on a Maryellen Charette base hit. Franklin opened the scoring in the first on Sarah Boozang’s first homer of the season. In the bottom of the half of the first, Kelly Colleran stole third and came home to tie it on the throw. The Panthers regained the lead, but in the sixth Arianna McDavitt singled, took second on a Molly Willey bunt, and came home on a single by Emma Hanwell. With two outs in the eighth, Willey doubled and came home to score on Charette’s hit up the middle. Colleran picked up the win for North, striking out 16 batters.

King Philip, 12 @ Milford, 0 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip plated five runs in each of the first two innings and that was plenty of offense for junior Jordan Bennett, who tossed a five-inning one-hitter for the Warriors. Bennett allowed just one single (a two-out hit in the second) and walked a pair, striking out five for the win. Offensively, Ava Kelley went 3-for-3 with three runs, Libby Walsh homered for the third time in three days, and Liv Petrillo had a double, two RBI, and a run scored.

Sharon, 1 @ Mansfield, 12 – Final – Mansfield pounded out 13 hits and scored in all but one inning to earn the win. The Hornets got on the board in the first. Liv Madeira singled, stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a bunt single by Molly Kucharski, who tagged up to score on a Jill Koppy fly ball later in the inning. Madeira drove in Reilley Slaney with a two-out single to make it 3-0 in the second. In the fourth, Mansfield broke the game open. Madeira plated a pair of runs on a ground out and Kucharski and Koppy added RBI singles. The next inning, again with two outs, one run scored on an error and Kucharski came through with a two-run single. Sarah Marchand led off the sixth with a walk, stole second, and scored on an error. Kucharski and Slaney finished with three hits apiece, while Avery and Callie Lake and Madeira each had two hits. Amanda Schwarz allowed three hits to pick up the win.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 18 vs. North Quincy, 4 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 14 @ Concord-Carlisle, 13 – Final (OT) – Franklin rallied from three goals down to force overtime and Katie Peterson found the back of the net to earn a hard-fought win for the Panthers. Peterson scored six times and dished out a pair of assists. Kaitlyn Carney added a pair of goals and a pair of helpers, while Lindsay Atkinson (one assist) and Jamie Tanner each scored twice. Julia Flynn had a big game in the Franklin defense and won three draw controls, including the one in overtime. Franklin’s defense came up big down the stretch, including Riley Cross who recently returned from injury, causing turnovers and allowing the Panthers to overcome the deficit.

King Philip, 11 vs. Hopkinton, 8 – Final – Nicole McDonald scored three times and KP picked up a solid non-league win over Hopkinton. Sammy Cloutier and Emily Heslin each scored twice for the Warriors and Mara Boldy played a strong game defensively to help KP pull out the win.

Taunton, 5 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 22 – Final – Caroline Vallarelli scored twice for the Tigers, who also got a goal apiece from Maddi Szala, Cali Melo (one assist), and Raquel Azevedo.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Behind a pair of wins in both singles and doubles action, the Bombardiers landed a 4-1 win over host Taunton. Both Kyle Neuendorf (6-4, 7-5) and Tyler Rocchio (6-1, 7-6 (1)) earned hard-fought wins at first and second singles, respetively, for Attleboro while Luke Hinton and Brody Rosen (first doubles, 7-5, 6-3), and the tandem of Noam Cook and Clay Tyler (second doubles, 6-1, 6-3) added doubles wins. Taunton’s Heitor Sens continued his stellar season at third singles with a 6-1, 6-4 win.

Foxboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

Franklin, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Franklin junior Jay Gorgas prevailed in the third set to secure a win at first singles and clinched a 3-2 win for the Panthers. Gorgas won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 while senior Tyler Fitzpatrick notched a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles. Franklin also got a win from the team of junior Andrew Amante and sophomore Aaron Ramaswamy (6-3, 6-4) at second doubles. North Attleboro junior Quinn DiFiore posted a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles, and the team of senior Brody Gaulin and junior Carson Dameron added a 6-2, 6-4 win at first doubles for the Rocketeers.

King Philip, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Milford took a three-set win at first singles but King Philip won the other four matches to secure a win on the road. Arjun Kollu only dropped a pair of games in a 6-1, 6-1 second singles match and Luke Bailor added a 6-2, 6-4 win at third singles for the Warriors. KP swept both doubles matches with Noah Ihley and Brent Schneider landing a 6-4, 6-4 first doubles win and Leo Manning and Logan Riley prevailing 6-7, 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles. Milford’s Tyler Andreotti emerged from first singles with a 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 win.

Sharon, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – A pair of strong doubles performances plus one singles win anchored the Eagles to a key division win over Mansfield. Sharon’s first doubles team of seniors Hyojae Park and Rithvik Neti picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win at first doubles while junior Savir Basil and sophomore Joel Zwicker emerged from doubles with a 7-5, 6-1 win. Junior Matthew Lally added Sharon’s lone singles win with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at second singles. Mansfield sophomore Neema Khosravani prevailed from a tough battle at first singles with a 7-5, 6-4 win, and junior Iniyan Karruppusami scored a 6-2, 6-3 third singles victory.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Taunton landed two wins in singles action along with one more from doubles play to edge out Attleboro on the road. Junior Ava Alves was impressive in a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles for the Tigers while junior Morgan Smith added a 6-3, 6-1 third singles victory for the visitors. Taunton’s third point came from the junior tandem of Caroline Pietnik and Sam Parrett (6-2, 6-2) at second doubles. Attleboro’s Maddie Fuscaldo notched a 6-2, 6-2 win at first singles, and the all-junior tandem of Presley Biller and Kyra Johnson rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 win at first doubles.

Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final

North Attleboro, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – The Rocketeers used a singles sweep plus one more win in doubles action to secure a win on the road at Franklin. Junior Lauren Hunt (6-1, 6-0), sophomore Megan Atwood (6-4, 6-2), and senior Grace Noreck (6-0, 6-2) all won in straight sets to sweep singles. The all-sophomore tandem of Jayla Stone and Grace Manning rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) win for North’s fourth point. Franklin’s Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen teamed up for a 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles.

Milford, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip bounced back from a loss on Monday with a clean sweep on Tuesday, taking all five matches in straight sets. Ahunna James didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 first singles, win, Shea Mellman only lost one game in a 6-0, 6-1 second singles victory, and Caroline Freese landed a 6-4, 6-4 win at third singles. KP’s first doubles team of Carlie Burns and Priya Riar notched a 6-2, 6-1 win, and the Warriors’ second doubles team of Lauren Casper and Jaelyn Dang grabbed a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Mansfield, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon continued its undefeated season with an impressive win over Mansfield, taking all five matches in straight sets. Judy Song (first singles) and Ale Aguilar (third singles) both rolled to 6-0, 6-0 wins while Nayva Shukla landed a 6-1, 6-1 decision at second singles. Both of Sharon’s doubles teams (Sophia Oh and Abby Vilk at first singles, and Ellie Zhao and Zayna Cheima at second doubles) picked up 6-1, 6-1 wins.

Outdoor Track
Franklin @ Milford, 4:15

Boys Volleyball
King Philip vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 4:45

05/04/202305/05/2023

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/05/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
King Philip, 5 vs. Braintree, 7 – Final – King Philip scored four straight runs between the third, fourth, and fifth innings to take the lead but Braintree came back with three runs in the last two innings to get the win. Max Robison (RBI), Brendan Sencaj (RBI, run), Drew Herlin (RBI), Tommy Martorano (RBI, run), and Cam Hasenfus each had two hits for the Warriors.

Mansfield, 1 @ Walpole, 2 – Final – Mansfield took the lead in the top of the fifth but Walpole answered with a run of its own in the bottom half, and walked off with the win with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh. Matt DeShiro went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Hornets, Connor Curtis added two hits including a triple and scored a run, and Sam Martin and Jake Maydak each had a hit. Brian Butler pitched well in the start for the Hornets, allowing one unearned run on three hits and one walk in 4.1 innings; Curtis allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk, striking out three in 2.1 innings.

Milford, 8 vs. Hopedale, 3 – Final

North Attleboro, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Dillon Harding dazzled on the mound to lead the Rocketeers to a shutout win over Foxboro. Harding was dominant in a complete game shutout, allowing just one hit (a leadoff single that was erased on a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat) and only one walk (with two outs in the fifth), striking out five for the win. North got on the board with a run in the first (Nate Kelly RBI single), added two more in the second (a two-run double from Jordan Paradis), and two more in the fifth (Derek Maceda RBI, Harding stealing home) to make it 5-0.

Softball
Foxboro, 3 @ King Philip, 8 – Final – King Philip senior Libby Walsh smacked a pair of home runs to help the Warriors rally past an upset minded Foxboro squad. KP took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first off a two-run double from Charlotte Raymond but Foxboro plated a pair in the top of the third to pull even. After back-to-back singles from Emma Callahan and Natalia Leach, freshman Meghan Kelley beat out the throw for an infield single and both runs scored to make it 2-2. In the top of the fourth, Foxboro freshman Mia Flanagan drilled a leadfoff home run to hand the Warriors a 3-2 lead. The lead lasted until the bottom of the fifth when KP’s offense roared to life. Sarah Cullen was hit by a pitch and Ali Gill reached on an error, setting the stage for Walsh’s three-run bomb to left to make it 5-3. Maddie Paschke added an RBI single in the same inning, and in the bottom of the sixth Walsh connected for another home run to make it 8-3. McCoy Walsh earned the win in relief, tossing four scoreless innings without giving up a hit, walking one with six strikeouts.

Oliver Ames, 1 vs. Walpole, 13 – Final (6 inn.)

Boys Lacrosse
Milford vs. Hudson, 5:00

North Attleboro, 6 @ Sharon, 10 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.

Taunton, 13 vs. New Bedford, 2 – Final – Taunton senior Tommy Selfridge recorded five points and nine different Tigers found the back of the net in a rout of visiting New Bedford. Selfridge had three goals and two assists to lead the charge and seniors Connor McGrath and Thomas Murphy each added two goals apiece. Ethan Fitzsimmons, Colton Scheralis, and Jacob Leonard helped stymie the New Bedford offense, and Oren Cullins made five saves in the win.

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 10 vs. Hingham, 6 – Final – Paige Curran had a big night offensively and Cate Noone hit a milestone in Foxboro’s non-league win over visiting Hingham. Curran had five goals and one assist and Noone added one goal and one assist, hitting the 100-point milestone in the process. Val Beigel added a hat trick and two helpers, Mya Waryas had one goal and one assist, and Mary Collins notched one helper. Audrey Campbell made 10 saves in the win.

Milford, 16 @ Hudson, 9 – Final – Milford earned its second win in as many days, knocking off non-league foe Hudson on the road. Carly Haley returned to the lineup and gave the Scarlet Hawks a big boost with four goals and one assist, hitting the 100-point milestone in the process. Junior Erin Michelson also had a big day with six points, netting two goals and four assists and Emily Croteau scored a hat trick with two assists. Yazmin Martinez and TJ Downing added two goals and one assist apiece, Jordan Douglas also had three points with one goal and two assists, Alexa Landry notched two points (one goal and one assist) and Kiara Ortiz netted her first career goal in the win. Caitlyn Bangert made seven saves in the win.

Sharon @ North Attleboro, 5:30

Stoughton, 2 @ Waltham, 16 – Final

Taunton @ New Bedford, 4:00

Boys Tennis
Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Milton, 2 – Final

Canton @ King Philip, 3:45

Foxboro, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro senior Brody Gaulin emerged from a well-played first singles match with a three-set victory, clinching the win for the Rocketeers over the visiting Warriors. After splitting the first two sets, Gaulin won the third set in a tiebreaker (6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2)). Sophomore Darren Liang notched a 6-3, 6-3 win at second singles, and the team of Brody Gaulin and Carson Dameron prevailed 7-6 (4), 6-1 at first doubles. Foxboro sophomore Luca Meyer only lost one game in another impressive result (6-1, 6-0) at third singles, and the team of Nathan Cote and Greg Simone won 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.

Sharon @ Stoughton, 3:45

Girls Tennis
King Philip, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final
North Attleboro, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 4:45
Taunton, 3 @ Quincy, 0 – Final