Tag: Katherine Farley

Stowell Delivers, Lifts Foxboro Past OA Into Tie for First

Foxboro Softball
Emma Callahan makes a diving catch in the top of the seventh, helping Foxboro preserve a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Oliver Ames. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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FOXBORO, Mass. – It had been a difficult day at the plate for Foxboro. The Warriors left seven runners on base through the opening five innings of Monday afternoon’s Davenport division title showdown with Oliver Ames, and all but one of those runners was in scoring position.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After a couple of singles and a stolen base, Foxboro had runners at second and third with nobody out in the sixth, trying to rally from a 1-0 deficit. A strikeout and a pop up to second later and the Warriors were in danger of wasting yet another great scoring opportunity.

Up stepped No. 9 hitter Autumn Stowell. The sophomore first baseman delivered the biggest hit of the season, lining a single to center to bring in a pair of runs. Foxboro worked around a two-out hit in the top of the seventh, pulling out a 2-1 come-from-behind win that leaves the two teams tied atop the division standings with one league game remaining.

“The bottom of our order has really been delivering for us, so I have a lot of faith in them,” said Foxboro coach Mark Maguire. “I always tell Autumn to spin the top and that’s what she did with a beautiful hit. The first batter of the game scored for them and then we locked it down. We’re really coming together.”

OA grabbed the lead in its first at-bat. Maddie Homer led off the game by beating out a bunt single and then stealing second. Devon Morris moved Homer over to third with a ground out to second and Emily Martin followed with a fly ball to center that was plenty deep enough for Homer to speed home with the opening run.

Foxboro nearly answered right back in the bottom of the first. Natalia Leach beat out and infield single and freshman Meghan Kelley ripped a single off the glove of first baseman Samantha Johnson and up the right field line. After Kelley stole second, the Warriors had two in scoring position with just one out. Katie Melendy, as she would almost all game, escaped unscathed, inducing a pop up to short and getting her first strikeout of the day.

The Tigers went back to small-ball in the second with Caitlin Miller dropping one down and beating the throw. She also stole second and took third on a sac bunt from Madison Monteiro, but Vittoria Cuscia got a grounder to second to end the threat. Cuscia started the Foxboro half of the inning with a single and Jillian Slattery followed with one of her own. With runners at second and third and no outs, Melendy got back-to-back strikeouts and a ground out to end the inning.

In the third, Kelley lined a double over the head of Miller in center and was aggressive on a ball in the dirt to steal third. OA elected to throw down on a first-and-third steal attempt and Katherine Farley threw a strike to get the runner for the second out. Melendy ended the inning with her fourth strikeout.

“Our defense plays really well in high-pressure situations,” said OA coach Lindsey Allison. “We practice it all the time, runners on second and third, runners on second, just kind of holding it. Sometimes I’ll go out there and say, this is what you do for a living. They don’t really get rattled and I was really impressed they were able to do that again.”

She added, “I felt like we deflated their balloon quite a few times on defense but they didn’t die. They stayed hungry and they stayed in the game the whole way.”

OA’s best chance to extend the lead came in the fourth. Melendy lined a single to right center and Miller drew a walk. They moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Cuscia struck out Farley for the first out and Slattery made a nice basket catch on a line drive by Monteiro. Freshman third baseman Mia Flanagan stayed composed on a long throw across the diamond to end the inning.

“Maybe I should’ve stayed with the small-ball a little bit but you just never know,” Allison said about her team’s approach at the plate. “They were getting inside pitch after inside pitch and they were just having trouble getting around on it. She (Cuscia) found what worked and we couldn’t make the adjustments.”

Emma Callahan led off the fifth with a single, advanced to second on a sac bunt by Leach and third on a grounder to the right side from Kelley, but with two outs Miller made a good running catch in the gap on Flanagan’s liner to keep Foxboro off the board.

Foxboro had been frustrated about not cashing in on its many chances, but the Warriors were still only down a run in the sixth. After Cuscia got through the only clean inning of the game (getting a strikeout, a pop up to short, and a fly ball to center), Ava Hill got them started with a leadoff single in the bottom half. Cuscia followed with a single to right, sending Hill to third, and then stole second.

The energy was sky high on the Foxboro bench, but Melendy seemed unfazed as she got a strikeout and a fly ball to second. Maguire trusted that the bottom of the order could come up with a clutch hit and Stowell paid off that faith by lining a single to center. Hill scored easily and Cuscia came flying around third with the go-ahead run.

OA had one more chance to keep the game alive. Monteiro started the seventh with a soft liner to the right side. Callahan got a great jump from second base and laid out to make the diving grab. Cuscia got her fifth strikeout of the day and, after Miller gave OA brief hope with an infield single, Slattery hauled in a fly ball in center to seal the win.

Maguire said, “I just told the girls right now, if Emma doesn’t make that diving play then it could be a whole different outcome. You saw how pumped up she was when she made that play. It picks teams up when they know their teammates are going to lay out for them.”

Despite the loss, OA can still clinch at least a share of the title in its final league game. It would be the first title for the Tigers since 2014 and Allison talked about what that would mean to the players.

“These seniors have been through a lot,” she explained. “Even the kids, they’re playing this year for the seniors to get them to another tournament. It’s a tough loss. We stay sad tonight and we get up and we go to work tomorrow.”

The Warriors can also clinch at least a share of the league title with a win in their Hock finale, which would end a 51-year drought.

“It means everything,” Maguire said. “We set goals at the beginning of the year and that’s one of them. We have 13 girls in our program but they’re 13 quality kids that bring it every day. They’re going to be pumped…and I’m going to be pumped.”

Foxboro (8-10, 8-7) has a rematch with Newton South on Tuesday and then travels to North Attleboro on Thursday. Oliver Ames (9-10, 8-7) faces North Attleboro in its final game of the regular season on Wednesday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/03/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
North Attleboro, 5 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro senior Jordan Paradis had a strong start on the bump and the Rocketeers produced enough runs offensively to secure a 5-2 rivalry win at Attleboro. Paradis allowed just two runs on two hits and three walks, striking out 10 in five innings for the win; sophomore Gio Martello tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the save. The Rocketeers took the lead in the top of the first inning and never surrendered it against the Bombardiers. Derek Maceda lined a two-run double to give the visitors the lead in the top half before Attleboro got on the board in the bottom half on an RBI double from Aiden Hochwarter. North extended its lead in the top of the fourth on Paradis’ RBI triple and an RBI single from Martello to make it 4-1. Ayden Delaney added a sacrifice fly for North while Casey Victorio drove in a run for the Bombardiers in the fifth.

King Philip, 9 @ Canton, 2 – Final – KP exploded for seven runs in the top of the second and never looked back, rolling to its fourth win in a row. Brendan Sencaj blasted a grand slam to lead the KP attack at the plate. Matthew Kelley continued his strong work with the bat, going 4-for-4 and scoring three runs. Cam Hasenfus went six innings and allowed two earned runs to pick up the win, while Nate Pennini stepped in to pitch a scoreless seventh. Matt Chafin had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs, while Andrew Gillis reached base three times and scored once. Griffin Hughes had a strong relief outing, going five innings and allowing two runs.

Franklin @ Mansfield – Postponed to Saturday, 5/6 at 4:00.








Softball
King Philip, 1 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Foxboro, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames plated all four of its runs in the bottom of the first inning and Katie Melendy and the Tigers’ defense took care of the rest to land a key 4-3 win over division rival Foxboro. It was the visiting Warriors that struck first when sophomore Natalia Leach smacked a solo home run to center field to present Foxboro an early 1-0 lead. OA responded in the bottom half with all four of its runs; Maddie Homer led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI single from Devon Morris to tie the game. Melendy singled and two at-bats later, Erin Martin singled and Melendy came home on an error. A double from Katherine Farley plated one more run and Samantha Johnson followed with another RBI double to make it 4-1 in favor of the Tigers. Foxboro cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth on a single from freshman Mia Flanagan that scored two runs but Melendy got the third out in the inning to strand the tying run at second. Foxboro got the tying run to second in the top of the seventh as well but Melendy got back-to-back outs to secure the win. Melendy earned the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and five walks, striking out five in a complete game effort. Vittoria Cuscia pitched well for Foxboro, scattering seven hits and three walks for four runs, striking out four in six innings.

Stoughton, 11 @ Milford, 16 – Final – Milford pounded out 18 hits to the tune of a 16-11 win over visiting Stoughton, securing its third win in the last five contests. Although the Black Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first (highlighted by RBIs from Alyssa Edwards, Camryn Whitman, and Caitlin Driscoll), Milford’s Olivia Baglione led off the bottom half with a solo home run and the Scarlet Hawks were off and running offensively. Milford ended up pushing across five runs in the first and three more in the second to get the lead; Stoughton rallied for three runs in each the fifth and sixth but the Hawks answered with seven combined runs in the same two innings. Junior Maeve Driscoll had a team-high four hits and knocked in one run, Baglione (two RBI, two runs), Cae Pellegrini (four runs) and Maeve Williams (four RBI, three runs) each added three hits, and Jianna Fernandes (four RBI, run) had two hits. Edwards went 4-for-4 with a home run, a triple, five RBI and four runs to lead the Black Knights while Anna Hobbs and Kerry Driscoll each had two hits.




Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 10 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final

Canton, 8 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final – Foxboro used a dominant first half to land a key win over division rival Canton. The Warriors poured in eight goals in the opening half and played great defense to limit the visiting Bulldogs to just one goal for an 8-1 edge at the break. Conor Noone led the charge offensively, scoring six goals with one assist while Tony Sulham added a hat trick in the win. Ryan Cotter, Jon Sacchetti, and Mikey McCabe each added one goal while Finn Stapleton had an outstanding defensive game for the Warriors. Adam Addeche made 14 saves in net to keep Foxboro ahead.

Franklin, 19 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Luke Davis continued to dominate offensively and Franklin ran away with a big win on the road at Mansfield. Davis had eight goals and three assists, all in the first three quarters, while Jayden Consigli added six goals and two helpers and Tyler Sacchetti chipped in with four goals and three assists for the Panthers, which built a double-digit (13-3) lead by halftime. Drew Hansen added two assists and Justin Alexander (one assist) went 16-for-22 at the face-off X. Ryan DeGirolamo made 20 saves in net for the host Hornets and Drew Sacco led the team offensively with three goals and an assist. Cody Gordon and Andrew DeGirolamo each added one goal, and Andrew Burnham and Nico Smith each had two assists.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 20 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Milford, 11 – Final (OT) – Ben Reardon’s second goal of the game delivered a walk off win for Oliver Ames as the Tigers dispatched Milford in overtime. The Scarlet Hawks and visiting OA were tied 11-11 at the end of regulation but Reardon found the back of the net for the second time to hand the Tigers the dramatic win. Shaun Teehan and Alex McAndrew had big performances for OA with each scoring three goals while Jake Manthous, Ryan Jaco, and Victor Romeiro each scored once. Noah Iselib made 12 saves in the win.




Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 19 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final – Locked in a tight battle at halftime, Attleboro erupted for 11 second half goals to run away with a big win on the road at rival North Attleboro. The Bombardiers had a balanced attack offensively with sophomore Isabella Cavallini (two assists) scoring a team-high five goals while junior Molly Moore (three assists), junior Addison Papagolos, and freshman Amelia Collins each scored four goals in the win; senior Gabriela Sprovieri and freshman Mekenah Stokes each added one goal in the win. Jordan Mooney added four assists while Papagolos (six) and Cavallini (nine) did well on the draw. Peyton McAuliffe made 11 saves in the win for Attleboro.

Foxboro, 17 @ Canton, 8 – Final – After a back-and-forth first half, Foxboro’s balanced offensive attack proved to be too much as the Warriors found the back of the net 10 times in the second half to pull away from Canton in a key division battle. Senior Paige Curran spearheaded the Warriors’ attack with six goals and three assists while Mya Waryas added five goals and four assists and Val Beigel had four goals — including the 100th of her career — and one assist in the win. Cate Noone chipped in with one goal and three assists, Addie Riley scored once, and Mary Collins notched an assist. Devan Spinale led the Bulldogs with four goals, Emily McCabe chipped in with two goals, and Nora Giannacopoulos and Shannon McGrann both had one goal. Ashley Balunas made six saves in net for the Bulldogs.

Mansfield, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – Final – Franklin senior Kaitlyn Carney hit a big milestone in the win, recording her 200th career point. Grace Nesbit added her first goal of the season for the Panthers. Brooke Butler had a goal and an assist, while Ava Adam and Lola Varricchione each scored once for the Hornets. Caitlyn Zajac made five stops in goal for the visitors.

King Philip, 20 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – KP had 18 different players find the back of the net, as they made it back-to-back wins. Makenzie McDevitt scored once and had a pair of assists, recording the 100th point of her career. Maggie Sweeney, Ashleigh Whitbread, Sierra King, Isabelle Taylor, Katie McGann, Mara Boldy, Halle LeBlanc, and Faith Garvey all scored their first varsity goals in the win. Cali Melo scored for Taunton on an assist from Caroline Vallarelli.

Milford @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Thursday, 5/4 at 4:00.

Sharon, 9 @ Stoughton, 8 – Final – Sharon edged Stoughton to pick up its second win in the past four games and deny the Black Knights their first win as a varsity program. Amanda Reid was the top scorer for the hosts with five goals, and also pulled down three draw controls. Casey Groppi dished out five assists, while Morgan Groppi and Nicole Reid each scored once. Jordan Coleman made 13 saves in the loss.

Boys Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Canton freshman Bharat Ramanathan overcame a one-set deficit and a three-game deficit in the second set to earn the clinching win at second singles for the Bulldogs. Ramanathan rallied from a 2-5 deficit to get the win and followed with a 12-10 third-set tiebreaker win to clinch the match. Max Kupferman continued his dominance at the first singles with a 6-0, 6-1, and Canton’s second doubles team of Drew Garrett and Matt Weaver earned a 6-1, 7-5 victory. Foxboro’s Ryan Fossella and Evan Paluzzi took a point at first doubles with a 6-1, 6-2 verdict and sophomore Luca Meyer earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Warriors.

Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton went on the road and returned home from the Whaling City with five wins — all in straight sets — to sink host New Bedford. Mike Kimmer emerged from a competitive first singles match with a 6-4, 6-1 win, Martin Frankimet dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 second singles win, and Heitor Sens rolled to a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. In doubles action, Collin Lofgren and Derek Desseault teamed up and lost just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory at first doubles while the pairing of Kenny Dias and Rowan Kimmer dominated to the tune of a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – In a battle of division leaders, Sharon repped the Davenport with a clean sweep by taking all five matches in straight sets. Sophomore Jacob Slavsky bounced back with a 6-2, 6-2 win at first singles, junior Matthew Lally prevailed 6-1, 6-2 at second singles, and sophomore Alex Budovalcev continued his impressive sophomore season with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 showing at third singles for the Eagles. Sophomores Sava Kassev and Joel Zwicker emerged from a tough test at first doubles with a 6-2, 7-5 win, and the team of senior Kevin Li and sophomore Sujun Zhao took a 6-2, 6-1 victory at second doubles.

Stoughton, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final

Girls Tennis
Foxboro, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Foxboro took a pair of wins from both singles and doubles actions to earn a 4-1 verdict over host Canton. Hailey Kornbluth (6-0, 6-1) and Makayla Peck (6-2, 6-4) each wins at first and second singles, respectively, while the teams of Emily Stow and Katelynn Dineen (7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-7), and Abby Grace and Arianna Urman (6-4, 6-3) swept doubles play for the Warriors. Canton’s Katherine Powers was victorious at third singles, taking a 6-1, 6-2 win.

Taunton, 4 vs. New Bedford, 1 – Final

Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon earned its 10th straight win to start the season, taking a clean sweep over visiting Attleboro. Sophomore Judy Song dropped just two games en route to a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, junior Navya Shukla added a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, and senior Abby Vilk completed the singles sweep with a 6-2, 4-0 (default) win at third singles. The team of sophomore Alina Hou and Olivia Landstein earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles for the Eagles, and the second doubles pairing of Grace Zhang and Emma Gershun prevailed 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Milford sophomore Mallory Brickley erased a one-set deficit to secure a win at third singles and clinch the win for the visiting Scarlet Hawks. Brickley dropped a tight first set but then won two in a row for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win. Milford also got wins from the sophomore first doubles pairing of Ava Merrill and Lily Bogonis (6-2, 6-1) and the second doubles team of sophomores Audrey Brannigan and Paige Caldon (6-3, 7-5). Ally Lada earned a 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 comeback win at first singles and senior Nadia Prokopiuk rallied for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win at second singles for the Black Knights.

Boys Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 83 – Final

Girls Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 34 @ Stoughton, 85 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 0 @ Medfield, 3 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Minnechaug, 0 – Final

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/28/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Stoughton, 3 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final

Taunton, 7 @ Milford, 1 – Final

Oliver Ames, 9 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. OA led 2-1 going into the sixth inning before breaking the game open by scoring five times and then adding a pair in the seventh. It’s the fifth win in the last six games for the Tigers. Jack Morley had three hits and drove in three runs, Harrison Fitzpatrick had a pair of hits and a pair of runs scored, and Patrick Finnerty crushed a triple to the hill in deep left at Payson Rd. Field to drive in one. Finnerty also took the mound with one out in the first inning and allowed only two hits, a walk, and no runs over 6-2/3 innings of relief. He struck out five to earn the win. Alex Coughlin took the loss, but had a strong start for the Eagles, allowing two runs over five innings and striking out seven.

Softball
Mansfield, 5 @ Stoughton, 18 – Final

Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 16 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton’s offense continues to rake, scoring three times in the first, second, and third innings and then scoring seven in the fourth to seal the win. Eighth grader Bella Bourque went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and six RBI. Kyleah Plumb was 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, four runs scored, and three RBI. Kaysie DeMoura added a pair of hits and an RBI, Brooke Aldrich had three hits, including a homer, scored twice, and drove in three. Sam Lincoln went four innings in the circle with nine strikeouts and Cate Larson threw a perfect fifth with a strikeout. Cae Pellegrini had the lone hit for the Hawks.

Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 19 – Final (5 Inn.) – Katie Melendy tossed a one-hitter for the Tigers, striking out seven. Devon Morris sparked the OA offense with a pair of hits (a double and a triple) and four RBI. Caitlin Miller added a pair of hits and scored three runs. Maddie Homer had two hits, three runs, and an RBI, Melendy scored four times and drove in two to help her own cause, Katherine Farley chipped in with two hits, a run, and three RBI.

Boys Lacrosse
Franklin, 16 vs. Longmeadow, 10 – Final
Sharon, 6 @ Weston, 4 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 9 vs. Dartmouth, 16 – Final

Sharon, 7 @ Cardinal Spellman, 9 – Final

Stoughton, 5 vs. Hull, 12 – Final – Amanda Reid scored a pair of goals for the Black Knights in the non-league loss. Morgan Groppi had a strong all-around game for Stoughton with a goal, an assist, and six draw controls. Casey Groppi added a goal and Hazel McBurney had a score and a helper, while Jordan Coleman made six saves in the Stoughton goal.

Boys Tennis
Mansfield @ Stoughton, 3:45
Milford @ Taunton, 3:45
Sharon, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final
North Attleboro, 2 vs. Dartmouth, 3 – Final

Girls Tennis
Stoughton, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Stoughton won all three singles matches, including a third set tiebreaker at third singles, to secure its first win of the season. Ally Lada (6-0, 6-1) and Nadia Prokopiuk (6-4, 6-3) won their singles matches in straight sets. At third singles, Dhruvi Patel won the opening set 6-4 but Anushka Srivastava came back to win the second 7-6. Patel pulled out the third set 10-4 to seal the win. Mansfield swept the doubles, dropping just one game. Jill Hanley and Savannah Carey won 6-0, 6-0 and Caroline Guravage and Rachel Goldman won 6-1, 6-0.

Taunton @ Milford, 3:45

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – The Eagles stayed perfect on the season and swept their opponent for the third straight match and fifth time in seven matches. Judy Song won 6-3, 6-2 at first singles, Navya Shukla took second singles 6-1, 6-0, and Abby Vilk won at third singles without dropping a game. The first doubles team of Sophia Oh and Olivia Landstein won 6-0, 6-1. At second doubles, Alina Hao and Ellie Zhao won in straight sets but OA’s team of Marina and Ella Mierzwinski battled back in a close second set.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Dartmouth, 1 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ Lexington, 0 – Final
Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 1 – Final

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

Today’s games are listed below.

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

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

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

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

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

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








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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

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

Mansfield @ North Attleboro, 3:45

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/20/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 44 @ Durfee, 58 – Final – Attleboro only trailed by four at halftime but the Bombardiers couldn’t quite get the offense in gear as the Hilltoppers pulled away in the second half. Jaiden Outland led the visitors with eight points while sophomore Dante Monestime and freshman Connor Houle each had seven points.

Canton, 47 vs. Wakefield, 48 – Final – Canton tightened up defensively to build a lead going into the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs’ offense went cold and a late three from Wakefield proved to be the difference. Canton trailed after one quarter, rallied to to it by halftime, and then held the visitors to just six points in the third to stake a 38-29 lead going into the fourth. Junior Lucas Massih sank four three-pointers for the Bulldogs, including three in the third to finish with a team-high 12 points. Jeremiah Predin and Kareem Porter each had 11 points for the shorthanded Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 56 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 33 – Final – Foxboro exploded for 40 points in the first half and used suffocating defense to deny Dighton-Rehoboth in the first round of the Warrior Classic. Senior Alex Penders scored eight of his 12 points in the opening quarter and both Ryan LeClair and Sam Golub had five points as the Warriors staked an 18-3 lead after eight minutes. Ryan Kelley hit two threes and had eight of his team-high 13 points in the second while Ryan Cotter drained three triples and had 11 of his points in the second to give Foxboro a 40-10 lead at halftime.

King Philip, 64 vs. Hanover, 72 – Final – King Philip had a great start with 26 points in the first quarter but Hanover rallied to take the lead going into the fourth and finished off the win. Five different Warriors contributed to the strong start as Will Laplante had 11 of his 20 points in the fame, Tommy McLeish hit two three-poitners, and Grant Kinney, Tommy Martorano, and Tommy Kilroy all had field goals as KP staked a 26-20 lead. Martorano, McLeish, and Laplante all had a three in the second as the lead settled at 42-37 at halftime. Hanover used a strong third quarter to take the lead and then scored 21 points in the fourth to finish it off. Kinney and McLeish each added 10 points while Martorano had nine points.

Mansfield, 71 vs. Hingham, 55 – Final – Hingham battled back to make it a game at halftime but Mansfield dominated the third quarter and never looked back in a big win over the visiting Harbormen. Mansfield opened the second quarter on 9-2 run to build a double-digit lead but Hingham closed the half out strong to get within 33-24. An 11-3 surge to start the second half restored Mansfield’s big lead and the Hornets rattled off a 10-3 run right after. The Hornets had seven players score in the pivotal third quarter as Caden Colby (12 points, five rebounds, four assists) drilled a pair of threes, Chris Hill (nine points, nine rebounds, two steals) added five points, JT Veiking (15 points) had four points, Davon Sanders and Eddie McCoy (12 points, five rebound, three assists) each had a three, and Brandon Jackman and Trevor Foley (10 points, seven rebounds, two steals) each had two points.

Milford vs. Hampden Charter West – Milford wins via forfeit.

North Attleboro, 49 @ Weymouth, 58 – Final – North Attleboro got off to another strong start with a 22-point first quarter and had a double-digit lead on playoff-bound Weymouth but the host Wildcats clawed their way back into the game and won the fourth quarter to win the game. Senior Givany Carney hit a trio of threes and led the Rocketeers with a team-high 17 points while sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski hit four three-pointers on his way to a career-high 16 points.

Sharon, 84 vs. Walpole, 62 – Final – Sharon junior Jacob McLoughlin caught fire early as he sank four three-pointers in the opening quarter and Matt Baur (19 points) and Tyler Goodman (10 points) each added one more as the Eagles staked a 21-15 lead after the first. The first was a sign of things to come as the Eagles continued to find success on the offensive end, claiming a 39-29 lead at halftime. McLoughlin got it going in the third with 10 more on his way to a career-high 29 points. Dante James and Goodman each had a pair if buckets while Nate Katznelson scored five of his 13 points to keep Sharon ahead, 64-45, going into the fourth.








Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 62 vs. Durfee, 31 – Final – Attleboro lost the first meeting with the Hilltoppers by 20, but put together a complete performance at home on Monday and doubled up Durfee. The visitors led 10-9 after one and Attleboro went into the locker room up just 23-18, but the Bombardiers outscored the visitors 39-13 in the second half to earn the big win over another D1 playoff contender. Kayla Goldrick and Vanessa Ellis each scored 17 points to lead the hosts. Goldrick scored nine in the first half and then eight during the big third quarter run. Ellis scored six in the second and seven more in the third to put Attleboro well in front. Liy Routhier added 14 points, including 13 in the second half. Avery James chipped in with seven points.

Canton, 18 @ Westwood, 49 – Final

Foxboro, 56 vs. Tewksbury, 36 – Final – Foxboro put in a strong defensive performance and pulled away late to advance to the final of the Warrior Classic. Addie Ruter led the way for the Warriors with 18 points, while Camryn Collins and Kailey Sullivan finished with 15 points apiece. Foxboro will face Brookline in the regular season finale on Tuesday afternoon.

Mansfield, 57 vs. Westford Academy, 41 – Final – Abby Wager scored 30 points for the second time in the last week and the Hornets held Westford to just 16 points in the second half to book a place in the final of the Roundball Classic. Wager was on fire from the opening tip, burying a pair of threes and scoring 14 points in the first to lead Mansfield to a 21-14 advantage. She added another five points in the second and Hallie Popat drilled a three to make it 35-25 going into the locker room. The visitors would cut one point off the lead in the third, as Mansfield was held to just eight points, including five from Wager and another three from Popat. The Hornets would double up Westford in the fourth (14-7) to seal the win. Wager scored six more to cap off her night and Ella Palanza added all five of her points in the fourth. Bridget Hanley added seven point for the Hornets, who will face Bridgewater-Raynham (which is in the top 10 in the D1 power rankings) on Wednesday.

King Philip, 48 vs. Quincy, 62 – Final – KP closed the gap to just three points heading to the fourth quarter, but Quincy would outscore the Warriors 22-11 in the final frame to secure a win in the Norwell Invitational. Emily Sawyer would lead KP with 16 points, including 10 in the second half. Jackie Bonner and Kaelyn Clancy each knocked down three from beyond the arc. Bonner finished with 12 points overall and Clancy had nine, including six points in KP’s third quarter rally. Maddie Paschke added six in the loss. KP will face Newton North in the consolation round on Wednesday.

Oliver Ames, 58 vs. Malden Catholic, 41 – Final – With a big fourth quarter to break the game open, OA clinched the title at the Spartan Classic. The Tigers led 14-10 after one and extended the lead to seven at the break. The third quarter was even, but then OA exploded for 19 points in the final eight minutes to put the game out of reach against one of the top 10 teams in the D4 power rankings. Katherine Farley scored six points, Kaydance Derba had five, and Maeve Horsman added four in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. Farley would finish with a career-high 13, including nine in the second half. Avery Gamble added a dozen points and Kamryn Derba and Horsman each finished with nine. Maddie Homer scored eight and Kaydance Derba seven in the victory. OA heads into the state tournament having won six of its final eight games.

Boys Hockey
Franklin, 5 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 4 – Final (OT) – After going back-and-forth for three periods, Franklin’s Logan Marchand deposited a quick wrist shot on a breakaway bid in overtime to hand the Panthers an impressive 5-4 win over St. John’s Shrewsbury, who was ranked #10 in Division 1 in the latest rankings. Anthony Lampasona scored less than a minute into the second to tie the game 1-1, and then scored again on the power play for a 2-1 lead. After SJS tied it, Ben Paterson redirected a shot from Liam O’Rielly to go back in front. The Pioneers regained the lead just over six minutes into the third but this time it was Carter Balducci that found the equalizer at 7:18 of the third.

King Philip, 5 vs. Mansfield, 4 – Final (OT)

North Attleboro, 1 @ Walpole, 7 – Final

Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Westwood, 4 – Final

Taunton, 1 @ Somerset Berkley, 6 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Algonquin, 1 – Final
King Philip, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Girls Basketball
Franklin, 38 vs. Walpole, 52 – Final

Oliver Ames, 58 vs. Dartmouth, 51 – Final – The game was tied at 39 apiece after three quarters but Avery Gamble came through with a pair of threes and 12 of her team-high 25 points in the final frame to lift the Tigers to a win in the opening round of the St. Mary’s tournament. With the win, OA has clinched a return to the postseason. On a quick turnaround from Friday night’s game against Foxboro, the Tigers got off to a strong start on Saturday, winning the first quarter 16-11. Gamble had a quick six points and Kamryn and Kaydance Derba combined for nine in the opening eight minutes. The Tigers tacked another point onto their lead in the second, as Kamryn Derba and Maddie Homer scored four apiece to make it 30-24 at the break. In the third quarter, Dartmouth’s star sophomore Kat Cheesbro caught fire, burying a pair of threes and scoring 11 of her team’s 15 points to help the Indians tie things up. Cheesbro would finish with a game-high 27. In the fourth, it was Gamble’s turn to respond. The freshman hit a pair from beyond and three shots from inside the arc. Kaydance Derba chipped in with three more and Katherine Farley and Annie Reilly each added a bucket to help the Tigers pull out a crucial win. Kamryn Derba scored 10 in the game, while Kaydance added seven. Maddie Homer and Farley each finished with six points. OA will face Malden Catholic in the tournament finale on Monday at 5:15.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 4 @ Bellingham, 1 – Final – Locked in a 1-1 tie, Attleboro erupted for three goals in the third period earn a win over Bellingham. The hosts took a lead less than two minutes into the game but Attleboro pulled level on a goal from Colin Flynn (from Bryan Capone) at 11:40 of the second period. Eighth grader Cameron Harrison provided a highlight reel goal to put the Bombardiers ahead, carrying the puck from his own end past the defense and flipped one short side on the goalie to make it 2-1. Michael Lachance added a goal four minutes later and Beckett Stone buried an insurance goal with just over six minutes to play. Sophomore Austin Bessette and eighth grader Drew Bessette both had strong performances in the win. Julien Horton had the win in net for Attleboro.

Franklin, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final (OT) – Franklin scored early in the third period to tie the game and eventually force overtime but Canton senior Griffin Hughes delivered the game-winner in overtime as the Bulldogs and Panthers split the season series one win apiece. Junior Colin Blake gave the Bulldogs the lead, burying a rebound in the first period but Franklin junior Anthony Lampasona finished off a pass from classmate Ben Paterson just a minute into the third period to tie it.

King Philip, 3 @ Walpole, 3 – Final

Mansfield, 5 vs. North Attleboro, 6 – Final – North Attleboro used a big third period to skate past Hock rival Mansfield in a non-league clash at Rodman Arena. Mark Ayvazyan, Kaden Burns, and Joe Quinn each scored a pair of goals to pace the offense. Ayvazyan also registered a pair of assists for a four-point performance, Brody Gaulin and Jake Santucci also had two helpers apiece, and Jack Julio and Jacob Conley each have one assist. Nate Kelly made 26 saves in the win. For Mansfield, Thomas Gormley scored twice and James Warren, Ryan DiGirolamo, and Cody Gordon each scored once.

Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Plymouth South, 2 – Final – Dan Paul, Jack Perron, and Matt Lawson each scored as Oliver Ames picked up an impressive win over Plymouth South, a top 10 ranked team in Division 2. Sean Kearns notched a pair of assists while Brendan Teehan, Bryce Deibel, and Perron each had one.

Stoughton/Brockton, 3 vs. Middleboro, 4 – Final (OT) – Anthony DeSousa, Charlie Caputo and Sean Farley each scored once for the Black Knights but Middleboro prevailed in overtime.

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 4 @ Braintree, 3 – Final – King Philip went on the road and scored a key 4-3 win over Braintree, who entered the game five spots ahead of the Warriors in the latest MIAA rankings. Kelly Holmes paced the offense with a pair of goals and one assists while Mara Boldy and Katie McGann each found the back of the net once. Ella Morgan added an assist while Mallory Johnston turned aside 23 shots in the win.

Foxboro Overcomes Gritty OA For Perfect League Campaign

Foxboro girls basketball
Foxboro junior Camryn Collins rises up for a first half jumper in the regular season finale against Oliver Ames. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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FOXBORO, Mass. – For the second time this season, Oliver Ames went into a game against Davenport division champion Foxboro without a pair of its usual starters. In the first meeting, three weeks ago, the Warriors cruised to a 40-point win. On Friday night, things went very differently.

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Foxboro jumped out to a 13-point lead at halftime, but rather than let the game get away OA rallied to get as close as two points late in the fourth quarter. It was a rare test for the Warriors, who won 14 of their first 17 games by at least 23 points, but they showed resolve to make enough plays down the stretch and pull out the 58-52 victory.

With the win, Foxboro completed a perfect 16-0 Hockomock League campaign. It was the first time in her 12 years as coach that Lisa Downs had a team run the table in league play.

“I knew we had a lot of potential, but I honestly wasn’t thinking undefeated Hockomock season because each team gets better every time they step on the court and by the time you face a team the second time around, they’re going to have improved,” Downs said. “This group of girls that I have this season, their team chemistry is ridiculously good. They all just want each other to do well.”

OA dropped back to .500 on the season with two games to go, but it was a sign of the progress that a young roster was making under first-year coach Brittany Engle.

“I think it just shows a lot of growth that they were committed to executing the game plan,” Engle explained. “I thought the girls were committed to just playing loose, playing as a team, playing hard, and just everybody being aggressive. I think it was a good team effort.”

Sarah Hilliard was out injured and Kaydance Derba wasn’t able to start for the Tigers, so OA leaned on its bench at the start of the game and they provided a spark of energy that got the visitors off to an 11-4 start.

Annie Reilly and Kamryn Derba both drilled threes and Avery Gamble got out on the break to score two of her five first-quarter points. OA couldn’t have asked for a better start, but the league champs stormed right back.

Foxboro went on an 11-0 run to close out the first and grab the lead. Camryn Collins (20 points and four steals) got the comeback started with a short fall-away jumper and Erin Foley knocked down a jumper after an Ava Hill steal and assist. Collins scored on the break, two of her nine points in the first, and Hill took a nice dish from Kailey Sullivan (14 points) for a layup.

“It’s nice to be able to rely on that,” Downs said about Collins’ production, “and she’s just so athletic that defensively I can put her on whoever got hot that night. She’s just Miss Reliable.”

Momentum carried over to the second, as Foxboro would score 22 points and open up a double-digit advantage. Six Warriors scored in the quarter to help push the lead.

Kamryn Derba (18 points and six rebounds) hit a deep three and Reilly (14 points and six rebounds) drove to the basket to cut the Foxboro lead to 26-22, but the Warriors would go on an 11-2 run to close the half. Collins got that run started with a straightaway three. Addie Ruter (eight points and six rebounds) got a pair of scores in the paint and Foley got a layup after a Collins steal.

Sullivan added a transition bucket to close out the half for Foxboro. Derba would make a late free throw to cut the lead to 13 at halftime, but it looked like the Warriors were on the brink of putting the game away, Instead, OA came storming back in the third.

“We talked about mental toughness,” Engle said. “Especially with a young team, a couple mistakes in a row or a couple calls that don’t go your way and that starts getting in their heads and momentum swings. We’re always talking about next play, next play, next play and chipping away. I thought that was their best job at bouncing back.”

The Tigers put together a 16-6 run. Maddie Homer (seven points) drained a corner three that got the visiting bench going and Reilly continued to make plays on both ends of the floor. She scored on a put-back and took a nice pass from Katherine Farley for a layup in traffic. Homer hit another jumper and Derba knocked down a deep three and it was suddenly 43-40.

“Annie Reilly was huge tonight,” Engle said. “She really looked to attack. She always does the little things. She has great instincts, she hustles, and she makes all those right plays, but she doesn’t usually look for her offense. I’m so proud of Annie, she was huge tonight.”

As they had all night, the Warriors closed the quarter well. Hill continued to make big plays, as she sliced through the lane to finish, plus the foul, to stem the OA tide. She finished with seven points, five rebounds, and three steals off the Foxboro bench. Isabelle Chamberlin chipped in on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds, as the Warriors got big contributions from role players.

OA trailed 48-40 going into the fourth and once again, the Tigers rallied. Derba hit a short, pull-up jumper in transition then Homer made a baseline drive and nice dish to Maeve Horsman, who was cutting down the lane. After another Derba pull-up on the break, OA cut the lead to just two.

Engle said of Derba, “She’s just such a competitor that at the end of the day she wants to win. We need to find the best shot and if it’s a rhythm three then it’s a three or if she can beat her player off the dribble and take the floater then that’s the best shot. Her shot selection is getting better and she’s being aggressive and that makes our team better.”

Sullivan was able to get loose for a layup, but then Homer slipped behind the Foxboro press to answer right back for two. After Sullivan hit a pair at the line with 4:06 to go, Chamberlin banked in a rare jumper to push the lead back to six. OA kept battling and Kaydance Derba hit two-of-three at the line to make it 56-52.

The Tigers got a big stop at the other end, but Sullivan, who had a rough shooting night, read the outlet pass, picking it off and then making the tough finish over Derba at the basket to effectively seal the victory.

“That was huge,” Downs said. “I always have to remind myself that she’s a sophomore. I always picture her as a senior because I feel like I’ve had her forever. She wants the ball in the end-of-game situation like that. It’s pretty rare for a sophomore to have ice in her veins like that.”

She added, “Our defensive rotation wasn’t working well and we made some adjustments and they did what they needed to do. We did enough to get by and beat a team that gave us a much harder game than the first time around.”

Foxboro (17-1) will close out the regular season with the Warriors Classic, starting with Tewksbury on Monday. On Saturday, Oliver Ames (9-9) heads to St. Mary’s (Lynn) to face Dartmouth in the opener of that end-of-season tournament.

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OA Picks Up the Pace to Pick Up Win Against Sharon

Oliver Ames girls basketball
Freshman Avery Gamble drives to the basket for two of her team-high 17 points in OA’s win over visiting Sharon. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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NORTH EASTON, Mass. – On the first possession of the game, freshman Avery Gamble swung the ball around to classmate Kamryn Derba, who drilled a deep three. More than five minutes later, those were the only three points on the board for Oliver Ames in Friday night’s visit of Sharon to the Nixon Gym.

The Tigers would finish the opening quarter with just seven points, been outscored by Sharon star junior forward Jasmine Davis on her own, and trailed by four points.

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As has so often been the case down the years, OA looked to the other end of the floor to get its spark on offense. The Tigers turned to a full-court press, ratcheted up the pressure on Sharon’s backcourt to limit touches for Davis, and started to play with greater pace and urgency.

OA went on to score 25 points in the second, took a double-digit lead and was off and running towards a 68-36 victory that got the young Tigers back to .500 in league play.

“Once we started pressing, we started finding more of a rhythm on offense, things started opening up,” first-year OA coach Brittany Engle explained. “We want to start with more defensive intensity anyway, sometimes it’s easier said than done. Changing things up defensively gave them the spark that they needed.”

Following Derba’s game-opening three, Sharon went on a 9-0 run. Carmen Leonardi (eight points and four rebounds) tied the game with a triple and then Davis started to get space in the post. The team’s leading scorer, Davis got started with a nice drive to the left hand, knocked down a baseline jumper, and then a nice move on the left block.

The hosts finally settled down and got a few good possessions, with Katherine Farley providing a nice burst of energy off the bench. The junior forward grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Maddie Homer (seven steals and nine rebounds) for a short jumper. Davis kept momentum with Sharon, grabbing an offensive rebound and going up strong to make it 11-7.

OA would take control of the game in the second. Gamble (team-high 17 points) took a feed from Derba and buried a three that tied the game and Homer followed with a triple from the corner to put the Tigers ahead 16-13. It was a lead that they would never relinquish.

Gamble caught fire in the quarter, finding seams to drive through the lane and get to the rim for left-handed finishes. She had nine points in the second. Kaydance Derba (nine points and two blocks) also found the range from deep, burying a pair from beyond the arc to stretch the defense.

“They’re very good in transition,” Sharon coach Matt DellaBarba said. “They always have been and we wanted to get them out of that. I thought we did a good job in the first half, they made that second quarter run, but overall I thought we did a good job getting our guards back and taking easy baskets away from them. Second half, it got away from us a little bit.”

Davis tried to keep the Eagles in the game, scoring six more in the second. Despite facing constant double and triple teams, she scored 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. DellaBarba said, “We’re really missing Rachael Hager. She really frees up Jasmine.”

He continued, “They were playing 2-3 zone and just sticking their bottom three on Jasmine and we were getting some looks from the outside but none of them were really falling. We’ve got to do more on our end to help her out a little bit.”

Once the Tigers got in front, they never let off the gas. Gamble added another six points in the third, including a layup off another Homer steal, and the Derba sisters combined for a trio of three-pointers, as OA did a better job of drawing the defense and getting in-rhythm perimeter looks. Kamryn finished the game with 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Eva Poulton (four points and nine rebounds) got a bucket, as did Tess Letendre and Olivia Landstein, but the Eagles were having a hard time getting the ball into the post to Davis. OA extended its lead to 50-29 after three.

“Our goal was to pressure the guards, make the post-entry pass difficult, deny her so they can’t see her numbers, and then double down in the post if she gets it,” Engle said about the game plan on Davis. “We weren’t aggressive enough denying her, but in the second half we were.”

Freshman Maeve Horsman added six points for OA in the fourth and Brianna Monteiro (four points and six rebounds) turned a steal into a fast-break bucket. Davis got a pair of looks in the paint for the Eagles, but she had only six points in the second half as OA sent multiple defenders at her on every possession.

After a tough start to the season, against a tough schedule that included top ranked teams from Div. 1-3, the defending D2 state champions have won three in a row. Engle saw signs of a turnaround in the loss to Attleboro.

“We executed the game plan better and they bought in,” she said. “We grew in the games that we lost, but it’s kind of demoralizing to not have the end result be what they want it to be. For them to see their growth and now see the results match that growth, I think that’s been really beneficial.”

Oliver Ames (4-6) will try to make it four straight wins with a trip to Taunton on Tuesday, before next week’s showdown with league-leading Foxboro. Sharon (2-10) will try to bounce back with a tough trip to Attleboro.

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