Tag: Maddie Paschke

Venturelli Goes Deep Twice to Power Taunton Past KP

Taunton Softball
Taunton senior Ava Venturelli heads home after her first inning homer that turned out to be the game-winning hit in a 3-1 victory against KP. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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TAUNTON, Mass. – King Philip and Taunton have split the last eight Kelley-Rex titles, with the Warriors winning five and the Tigers winning four (they shared the crown in 2014). Over that same period, Taunton has won three state titles (in the past four seasons) and the Warriors took home one (in 2016). Coming into Wednesday night’s showdown at Jack Tripp Field, the teams were a combined 19-0 this season and had outscored opponents by a combined 227 runs.

It was no surprise that the first meeting of the season between two of the state’s preeminent programs would come down to the final inning with the result still in doubt.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Trailing by three runs, KP loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and got the tying run to second base, but Taunton pulled out a 3-1 win behind solid defense, a strong outing from pitcher Sam Lincoln, and a pair of long home runs from Ava Ventruelli.

“The kids came energized, ready to play,” said first-year Taunton coach Michelle Raposo. “When they’re up, they play well as a team, they pick each other up. Today was a true, entire team overall win. Defensively, offensively, I think they all did great.”

She added, “It was a big win for us, especially against a great, competitive, never-ending KP team that doesn’t give up very easily.”

KP was down 3-0 heading to the seventh and had only one hit in the game and no runners past first, but the Warriors continued to work long at bats and put the ball in play against the Taunton ace. After Liv Petrillo’s sharp grounder down the first base line was knocked down and gathered by Hayley Krockta for the first out, Ava Kelley ripped a single up the middle to bring the visiting bench to life.

Charlotte Raymond followed by driving a double to right center and Taylor Regan took an inside pitch off the elbow to load the bases. For the first time in the game, and first time in several weeks, Lincoln needed to make big pitches in tight games. Maddie Paschke grounded one to short and Brooke Aldrich’s throw was a little high, but Krockta leaped to pull it in, landing on the bag for the second out.

With two outs and the tying run in scoring position, Lincoln came through with several big pitches to record her ninth strikeout and seal the win.

Raposo said, “We buckled down. We need to be in these game situations. Bases loaded, let’s see what we can do. Let’s make sure that our defense is solid and we can come out of these innings. I love how they pick each other up.”

The Tigers wasted no time taking the lead. Kyleah Plumb drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first. Eighth grader Bella Bourque ripped a double that one-hopped the fence in right. Freshman Ali Gill got to the ball quickly and fired a strike to third base to get Plumb for the first out. Momentum was short-lived however, as Venturelli promptly deposited a pitch well past the fence in center to make it 2-0.

Freshman starter McCoy Walsh could’ve let the game slip away against a deep, talented lineup that had scored 129 runs coming into Wednesday. Instead, she settled down, allowing only two more hits (one an infield single) over the next five innings and striking out 10 total.

“Taunton just has a formidable lineup,” KP coach Kate Fallon-Comeau explained. “They’re one through nine and there are probably three on the bench who can come in anytime and hit. I think she settled in nicely as the game went on. She gained momentum as the game went on, she gained confidence.”

Unfortunately for Walsh, the only other Taunton hit was another homer for Venturelli. Bourque started the third with a sinking liner that Sarah Cullen hauled in with a nice sliding grab. Venturelli stepped up and, on a pitch that seemed well out of the zone, crushed a solo shot high up into the trees beyond the left field fence for a three-run advantage.

Fallon-Comeau said, “I don’t think we handled Venturelli’s first at bat, as far as pitch sequence goes, but I got to hand it to that kid because she can hit. I mean, even if we called a pitch four feet over her head she still hit it out.”

Lincoln was making that lead hold up. She struck out the side in the second. Paschke, who reached base all three times, singled to start the third but courtesy runner Olivia Ali was caught stealing by catcher Kaysie DeMoura (and a nice tag by Aldrich). Lincoln ended the inning with a strikeout and a foul pop to DeMoura right in front of the Taunton dugout.

KP wasn’t able to put together any type of rally. Petrillo got hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth but a groundout ended the inning. After Paschke reached on an error with two outs in the fifth, Lincoln got the strikeout to end the threat. Taunton’s defense was also making every play. Bourque charged a bunt and Mia Fernandes made back-to-back plays to set KP down in order in the sixth.

Walsh was only getting stronger as the game went on. She struck out Venturelli to start the sixth on a close call on the outside edge. After DeMoura drew a walk, reached second on a passed ball, and stole third, Walsh struck out a pair to get out of the jam and keep it a three-run game.

Although the Warriors couldn’t complete the comeback in the seventh, Fallon-Comeau was proud of her team’s resiliency.

“I just love it,” she explained. “I wish every game was tight, 3-1, 3-2, 4-3, tight game where you’re going up against a solid pitcher, one through nine in the lineup, it’s softball. It’s just nice to have these games. The kids need this competition.”

Raposo was similarly impressed by the level of play that the KP rivalry brought out of her team. She said, “Any time we play KP it’s a great game and, at the end of the day, when the score is on our side it’s a great win. This is one of our biggest competitions of the year, but the kids are just taking it one game at a time. We’re focusing on the little things we need to work on.”

Taunton (10-0) will travel to another D1 title contender, Bishop Feehan, on Saturday morning. King Philip (10-1) will host Foxboro on Friday afternoon.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

King Philip Cashes In With Small Ball Against North Attleboro

King Philip softball Libby Walsh Charlotte Raymond
King Philip senior Libby Walsh (left) celebrates with classmate Charlotte Raymond after scoring in the eighth inning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. — The King Philip softball team entered Thursday’s showdown with division rival North Attleboro as one of the best offensive teams in the state, but Rocketeer senior pitcher Kelly Colleran stifled the Warriors for seven innings.

Good defense and a strong outing from King Philip freshman pitcher McCoy Walsh (13 strikeouts) kept the hosts off the board too, and after seven innings the teams were deadlocked in a scoreless game that had just one hit — an infield single from North’s Maryellen Charette.

That’s when KP head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau elected to switch up their offensive strategy. The Warriors bunted in five straight at-bats and capitalized on some head’s up base running to score three times to take the first lead of the game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We hit so many foul balls just straight back so we were just missing, and our bats have been really hot so we wanted to give them a chance at swinging,” Fallon-Comeau said. “We got into that eighth inning and I knew we needed to try something different. Sarah [Cullen] put down that beautiful bunt and beat it out, and we were off from there. We have speed and the personnel to do it, and we were able to take advantage of a couple of pitches to advance and from there it was bunt and steal because it was working.”

After few theatrics throughout the first seven innings, the eighth inning provided even more drama in the bottom half. Colleran led off with a triple and sophomore Arianna McDavitt and freshman Molly Willey drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with no outs. Walsh came through with consecutive strikeouts — one looking, one swinging — and then got a fly ball to Cullen in center to leave them loaded and close out the win.

“We always seem to make things interesting at the end,” Fallon-Comeau said. “We had two conferences, one with me and one with Maddie [Paschke], just to try and refocus her. We just needed her to pitch the game she had been pitching all game long. She’s just a freshman so this was her first big game being in a moment like that. She did a great job today and closing it out.”

North had two hits in the game and also had eight walks but couldn’t get a run across against the Warriors.

“The hard part in the eighth, we had the bases loaded but because we were chasing three runs, there’s only so much you can do,” said North Attleboro head coach Bill Wallace. “I give McCoy a lot of credit, she battled in that eighth inning. I’m thrilled with where we are as a team to be honest. Our younger kids are coming along, and everyone is pulling for one another, and this was a good game to showcase it. I think they are a little ticked off, which is a good thing, but they aren’t down.”

Senior Sarah Cullen dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line and raced down the line for KP’s first hit of the game; before North could get back in position, Cullen sprinted to second to get into scoring position. Freshman Ali Gill also bunted on the first pitch and a throwing error allowed Cullen to scamper home and Gill to take second.

A wild pitch allowed Gill to advance to third and KP’s bunt trend continued as senior Libby Walsh laid one down the first base line and Gill slid into home before the throw. Walsh stole second, took third on a passed ball, and came flying home when sophomore Liv Petrillo pushed a bunt past the charging infield to make it 3-0. A stolen base and a sac bunt from Charlotte Raymond put Petrillo at third but Colleran (15 strikeouts) got a pop-up to second to strand the runner there.

Before the extra inning excitement, the potential play of the game came in the sixth inning. Colleran led off with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt from McDavitt. A walk to Willey preceded the first hit of the game off the bat of Charette, a dribbler to third, and North had the bases loaded with one out. Walsh got a grounder to second that Petrillo fielded cleanly and fired home, getting the force out. Junior catcher Maddie Paschke didn’t hesitate and quickly gunned one to first to get the double play.

“We practice defense as much as we practice hitting, and as much situational stuff that we can,” Fallon-Comeau said. “We’re trying to figure out what we want to do before we actually get into them. We wanted to get that run at the plate and with Maddie’s arm, we knew she was going to make that play at first. I was not surprised she was ready for that moment.”

Both Colleran and Walsh handled business throughout the early innings. Colleran got four strikeouts in the first inning (the third batter reached after a dropped third strike), and had 1-2-3 innings in the second and fourth, striking out a pair in each. Walsh worked around a leadoff error in the first and then struck out the side in the second.

KP’s Taylor Regan was hit by a pitch to lead off the third and moved to second on a sacrifice from Ava Lanza, but Colleran got two straight outs to strand the runner there. A two-out walk got a runner on for North in the bottom half but Paschke threw the runner out trying to steal second to end the inning.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Warriors threatened in the sixth when Cullen and Gill had consecutive one-out walks but a nice play at third from Willey got the force for the second and then an infield pop-up ended the inning.

“Molly at third base had a great game, and there was nothing she could do on that last bunt,” Wallace said. “That’s where the KP poise comes in, they can push a bunt down the first down line, they push a bunt past the charging infield. I give KP credit and I’m really happy with how our team battled.”

King Philip (7-0 Hockomock, 10-0 overall) returns home on Tuesday to host Canton. North Attleboro (5-2, 6-3) will host Foxboro on the same day.

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

Today’s games are listed below.

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

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

Milford, 5 vs. Westboro, 4 – Final

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

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








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

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

Franklin, 4 vs. Walpole, 14 – Final

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




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

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

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

Mansfield, 8 vs. Falmouth, 13 – Final

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




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

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

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

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

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

Today’s games are listed below.

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

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

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

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

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

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








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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

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

Mansfield @ North Attleboro, 3:45

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s games are listed below.

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

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

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

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

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

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








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

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

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

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

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

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




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

Girls Lacrosse
Sharon, 14 @ Norwood, 20 – Final

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

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

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

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

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

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final




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

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

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

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

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

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

Boys Outdoor Track
North Attleboro @ Milford, 3:45

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

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

2023 Hockomock League 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 – 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

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/17/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 45 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda poured in 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter and North Attleboro scored 19 in the frame to cut the deficit to single digits, but Attleboro kept the visitors at bay in the fourth to secure the win. The Bombardiers built a 29-15 lead at halftime but Maceda helped orchestrate a comeback attempt, hitting a three at the buzzer to pull the Rocketeers within 43-34 going into the fourth. Attleboro senior Justin Hanrahan opened the fourth with five straight points — two free throws and a traditional three-point play — to restore the Bombardiers’ double-digit advantage and they held it the rest of the way. Jaiden Outland had a team-high 12 points, Hanrahan added 10 points, and Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points. Sophomore Chase Frisoli added 14 points for the Rocketeers.

Canton, 39 @ Mansfield, 61 – Final – Mansfield and Canton were level after the first eight minutes but the Hornets went on to outscore the visitors in each of the final three quarters to run away with a 61-39 win over the Bulldogs, clinching the Davenport division title outright. After going back-and-forth, the teams were tied 14-14 after one but Mansfield had a big second quarter with JT Veiking (18 points, 5 rebounds) sinking a pair of threes and Eddie McCoy (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) adding a triple of his own to push the lead to 32-20 at half. Chris Hill added 10 points for the Hornets. Caden Mirliani had a team-high 12 points for Canton.

Foxboro, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 31 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Foxboro set the tone early with its defensive effort and had a consistent performance on the offensive end to win its final league game of the year, pulling into a tie in third place of the Davenport division with Canton. The Warriors limited OA to just six points in each of the first three quarters with disciplined defense and good rebounding. Foxboro senior Alex Penders dominated on both ends with a game-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and four assists to lead the way for the Warriors. Rayna Kelley added nine points and four rebounds. Sophomore Cole Craffey led OA with eight points and four rebounds.

Franklin, 63 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Franklin clicked into gear in the third quarter and then pulled away for good in the fourth against a resilient Milford squad. The Hawks had a one-point lead after the first but Franklin had six players contribute to the scoring in the second and went 9-for-10 from the line in the period to stake a 27-23 halftime lead. Hansy Jacques had his best game of the year for the Panthers as the junior erupted for nine of his career-high 16 points in the third quarter and senior Geino Scaringello hit a pair of threes as Franklin extended its lead to 45-34 going into the fourth. Franklin junior Sean O’Leary finished the game strong, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth, going 7-for-10 from the line overall in the game. Milford sophomore Andrew Rivera had a team-high 13 points and eight rebounds, senior Wyatt Zagami added 11 points, and sophomore Luca Testa finished with 10 points for the Hawks.

King Philip, 57 @ Taunton, 71 – Final – It was a tale of two halves as Taunton flipped the script on visiting King Philip by erasing a double-digit deficit at the break and running away with a 71-56 win. Grant Kinney, Tommy McLeish, Tommy Kilroy, and Trevor Clyde each connected for a three in an 18-point third quarter that saw the Warriors surge ahead 33-23 at halftime. Taunton freshman Jakari Innocent flipped a switch in the second half as he scored 20 of his career-high 22 points after the break, including 11 in the third quarter to jumpstart the Tigers’ offense. Junior Troy Santos added six in the frame and had 17 of his 22 points in the second half. Al Morisseau added 10 points and Chris Volcy chipped in with nine points for Taunton, which scored 21 points in the third and 27 points in the fourth quarter, going 13-for-19 from the line. Tommy Martorano and Kilroy each had 11 points for KP while Brandon Nicastro finished with 10 points.

Sharon, 75 @ Stoughton, 73 – Final (OT) – Sharon erased a four-point deficit with under 20 seconds to go to force overtime and then outlasted the Black Knights in the four-minute extra period to secure the win on the road over an upset-minded Stoughton squad. Jayden Costa-Haywood (20 points) sank a pair of free throws to push Stoughton’s lead to 67-63 but a foul sent Matt Baur (22 points) to the line, and his two free throws cut the deficit in half with 17 seconds to go. The Eagles were able to trap with the press and pick off a pass, which led to a floater from Baur taking a kind bounce and in with two seconds left to make it 67-67. Baur opened the overtime with a triple and Jacob McLoughlin (17 points) added a free throw to push the lead to four. After Stoughton got it back to three off a free throw from Jarred Daughtry, McLoughlin had a traditional three-point play with two minutes to go to make it 74-68. Costa-Haywood answered on the other end with a three-point play of his own to cut the deficit in half. Daughtry hit two more to make it a one-point game at 74-73 with 43.1 seconds to play, and Stoughton had a shot in the air to take the lead but it was off the mark and a Tyler Goodman free throw with 1.5 seconds left iced it. Nate Katznelson added 12 points for the Eagles. Matt Greenspoon scored 16 points for Stoughton while Obi Dike added 11 points and Anthony Alessi chipped in with 10 points.








Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 65 @ North Attleboro, 36 – Final – The Bombardiers scored 20-plus points in the first and third quarters to pull away for a big bounce back win. Eight players got on the score sheet for Attleboro in the win. It was a quick start for the visitors, as Kayla Goldrick and Avery James each scored six points and Lily Routhier added four in a 20-11 quarter. Ava McKeon tried to keep North in the game with seven of her team-high 15 in the opening quarter. Attleboro scored 14 in the second, while holding North to just six. Vanessa Ellis was held scoreless for the first half, but she got things going with nine points in the third and then added another eight in the fourth to finish with a game-high 17. The Rocketeers tried battle back in the fourth with 17 points as a team, including six more from McKeon and all five of Ella McLaughlin’s points in the game. Goldrick would finish with 12 points, Routhier would have nine, and James scored eight. Sam Sweeney added 10 points for the Rocketeers.

Mansfield, 47 @ Canton, 33 – Final – Mansfield put in a strong defensive performance to secure a home win in the Hockomock finale. The Hornets didn’t allow Canton to reach double digits in the first three quarters and opened up an 18-point lead. The visitors jumped out to a 16-9 lead after one and doubled up Canton 12-6 in the second to make it a double-digit game at halftime. Abby Wager, Kara Santos, and Hallie Popat combined for 19 points in the first half. Wager would go on to score eight of Mansfield’s 10 points in the third and the Hornets held Canton to just five to break the game open. The Bulldogs had their best offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 11 points, including four from Erin Beatty and Emily McCabe’s second three of the night. Wager led all scorers with 14, while Santos finished with 10 and Popat added eight. Fatima Sidibay was Canton’s top scorer with seven points, while Beatty and McCabe each totaled six.

Oliver Ames, 52 @ Foxboro, 58 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Milford, 24 @ Franklin, 58 – Final – Franklin had 13 different scorers, none with more than eight points, to close out the league campaign with a big win. The Panthers held Milford to just nine points in the first half, going into the locker room with a 24-point lead. Katie Peterson scored all eight of her points in the first quarter, as the Panthers scored 24 in the opening eight minutes. The Hawks would play even in the third, as Brooke Ferreira scored eight of Milford’s 10 points. She finished with a dozen on the night. Franklin’s depth was too much. The Panthers got contributions up and down the roster. Norah MacCallum scored seven, while Elle Bonacci and Kyra McSweeney each chipped in with six. Aliza Syed had five points for the Hawks, all in the first quarter.

Taunton, 38 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – Emily Sawyer exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter and had a career-high 34 points, powering KP to a bounce back win in the final home game of the regular season. Jackie Bonner chipped in with 14 points and four threes for the Warriors. KP grabbed the lead in the first, as Sawyer and Maddie Paschke each scored four and Bonner knocked down her first triple. The Warriors extended the lead to 25-18 at halftime, as Sawyer and Bonner had all 11 of KP’s points in the second. Cali Melo kept the Tigers close with 10 of her team-high 16 in the opening half. Sawyer and Bonner had all of KP’s points in the third quarter as well, combining for 14 to add another six points to the lead. In the fourth, the Warriors continued to feed Sawyer in the post and the 6-foot-3 center, and league’s leading scorer, had 16 of KP’s 17 points to put the game out of reach. Paschke added her fifth point of the night in the fourth. Taryn Campbell added seven points and eighth grader Raya Horton chipped in with six for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 56 @ Sharon, 59 – Final – Rachael Hager nailed the game-winning three, one of several big plays she made down the stretch, to lift the Eagles to a sweep of the season series. Hager finished with 16 points. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a game-high 26 points for Sharon. Kirsten McKay was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15 points and grabbed four boards. Raina Tat continued her run of double-digit games, scoring 12 points, while Leah McCarty had eight points and four rebounds and Katrina Varnum scored seven and grabbed a dozen boards.

Boys Hockey
Taunton, 6 @ Everett/Revere, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 vs. Norwood, 1 – Final – Ellie Bohane scored the game-winner with 40 seconds left in regulation to earn the Bulldogs a big win against another Div. 2 title contender. Audrey Koen scored Canton’s first goal before Bohane popped up with the late winner to extend the Bulldogs’ unbeaten streak to 11 games (7-0-4).

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/07/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ King Philip, 66 – Final (OT) – Attleboro junior Neo Franco exploded for a career-high 38 points, including a clutch three-pointer with under a minute to go in overtime to help the Bombardiers return home with a hard-fought win over King Philip. A layup from KP sophomore Tommy McLeish gave the Warriors a 65-63 lead but Franco took an extra pass from freshman Connor Houle and sank a three from the corner to give Attleboro a 66-65 lead with 49.1 seconds to play. Franco and KP’s Tommy Martorano each hit a free throw before Attleboro sophomore Hayden Crowley hit two from the line with 7.5 seconds left. KP got off a look before the buzzer to tie it but it was off the mark. Franco had a quiet first quarter (two points) but got it going with a trio of triples in the second and had 15 points at half. After just one three in the third, he scored 20 points between the second half and overtime to lead Attleboro to the win. Crowley finished with 10 points and Justin Hanrahan hit three three-pointers in the third, helping Attleboro turn a 26-25 halftime deficit into a 42-39 lead going into the fourth. KP senior Will Laplante scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, Martorano finished with 15 points, and senior Grant Kinney had 12.

Stoughton, 51 @ Canton, 63 – Final – Canton juniors Zaza Francoeur and Jeremiah Predin combined for eight of Canton’s 11 made three-pointers and the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half for a win over neighboring Stoughton. Francoeur hit five threes on his way to a career-high 23 points while Predin had three triples and finished with 13 points. Canton staked a 34-28 lead at halftime and doubled up on the Black Knights (14-7) in the third to create a double-digit advantage. Stoughton senior Obi Dike dropped a career-high 24 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Foxboro, 64 @ Sharon, 68 – Final – Sharon senior Dante James had a key three-point play with under a minute to go and finished with a team-high 21 points to help the Eagles land another close win over Foxboro. The visiting Warriors led at each of the first two quarters, 15-12 after one and 32-28 at halftime. Junior Jacob McLoughlin scored half of his 18 points in the third, Matt Baur and James each had four, Tyler Goodman added a three, and Nate Katznelson and Sam Letendre chipped in points from the free throw line to help Sharon pull even, 50-50, going into the fourth. The Eagles were limited to just two field goals in the fourth, including James’ big one on a leak out on an inbounds play, but also went 14-for-15 from the line in the final eight minutes to ice the win. Foxboro senior Alex Penders had a team-high 20 points while Sam Golub chipped in with 12 points for the Warriors.

Franklin, 75 @ Taunton, 50 – Final – Taunton didn’t have an answer for Franklin’s Sean O’Leary as the junior erupted for a career-high 35 points to lead the Panthers to a win on the road. The win clinches the Kelley-Rex division title for Franklin, the first since 2016. O’Leary hit 16 shots from the floor — 14 from two-point range and a pair of threes — and had just one free throw to finish with 35 points. He scored nine in the first, 11 in the second, six in the third, and nine more in the fourth quarter. Franklin increased its lead throughout the game leading 11-8 after one and 32-24 at halftime. An 18-point third quarter extended the lead and Franklin closed strong with 25 points in the fourth. Justin Allen hit four threes and finished with 14 points to go along with 13 rebounds, and Andrew O’Neill added 11 points for the Panthers. Troy Santos led Taunton with 16 points, Chris Perault added 15 points, and Jakari Innocent finished with 11 points.

Mansfield, 74 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – The Hornets built a big lead early but needed a dominant fourth quarter to shake an upset-minded Oliver Ames squad. Mansfield opened the game on a 12-0 run and had a 28-11 advantage after a quarter, but the Tigers clawed back into it and got within five (42-37) at the break. A three-pointer from Davon Sanders late in the third quarter handed the Hornets a 59-50 lead going into the fourth and Mansfield pulled away for the win. Sanders finished with a career-high 24 points along with six rebounds, Eddie McCoy added 12 points and five assists, and Chris Hill chipped in with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. OA sophomore Cole Craffey caught fire in the second, hitting four of his seven threes in the period while Jake Willard added two more and Jacob Lok sank one, resulting in a 26-point quarter from OA. Craffey finished with a career-high 28 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 10 points.

Milford, 63 @ North Attleboro, 56 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.








Girls Basketball
King Philip, 48 @ Attleboro, 61 – Final – Attleboro outscored KP 15-7 in the fourth quarter, turning a five-point game into a double digit win and keeping the Bombardiers one back of Franklin in the league standings. The hosts jumped out to a 10-point lead after one. Lily Routhier scored eight of her 11 points in the opening quarter and Kayla Goldrick added five more. Maddie Paschke scored eight points in the first for KP, but the Warriors found themselves down 23-13. The Warriors closed the gap in the second with Kaelyn Clancy knocking down a pair of threes and the Warriors outscoring Attleboro 14-8. The third quarter was nearly even, as Attleboro added one point to its advantage. In the fourth, Attleboro got a spark from Rylie Camacho, who just returned from injury and scored six of her eight points in the final frame. Goldrick led all scorers with 17, while Avery James added 10 and Vanessa Ellis scored eight. Attleboro made six threes as a team. Paschke was KP’s top scorer with 13. Emily Sawyer scored 10, Clancy had a career-high 11, and Jackie Bonner had six points. KP hit seven threes as a team in the loss.

Canton, 23 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Raina Tat scored 11 points to help Stoughton pull out a defensive struggle against Canton. Tat added four rebounds and three steals for the Black Knights. Leah McCarty added eight points and four boards and Kirsten McKay had six points for Stoughton. Katrina Varnum chipped in with 10 rebounds and a pair of steals.

Sharon, 43 @ Foxboro, 72 – Final – Kailey Sullivan had another big game for the Warriors, scoring 23 points, and Foxboro remains unbeaten in league play. Camryn Collins added 17 points, Erin Foley scored 14, and Addie Ruter had 10 in another balanced attack for the Davenport division champions.

Taunton, 32 @ Franklin, 57 – Final – Caelyn Leonard scored a career-high 21 points and Franklin turned up its defensive pressure over the final three quarters to earn the big win and stay one game in front of Attleboro in the Kelley-Rex title race. The game was tied at 13 apiece after the first quarter. Leonard got off to a quick start, scoring seven points, while Cali Melo paced the Tigers with five points over the first eight minutes. Franklin broke things open in the second, outscoring Taunton 19-7. In the third, the Panthers were even tougher on defense, holding Taunton to just four points. Leonard came up big again, scoring eight of Franklin’s 16 in the quarter, as they made it a 24-point lead heading to the fourth. Lizzie Newman scored 10 points and Katie Peterson had eight for the Panthers. Melo led Taunton with eight, while Chelsea Bousquet and Tarynn Campbell each scored seven.

Oliver Ames, 45 @ Mansfield, 57 – Final – The Hornets scored 32 points in the second half to turn a one-point halftime lead into a 12-point win, ending a two-game losing streak and keeping Mansfield in second place in the Davenport. Mansfield’s Abby Wager scored 18 points in the second half, on her way to a game-high 29. Wager opened the game with six points to help the Hornets take an 11-9 lead. Sarah Hilliard had five points to help OA stay within two. The Tigers cut the lead in half in the second, as Kaydance Derba buried a pair of threes and Avery Gamble added three more points. Kara Santos had seven in the frame for Mansfield and Wager had five. Wager caught fire in the third, hitting a pair of threes and scoring 10 of Mansfield’s 16 points. Wager added eight more in the fourth, half of Mansfield’s total, and Olivia Salisbury went 3-for-3 at the line to put the game away. Santos scored 16 and Ella Palanza chipped in with six. Kamryn Derba had 13 of her team-high 18 and Gamble had eight of her 11 in the second half to try and keep the Tigers close. Hilliard and Kaydance Derba each finished with seven points.

North Attleboro, 47 @ Milford, 43 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Boys Hockey
King Philip @ Arlington Catholic, 8:30 (@ Ed Burns Arena)

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 4 vs. Leominster, 1 – Final

Sawyer Dominates, KP Rallies for Win at Mansfield

King Philip Girls Basketball
Emily Sawyer scored 28 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead King Philip on a come from behind win at Mansfield. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


MANSFIELD, Mass. – With starting point guard Jordan Bennettt in street clothes and shooting guard Jackie Bonner forced to the sidelines with an injury in the second quarter, King Philip had its backcourt depth tested in Tuesday night’s visit to the Albertini Gym. While freshman Jessi Persky did an admirable job of staying composed against Mansfield’s pressure, senior Leah Santoro stepped up with the biggest shots of the night.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Twice in the final minutes of the game, Santoro, who hadn’t scored since the first quarter, found herself all alone in the corner in front of the KP bench, and both times she hit nothing but net. Santoro’s threes gave KP its biggest lead since the end of the first quarter and the second effort turned out to be the game-winning bucket in a 59-55, come from behind victory.

“I feel like last year there were some games that we let get away from us,” KP coach Jeff Miszkiewicz said about his team’s ability to find a way to win this season. “So, I feel like that’s something we’ve really been focusing on, the mental side of the game, staying in it no matter what. Such a big credit to the team for constantly believing in it, for really executing some amazing plays down the stretch. That execution’s what got us this win.”

KP’s backcourt played well in tough circumstances, but once again it was senior center Emily Sawyer that put the Warriors in a position to win. She scored 14 points in each half, finishing with a game-high 28 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. Sawyer’s put-back in the fourth quarter put the Warriors in front for the first time since it 22-21 and she buried a pair of free throws with just nine seconds remaining to seal the win.

“I’m so proud of her because that was one of the first things I tried to preach to her was how to move without the basketball and how to play with the ball in her hands,” Miszkiewicz said of Sawyer. “Not be biased, but she’s the MVP of the league. The fact that she gets double-, triple-, quadruple-teamed and she still has 20 and 20 almost every night is unbelievable.”

“She scored 28, and I thought our bigs handled her nicely in terms of physicality,” Mansfield coach Heather McPherson said. “I think KP rose to the challenge of [Bonner] being out and they kind of avenged that injury nicely. I think matchups were a bit of an issue, Sawyer of course, but Natalya has been playing really well for us but she’s an under-sized four.”

The game started off end-to-end, as Mansfield tried to negate KP’s size advantage in the paint by running at every opportunity. Abby Wager got going right away, hitting a jumper and then burying a three after Kara Santos (11 rebounds) snagged an offensive board. A Santos steal and long outlet turned into an easy fast break bucket.

KP climbed right back into the game. Santoro hit a tough runner and Bonner (eight points) drilled a pair of threes and another shot with a foot on the line. Olivia Salisbury (eight points) got an and-one to help the Hornets, but the rest of the scoring was all Wager. She hit a second three and finished with 13 of Mansfield’s 16 first quarter points.

Sawyer was also off to a strong start. She took a nice feed from Santoro on a sideline inbound play to score in the paint and showed off an array of moves on the block, including a nice turn around jumper that made it 20-16.

Mansfield trailed by six after one, but found a way to lock things down defensively in the second. Bonner was forced to the sideline after getting whacked on the nose and KP struggled to find any rhythm on that end of the floor.

Natalya Gill started the comeback with a banked in three and Hallie Popat knocked down a jumper. Santos added a put-back and Bridget Hanley got a steal under her own basket and went coast-to-coast to cap an 11-0 run and give the Hornets a 27-22 lead. Sawyer got a pair of baskets to cut the lead to one but Salisbury hit a jumper and Wager nailed another triple to extend the lead back to seven going into the locker room.

Each time KP seemed poised to be making a run in the third, Mansfield had an answer. Persky scored in transition to make it a four-point game, but then Hanley fed Santos (six points) on a nice dive to the rim. Sawyer grabbed a put-back, but then Hanley (eight points) drove to the basket, Ella Palanza followed with one of her own, and Gill grabbed a loose ball in the paint for a layup.

Down 10, KP went on a critical 4-0 run to close out the quarter and build momentum. Sawyer got behind the defense on the break for a layup and Persky took the contact and sank a runner on the baseline.

Paschke (nine points and nine rebounds) was proving to be a tough matchup all night and she got a couple of buckets to start the fourth quarter. Then it was Sawyer’s turn to get going again, grabbing offensive rebounds on back-to-back possessions to put KP in front 49-48.

McPherson admitted, “We have this momentum shift where we start to get down in the points and instead of trusting our offense, we kind of go rogue. KP played a great game, but what we need to do now is learn from that and figure out how we can get that momentum to shift back in our favor. We deflate instead of kind of rising to the occasion.”

Santoro looped another long sideline inbounds pass over the defense and into Sawyer’s hands for a close-range finish, but Palanza responded with a nice lefty drive through the lane to tie the game at 51 apiece. Santoro would prove to be the hero. She drilled one from the corner and then Paschke’s baseline drive drew a crowd of defenders and she kicked it out to Santoro in the same spot, with the same result.

“You don’t just replace two ball handlers like that and Leah hit some really big shots in the fourth quarter,” Miszkiewicz said of his backcourt players stepping up late. “Maddie with some strong drives. Two freshmen, Maddie Keough and Jessi Persky stepping up in that situation is really unbelievable.”

King Philip (9-4) will try to make it seven straight wins, and move one closer in the Kelley-Rex title race, when it hosts league-leading Franklin on Friday. Mansfield (8-6) will travel to Davenport-leading Foxboro on Friday looking to hand the Warriors their first league loss of the season and keep them from clinching the league title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.