Tag: Grace Simmons

First Inning Rally Enough for North to Reach Sweet 16

North Attleboro Softball
Molly Willey makes a play at third base, helping North Attleboro earn a 5-0 win over Norwood in the Div. 2 Round of 32. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Norwood knew what to expect when it traveled to North Attleboro for Monday afternoon’s Div. 2 Round of 32 matchup at Kelly Field.

Runs were going to be at a premium against Hockomock League MVP Kelly Colleran, so the Mustangs were going to need to take advantage of any opportunity to get runners on base and put pressure on the Rocketeers by keeping them off the board for as long as possible.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The game plan went out the window in North’s first plate appearance. The Rocketeers batted around in the first, scoring four runs to take control of the game and then rode yet another stellar performance from Colleran in the circle (one hit allowed and 18 strikeouts) for a 5-0 victory and a return to the Sweet Sixteen.

“We hadn’t played in a week and a half and that first inning was huge and the way we did it too, we were hitting, running,” said North coach Bill Wallace. “Then we sort of went dry for a while.”

He added, “I think the challenge for Kelly today was that two weeks ago she pitched four games in five days and then she had nine days off, but the kid’s played so much ball, she’s so smart, that a minor adjustment here, a tweak there and she’s back in form.”

Norwood got a runner on against Colleran in the first. A one-out error gave the Mustangs a little life and a little hope, but Maryellen Charette fired a strike to catch Liz Helmar trying to steal third and ended the inning.

The Mustangs planned on pitching around Colleran but with two strikes she got a good pitch to hit and started the bottom of the first with a line drive double over the centerfielder’s head. Arianna McDavitt followed with a single to right that brought home the first run.

McDavitt stole second to get into scoring position and would scamper home with the second run on a single by Molly Willey. Charette was hit by a pitch to put two on (and Mary Rogers came in as a courtesy runner). A groundout moved the runners up and Lucy Palmer drew a walk to load the bases.

Grace Simmons would pick up an RBI when Norwood attempted to get the lead runner at the plate but the throw was late. Grace Forman ripped a line drive to left that was hauled in for the second out, but was deep enough to score the fourth run. Maddie Bailey nearly dropped a hit into right but a nice running grab ended the inning.

Colleran settled into her start, striking out the side in the second and the fifth and striking out a pair in the third and the fourth. The only contact from Norwood was a bunt that Willey handled cleanly and a grounder to Palmer at first.

In the sixth inning, Colleran struck out the first three batters but the third one got past Charette to allow Norwood only its second base runner. Colleran made sure it didn’t matter by recording her fourth K of the inning.

North added a run in the fourth. Colleran was intentionally walked for second time in the game and moved to second on a fielder’s choice from McDavitt. Willey’s grounder to the right side moved both runners into scoring position and Charette followed by dropping a single into right. Colleran scored easily but a perfect relay cut down McDavitt at the plate.

“They’re kind of used to it,” Wallace said about how his lineup reacted to Norwood’s strategy of putting Colleran on. “She was intentionally walked 11 times this year. She was walked with the bases loaded one game. She’s got to stay inside herself, she’s chomping at the bit to try and do something but when you’re awarded first base there’s only so much you can do.”

The insurance run kept things comfortable even as Norwood put together a small rally in the seventh. Helmar reached for the second time on a controversial call at first. Willey made a nice backhand play down the third-base line but the ump said that Palmer had come off the bag at first.

Colleran kept firing, blowing away the next batter and then pulled the string on a 3-2 changeup for the second out. After hitting a batter to put two on, Colleran finished off the win with her 18th strikeout of the game.

“One of our strategies, we have Molly play so close [at third], she’s 30 feet from the plate, and it discourages teams from bunting,” Wallace explained. “The few times that they do she usually shuts it down and once you’re swinging away against Kelly it’s usually not successful.”

North Attleboro (16-5) will face No. 12 Nashoba on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/26/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Sharon, 2 vs. Winthrop, 1 – Final – Cole Arundale had a stellar outing on the mound and Sharon pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth inning to end the season with a win over Winthrop. Arundale scattered four hits and two walks, allowing just one run in the top of the seventh while striking out seven to lead the Eagles to a win. In the fifth, Alex Coughlin had a one-out walk and Zack Loomis followed with a walk. Seth Bonner reached on an error that allowed Coughlin to come home for the first run of the game while Drew Yaffe had an RBI groundout to double the lead.

Softball
North Attleboro, 4 vs. Milton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro won for the third time in as many days to close out the regular season, earning some important milestones along the way. Kelly Colleran recorded her 300th strikeout of the season, one of the 15 she had on the day, and head coach Bill Wallace earned his 300th career win. Colleran faced only one over the minimum in picking up another win, while also hitting her third homer in as many days. In the third inning, North used small ball to get the lead. Arianna McDavitt reached on a bunt single in between walks from Colleran and Emma Hanwell walked. Maryellen Charette plated Colleran with a fielder’s choice and Lucy Palmer dropped down a squeeze to bring home McDavitt. The following inning, Maddie Bailey singled and scored on a McDavitt hit. Colleran tacked on a run with a solo homer in the sixth. Grace Simmons reached base twice and Julia Forman lined a double over the right fielder.

Sharon, 9 vs. North Quincy, 4 – Final – Sharon pounded out 10 hits and Manasa Josyula had an impressive showing in the circle as the Eagles landed a 9-4 win over visiting North Quincy. Josyula tossed a complete game for the win, recording 11 strikeouts in the process. Offensively, Maddie Hu went 4-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the way while Ayanna Vega blasted a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ally Foulsham and Haily Fernando each added a pair of RBI in the win.

Boys Lacrosse
Franklin, 18 @ Wakefield, 6 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 9 @ Dover-Sherborn, 10 – Final
Sharon, 4 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 16 – Final

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/24/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 7 @ Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – Canton closed out the regular season with a big road win that gives the Bulldogs a chance of taking one of the last spots in the state tournament. Canton jumped ahead 2-0 in the first, but the Shamrocks answered back with three runs in the second. The visitors stole momentum immediately and regained the lead with a two-run third. Canton tacked on one in the fifth and two more in the seventh to seal the win. Hayden Rose picked up the win on the mound, going the distance and allowing only four hits and two earned runs, while striking out three. Rose also had two hits and an RBI at the plate. Jack Digirolamo scored twice and hit a solo homer. Matt Hart continued to swing a hot bat with three hits and two RBI and Owen Lane and Matt Chafin each had two hits and a run scored.

Mansfield, 0 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Milford senior righty Evan Cornelius was stellar on the mound in six shutout innings and the Hawks provided enough offense to deliver a 3-0 win over visiting Mansfield. Cornelius scattered four hits and three walks while racking up an impressive 16 strikeouts, including some key ones with the Hornets threatening. Cornelius stranded a runner at second with one out after back-to-back strikeouts, left runners on the corners in the third one one out again with consecutive strikeouts, and struck out three straight in the fourth after a leadoff walk. Mansfield senior Conner Zukowski gave Mansfield runners at second and third with a one-out single in the fifth but Cornelius bucked down with a strikeout and a grounder to second. The biggest chance for the visitors came in the top of the sixth when Matt DeShiro reached on an error, Wyatt Bolduc singled to left, and Will Lund earned a one-out walk to load the bases. But the Hornets didn’t cash in as Cornelius struck out two in a row — both looking — to end the threat. Milford scored once in the first after back-to-back errors from the Hornets allowed Brady Butler to score with two outs. In the fourth, sophomore Joey McGee (3-for-3) and junior Victor Martinez had back-to-back singles to lead off, and the former came in to score on a squeeze from Joe Butler. Junior Keith Lee delivered a key two-out single to bring in Milford’s third run. Ian Carter tossed a scoreless seventh inning for the save, striking out one. Sophomore lefty Luke Rogan (4.1 IP) pitched well in relief for Mansfield, allowing just two runs on five hits and three walks, recording three strikeouts.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 3 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning but the host Trojans chipped away, scoring once in the third, once in the fifth, and once in the sixth on a squeeze play to secure the win. Ayden Delaney had a one-out walk, Harrison Gagne kept the inning alive with a two-out single, Delaney scored on an error, and Zach Corsetti singled to right for an RBI to give the Rocketeers an early 2-0 lead. Dillon Harding pitched well in the loss, scattering nine hits and no walks for three runs (two earned) allowed.

Stoughton, 11 vs. Brockton, 3 – Final – Stoughton’s offense came alive to the tune of 11 runs on 11 hits and the Black Knights knocked out the Boxers, completing a season sweep of neighboring Brockton. Stoughton’s seniors led the charge as Sean Farley had a pair of hits, an RBI, and a run scored, Jeriel Cuello added two hits and two runs scored, Joseph Rush had a double, two walks, an RBI and a run scored, and James McCarthy had an RBI, two runs scored, and played sound defense in right field. Rush also earned the win on the sound, scattering seven hits and two walks for three runs (two earned), striking out eight in a complete game effort. “We had a great performance by all four seniors,” said Stoughton head coach Kevin Carty. Ben Shirey added two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored, Hunter Malkin had a hit, a walk, an RBI, and a run, Dom Belle collected a double and two RBI, Andrew Beder singled in a run, and freshman Drew Geaney collected his first career hit to go along with an RBI and a run scored.








Softball
Stoughton, 11 @ Brockton, 9 – Final

Taunton, 16 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final (6 Inn.) – Bella Bourque hit a pair of homers and Taunton pulled away with 15 runs over the final four innings to sweep the season series with Feehan. The Tigers got a run in the first to take the lead, but Feehan scored twice in the third and grabbed the lead. It was short-lived. Taunton scored six in the bottom half of the inning to take control. The Tigers added two more in the fifth and walked it off with a seven-run sixth. Bourque was 2-for-5, scored twice and drove in four. Leadoff hitter Kyleah Plumb set the table for the Tigers, going 4-for-5 with a triple, driving in four, and scoring twice. Kaysie DeMoura had three hits and scored twice and Mia Torres added two hits, two runs, and two RBI. Hayley Krockta, Brooke Aldrich, and Mia Fernandes all had hits and combined for five runs scored. Sam Lincoln allowed two runs over six innings and struck out 12 to get the win.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Kelly Colleran struck out 17 and allowed just three hits to record her eighth shutout of the season. Maryellen Charette got the North offense going with a two-run single in the third inning, plating Arianna McDavitt and Colleran with what turned out to be the winning runs. In the fifth, Charette’s heads-up base-running allowed her to score from third on a passed ball to make it 3-0. Colleran helped her own cause an inning later with a two-run homer, scoring Maddie Bailey. Colleran, Charette, and Grace Simmons each had multi-hit games for North. Grace Forman had a hit and was key defensively at third, making several nice plays to cut out bunt attempts by the Tigers. Maddie Homer had a double and a stolen base, and Madison Monteiro and Katherine Farley each had a single for OA.

Franklin, 8 @ Milford, 9 – Final – Two days after suffering a one-run setback at Franklin, Milford extracted some revenge with a comeback win of their own, plating the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn a series split. Both offenses picked up where they left off as the Panthers pushed across four runs in the first (highlighted by two-run singles from both Hailey Fales and Dana Stott) but Milford answered with five runs in the bottom half (highlighted by RBI doubles from both Cae Pellegrini and Ava Baglione). An RBI single from Avery Chalk tied the game and Carly Pellegri drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Panthers back in front, 6-5, in the fourth but Pellegrini drove one to center to bring Olivia Baglione home to make it 6-6. Chalk added another RBI single and Pellegri’s sac fly pushed the lead to 8-6 in the top of the fifth only for the Scarlet Hawks to once again answer in the bottom half; Grace Bonina doubled in a run and then scored on an error in the next at-bat. Maeve Williams’ RBI single in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference, putting Milford ahead 9-8. Maeve Driscoll retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to finish off the complete game.

Mansfield, 6 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Dani Jameson tossed a complete game shutout and the Hornets added four insurance runs in the seventh inning to pull away from Canton for the win. The Hornets took the lead in the third after Callie Lake singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder’s choice. The lead lasted until the fifth when the Hornets were able to double their advantage as Lake singled in Reilley Slaney (single). In the seventh, Lake recorded a two-out RBI to bring in Molly Crowley (double), Molly Kucharski drove in Lake and Liv Madeira (single) with a base hit, and Jill Koppy brought in another run with a double. Jameson allowed six hits while striking out five for the win.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 7 @ Sharon, 13 – Final

Franklin, 16 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 10 – Final – Franklin built a six-goal edge by halftime and held that lead the rest of the way in an impressive victory over sixth-ranked Lincoln-Sudbury. Luke Davis led the way with seven points, scoring a hat trick and registering four assists while Tyler Sacchetti found the back of the net four times and Jayden Consigli scored three times. Senior Chris Drake (two goals, one assist) and junior Eddie O’Brien (one goal, two assists) each finished with three points in the win.

King Philip, 14 @ Ashland, 6 – Final – King Philip picked its third straight win to complete the regular season, taking down the Clockers on the road. Noah Minkwitz had a standout performance offensively with a team-high six points (five goals, one assist) while Donovan DeVellis added a pair of goals and a trio of assists and Hayden Schmitz found the back of the net four times. Pat Weiblen recorded a hat trick with one helper, and both Justin Kosh and Tommy Kilroy chipped in with an assist. James Boldy had another big day in net with 14 saves.

Mansfield, 16 @ AMSA, 6 – Final – Tommy Smith scored half of Mansfield’s goals, as the Hornets rolled to a big win in the regular season finale. Drew Sacco added a hat trick and Nico Smith had three points (two goals and an assist) and was perfect on face-offs for the Hornets. Andrew DeGirolamo had a hand in six goals, finding the back of the net once and setting up five, and Cody Gordon and Tommy Vallett each scored once. Ryan DeGirolamo made 15 saves and the defense, led by Nolan Bordieri, Liam Barry, and Thomas Gormley, shut down the AMSA attack for most of the night.




Girls Lacrosse
Sharon, 3 @ Attleboro, 15 – Final – The Bombardiers bounced back from a tough overtime loss earlier in the week with a convincing win over visiting Sharon. Attleboro’s five seniors all found their way onto the score sheet as Jordan Mooney scored a pair of goals along with one assist, Stella Kraweic recorded three assists, and Gigi Sprovieri, Meg Ferreira, and Ella Stromfors each scored once.

Canton, 8 vs. Bishop Feehan, 12 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Devan Spinale led Canton with three goals, both Kayleigh Koen and Nora Giannacopoulos scored twice, and Shannon McGrann scored once.

Milford, 12 vs. Bellingham, 5 – Final – A trio of four-goal bursts helped the Hawks land a win over visiting Bellingham. Milford opened the game with a 4-0 run, extended the lead back to 8-4 when Bellingham cut into the deficit, and then pulled away for good with a 4-0 run to make it 12-5. Emily Croteau led the way with seven points (five goals, two assists) while sophomores Alexa Landry and TJ Downing each had a hat trick in the win. Jordan Douglas added a goal and an assist and Erin Michelson chipped in with one assist; Caitlyn Bangert turned away 12 shots in the win.

North Attleboro, 8 @ Oliver Ames, 20 – Final

Boys Tennis
Franklin, 0 vs. Dover-Sherborn, 5 – Final

Franklin, 0 vs. Dover-Sherborn, 5 – Final

Mansfield, 1 @ Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final – Mansfield sophomore Neema Khosravani had the lone win for the Hornets in a good tune-up for the postseason against a talented Bishop Feehan squad. Khosravani secured a hard-fought 7-5, 6-1 win at first singles.

Milford, 0 vs. Medway, 4 – Final

Sharon, 0 vs. Duxbury, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Mansfield, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final

Sharon, 2 @ Duxbury, 3 – Final

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Hannah Farber picked up her biggest win of the season, landing a crucial win at first singles to help Oliver Ames earn its second 3-2 win over Foxboro this week. Farber played the best match of her season on her way to a 6-3, 6-3 win at first singles, Olivia Querzoli added a 6-2, 6-3 win at second singles for OA, and Stella Zachos rounded out the singles sweep with a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 3 vs. Norton, 0 – Final

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/08/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 5 @ Attleboro, 9 – Final – Attleboro’s offense kicked into gear early in the game, scoring three in the first, two in the second, three in the third, and one more in the fourth, to bounce back with a win over Canton. Matt Harvie had a big day at the dish, with three hits, a run scored, and three RBI. Brody McKenna also drove in three and had a triple, while Peter Delpozzo had two hits (including a triple), scored twice, and drove in one. Cooper Johnson drove in a pair and Joey Castro scored a pair for the Bombardiers. Jonny Pagano picked up the win, throwing five shutout innings with three strikeouts. Canton rallied late, scoring once in the sixth and four times in the seventh, but could only cut the lead to four. Kyle Redquest and Nick Gillis each drove in one and Matt Chafin (two walks and a hit-by-pitch) reached base three times and scored twice.

Foxboro, 2 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Foxboro sophomore Tommy Watts had his best start of the season and the Warriors pushed two runs across in the top of the sixth to earn an upset win on the road over the Tigers. Watts only allowed one hit and four walks, resulting in one unearned run in the fifth inning. He also struck out a pair in five innings of work. Sean O’Leary came in in the bottom of the sixth and allowed just one hit, striking out two in two scoreless innings for the save. Jared Spencer reached and advanced to third on an error to lead off the fifth and scored the first run of the game after Jesse Chaves brought him home on a fielder’s choice. Sophomore Mike Marcucella gunned a runner out at third and Watts got a fly ball to end the inning, and Foxboro cashed in on its momentum in the top half of the sixth. Tyler Prescott led off with a base hit and moved to third on a single from O’Leary. Louis Carangelo followed with an RBI bunt single and Ben Angelini smacked a single to center and the Warriors grabbed a 2-1 lead.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Senior Ryan Gerety led off the bottom of the first inning and the Panthers never looked back in a “Senior Night” victory over the visiting Black Knights. Gerety finished 3-for-3, adding a double, a walk, and two runs while senior Jase Lyons added two hits, two runs, and an RBI in the win. Senior Derek Terlwilling went 2-for-2 with an RBI, senior Luke Sidwell had a hit and a run scored, senior Koen Bonetti added an RBI and a run scored, and senior Evan Cournoyer had a single in the win. Junior Henry Digiorgio went 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a run scored. Junior Matt Miller earned the win, tossing four scoreless innings, scattering three hits and a walk, striking out five. Seniors Zach Ramaswamy, Dillon Cashin, and Eisig Chin combined for three innings in relief and five strikeouts. Hunter Malkin went 2-for-3 for Stoughton while Sean Farley tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out two.

Mansfield, 9 @ King Philip, 7 – Final – Brendan Sencaj’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning put the Warriors ahead with just three outs left but Mansfield rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to stun KP. The teams went back-and-forth all game, tied 3-3 after three, KP up 5-3 after four, and then tied again 6-6 after five after the Hornets plated three runs in the inning; Sencaj led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer to make it 7-6. Mansfield loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh as Wyatt Bolduc singled and Drew Urban and Connor Curtis drew back-to-back walks. Aiden Jones brought Bolduc home with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-7. In just his second game back from injury, Mansfield senior Connor Zukowski recorded his first hit of the season to bring in two runs and hand the Hornets a 9-7 lead. KP got the tying run on base after Tommy McLeish (two hits, two runs, one RBI) led off with a single, and Sencaj (three hits, two RBI, run) had a two-out single, bringing the winning run to the plate but Matt DeShiro (2IP, 1ER, 5H,) induced a ground ball for the final out. Jake Maydak had a team-high three hits for the Hornets while Sam Martin (two RBI, run), DeShiro (home run, three RBI, run), and Bolduc each had a pair of hits. Aiden Astorino went 3-for-4 with two runs for the Warriors, and Matt Kelley (RBI, run) and Tommy Martorano (run) added two hits for KP.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Milford, 11 – Final – Milford scored in every inning except the third, and Anthony LaPierre had another strong outing on the mound to help the Hawks land a crossover win over the visiting Tigers. Keith Lee (RBI) and Joey McGee (RBI, two runs) each had a pair of hits while seven other Hawks recorded one hit: Nick Koch (RBI, two runs), Damien Carter (triple, three runs), Evan Cornelius (RBI, run), Sean McGee (RBI, run), Ian Carter (run), and Brady Butler (run). LaPierre allowed two runs (one earned) while scattering six hits and two walks, striking out seven in six innings to get the win while Tyler Caldon tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Ryan Lemay and Jack Perron each had an RBI for OA.

Sharon, 1 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda shined on the mound and the Rocketeers came through with some late insurance offense to land a 7-1 victory over Sharon. Maceda gave up just a pair of hits (an RBI single in the second, and a one-out single in the third) and five walks for one run, striking out eight in six innings; Gio Martello struck out the side in the top of the seventh for a scoreless inning of relief. Offensively, Dillon Harding went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Jordan Paradis (run), Nate Kelly (two RBI), Ayden Delaney (RBI), Adam Racine (RBI), and Chris Hanewich, each had a hit. Cole Arundale and Soham Kulkarni (RBI) each had a hit for the Eagles; Zach Loomis tossed a scoreless inning in relief for the Eagles.








Softball
Attleboro @ Canton, 6:00

Taunton, 24 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton eighth-grader Bella Bourque went 4-for-5 and connected for her first career home run to lead the Tigers to a big win. Bourque also had a pair of doubles and a pair of triples in a terrific showing, driving in five runs and scoring four times. Sophomore Brooke Aldrich added a double and three RBI in the win. Sophomore Cate Larson picked up the win, striking out eight in five scoreless innings.

Franklin, 10 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – The Panthers overcame a four-run deficit as its offense roared to life late to earn a key win over Stoughton. The Black Knights pushed five runs across the plate in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1 but Franklin answered with six runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to secure a win on the road. Carly Johnson-Pellegri went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored and Sarah Boozang went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, and three runs to lead the way offensively. Reece Allen chipped in with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI in the win. Freshman Sophia Sacramone came in and just the door for the Panthers, tossing two scoreless innings in relief with no hits or walks allowed and five strikeouts. Jill Powers (run), Anna Hobbs (two hits, two runs), and Alyssa Edwards each had two RBI for the Black Knights while Julia Monaghan had two hits and a run scored.

King Philip, 15 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip pounded out 14 hits and did most of its damage between the third, fourth, and fifth innings in a win on the road at Mansfield. Libby Walsh went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs to lead the way while Charlotte Griffin (RBI, run), Maddie Paschke (RBI, run), and Taylor Regan (RBI) each had two hits. Freshman Ali Gill added a home run in the win. Jordan Bennett earned the win in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks, fanning 11 batters in five innings of work. Molly Kucharski had a triple and scored on an RBI from Jill Koppy, and Liv Madeira came home to score on a squeeze from Molly Crowley.

Milford, 14 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Milford came out of the gate swinging, plating five runs in the first and six more in the second on its way to a win on the road at Oliver Ames. Junior Camille Bonina had a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored; the junior launched a three-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI double in the second. Maeve Driscoll (one run) and Jianna Fernandes (RBI, three runs) each had two hits for the Hawks. Maddie Homer (RBI, run) and Katie Melendy (RBI, run) each had two hits for the Tigers while Caitlin Miller recorded two RBI.

North Attleboro, 13 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (5 Inn.) – Kelly Colleran was perfect through five innings, retiring 12 of the 15 batters she faced by strikeout, as North earned its second consecutive shutout. Colleran also added two hits and two runs scored. Arianna McDavitt, Grace Forman, and Maddie Bailey also had two hits apiece. Forman scored three times and Bailey drove in three. Julia Forman also had a hit and three runs scored, and Emma Hanwell and Maryellen Charette both had hits and RBI. Grace Simmons had a hit and scored a run for North.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ King Philip, 14 – Final – King Philip had four players register five or more points and James Boldy was once again solid in net as the Warriors knocked off visiting Attleboro. Donovan DeVellis’ eight points (six goals, two assists) highlighted KP’s attack while Noah Minkwitz (five goals, one assist) had six points, and both Mason Thompson (two goals, three assists) and Tommy Kilroy (five assists) had five points. Hayden Schmitz scored once, Cullen McCarthy chipped in with one helper, and Boldy finished with 13 saves and one assist in the win.

Canton, 11 @ Sharon, 9 – Final – Canton erased an early deficit to take the lead by halftime and held on throughout the second half to snap a brief two-game skid with a key 11-9 win over Davenport division rival Sharon. The Eagles led 3-2 after the first quarter but the Bulldogs bounced back in the second to stake a 7-5 advantage by the break. Michael Thomas (four goals), Jeff Chaput (four goals), and Brendan Tourgee (three goals) led the way offensively for the visitors and Pat Drury made 10 saves in net in the win.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – Final – Franklin exploded for 13 goals in the second quarter and never looked back in a win over visiting Foxboro. The Panthers held a 2-0 lead after the first quarter but caught fire in the second and staked a 15-1 lead by halftime. Luke Davis scored all five of his goals in the first half and finished with eight points, Tyler Sacchetti (three assists) and Ravin Chaudhury (one assist) each netted a hat trick, and Jayden Consigli finished with one goal and three helpers. Conor Noone, Jon Sacchetti, and Tony Sulham each scored once for Foxboro.

Mansfield, 13 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Mansfield’s defensive group came through with a solid performance to hold OA to just five goals and maintain the Hornets’ lead at the top of the Davenport division. Nolan Bordieri, Thomas Gormley, Ben Hoopis, Liam Barry, and James DeGirolamo all had strong games for the Mansfield D. The attack was balanced for the Hornets with Tommy Smith (two assists) and Drew Sacco (one assist) each scoring hat tricks. Freshman Andrew DeGirolamo had six points (two goals and four assists), while classmate Tommy Vallett and senior Grady Sullivan each scored twice. Cody Gordon added a goal and Nico Smith had three assists and a strong game on face-offs. Ryan DeGirolamo had 14 saves in the win.

Taunton, 3 @ Milford, 15 – Final – Milford dominated the second half to pull away from visiting Taunton for a 15-3 win. The Tigers kept it close in the first half and trailing just 6-3 at the break but it was all Scarlet Hawks in the second half. Jacob Ligor and Eric Farrell led the way for the hosts with five goals apiece.




Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 16 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine goals by halftime and pitched a second half shutout in a win on the road. Emily Campbell made three saves for the shutout while Lauren Obara had a terrific game defensively, grabbing five ground balls. Makenzie McDevitt had seven points to lead the way, Nikki McDonald recorded five points, and Alyssa Legere, Sammy Cloutier, Abby MacDonald, and Kelly Holmes all added three points in the win. Addison Papagolos scored for the Bombardiers on an assist from Makenah Stokes.

Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 17 – Final – Buoyed by nine different goal scorers, Canton rolled to a big win at home over Davenport division foe Sharon. Emily McCabe led the charge offensively for the Bulldogs, finding the back of the net five times along with two assists. Sally Hoban and Nora Giannacopoulos each had a hat trick in the win, Devan Spinale chipped in with a pair of goals and Ashley Balunas made seven saves in net. Sharon freshman goalie Emily Coenen made eight saves, including her 100th of the season.

Franklin, 16 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Ava Adams scored four times and Caitlyn Zajac made nine saves to help the Hornets pull out the division win. Lola Varricchione scored a hat trick, while Ella Palanza and Brooke Butler each scored twice and dished out an assist. Rose Maher and Stella Moore each had a goal and an assist, Tessa Johnson found the back of the net once, and Keira Fitzpatrick dished out one helper for the Hornets.

Milford, 12 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Locked in a one-goal game at halftime, Milford dominated the second half to record its third straight road win with a 12-6 decision over Taunton. A back-and-forth first half saw the Scarlet Hawks take a tight 5-4 advantage into halftime but the visitors went on to score five consecutive goals to start the second half and never looked back. Sophomore TJ Downing netted a career-high five goals to lead the charge offensively for Milford while Carley Haley added three goals and three assists, Emily Croteau chipped in with a hat trick and two assists, and Erin Michelson finished with three points (one goal, two assists). Alexa Landry, Jordan Douglas, and Yas Martinez each added an assist while Caitlyn Bangert turned away six shots in the second half. Raquel Azevedo paced Taunton with a hat trick, and Caroline Vallarelli, Talia O’Leary, and Maddi Szala (three assists) each had one goal. Mel Jesus had a big game in net with 21 saves.

Stoughton, 11 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – For Stoughton, Morgan Groppi led the charge with nine goals and two draw controls. Amanda Reid (four draw controls) and Casey Groppi (three draw controls) each added a goal for the Black Knights, Nicole Reid had one assist and three draw controls, and Jordan Coleman made three saves in net.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Behind a pair of straight-set victories in doubles action and one in singles play, Attleboro returned home from Canton with a 3-2 decision. Tyler Rocchio only lost one game in an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles for the Bombardiers. The first doubles team of Brady Rosen and Luke Hinton secured a 6-4, 6-4 win while Clay Tyler and Noam Cook earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles for Attleboro. Canton junior Max Kupferman earned yet another impressive win at first singles (6-1, 6-1) while Justin Ngan prevailed in a tough third singles match (7-6 (1), 6-2).

Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro took super tiebreaker wins at second singles and first doubles to complete a 5-0 sweep at home over visiting Taunton. Raj Jetty (6-0, 6-1), Luca Meyer, (4-6, 6-0, 12-10), and Ryan Fossella (6-2, 6-1) earned the singles sweep for the Warriors while the teams of Hajji Glover and Evan Paluzzi (2-6, 6-4, 11-9) and Vizruth Chavalam and Greg Simone (6-2, 6-1) won at first and second doubles, respectively.

Franklin, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

King Philip, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield took two wins from singles and prevailed in three sets at first doubles to edge visiting King Philip, 3-2. Neema Khosravani only dropped two games in a 6-1, 6-1 victory at first singles while Nikhil Nain rallied from a one-set deficit to take a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles for the Hornets. The team of Jacob Weiner and Josh Weiner emerged victorious in a well-played, tight contest at first doubles (6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-3) to clinch the win. KP picked up wins from Arjun Kollu at third singles (6-1, 6-4) and the team of Leo Manning and Ashrith Epuri (5-7, 6-4, 6-3).

Milford, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final

North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon took all five matches in straight sets, defending home court against the visiting Rocketeers. Junior Matthew Lally shined at second singles, winning in straight sets without dropping a game (6-0, 6-0) while sophomores Jacob Slavsky (7-5, 6-0) and Alex Budovalcev (6-1, 6-3) took wins at first and third singles, respectively. The Eagles also swept doubles action with the first doubles team of Sava Kassev and Hyojae Park taking a 7-5, 6-1 win, and the second doubles pairing of Kevin Li and Joel Zwicker landing a 6-0, 6-1 decision.

Girls Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Canton’s Camila Cutter and Olivia Durham both overcame one-set deficits and emerged victorious in three sets to help the Bulldogs grab a close win on the road at Attleboro. Cutter dropped the first set 1-6 but rallied back to win two in a row to get the first singles victory (1-6, 6-3, 6-0) while Durham dropped the first set in a tiebreaker but bounced back to win two in a row (6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1) at second singles. Canton’s first win came from the first doubles tandem of Kelli Woodworth and Grace Powers (6-2, 6-2). Attleboro’s Aarna Sodhani secured a 6-1, 7-5 win at third singles and the Bombardiers all-sophomore second doubles team of Julia Leonardo and Katie Lortos took a 7-6 (4), 6-1 win decision.

Foxboro, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Foxboro’s Hailey Kornbluth rolled at first singles and the Warriors swept doubles action to take a 3-2 verdict over host Taunton. Kornbluth didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at first singles, the first doubles team of Audrey Paolino and Analise Tia emerged in a three-set thriller (6-4, 4-6, 6-3), and Sydney Lebow and Katelyn Dineen rallied from a one-set deficit for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles. Taunton juniors Ava Alves (6-4, 6-1) and Morgan Smith (6-1, 7-5) took wins at second and third singles, respectively.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin won in straight sets at third singles and first doubles and took two more wins in three sets to secure a win over the visiting Black Knight. Brooke Taylor didn’t lose a game in the first set and went on to win 6-0, 6-4 at third singles, and the sophomore tandem of Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen didn’t drop a single game in a 6-0, 6-0 blanking at first doubles. Junior Chloe Essam overcame a one-set deficit at second singles to earn a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win while seniors Allison Bagley and Kelsey Maguire emerged from the second doubles match with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win. Stoughton junior Ally Lada added another impressive win, taking a 6-4, 7-5 win at first singles.

Mansfield, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – KP won at first and second singles and swept the doubles to earn its third straight victory and remain in the hunt for the league title. Ahunna James (6-1, 6-0) and Shea Mellman (6-0, 6-0) made quick work of the first two singles matches, dropping just one game between them. Carlie Burns and Priya Riar took the win at first doubles 6-4, 7-6, while Lauren Casper and Jaelyn Dang took second doubles 6-4, 6-4. Jillian Hanley grabbed the lone point for the Hornets with a 6-0, 7-6 win at third singles.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Hannah Farber and Stella Zachos each won in singles action and the Tigers swept both doubles matches in a road win at Milford. Farber only dropped two games in a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles and Zachos added a 6-3, 6-0 win at third singles for OA. The team of Ava Barth and Emily Beaulieu prevailed in a competitive first doubles match (6-4, 6-3), and OA’s second doubles pairing of Marina Mierzwinski and Ella Mierzwinski overcame a tiebreaker loss in the first set for a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 10-7 win. Milford’s Kaylee Whitney rallied for a 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 win at second singles.

Sharon, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – In a great battle from all five matches, Sharon edged out North Attleboro on the road with a 3-2 verdict. The Eagles swept doubles with Abby Vilk and Jenny Sand taking a 7-6, 6-0 win at first doubles and the team of Sophia Oh and Olivia Landstein securing a 6-4, 7-5 victory at second doubles. Navya Shukla earned Sharon’s lone singles win, emerging with a 7-5, 6-4 win in a competitive second singles match. North Attleboro junior Lauren Hunt bounced back from dropping the first set to take first singles in a super tiebreaker (6-7 (5), 6-1, 10-8) and Grace Noreck picked up a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at third singles for North.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Bellingham, 6:00

Milford @ Nipmuc, 5:00

Taunton, 1 @ North Quincy, 3 – Final – Taunton kept the match alive with a win in the third set but dropped a close fourth set to fall 3-1 on the road at North Quincy (22-25, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25). Matt Freitas continued to play well at the net (16 kills, two aces) while Bradley Hylander was once again strong defensively for the Tigers with 15 digs. Daniel Freitas notched 19 assists, Ty Ekstrom had 12 assists, Antonios Dimakis chipped in with five kills and five blocks, and Al Morisseau added three kills and six blocks for Taunton.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/21/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Franklin, 8 @ Framingham, 0 – Final
King Philip, 1 vs. Ashland, 3 – Final (8 Inn.)
Milford, 15 @ Algonquin, 8 – Final
North Attleboro, 2 @ Walpole, 0 – Final
Stoughton, 6 @ Archbishop Williams, 7 – Final

Softball
Franklin, 4 @ Needham, 6 – Final

King Philip, 12 vs. Cumberland (R.I.), 6 – Final

North Attleboro, 8 @ Dartmouth, 12 – Final – North saw its four-game win streak come to an end in Dartmouth. Kelly Colleran continued her hot streak at the plate with two hits, a homer, and three RBI. Arianna McDavitt and Maddie Bailey also had two hits for North. Lucy Palmer reached base four times and Emily Tucjer had a pinch hit. Grace Simmons, Julia Forman, and Emma Hanwell each made nice catches and Grace Forman tossed a perfect inning of relief.

Sharon, 14 @ Quincy, 7 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Mansfield, 8 vs. Framingham, 16 – Final – Ava Adams scored four times and Lana DiSangro made 13 saves, but the Hornets dropped a tough non-league game against Framingham. Ella Palanza (assist) and Stella Moore each chipped in with a pair of goals for the Hornets and Rose Maher and Ella Souza each recorded assists.

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/18/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Foxboro, 3 vs. Milton, 4 – Final – Foxboro pulled even with two runs in the top of the fifth inning, but the defending D2 state champions used a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the win. The Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first but the Warriors cut the deficit in half with a two-out single from sophomore Mike Marcucella to score Louis Carangelo from second. Milton answered back in the bottom of the fourth to restore its two-run lead but Foxboro tied the game in the top of the fifth. Ryan LeClair drove in Tyler Prescott (walk) with a one-out triple, and then LeClair scored after an error to make it 3-3. Sophomore Nolan Gordon had a solid outing, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks, striking out three in 5.1 innings of work.

King Philip, 9 @ Bishop Feehan, 0 – Final – King Philip’s offense belted out 13 hits and Rudy Gately dazzled on the mound as the Warriors put together one of their best games of the season with a 9-0 win over Bishop Feehan. Gately tossed a one-hitter (a first inning double) and just two walks, striking out six in a complete game shutout. KP’s offense pushed across a pair of runs in the second, single runs in the third and fifth, and put the game away with a five-run sixth inning. Max Robison (three RBI, run), Matt Kelley (two runs), Aiden Astorino (two RBI, run), Johnny Prater (RBI, run), and Tommy Martorano (run) each had a pair of hits for KP.

Milford, 5 vs. Westboro, 4 – Final

North Attleboro, 1 vs. Hopkinton, 3 – Final – Jordan Paradis (run), Gio Martello, Ayden Delaney, and Chris Hanewich each had a hit for the Rocketeers. Dillon Harding pitched well on the mound, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk, striking out six in a complete game.

Stoughton, 7 @ Brockton, 6 – Final – Stoughton held off a late charge from the hosts to secure its first win of the season. The Black Knights scored three runs in both the first and third innings and the eventual game-winning run came in the fifth inning. Joe Rush had two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored to lead the charge offensively for Stoughton. Jeriel Cuello also had two hits and two RBI while Ben Shirey drove in a pair and scored once. Hunter Malkin earned the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and six walks, striking out six in six innings of work.








Softball
King Philip, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final – A pair of early home runs and a three-run third inning helped King Philip start a busy week with a win over Bishop Feehan. The Shamrocks jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but freshman Ali Gill and senior Libby Walsh hit back-to-back home runs to get the Warriors on the board. Tied at 2-2, the Warriors pushed three more runs across the plate to take the lead for good. Charlotte Raymond drew a bases-loaded walk, Maddie Paschke drove in a run with a single, and Liv Petrillo (single) came home on a sacrifice fly from Taylor Regan to make it 5-2. Walsh added a sac fly to score Sarah Cullen in the sixth inning. Feehan rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, and brought the go-ahead run to the plate but KP freshman McCoy Walsh (7IP, 7H, 6BB, 11K) finished it out with a strikeout.

North Attleboro, 16 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final (5 Inn.) – Kelly Colleran had a huge game at the plate and in the circle to earn North a big win. Colleran went the distance, striking out 14 batters, and set a school record at the plate with four homers and nine RBI. Arianna McDavitt had three hits and scored three runs. Molly Willey was 2-for-2 with two walks and Emma Hanwell had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Freshman Lucy Palmer got her first start behind the plate and had a hit and a couple of sacrifices. Grace Simmons and Maddie Bailey each scored twice for North.

Franklin, 4 vs. Walpole, 14 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Whitman-Hanson, 2 – Final – Katie Melendy had another strong performance in the circle against Whitman-Hanson but the Panthers scored a single run in each the third and fifth innings to earn a season split. Melendy limited the Panthers to two run on four hits and a pair of walks, striking out 10. Maddie Homer, Devon Morris (double), Crystaliah Covel, and Emily Martin each had a hit for OA.




Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 7 vs. Marshfield, 9 – Final – Foxboro came up just short in its opening round matchup at the Chowda Cup, falling 9-7 to Marshfield. Conor Noone paced the Warriors’ offense with six goals while Tony Sulham scored once. Head coach Matt Noone praised the efforts of Ryan Cotter and Cam Deleskey in the midfield, and Adam Addeche turned away seven shots in net. Foxboro will play Hanover on Thursday at 10:00AM at Norwell High.

Franklin, 16 vs. Medfield, 2 – Final – Franklin jumped out to a four goal lead at the end of the first quarter, extended the advantage to seven by halftime, and never looked back in a runaway victory over Medfield. Luke Davis and Tyler Sachetti each had four goals and two assists to lead Franklin’s potent offensive attack while Jayden Consigli added three goals and one assist, and Eddie O’Brien scored twice and had one helper. Matt Corvi (six saves) and Mike Galvin (four saves) both played well in net while Jacob Alexander (one goal) won 14-of-17 faceoffs.

King Philip, 4 @ Catholic Memorial, 6 – Final – King Philip came up just short on the road at Catholic Memorial but not without a tremendous effort in net from senior James Boldy. Boldy recorded 18 saves in the game, including some point blank stops from in close, to keep the Warriors in the game. Donovan DeVellis scored twice and assisted on KP’s other two goals, scored by Henry LeClair and Cullen McCarthy. Alex Viscusi went 9-for-12 on faceoffs for the Warriors.

Mansfield, 8 vs. Falmouth, 13 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 vs. Ashland, 3 – Final – OA’s Ben Reardon had a big day offensively with 10 points to lead the Tigers to a big win over visiting Ashland. Reardon scored seven goals and had three assists to lead OA, which established a 7-1 edge by halftime. Alex McAndrew added one goal and three assists, Ryan Jaco scored twice, and Shaun Teehan and Evan Jaco each recorded a goal and an assist in the win.




Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 7 @ Walpole, 11 – Final – Foxboro suffered its first setback of the season, dropping a competitive contest with state powerhouse Walpole. Val Beigel had three goals to pace the offense while Paige Curran (two assists), Mya Warya (two assists), Cate Noone (one assist), and Mary Collins each scored once. Audrey Campbell played well in net with 10 saves.

Franklin, 15 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final – Franklin built a six-goal lead in a blink of an eye and never looked back in a rout of Bishop Feehan. Katie Peterson shined on attack for the hosts, potting a team-high six goals along with a pair of assists and seven draw controls. Jamie Tanner (two assists) and Emily Carney (assist) each had a pair of goals, Norah MacCallum had another strong defensive game with a pair of caused turnovers, and Ella Mahoney made four saves in the win.

King Philip, 15 @ Medfield, 17 – Final – A wild back-and-forth game ended with King Philip falling by two in a 17-15 loss to perennial state powerhouse Medfield. Nikki McDonald led KP with six goals while Alyssa Legere had a strong outing with four goals and one assist.

Mansfield, 11 vs. Mt. Hope (R.I.), 10 – Final – A balanced offensive attack led Mansfield to a one-goal win over visiting Mt. Hope on Tuesday. Ava Adams, Rose Maher, and Lola Varricchione (five draw controls, one assist) each scored three goals to lead the charge offensively for the Hornets. Stella Moore added one goal, Ella Souza had one assist, Carys Colby recorded seven draw controls, and Lana DiSangro came up with nine saves in the win.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/14/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Milford, 9 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Milford raced out to a four-run lead over the first three innings and then put the game away with a big five-run sixth inning to pick up a win on the road at Canton. Damien Carter (RBI double, two runs) and Mason Baldic (run) each had a pair of hits to lead the Hawks’ offense, which scored twice in the first and then once each in the second (Sean McGee RBI walk) and once more in the third. Canton cut the deficit down to one on an RBI single from Matt Lesser and a two-run single from Kyle Redquest, but the Hawks rallied for five runs in the sixth. Evan Corenlius had an RBI single, Carter scored on a passed ball, and McGee had a two-run single. Carter got the win on the mound, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks, striking out nine in five innings. Ian Carter came in and tossed two scoreless innings with just three walks issued, striking out five.

King Philip, 8 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Coming off a shutout loss earlier in the week, King Philip’s offense had a bounce back performance with an 8-2 win over Foxboro. After two scoreless innings from both teams, King Philip scored in each of the final five innings, and never trailed in the game. Rudy Gately was one of three Warriors with a pair if hits, driving in four runs on the day. Matt Kelley (two runs, RBI) and freshman Leo Dowling also had two hits. Tommy Martorano drove in a pair of runs while Tommy McLeish had a solo home run in the fourth to make it 3-0, KP sophomore Cameron Hasenfus had a strong outing on the mound, allowing two runs (one earned) one three hits and a pair of walks, striking out seven in a complete game effort. Ben Angelini had an RBI triple and Ryan O’Leary brought in a run for Foxboro on a sac fly.

Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Buoyed by a big second inning offensively and another stellar pitching performance, Franklin secured an 8-0 win over Sharon. Matt Miller allowed just one hit in three shutout innings, striking out a pair for the win. Zach Ramaswamy (1IP), Jake Shaughnessy (2IP, 5K), and Dillon Cashin (1IP, 1K) didn’t allow a hit in relief for the Panthers. Ryan Gerety scored in the first inning and then smacked a two-run double to highlight Franklin’s six-run second inning. Jase Lyons, Eisig Chin, Mike Davide, Ryan Carlucci, and Luke Sidwell also had an RBI in the win.

Taunton, 14 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final – Mansfield put Taunton on upset alert by scoring four runs in the fifth inning to take a one-run lead but the Tigers struck back for eight runs in the top of the sixth to secure the win on the road. Dawson Bryce, Dwayne Burgo, and Andrew Cali each had an RBI early on as the Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first two innings, but a three-run double from Connor Curtis in the bottom of the fourth brought the Hornets right back in it. Shawn Cali got one back from Taunton in the top of the fifth but the Hornets went to work in the bottom half. Sam Martin and Jake Maydak each hit an RBI double and two runs came in to score after a single from Kyle Marnikovic, putting Mansfield ahead 7-6. Burgo ignited Taunton’s comeback with a leadoff double and scored on a single from Brayden Cali. Ryan MacDougall (RBI single), Bryce (error), Shawn Cali (RBI single), Sean Murphy (walk), Burgo (two-run single), and Brayden Cali all brought runs in for the Tigers. Peter Moor earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings of work while Bryce closed things out with a scoreless inning.

North Attleboro, 10 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – North Attleboro pushed across four runs in the top of the first and never trailed in a 10-4 win on the road at Stoughton. Nate Kelly stayed hot with an RBI single to plate Jordan Paradis (leadoff single), Gio Martello laced a one-out, two-run single to center, and Reed Collins had a two-out RBI single to hand the Rocketeers an early 4-0 lead. North added two runs in the third (Martello RBI single, Collins RBI groundout), the eighth (Collins two-run single), and the seventh (Derek Maceda two-out, two-run single). Ayden Delaney earned the win for North Attleboro, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks, striking our a pair in three innings. Maceda tossed four innings in relief, surrendering just one unearned run on three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Stoughton’s Jeriel Cuello went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Liam Dunn pitched well in relief for the Black Knights with just two hits and a walk resulting in two unearned runs in 2.2 innings.








Softball
Canton, 2 @ Milford, 14 – Final (6 Inn.) – Milford had a dozen hits as a team and scored nine runs in the opening two innings to earn its second win in the last three games. Freshman Katelyn Kearnan sparked the Hawks from the eight-hole, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI. Cae Pellegrini, Maeve Williams, and Jianna Fernandes (two doubles) each had a pair of hits for Milford and combined to drive in five. Olivia and Ava Baglione (two runs) and Maeve Driscoll each had hits as well. Driscoll earned the win in the circle, going the distance allowing six hits and one earned run and striking out seven. Chloe Guernschuny was 2-for-3 for Canton. Anna Lehan drove in one and Laura Valkanas had a double.

Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 12 – Final (5 Inn.) – Franklin broke the game open in the fourth inning to earn the five-inning win. For Sharon, Manasa Josyula struck out two over three innings, while Ally Foulsham struck out two in the fourth.

Mansfield, 2 @ Taunton, 14 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton used a pair of big innings to score a big win against visiting Mansfield on Friday afternoon. The Tigers scored once in the second but did the majority of their damage in the third inning (six runs) and the seventh inning (seven runs). Kaysie DeMoura (two RBI, two runs) and Sam Lincoln (double, RBI) each had two hits while Bella Bourque drove in three runs to lead the Tigers’ offense. DeMoura, Hayley Krockta, and Taylah DeCosta each drove in a pair of runs in the win. Lincoln was the winner in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and one walk, striking out six. Mansfield had a good start as they took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Molly Kucharski singled and scored on a sac bunt and error by Reilley Slaney, who then came home to score later in the inning on a bunt from Allie Koppy.

Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Kelly Colleran threw just 80 pitches and faced only one more than the minimum, striking out 16 to earn the shutout. She also had a pair of homers and drove in half of North’s runs. Maryellen Charette had a big game behind the plate, calling a great game and throwing out a base stealer early in the game. Arianna McDavitt had a three-run double in the fourth inning and Molly Willey and Emma Hanwell each had two hits for the Rocketeers. Emily Tucker scored a pair of runs and Grace Simmons scored once.




Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 10 vs. Hanover, 6 – Final – The teams went into halftime tied 4-4, but Canton outscored Hanover 6-2 in the second half to pull out the non-league win. Ethan Keleher led the Bulldogs with four goals. Jeffrey Chaput added three tallies and Michael Thomas had a pair of goals. Pat Drury had a big game in goal, making 15 saves in the win.

Franklin, 13 @ Acton-Boxboro, 11 – Final – On the road, against one of the top teams in the state, Franklin rallied in the fourth quarter to pull out an impressive win. Trailing 10-8 after three, the Panthers outscored A-B 5-1, including a run in the final two minutes, to secure the win. Luke Davis scored five goals and dished out an assist to lead Franklin’s attack. Jayden Consigli had a hat trick of goals and a hat trick of assists and Tyler Sacchetti had three scores and a helper. Drew Hansen scored twice for the Panthers. Justin Alexander dominated face offs, winning 22-of-25 and Michael Galvin made six saves.

King Philip, 7 vs. Hopkinton, 6 – Final (OT) – James Boldy had another strong performance in net and Henry LeClair was dominant at the face-off ‘X’ to lead the Warriors to an overtime win over Hopkinton. Boldy made 12 saves in the win while LeClair, who had one goal, won 11 of 13 faceoffs. Donovan DeVellis and Mason Thompson each scored a pair of goals and had two assists to lead KP’s offense while Justin Kosh (two assists) and Cullen McCarthy (assist) each scored once.

Milford @ Seekonk, 4:15

North Attleboro, 11 vs. Bishop Feehan, 14 – Final

Sharon, 17 @ Cardinal Spellman, 5 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 13 @ Braintree, 14 – Final – Emily McCabe had six goals and four assists, but Braintree was able to edge Canton in a tough, non-league battle. Ella Yeaton, Nora Giannacopoulos, and Shannon McGrann each scored twice for the Bulldogs.

Franklin, 10 vs. Westwood, 14 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the state, Franklin and Westwood were tied 6-6 at halftime, but the visiting Wolverines went on a late run to pull out a back-and-forth game. Lindsay Atkinson sparked Franklin’s attack with four goals and Katie Peterson added a hat trick. Jamie Tanner secured five draw controls and Julia Flynn put in a strong overall performance on both ends of the field.

Sharon, 3 vs. Ursuline Academy, 17 – Final

Stoughton, 3 vs. Dedham, 8 – Final – Morgan Groppi, Amanda Reid, and Hazel McBurney each scored once for the Black Knights. Groppi also had a pair of draw controls and Jordan Coleman made 11 saves for Stoughton.




Boys Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – After falling behind by three games in the second set, Canton’s second doubles team of Drew Garrett and Jon Sithivong rallied to win three straight games and then the tiebreaker to clinch the game and secure a 3-2 win for Canton. Garrett and Sithivong finished with a 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) win while Max Kupferman and Bharat Ramanathan won in straight sets at first and second singles, respectively.

Foxboro, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Foxboro bounced back after a couple of tough losses by earning a sweep of KP. Haji Glover (6-0, 6-1) and Raj Jetty (6-2, 6-2) won their singles matches in straight sets to put the visitors in charge. Greg Simone and Viz Chavalan also won in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) at first doubles. The other two matches both went to three sets. Foxboro’s second doubles team of Ryan Fossella and Evan Paluzzi edged Leo Manning and Brent Schneider 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. At third singles, Luca Meyer pulled out a three-set win over Arjun Kollu.

Sharon, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Sharon swept Franklin to stay level with Mansfield atop the Davenport division standings. The Eagles were especially impressive in doubles, as the teams of Sava Kassev and Rithvik Neti and Kevin Li and Joel Zwicker dropped only one game combined. Jacob Slavsky (6-2, 6-1), Matthew Lally (6-2, 6-4), and Alex Budovalcev (6-1, 7-6 (4)) also won in straight sets.

Stoughton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North won its second straight match to stay on top in the Kelley-Rex. The Rocketeers got straight set wins at all three singles matches. Brody Carter (6-3, 6-2), Darren Liang (6-0, 6-1), and Caleb Cheney (6-1, 6-4) each picked up points for the hosts. Stoughton got a point at first doubles. Anthony Maylock and Aadil Vihad won 7-6, 6-4 to avoid the sweep. North got its fourth point at second doubles. Arnav Raghuvanshi and Aaryan Anjna won 6-1, 7-5.

Girls Tennis
Franklin, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon swept singles and got a point at second doubles to earn the crossover win against Franklin. Judy Song won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles, Navya Shukla won 6-1, 6-2 at second singles, and Ale Aguilar won 6-2, 6-3 at third singles to earn the Eagles the points that they needed. Olivia Landstein and Jenny Sand secured a fourth point with a 6-1, 6-4 win. The first doubles team of Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen made sure the Panthers avoided the sweep by winning 6-3, 7-6.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – North won both of its doubles matches to extend its win streak to five games to start the season. Audrey Noreck and Liz Silva won 6-4, 6-2 at first doubles and Jayla Stone and Grace Manning added a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles. Grace Noreck also won in straight sets at second singles to improve North’s record to 5-0. Ally Lada won two tiebreakers, both 7-5, to earn the 7-6, 7-6 win at first singles and Stoughton also got a point at third singles with Dhruvi Patel winning 6-3, 6-2.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Cambridge, 1 – Final

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview
Taunton has won back-to-back D1 state titles and the Tigers will be among the favorites to bring home another championship this spring. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Attleboro

2022 Record: 15-7
2022 Finish: Reach Div. 1 Sweet Sixteen
Coach: Mark Homer
Attleboro is hoping a mix of experienced veterans and skilled newcomers will keep the squad playing competitively in the best league in the state, and more specifically maybe the most talented division across any sport in the league.

Senior Lily Routhier returns to the circle after going 8-2 last season, striking out 47 with a 2.24 ERA during the regular season. Routhier will likely see an increase in innings with the graduation of Lindsey Perry (69 innings), and she’s also one of the best offensive weapons in the league after posting a 0.510 average (fourth in the Hock) with 41 hits and 45 RBI. There are a lot of weapons in the lineup back with senior captains Rylie Camacho (0.410) and Lauren Eby (0.490) leading the way, and senior Sarah Maher, fresh off a 36-hit, 22-RBI regular season, will take over in center field and set the table offensively from the leadoff spot. Paige Quaglia, Merry Bosh, Lilly McGilvray, Jenna Callahan, and Nina Sullivan are all in the mix to get some time in the outfield and provide offensive depth.

In the infield, there are some newcomers looking to find a spot in the lineup. Maddie Moran and Victoria Parent are in the mix for time at third base while Emily Eby, who had an impressive freshman campaign with 20 hits, will play at second base. Destiny Miranda is also competing for time behind the dish while Ari Amaral will continue to be a force with her bat in the lineup.

“Things will not change for us as far as offense and defense, and we will work to be consistent and continue to improve as the season goes on,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Homer. “We want to be at our best when the competition calls for it and find positives in all adversity that we will face during the season. We want to continue the success we had as a team last season and improve. Every game will be a challenge for us.”

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Canton

2022 Record: 4-16
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Sandy Lombardi
With seven returning players, Canton coach Sandy Lombardi is confident that the Bulldogs can make a jump in her second year in charge. Playoff contention is the aim for a team that won only four games in 2022 but also lost four games by four runs or less, including a pair by just one run.

Junior first baseman and pitcher Jess Wright was the team’s MVP last season and she returns to the heart of the lineup along with senior catcher Olivia Mackwell. The pair combined for 48 hits and 30 RBI last season, so will be important pieces in the heart of the order. Also returning for the Bulldogs are junior shortstop Laura Valkanas, sophomore infielder Chloe Guerschuny, and an outfield of junior Anna Lehan and sophomores Klara Redquest and Kailyn Durham. Senior Abby Chin carries an injury into the season but Canton will hope that she can return to contribute.

Canton is hoping that a group of newcomers will add the depth it needs to compete over a long season. Junior Alexa Gordon and freshman Shaelyn Murphy can both step into the circle to give the Bulldogs big innings. Freshmen Abby Stock and Caitlin Reynolds and junior Sami Grady can all fill spots in the infield and junior Kaitlyn Bigham is a versatile player off the bench.

“We have a great mix of returning varsity players and new varsity players,” Lombardi said. “We are looking to improve on our record from last year and to qualify for the tournament.”

Foxboro

2022 Record: 12-10
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Sweet Sixteen
Coach: Mark Maguire
It has been over 51 years since Foxboro last won a softball league title, but with experienced pitchers and a versatile lineup of players who can fill in at multiple positions, this might be the season that the Warriors can finally come out on top.

Pitching depth should be a strength for the Warriors this season. Sophomore Vittoria Cuscia was a league all-star after being Foxboro’s ace last year and classmate Emma Callahan was an all-star as an eighth grader. Despite their youth, both pitchers have already won games in the postseason. Both players will also fill in at third base. Sophomore Ava Hill, who is already entering her third season on varsity, will move from first to behind the plate.

The Warriors should be athletic this year. Freshman Meghan Kelley will get the start at short, the latest in a line of talented underclassmen to step into that position, and will bat third. Freshman Mia Flanagan and sophomore Autumn Stowell can each play second base, while junior Angelina Rifai, sophomore Natalia Leach, and Stowell will get time at first. The outfield is experienced with all three starters returning. In left is Leach, while sophomore Jillian Slattery is back in center, and junior Fiona Dunn will be in right. All three will also be in the middle of the order for the Warriors. Freshman Emma Fisler will get chances to contribute in multiple positions.

“Our strengths are our young, tough pitchers,” said Foxboro coach Mark Maguire. “We are very athletic in the outfield and we have pretty good team speed. Although we are a young team, mostly freshman and sophomores, this group has been ‘battle tested’ the last couple of years playing significant games in the Hockomock League and state tournaments.”

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview







2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Franklin

2022 Record: 11-10
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32
Coach: Breanna Shaffer
Last season, Franklin won nine games in the league, but was only able to take fourth in the Kelley-Rex division. This year, the addition of North Attleboro makes the division even deeper, but the Panthers will turn to King Philip alum, and two-time state champion, Breanna Shaffer and lean on an experienced lineup to try and make a push up the standings.

The Panthers will have plenty of pitching depth this year. Senior Kiera Kotwicki returns in the circle and has the experience of battling the top teams in the league. Senior Caroline Bruso and freshman Sophia Scaramone will also get their chances to toe the rubber. Senior catcher Hailey Fales will guide the pitching staff as well as being a big bat in the heart of the Franklin lineup.

Junior Carly Johnson-Pellegri is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign and returns at short. Senior Katy Liberman is back at third base, while sophomore Sarah Boozang takes over at first base and junior Katie Dowley will be at second. Seniors Reece Allen and Dana Stott are back as starting outfielders and classmate Avery Chalk will step into the outfield as well.

“This group of seniors work hard and lead by example every day,” said Shaffer, who previously coached JV at Canton and Sharon. “The leadership and experience that they bring to this team will leave such a positive impact on this program. I am excited to see what this team will accomplish this season!”

King Philip

2022 Record: 22-3
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Quarterfinal (Kelley-Rex champion)
Coach: Kate Fallon-Comeau
King Philip comes into every season with state title aspirations. This spring, the Warriors have added motivation, as the defending Kelley-Rex division champions watched rival Taunton, who KP beat twice in the regular season, go all the way for the second year in a row. The league seems as competitive as ever, but the Warriors return a strong core that looks ready to make a run at another title.

There is plenty of experience and leadership coming back this season. Junior Jordan Bennett will be in the circle for the third year in a row and has developed into an ace who can be relied upon against even the strongest lineups. Freshman McCoy Walsh and junior Taylor Regan will add depth to the pitching staff and can eat up some innings. Junior Maddie Paschke will be behind the dish to work with the pitchers.

Seniors Charlotte Raymond and Sarah Cullen will both patrol the outfield this season, while classmate Ava Lanza will be at third. Sophomore Liv Petrillo returns to the left side of the infield while senior Libby Walsh is back in the mix this season. Junior Ava Kelley had a big season at the plate in 2022 and she returns to take the third outfield spot.

“We’re looking forward to another exciting season and competing in one of the best and most respected leagues in the state,” said KP coach Kate Fallon-Comeau.

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Mansfield

2022 Record: 10-12
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen
Coach: Lori Letendre
Mansfield finished 4-2 in non-league play a season ago and reached the Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen. This year, the Hornets will play in the Davenport division for the first time and could benefit from not having two games apiece against perennial powers like Taunton, King Philip, and North Attleboro. With a roster that is still relatively young, only two seniors and nine freshmen, Mansfield will hope that being battle-tested in 2022 could help in a fight for a league title in 2023.

The Hornets graduated seven seniors, including five starters, from last year’s team, so there will be a lot of new faces in the lineup, but a talented group of juniors will provide leadership for the younger players. Junior Callie Lake was a spark plug for the Mansfield offense last season and a strong defensive center fielder. Junior Live Madeira returns at shortstop, giving the Hornets another good glove and tough out, while classmate Jill Koppy controls the game from behind the plate and fellow junior Molly Kucharski will start again at second.

Senior Amanda Schwarz will be the starting pitcher for the Hornets at the beginning of the season after sharing time with Julia Kelly last year. Mansfield will have plenty of depth in the circle this spring, as freshmen Molly Crowley and Dani Jameson can also step in and give them important innings.

Mansfield coach Lori Letendre said, “We have a lot of new players on the team this year and will be looking for leadership from our captains and returning starters. They are a talented group and I am starting to see the chemistry that will bring us together as a team. It should be a fun season!”




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Milford

2022 Record: 3-17
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Steve Divitto
With a young squad last season, Milford struggled through some growing pains during the spring of 2022. After only graduating a pair of seniors from the roster, the Scarlet Hawks are looking to compete against one of the most talented leagues in the state and make a push for the postseason.

Milford is still young as they don’t have any seniors on the roster this year but the majority of the players on the team have one or two years of experience already. There is a group of seven juniors that include catcher Maddie Burn, first baseman Camille Bonina, middle infielder Grace Bonina, pitcher/shortstop Maeve Driscoll (who can also play in the outfield), outfielder Olivia Luchini, who is back from injury, infielder/outfielder Maeve Williams, and outfielder Sarah Wengal. Head coach Steve DiVitto will be leaning on their experience and leadership to guide a young squad.

Cae Pellegrini, Jianna Fernandes, and Olivia Baglione emerged as key contributors as freshmen last year and are looking to take the next step this time out. Pellegrini returns to third base, Fernandes will patrol the outfield, and Baglione is back at shortstop. A group of freshmen featuring Ava Baglione, Angelina Bonina, Katelyn Kearnan, and Isabella Loscerbo will look to make an impact right away. In the circle, Driscoll will look to pick up where she left off last year before being derailed by injury, with freshman Angelina Bonina in line to get some innings as well.

“With no seniors this year, we will be looking to our juniors and returners as leaders,” DiVitto said. “While still considered young, the vast amount of game experience that our players have had makes us a veteran team. No more excuses; we are ready to compete in the best league in Massachusetts. The girls are ready to get on the field.”

North Attleboro

2022 Record: 17-7
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four (Davenport champion)
Coach: Bill Wallace
After three straight Davenport titles, which was the first three-peat in program history, and reaching the Div. 2 Final Four for the first time last season, North Attleboro returns to the ultra-competitive Kelley-Rex division with a lineup that features a lot of new faces and a lot of underclassmen. The Rocketeers still expect to be right in the title mix and make another run in the tournament.

Pitching will be the key for North this season. Reigning league MVP and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Kelly Colleran will be back in the circle as the team’s main starter. Colleran was dominant last year, both as a pitcher and a hitter, and will have big expectations this spring. Sophomore Arianna McDavitt got a couple of starts last year and freshman Grace Forman can step in to eat some innings as well. Sophomore Maryellen Charette will be behind the plate for North after a solid freshman campaign.

Colleran and McDavitt will also play short when not pitching. Senior Maddie Bailey and sophomore Mary Rogers will play second and freshmen Lucy Palmer (first base) and Molly Willey (third base) will take over at the corners. Sophomore Emily Tucker gives North versatility off the bench. The outfield will be relatively experienced, as seniors Emma Hanwell and Grace Simmons will be in center and right. Senior Julia Forman and her sister Grace can play multiple positions.

“If our hitting continues to improve, we should be a dangerous team,” said North coach Bill Wallace. “We will continue to work on defense and hitting but team chemistry and leadership will give us the opportunity to continue to grow as a team. I really enjoy coaching this group.”




2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Oliver Ames

2022 Record: 7-14
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: Lindsey Allison
Oliver Ames didn’t graduate a single player from last season and the Tigers will be aiming for another playoff appearance and to make a run at their first league title since 2014. The Tigers should be solid defensively and have a lineup able to manufacture runs and they will hope to build on last year’s postseason experience.

Pitching is always critical and senior Katie Melendy returns for her third year in the circle. After a strong offseason, Melendy could be ready for a breakout year after putting up a 2.03 ERA last spring. Senior shortstop Maddie Homer and senior center fielder Caitlin Miller give OA a strong spine and junior catcher Katharine Farley brings her cannon of an arm back behind the plate.

Juniors Madison Monteiro, Paige Taylor, Sammy Johnson, and Skylar Dearborn are all back for the Tigers, while sophomores Emily Martin and Devon Morris round out the infield after solid freshman campaigns. Junior Crystaliah Covel and sophomore Ava Tracia are newcomers who will add versatility to the OA roster.

“It has been a really smooth transition into the season in order to get game-ready,” said OA coach Lindsey Allison. “We are looking forward to a great season and continuing to build on last year’s successes. In practices, the defense has been really solid, as they are all used to each other mostly from last season. Katie Melendy has put in a lot of work in the offseason, and we are looking forward to seeing her build on her success from last year with support from the power and speed of the OA lineup.”

Sharon

2022 Record: 2-16
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Heather Poliferno
Sharon swept a season series with Duxbury last year, but struggled in Hockomock play, scoring only 13 runs in the 16 league games. The Eagles will go into this season hoping to pull some surprises and, with a roster that includes eight freshmen and sophomores, build some momentum for the future as well.

Ally Foulsham will get the call in the circle this season. The senior has worked this offseason to finetune her pitches and Sharon coach Heather Poliferno is hoping for big things from her captain both as a pitcher and in the middle of the lineup. Senior Natalie Kessler also returns for the Eagles. After spending 2022 in a utility role, playing multiple positions, Kessler will start in center this season.

Junior Natalie David will be moving from the outfield to first base this spring and is another hitter that the Eagles will be counting on to try and improve their offensive output. Junior Maddie Hu will be at shortstop, using her speed to cover a lot of ground in the field and causing havoc on the base paths.

Poliferno said, “Every year, we go into the season with the mentality of ‘why not us?’ We will be going into every game this season with that thought.”

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Stoughton

2022 Record: 11-10
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: Laura Whittaker
Stoughton heads into the spring with a new coach, as Laura Whittaker takes over in the dugout. The expectations will remain high for a team hoping to challenge for the Davenport division title, which would be its first league title since 2005, and to make a run in the Div. 2 tournament.

The Black Knights will have a lot of returning talent to lean on this season. Senior Kerry Driscoll will be back in the circle, after an 11-8 season, and also in the heart of the order here she was the team’s leading hitter in 2022. Senior Camryn Whitman returns at shortstop with junior Alyssa Edwards next to her at third. Both players provide leadership and swing big bats to add to a potent lineup. Junior Julie Powers gives the Black Knights a lot of stability from behind the plate.

Juniors Leila Alaoui (second base) and Maddie Hinds (first base) round out an experienced, tested infield. Sophomores Caitlin Driscoll and Angelina Berry and newcomers Anna Hobbs and Lauren Price will give Stoughton plenty of speed in the outfield and some big arms to slow down runners. Julia Monaghan, Emersyn Grover, and Megan McGowan add depth and consistency to the lineup, while Alyssa Antonino, Grace Weisenberger, and Isabella Kuznitz give Whittaker a lot of versatility off the bench.

Taunton

2022 Record: 21-4
2022 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship
Coach: Michelle Raposo
The two-time defending Div. 1 state champions have a new coach this season, as Michelle Raposo, a starter on the Taunton teams that won titles in 2002 and 2003, takes over the Tigers this spring. Taunton looks poised to make a run at a three-peat with the return of six starters and the addition of one of the state’s top pitching prospects.

Pitching is always the place to start when thinking about a team’s state title qualifications and the Tigers will bring back sophomore Cate Larson, who was part of a pitching duo that helped Taunton win it all in 2022. In addition, junior lefty Sam Lincoln is back after a year away from the program and the Texas Tech commit would be a boost to any team’s staff. Senior Kaysie DeMoura is back behind the plate after a breakout season and her leadership and ability to work with both pitchers will be critical.

There is plenty of experience on Taunton’s roster. Senior Ava Venturelli had a standout season in 2022 and the Louisville commit is back in the outfield this year. Senior Kyleah Plumb is the spark plug at the top of the order, senior first baseman Hayley Krockta added power in the heart of the order, and senior Mia Fernandes will return at second base. Sophomore Brooke Aldrich returns at short following her solid freshman season. Eighth-grader Bella Bourque will take over at third and freshman Mia Torres will start in the outfield. Senior transfer Morgan Fitzgerald and Molly Carnes will give the Tigers extra depth in the outfield as well.

“The team chemistry these 15 girls have in such a short amount of time is remarkable,” Raposo said. “Not only do these girls have chemistry, they all have talent and determination to work hard and get better every day. I am excited to see where this season takes us as my first year taking over as head coach.”

2023 Hockomock League Softball Preview

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/03/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – A run in the bottom of the fourth ended up as the difference as Mansfield edged visiting Attleboro in a tight battle. The teams traded runs in the second inning with the Bombardiers jumping ahead when Jacob Bettencourt reached on a dropped third strike, allowing Aidan Hochwarter (leadoff single) to scamper home. Brian Butler led off the bottom half with a single for the Hornets, stole second, and came home to score on an RBI double from Will Lund. The difference came in the bottom of the fourth and Butler was the catalyst again, starting things with a one-out single. Wyatt Bolduc drew a walk and Lund delivered another big hit, this time a single to right to bring Butler home for the winning run. Both pitchers on both teams played well with Connor Curtis earning the win, allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks, striking out 11 in six innings of work while Butler got the save, striking out a pair with no hits or walks allowed in one inning. Attleboro junior Jonny Pagano allowed two runs on five hits and one walk, striking out five while Braxton Levin tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Canton, 11 – Final – North Attleboro scored in three consecutive innings to cut Canton’s one six-run lead down to one but the Bulldogs responded with five unanswered runs to open the season with a win. Hayden Rose (three hits, two RBI), who had a strong performance on the mound, had a two-run double and Matt Hart and Matt Lesser each had an RBI in the first inning as Canton jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Jack Digirolamo (4four RBI) added a second-inning RBI and Lesser drew a bases-loaded walk to extend Canton’s lead to 6-0 after two innings. North rallied for a run in the third and one more in the fourth (Dillon Harding RBI single), before pushing across three runs in the top of the fifth. Canton’s patience at the plate paid off in the bottom half as walks to Kyle Redquest, Owen Lane (three runs), and Matt Chafin brought in a run, and Digirolamo added another run with a sac fly. A two-out single from Digirolamo in the bottom of the sixth added insurance for the Bulldogs. North Attleboro’s Nate Kelly went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, two walks, and a run scored.

Milford, 4 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – After seeing its three-run lead disappear in the fifth inning, Foxboro rallied for two runs in the sixth to take a season-opening win over Milford. The Warriors took the lead originally by scoring single runs in each of the second (Mike Marcucella RBI double), the third (Ben Angelini RBI double), and the fourth (Angelini RBI single) innings. Milford rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth as freshman Ian Carter led off with a solo home run, Louis Consigli had a one-out RBI single, Keith Lee drove in a run with an infield hit, and Sean McGee scored on a single by Evan Cornelius. Senior Ryan LeClair started the rally for the hosts with a one-out double and advanced to third on a double from Sean O’Leary. Louis Carangelo bought LeClair home on an infield single and O’Leary eventually scored on a wild pitch. Alex Stern got the win in relief for Foxboro, tossing a shutout inning while LeClair closed the door for the save. Cornelius was strong on the mound for the Hawks, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, five walks, and six strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work.

Franklin, 11 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final (6 inn.) – Franklin senior Alfred Mucciarone dazzled on the mound on the road at Frothingham Park, leading the Panthers to a win over Oliver Ames. Mucciarone tossed five shutout innings, allowing just one run (unearned) on two hits, striking out 10 without issuing a walk. Offensively, Franklin wasted little time to get the bats going as they pushed across four runs in the first and scored in each of the next five innings. Jase Lyons (RBI, two runs) and Eisig Chin (RBI, two runs, two stolen bases) each had three hits to pace Franklin’s 16-hit performance. Henry Digiorgio and Tyler Bellan (two RBI) each had two hits while Ben Jarosz notched two RBI.

King Philip, 12 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip’s offense got off to a strong start with three runs in the top of the first inning and the Warriors put the game away with a seven-run fifth inning to open the season with a win over Stoughton. Brendan Sencaj picked up right where he left off from last season, going 3-for-3 with a single, a double, and a triple as well as two RBI and three runs scored. Matt Kelley (three runs, RBI) and Aiden Astorino (two RBI, run) both added two hits in the win. Nate Pennini had a terrific showing on the mound for the visitors, allowing just one hit and two walks in five shutout innings, striking out nine.

Sharon, 0 @ Taunton, 20 – Final (5 Inn.) – The defending Division 1 state champs got off to a hot start with a big win over Sharon. Shawn Cali (two RBI, two runs), AJ Lewis (two RBI, three runs), Sean Murphy (two RBI, one run), and Brady Boucher (two RBI, one run) each had a pair of hits for the Tigers. Shawn Cali earned the win, tossing four shutout innings with just one hit allowed, striking out five. Boucher tossed a scoreless inning in relief with one walk and three strikeouts.








Softball
Mansfield, 0 @ Attleboro, 14 – Final (5 Inn.) – Callie Lake, Julia Marnikovic, Molly Kucharski and Erin Radley each had a hit apiece for the Hornets.

Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final – Kelly Colleran faced only one batter over the minimum to toss a season-opening shutout. She allowed one hit and struck out 16. Arianna McDavitt made a pair of great defensive plays at shortstop, including a diving grab, and catcher Maryellen Charette caught a runner trying to steal second. Colleran also led the North offense with four hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in two. Leadoff hitter Grace Simmons had a hit and scored three times. Lucy Palmer, Molly Willey, and Charette drove in two runs apiece. Emma Hanwell, Grace Forman, and Mary Rogers each had a hit for North.

Foxboro, 12 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Milford scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the deficit down to a single run but Foxboro erupted for five runs in the final frame and pulled away for the win. The Warriors took advantage of a couple of errors to build a 5-0 lead through the first three innings and then used a two-run home run from Natalia Leach in the top of the sixth to extend the lead to 7-3. A two-run triple from Olivia Baglione and an RBI single from Maeve Driscoll helped bring the Scarlet Hawks within one, 7-6, going into the seventh. Leach added an RBI single, Meghan Kelley drew a walk with the bases loaded, and Jill Slattery added a two-out RBI single to push the lead to 12-6. Emma Callahan had three hits and three stolen bases for the Warriors while Vittoria Cuscia got the win in the circle, recording eight strikeouts.

Oliver Ames, 7 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – A back-and-forth battle ended with a walk-off single from Franklin’s Avery Chalk to hand the Panthers a thrilling season-opening win at home. The teams combined for 12 runs in the first three innings, trading the lead each inning before the Tigers plated two in the top of the fifth to make it all even again. Freshman Sophia Sacramone retired the Tigers in order in the top of the seventh, and in the bottom half, Dana Stott laced a one-out double into left field. An error advanced Stott to third, and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases. Chalk singled to left field to bring in the game-winning run. Chalk, Sarah Boozang (RBI, run), and Katy Liberman (two RBI, run) each had three hits as the Panthers totaled 18 as a team. Sacramone got the win in relief, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts in four innings of work. OA’S Devon Morris (one RBI, two runs) and Katie Melendy (three RBI, run) each collected three hits while Katherine Farley (RBI) and Crystyliah Covel (two stolen bases) each had two hits. Maddie Homer had a strong defensive game for OA with six putouts and a double play.

Stoughton, 1 @ King Philip, 21 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip scored in each inning on its way to a big win over Stoughton to start the season. The Warriors pushed across three runs in each of the first two innings, six more in the third, and put the game away with a big fourth inning, highlighted by a grand slam from Liv Petrillo (2-for-3, six RBI). Freshman Ali Gill hit a home run in her first career at-bat and scored three runs. Charlotte Raymond also had a home run while Petrillo had another home run — a two-run shot — earlier in the fourth inning. Jo Bennett earned the win, allowing one run (unearned) on one hit and one walk, striking out six in four innings of work.

Sharon, 1 @ Taunton, 34 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton senior Ava Venturelli went 4-for-5, including a home run and a triple, to lead the Tigers to a big win at home. Brooke Aldrich also had four hits and scored five runs, and Hayley Krockta and Cate Larson also hit a home run. Larson earned the win in the circle, allowing one run (unearned) on three walks, striking out 10 in five innings of work.




Boys Lacrosse
King Philip, 10 @ Sharon, 11 – Final (OT) – King Philip outscored the hosts 3-1 in the fourth quarter to force overtime but it was Sharon that found the game-winner in the extra period to open the season in thrilling fashion. Sam Rothbaum led the offensive charge with four goals while Jake Kaufman, Ryan Brown, and Jordan Weisman each had a pair, and Dylan Cummings scored one along with three assists.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – Noah Isleib played well in net for the Tigers, recording 15 saves while Ben Reardon had the lone goal for OA.

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 14 @ Braintree, 6 – Final – Foxboro’s Paige Curran picked up right where she left off, recording six points to lead the Warriors to a season-opening win on the road at Braintree. Curran had a team-high five goals along with one assist while Val Beigel added three goals and two helpers. Cate Noone (two assists) and Grace Riley each chipped in with a pair of goals while Mya Waryas (two assists) and Mary Collins (two assists) scored once. Audrey Campbell had a strong showing in the net with 11 saves.

Sharon, 1 @ King Philip, 15 – Final – King Philip raced out to a big lead by halftime and never looked back on its way to a dominating season-opening win. Makenzie McDevitt paced the offense with a team-high seven points, Nikki McDonald added three points, and both Sarah Brown and Kelly Holmes recorded three points in the win.




Boys Tennis
Mansfield, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Mansfield earned a sweep in singles action to secure a 3-2 decision on the road over Attleboro. Sophomore Neema Khosravani battled through a tough first set before prevailing 6-4, 6-0, junior Iniyan Karruppusami added a 6-4, 6-2 win at second singles, and junior Nikhil Nain picked up a 6-1, 6-1 third singles victory. Attleboro’s first doubles team of Brady Rosen and Luke Hinton emerged from a well-played first doubles match with a 6-4, 7-5 victory, and the team of Clayton Tyler and Noem Cook earned a 6-1, 6-4 second doubles win.

Canton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – Behind a doubles sweep and one win from singles action, North Attleboro edged out visiting Canton to open the season with a win. Senior captain Brody Gaulin and junior Quinn DiFiore secured a 6-2, 6-1 decision at first singles, and the junior pairing of Arnav Raghuvanshi and Aaryan Anjna prevailed in a back-and-forth second doubles match with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win. Junior Caleb Cheney won a tiebreaker in the second set to emerge with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 (5) decision. Canton junior Max Kupferman earned a 6-1, 6-3 first singles win, and freshman Bharat Ramanathan took a 6-3, 6-4 win at second singles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Three of the five matches had to be decided in a third set but in the end, Foxboro prevailed victorious in all of them for a 5-0 sweep over Milford. Raj Jetty rolled to a 6-4, 6-1 win at first singles, while the team of Vizruth Chavalam and Greg Simone earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at second doubles to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead. After dropping the first set, the team of Hajji Glover and Evan Paluzzi rallied to win two straight to take first doubles (5-7, 6-4, 6-3). Both Ryan Fosella and Luca Meyer won the first set but dropped the second. Fossella took care of the win at second singles with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 decision while Meyer battled his way to a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames won all three singles matches to return home from Franklin with a victory via a 3-2 decision. After splitting the first two sets, OA junior Nike Westerbeke prevailed in the third set to secure the match (6-2, 0-6, 6-3) at first singles. Sophomore Alex Efremidas took a tight second singles match in straight sets (6-4, 7-5), and sophomore Pat Dolan completed the singles sweep with a 6-3, 6-2 third singles win. In doubles action, Franklin junior Ahan Shetty and senior Eric Tomaino earned a 6-0, 6-4 first doubles victory while the team of junior Andrew Amante and sophomore Aaron Ramaswamy picked up a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip’s first doubles team of Luke Bailor and Brent Schneider prevailed in a second set tiebreak to secure a win, and the match to give the Warriors a season-opening win against Stoughton. Bailor and Schneider rolled in the first set but needed to win a tiebreak in the second set to earn the 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) win. Noah Ihley had a strong start to the season with a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles and Arjun Kollu also had an impressive showing in a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. 


Sharon, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Sharon opened up the season with a clean sweep, winning all five matches in straight sets on the road at Taunton. Sophomore Jacob Slavsky secured a 6-1, 6-1 first at first singles, junior Matthew Lally earned a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles, and sophomore Alex Budovalcev only dropped one game in a 6-1, 6-0 third singles victory. The team of sophomore Sava Kassev and senior Rithvik Neti battled hard to emerge in straight sets (6-0, 7-5) at first doubles while the pairing of senior Kevin Li and sophomore Savir Basil didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 second doubles win.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Bre Paulette pulled out a three-set win over Anushka Srivastava at third singles to earn the Bombardiers a win in the season opener. Paulette won the opening set 6-3 but Srivastava bounced back by winning the second 6-2. Paulette closed out the match with a 6-4 third set to get the clinching point. Maddie Fuscaldo also won at first singles (6-2, 6-2) for Attleboro and Julia Leonardo and Katie Lortos won 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles. For Mansfield, Claire Copp won in three sets at second singles, beating Presley Biller 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 and Jill Harvey and Savannah Corey won 6-4, 6-4 at first doubles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Both of North Attleboro’s double teams battled hard to earn three-set wins as the Rocketeers secured a 5-0 sweep on the road to start the season. The team of Audrey Norecki and Liz Silva fought their way to a third-set tiebreak win, taking a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (3) win at first doubles while the pairing of Jayla Stone and Grace Manning battled to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win at second doubles. Lauren Hunt had a strong first match of the season with a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Megan Atwood earned a 6-2, 6-2 second singles victory, and Grace Noreck completed the singles sweep with a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles. 


Milford, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro took two wins apiece from singles and doubles action to open league play with a win at home over Milford. Hailey Kornbluth didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 first singles win while Makayla Peck secured a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles for the Warriors. The team of Analise Jia and Audrey Paolino earned a 6-1, 6-1 first doubles win while the pairing of Emily Stow and Katelynn Dineen rallied to prevail in a super tiebreak, 6-2, 3-6, 10-6. Milford sophomore Mallory Brickley secured a 6-2, 6-1 win at third singles.


Franklin, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Franklin swept both doubles matches and took two more victories in singles action to open the season with a 4-1 win on the road over Oliver Ames. Franklin’s Brooke Taylor prevailed from a hard-fought first set to take a 7-5, 6-1 win at second singles while Chloe Essam dropped just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 third singles victory for the Panthers. The team of Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen grabbed a 6-3, 6-3 win at first doubles while Shriya Rajesh and Isabelle Simino picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles. OA sophomore Hannah Farber opened her campaign in impressive fashion, taking a 6-2, 6-2 win at first singles.


King Philip, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – After rolling in the first set, KP senior Ahunna James shook off a good challenge in the second set to earn the win and the Warriors won all five matches on the road in straight sets. James prevailed with a 6-0, 7-5 win, junior Shea Mellman added a 6-2, 6-3 second singles victory, and senior Caroline Freese dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Carlie Burns and Priya Riar rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles, and senior Lauren Casper and junior Ryann O’Sullivan picked up a win at second doubles (6-1, 6-2).


Taunton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Using a senior/sophomore lineup, Sharon opened the season with a sweep at home over Taunton. Sophomore Judy Song took care of business at first singles with just one game lost, 6-0, 6-1, while senior Sophia Oh didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 third singles win. Senior Abby Vilk dropped the first set but rallied to win two straight for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win at second singles. The team of sophomore Olivia Landstein and senior Elli Zhao battled to a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at first doubles while the pairing of senior Wenxin Wu and sophomore Jenny Sand secured a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 3 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 – Final

Taunton, 3 vs. Brockton, 0 – Final – Taunton opened the season with a sweep of the visiting Boxers, 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-17). Matt Freitas had a strong all-around game with eight kills, three blocks, and a pair of digs, Owen Kelley added seven kills and five digs, Josh Duncan chipped in with three kills, three blocks, and an ace, and Al Morisseau finished with a pair of kills, aces, blocks, and digs. Ty Ekstrom and Daniel Freitas shared setting duties and each dished out 12 assists while Bradley Hylander (five digs) had a strong game both defensively and on the serve receive.

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/07/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Softball
Division 1
#31 Lynn Classical, 0 @ #2 King Philip, 15 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip senior Meg Sherwood clubbed a two-run home run in the first inning and junior Sarah Cullen blasted a two-run shot in the fourth as the Warriors rolled to a big win over Lynn Classical in their playoff opener. Sherwood’s homer and an RBI single from Maddie Paschke presented KP with a 3-0 lead after an inning, and an RBI single from Liv Petrillo in the second extended the lead to 4-0. After a scoreless third, the Warriors exploded for 11 runs in the fourth. Mia Bennett got the runs started with an RBI single and Paschke cleared the bases with a three-run double to right. Cullen smashed a two-run homer to make it 10-0, and then Taylor Regan and Lauren Hooper hit back-to-back two-run hits. Sophomore Jordan Bennett (4IP, 3BB, 8K) and senior Emma Sheehan (1IP, 1BB, 3K) combined for the five-inning no-hitter for KP.

#10 Attleboro, 4 @ #7 Methuen, 5 – Final

Division 2
#11 Bedford, 0 @ #6 North Attleboro, 8 – Final – For the second straight day, North got a standout pitching performance to advance to the Div. 2 quarterfinal. Zoey McDonough got the nod in the circle against Bedford and tossed a two-hitter, both infield singles, while striking out 12. McDonough and Kelly Colleran have combined to allow three hits and one run while striking out 31 in the opening two rounds. North’s offense got off to a quick start, putting the hosts up in the opening inning. Mandi Hanewich singled and Ally Levine followed with an RBI double, scoring herself after an overthrow. Levine got her second double in the third, Colleran followed with a walk, and Shaelyn Burns broke the game wide open with a three-run blast. In the fourth Levine reached with her third hit of the day and scored on a single by McDonough. Colleran, who followed Levine with a single, scored when Burns hit a ground-rule double (narrowly missing out on her second homer of the game). Courtesy runner Arianna McDavitt came in to make it 8-0 on a sac fly by Emma Hanwell. Grace Simmons capped the game with a great catch in right field and doubling a runner off at first. North will travel to Walpole on Friday.

#14 Mansfield, 0 @ #3 Walpole, 2 – Final

Division 3
#9 Foxboro, 6 @ #8 Triton, 10 – Final

Boys Lacrosse
Division 1
#26 Framingham, 4 @ #7 Franklin, 15 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Division 1
#35 Mansfield, 10 @ #30 Westford Academy, 16 – Final

Division 2
#28 North Attleboro, 1 @ #5 Billerica, 18 – Final

Boys Tennis
Division 2
#28 Melrose, 0 @ #5 Sharon, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Division 1
#29 Attleboro, 0 @ #4 Andover, 5 – Final

Division 2
#28 North Attleboro, 0 @ #5 Hopkinton, 5 – Final