Click here for the 2016 HockomockSports.com Baseball Awards.
Tag: Max Bowden
The 2016 Hockomock Baseball All Stars & HMs
Below are the official 2016 Hockomock Baseball All Stars.
Hockomock League MVP
Luke Figueira, Taunton
Hockomock League All Stars
Nate Tellier, Attleboro
Darren Kelly, Foxboro
Aaron Wentling, Foxboro
Ryan Hodgkins, Franklin
Mike Skaza, Franklin
Jake Cavanagh, King Philip
Jack DiCenso, King Philip
Jon Rolfe, King Philip
Will Weir, King Philip
Jack Neureuter, Mansfield
Aidan Wilde, Milford
Brian Poillucci, North Attleboro
Ryan Adams, Oliver Ames
Josh Minuskin, Oliver Ames
Chris Romero, Oliver Ames
Jacob Gibb, Stoughton
Justin Hutchinson, Stoughton
Doug Seaman, Stoughton
Luke Figueira, Taunton
Honorable Mentions
Tyler McGovern, Attleboro
Joe Peccia, Canton
Nick Wright, Foxboro
Josh Macchi, Franklin
Tyler Dalton, Mansfield
Blake Hill, Milford
John O’Donnell, North Attleboro
Zach Sato, Oliver Ames
Jordan Chabot, Sharon
Jack Connelly, Stoughton
Max Bowden, Taunton
Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/25/16
Today’s games are listed below.
Baseball
Attleboro, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 5 – Final (8 inn.) – Attleboro rallied from a five run deficit, scoring four runs in the fifth inning and tying the game with a run in the sixth inning. Tyler Stowe brought in the game-winning run, his third RBI of the day, drawing a walk in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded. Will Carter, Brent Cook, John Burns and Cam Hochwarter each had two hits apiece for Big Blue. James Weir came on in relief for Attleboro, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings without giving up a hit.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.
King Philip, 4 @ North Quincy, 1 – Final
Mansfield, 6 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 4 – Final – The Hornets concluded the season by winning their fourth game in the last five, upsetting a tournament bound Trojans squad. Sophomore Tyler Dalton earned the win in six innings of work, striking out one. Jack Neureuter came on to get the save, pitching the seventh inning. Zach Peterson with 2-4 with a pair of RBI singles, Jake Tryder was 2-4 with an RBI single, Colin Gibbons had a pair of hits and an RBI and Max Boen went 1-3 with a squeeze bunt RBI.
Taunton, 10 @ New Bedford, 2 – Final – Sophomore Jacob Crawford broke open a scoreless game with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fourth. Crawford, along with Kevin Griffin, Luke Figueira, Christian Simoes and Joe Manchester each had two hits. Max Bowden pitched four shutout innings for the Tigers, scattering three hits while striking out three.
Softball
Attleboro @ Bishop Feehan, 3:30
Stoughton @ King Philip, 3:30
Taunton, 3 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 2 – Final – Taunton experienced a taste of the tournament with a close win over a talented Dighton-Rehoboth team. Aimee Kistner knocked in Jaime Brown in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Tigers the walk off win. Brown’s lead off walk preceded a single from Jordan Wade. Kistner singled up the middle to bring Brown home for the winning run. Wade went 2-3, scoring the Tigers’ first two runs while Meghan Navarro was 2-3, recording Taunton’s first two RBI. Kya Enos went 2-3 while Brown reached base three times via a walk. Kistner earned her 14th win of the of the season, tossing a complete game, scattering five hits and striking out five.
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 @ Canton, 14 – Final – Canton freshman Mike Shaw paced the Bulldogs’ offense with four goals and two assists for a team-best six points. Senior Nick Gustafson netted his first career goal while CJ Martin, a converted midfielder, made two saves in the cage in the fourth quarter.
Foxboro, 4 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Foxboro did all of its scoring in the first half, building a 4-0 lead just before the midway point of the second quarter and held off King Philip the rest of the way. Anthony Truini set of both of KP’s goals in the second quarter while Sam Agricola had a goal and an assist and Harry Fallon found the back of the net twice. Conor Khung had a strong game defensively, Steven Eaton recorded seven ground balls and Paul Macrina made 12 saves in net for KP.
Franklin, 7 vs. Dover-Sherborn, 8 – Final
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Mansfield, 15 – Final
Taunton, 4 @ Bristol Plymouth, 8 – Final – Andrew Wellington netted a hat trick for Taunton while Tommy Joyce scored once. Kyle Hebert added a pair of assists for the Tigers.
Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 15 @ Attleboro, 9 – Final – Mary Nee and Mary Kent scored scored four goals apiece, leading the Bulldogs to a win. With the victory, Canton punched their ticket to the postseason.
King Philip, 13 @ Foxboro, 15 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.
Milford, 3 @ Franklin, 21 – Final – Sophomore Kate Morse found the back of the cage twice and had four draw controls for the Panthers. Abby Egan added two goals and two assists and Shannon D’Arcangelo registered a hat trick in the win.
Mansfield, 18 @ Oliver Ames, 10 – Final
Sharon, 7 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – Erin Holley totaled nine points and Hannah Caster recorded five assists for North Attleboro. Brooke Ebert recorded 15 saves in the cage for the Rocketeers.
Taunton, 12 @ Bristol Plymouth, 2 – Final – Taunton finished its inaugural season with a win on the road at BP. Abbey Kingman and Annie Tate each scored a hat trick to pace Taunton’s offense while Layne Kingman scored once and had four assists. Tatum Speicher, Lindsay Sneyd, Bre Conlon, Hannah Moniz and Alexis Bissonnette each found the back of the net once.
Boys Tennis
Canton, 5 @ Quincy, 0 – Final
North Attleboro, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – The Rocketeers won three matches comfortably but needed three sets to win the final two matches. Mitchell Dyer won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles and Barsomo Nuay won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Jake Fontes and Daniel Zhang won 7-6, 6-2 at second singles. Zack Pfeffer won 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (12-10) at second singles and the team of Jeff Yao and Nick Lockavitch won 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 1-0 (10-5) at first doubles for North Attleboro.
King Philip, 5 @ Walpole, 0 – Final
Mansfield vs. Hingham, 4:00
Milford, 1 @ Hopedale, 4 – Final
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Brockton, 3 – Final
Sharon, 4 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – The Eagles won at second and third singles and swept doubles play to get their 18th win of the season. Sophomore Fred Bondar won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles and Han Cui won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Adam Dobbin and Alex Romantz won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Tilak Mehta and Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-3, 6-2 at second doubles.
Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton finished their season with a sweep on the road against the Whalers. Brett Beaulieu won 6-2 6-0 at first singles, Charlie Fiske won 6-1 6-3 at second singles and Mike Briggs won 6-1 6-1 at third singles. Tom Morrissey and Connor Briggs won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Kyle Medas and Zack Taylor won 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.
Girls Tennis
Canton, 5 vs. Milton, 0 – Final
Foxboro, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final
King Philip vs. Walpole, 3:45
Milford, 1 vs. Hopedale, 4 – Final
Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Brockton, 1 – Final – The Tigers got wins at second and third singles and swept doubles for the win. Jackie Sulkala won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles and Sarah Leger won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles. Lark Warner and Valeria Tueme won 6-2, 6-4 at first doubles and Claudia Ferrara and Rachel Stryke won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles for OA.
Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final
Oliver Ames Has The Answers In Win Against Taunton
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Any time that Taunton made a move on Saturday, Oliver Ames had an answer.
OA had an answer for both times that Taunton scored and added two late insurance runs to pick up a 7-4 win at Frothingham Park.
Taunton had an idea start with junior Matt Machado battling through a 10 pitch at-bat to earn a leadoff walk and senior Kevin Griffin followed suit with a walk. Sophomore Christian Simoes hammered a one-out double to score both Machado and Luke Figueira, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. It looked like the Tigers would add some more but a nice catch in right field by Matt Mancini turned into a double play to end the inning.
It didn’t take long for Oliver Ames to answer, rallying to tie the game and then take the lead in the bottom of the first. Chris Romero and Matt Muir started off with back to back doubles. Josh Minuskin flew out to right but an errant throw to third trying to catch Romero on the tag sailed out of play allowing a run to come home. Ryan Adams walked and with runners on the corners, Kyle Gagliardi connected for an RBI double. Mitch Goulet followed up at the next at-bat with an RBI single to plate Adams and senior Kevin Geary hit a two-out RBI single up the middle to make it 4-2.
“Offensively, we executed pretty well today,” Oliver Ames head coach Leo Duggan said. “That first inning was big for us to come back. Then we went into a little funk for a bit. We told them it wasn’t going to end a 4-2 game. It took us three innings until we got it going again. We had a chance in the fourth but we couldn’t anything. These remaining three games are going to be like tournament games and we have to act like they are.”
Both starters settled down after the opening inning. OA’s Matt Muir needed just 10 pitches to retire the side in order in the top half of the second and punctuated a 1-2-3 inning in the third with a strikeout for the third out. Taunton’s Charles Hearrold III induced three straight pop ups to get through the bottom of the second and got a strikeout in 1-2-3 bottom half of the third.
“That first at bat, that was a great at bat, and I think [Muir] was a little rattled after that because he walked the next guy,” Duggan said. “But after that, he was dominating. We tried to stay away from Figueira, we didn’t want him to get going. And then Mancini made a nice catch in the first inning, a really good catch and we might have been down more if he didn’t.”
Oliver Ames threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning when Chris Pearsons singled and Geary walked. Taunton’s Danny Keogh came in to pitch in relief and induced two straight pop ups to get out of the inning.
After Muir got the bottom of Taunton’s lineup in order on three straight groundouts, OA was able to tack on another run in the bottom of the fifth. Adams launched a one-out shot into deep center field for a triple and scored on a wild pitch with Gagliardi up at bat to make it 5-2.
Taunton’s offense was able to roar back to life in the top of the sixth. Machado was the catalyst, leading off by getting hit by a pitch and Griffin followed with a walk. Simoes picked up his third RBI of the game, a ground out to short to bring Machado in from third. Max Bowden followed with an RBI single to score Griffin from second and the Tigers cut into the deficit, making it 5-4.
But once again, Oliver Ames had an answer. Travis Campbell drew a lead off walk against new Taunton pitcher Tyler Medeiros. A single from Matt Muir put runners on first and second but Medeiros got the second out with a strikeout. Adams came through with two outs though with an RBI single to score Campbell and then on a hit and run, Gagliardi’s grounder got through on the left side and brought Muir home to make it 7-4. Taunton’s Owen O’Gara came in with the bases loaded to get the final out.
“Ryan came up with that big, big triple and then the RBI single the next inning,” Duggan said. “Gagliardi continues to get better. He was in a slump but he’s doing much better now. Give Taunton credit, they came back. After our start of 1-6, I think we’re playing pretty good baseball. It’s been much better, the kids are much more together.”
Taunton tried to rally again in the top of the seventh inning against OA reliever Zach Sato with sophomore Jacob Crawford reaching on a one out single and Machado walking again. But Sato was able to induce a ground ball to third and Pearsons tagged the bag and fired to first for the game ending double play.
“Credit goes to OA, every time we scored they seemed to respond very well,” Taunton head coach Jeff Sylvia said. “We came out flat, I don’t think we were prepared well for today.”
Oliver Ames (9-9, 9-5), which is postseason bound regardless of the results of the last two games due to a second place finish in the Davenport, will close out league play at home against Foxboro on Monday and Attleboro on Tuesday. Taunton (13-4, 11-4) will wrap up league play on Monday against Mansfield. A win against the Hornets will clinch at least a share of the Kelley-Rex title.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.
Taunton Pulls Into Tie For First With Walk-Off Win
TAUNTON, Mass. – When Taunton senior Luke Figueira stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with the winning run at second base, it was the first at bat he had against King Philip reliever Jon Rolfe. But Figueira already knew what to expect, thanks to a little scouting he did two innings prior.
Figueira roped the second pitch he saw into right center field, bringing in senior Matt Machado for the winning run, giving the Tigers a 2-1 walk-off win over the Warriors and putting the teams in a tie for first place in the Kelley-Rex with three leagues to go.
Two innings prior with the Tigers trailing by a run, it was Figueira that knotted the game. His one out single, one of three hits in the game, brought in Machado to tie the game in the sixth and chased KP starter Jake Cavanagh. Figueira advanced to second, giving him a great view of Rolfe on the mound.
“When I was at second, I was seeing his curveball and I could see it right out of his hand so I knew that when I got up to hit, that I could see it,” Figueira said. “If I got a fastball, I was going to hit it and if it was a curve I was going to let it go. I got the fastball.”
Taunton scored both of its runs in nearly identical fashion. Machado led off the sixth with a single and stole second. A sacrifice bunt from senior Kevin Griffin moved him to third and Figueira drove him in with a hit through the left side of the infield.
In the eighth, Macahdo once again led off with a single. Griffin laid down a bunt and reached when Machado beat the throw to second. That set the stage for Figueira’s game-winning hit.
Danny Keogh earned the win, tossing a scoreless eighth inning for the Tigers.
“Today was a big one, for a lot of reasons,” Taunton head coach Jeff Sylvia said. “It was good to get the win. I’m proud of the team, they didn’t give up. For a while there, it was bleak there offensively. I thought Luke did a great job, he battled for seven innings. He didn’t have his best stuff and KP had a great approach offensively. When we scored the run, we loosened up a little bit and played better.
“Coach Weir has [KP] playing great baseball, he’s done a great job with that program. We knew going into today this game was big on many fronts. I’m proud of the team, they stepped up and got it done.”
It was a heavyweight battle between the Warriors and the Tigers and both teams’ aces delivered on the mound. Figueira threw seven innings with one earned run allowed and five strikeouts. Cavanagh allowed just the one earned run in 5.1 innings, striking out six and scattering four hits.
“He pitched his heart out,” Weir said of Cavanagh. “I knew what I was going to get out of him, he’s done it all year long. He’s going to give you his best every time and had just the one run allowed today. But today was about execution, period, end of sentence. You’ve got to execute in those situations, it’s a simple game.”
For Figueira, there was more than just the battle of supremacy in the division and the chance for revenge driving him. Figueira’s teammate, classmate and best friend Brendon Mazerolle, the team’s starting shortstop, had his season cut short due to a knee injury over the weekend.
“This was for Maz,” Figueira said. “This gives us a chance [in the division] now. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot on Monday, we didn’t play very well. Coming back today, it was a good bounce back win and it can give us a lot of momentum heading into the final games and hopefully another team can help us out.
“You can never give up when you’re down. They didn’t hit the ball hard, they just found the hole and there’s nothing you can do about that so you just have to keep battling.”
King Philip cashed in for its lone run against Figueira in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Coulter had a two-out infield single to get things started and stole second base to get into scoring position. Cavanagh blooped a single into right field and Coulter came around to score.
The Warriors threatened in each of the last three innings but good defensive plays from Taunton – something they lacked in the first meeting between the two – kept KP off the board. Stephen Murray reached on a drop third strike and got to third on a pair of wild pitches. With one out, the Warriors attempted a squeeze play but there was no contact at the plate and Taunton catcher fired to sophomore shortstop Jacob Crawford, covering at third, for the out.
Ryan Guenette led off the seventh by getting hit by a pitch and took second on a sac bunt from Stephan MacMeans. Figueira then induced a ground ball to third where freshman Jack Moynihan fired to first for an out and Charles Hearrold III fired back to Crawford at third, catching the runner for a double play. In the final inning, Crawford took a toss from Griffin with his bare hand and completed a 4-6-3 double play.
“Because of an injury, we’re pretty young up the middle but those guys have been working hard in practice,” Sylvia said. “Jake Crawford, he got thrust into that position but when he plays short in practice, he looks like that on the field. And he’s got a sneaky strong arm. That double play he turned when he bare handed it, not many kids do that and that’s impressive.”
Machado finished 2-4 with a pair of runs scored, Griffin had two important bunts late and Figueira went 3-4 with a pair of RBI for Taunton.
“I don’t care how Matty gets on, he’s our fastest guy and the team can relax and we’re more aggressive when he gets on,” Sylvia said. “Getting on in front of Kevin, who does a lot great job with bat control and then Luke is in the right spot at the right time. We had the right scenario [twice], we don’t always get that but it worked out.
“They beat us the first time so today was a big one. It felt like we were focused all game. Even though it didn’t look good offensively early, they never gave up and I can’t be more proud as a coach.”
Taunton improves to 12-3 overall and 10-3 in league play. The Tigers final three league games will be against Sharon, Oliver Ames and Mansfield over the next five days. King Philip drops to 13-3 overall and 10-3 in the league. The Warriors will take on Sharon and Franklin in the coming five days before wrapping up league play against Stoughton next Saturday.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.
Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/11/16
Today’s games are listed below.
Baseball
Taunton, 8 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Charles Hearrold III earned the win on the mound, tossing five innings with just one earned run, three hits and two walks allowed. Hearrold III also paced the Tigers at the plate with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Luke Figueira and Matt Machado each had a pair of hits for the Tigers as well. Max Bowden knocked in a pair of runs and sophomore Joe Manchester had one RBI.
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Canton, 8 – Final – Senior Griffin Jerrier stole the show on the mound for Canton, striking out nine in a complete game effort, scattering six hits and only allowing two earned runs. Mike McMahon (double, RBI) and Joe Bires (run) both had a pair of hits for Canton while Jim Jenkins and Sean Doyle each knocked in a pair of runs for the Bulldogs. For Oliver Ames, sophomore Matt Muir had two hits.
Milford, 5 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Foxboro’s Jesse Galanti connected for a two run single, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning and the Warriors were able to hold on. Nick Wright picked up his third save of the season, pitching a scoreless top half of the seventh inning. Andrew Block tossed six innings for the win for Foxboro. Aaron Wentling pitched in with a team-best three hits while Darren Kelly and Wright each had two hits for the Warriors.
Mansfield, 1 @ Franklin, 12 – Final – The Panthers’ offense roared to life with all nine players in the lineup getting either a hit or scoring a run. Nick Santucci and Ryan Hodgkins each had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI for Franklin while Josh Macchi knocked in four runs and had a double. Jake Lyons, Mike Skaza, Jason Ulrickson and Alex Bissanti each had an RBI for Franklin as well. Ulrickson got the win on the mound for Franklin, tossing six innings with just two hits allowing and four strikeouts. Classmate Matt Foley closed the game with a scoreless seventh inning.
North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Jack DiCenso tossed a complete game shutout for the Warriors, scattering five hits while striking out six in the win. King Philip scored both of its runs in the first inning. After Kyle Guenthner walked, junior Will Weir plated him with an RBI double. Weir then came around to score on a single from DiCenso.
Sharon, 2 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Nico Parmeggiani threw a complete game for Stoughton, scattering five hits with only one walk and seven strikeouts to earn the win. Stoughton broke the tie game open with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sharon sophomore Max Tarlin had his second straight strong start for the Eagles, going 5 2/3 with five strikeouts and two earned runs, while allowing just two hits. Junior catcher Jake Marglous had a two RBI single for the Eagles.
Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 9 – Final – Aimee Kistner (four innings, win) and Courtney Fisher (three innings) combined to throw a four-hit shutout and totaled 12 strikeouts in the win. Kya Enos had two hits, including a two-run home run while Jordan Wade had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI, Meghan Navarro had a triple and two RBI and Liana Duarte had a pair of hits for the Tigers.
Canton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames freshman pitcher Kayla Georgeu only allowed three hits, striking out four in a complete game effort. Missy Krim went 2-3 with a pair of runs scored and had one stolen base, Jamie Gottwald was 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored, Victoria Ziner was 2-3 with a pair of RBI and Katie Pursley (1-2) knocked in a pair of runs for the Tigers and also scored a run. Also for the Tigers, Katie Mills (1-1) knocked in Jordyn Leite (1-1, double).
Mansfield, 2 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Mansfield senior pitcher Maddie Letendre kept the Panthers at bay, allowing just four hits while striking out seven. Freshman Megan Letendre paced the offense with three hits while junior Liz Mackin socked a pair of hits. Mady Bendanillo (RBI) and Amanda Giambanco each had a hit for the Hornets. Mansfield cashed in for both of their runs in the fifth inning with Bendanillo single knocking in Megan Letendre and Maddie Letendre knocking in Bendanillo.
King Philip, 6 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – After having just one hit through five innings, North Attleboro rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game. But King Philip sophomore Elise Pereira’s solo home run to lead off the seventh inning proved to be the difference. Kali Magane came in and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to preserve the win for the Warriors. After KP scored two runs in both the second and fifth innings, North Attleboro used a grand slam from Kaylea Sherman to tie the game in the sixth. Christa Wagner, Pereira, Magane, Brooke Taute and Meghan Gorman all had two hits for KP. Mycala Moody and Gina Miceli each had a pair of hits for the Rocketeers.
Stoughton, 5 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Stoughton’s Shannon Flaherty tossed a complete game without surrendering an earned run. Flaherty also struck out nine while issuing three walks. Jeni D’Andrea, Gina Caraffa, Karly Estramera, Sam Tullis and Flaherty each had hits for the Black Knights.
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames senior attack Matt Gilson scored four goals and sophomore attack Eric LeBlanc added a pair of goals for the Tigers.
Canton, 14 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Jack Dillon, Matt Mackay and Dan Cohen all scored their first career goals in the win for the Panthers. Dylan Cunningham had a pair of saves in a shutout fourth quarter in the cage. Canton head coach Bill Bendell said DJ Trerice played well at midfield and both Brian Albert and George Kent played great defense.
Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 11 – Final – Click here for a full recap.
King Philip, 11 @ Sharon, 9 – Final – King Philip overcame from a four goal deficit at halftime and a three minute locked in penalty to start the fourth quarter to beat the Eagles. Sharon held a 3-0 lead after a quarter and a 5-1 lead at the break. Sharon led 7-5 going into the final quarter but an illegal stick forced KP into a man down situation for three minutes locked in. KP senior Steven Eaton kept the Warriors rolling, setting up a pair of man-down goals for KP to tie the game less than halfway through the final quarter. Junior Tim Watson scored one of his three goals with just 2:51 left to put KP up 10-8. After KP pulled within one, Eaton iced the game with a goal with 15 seconds left. Watson finished with three goals and four assists while Sam Agricola found the back of the net four times. Harry Fallon scored twice and had one assist, Anthony Truini scored once and Michael Curtin had one assist for KP. Junior goalie Paul Macrina notched 13 of his 21 saves in the second half for KP.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 11 – Final – Mansfield senior defenseman Josh Schafer set the tone early for the Hornets, going coast to coast and finding the back of the net for the first goal of the game and Mansfield held a 4-1 lead at the halftime break. The Hornets continued the attack with a 7-3 second half. Ryan Smith scored three goals and had an assist and Jon Reed found the back of the net twice for Mansfield. Connor Finerty, Billy Grant (two assists), Jarrett Saunders, Hunter Ferreira (assist) and Sam O’Connell each scored once for Mansfield.
Taunton, 4 vs. New Bedford, 9 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Oliver Ames @ Attleboro, 5:00
Milford, 3 @ Canton, 17 – Final – Mary Nee found the back of the net four times for the Bulldogs.
Franklin, 13 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final – Franklin senior goalie Dani Lonati made 11 saves to hold off the Davenport division leading Warriors. Franklin’s Julia Jette scored three goals and had two assists while Kendall Reardon had two goals and three assists and Emily Spath found the back of the net three times.
Sharon @ King Philip, 6:00
Mansfield, 10 @ North Attleboro, 19 – Final – Hana Caster led the Rocketeers with five goals and five assists, while sophomore Mackenzie Rosenberg added six goals for North. Brooke Ebert played well in goal, according to North coach Mike Vitelli.
Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 8 – Final – Taunton goalie Lorna Li made 20 saves in the cage for the Tigers but the Whalers were able to get the close win. Abbey Kingman scored twice and Kayla Phillips, Lindsay Sneyd and Riana Winslow each scored once for Taunton while Annie Tate had an assist.
Boys Tennis
Taunton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – The Tigers got a pair of wins in singles play and clinched the win with a win at first doubles. Freshman Brett Beaulieu won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles for Taunton and Mike Briggs picked up a 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Connor Briggs and Charlie Fiske won 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 at first doubles for the Tigers. Attleboro’s Timothy Vermilyea won 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles and the team of Shaun Gordon and Gaashaan Yusuf won 6-3, 6-0 at second doubles for the Bombardiers.
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final
Milford @ Foxboro, 3:45
Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Franklin got a clean sweep at doubles and freshman Dan Barrow won at third singles to secure a win for the Panthers. Junior James Johnston and senior Tom Mancini won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles and sophomores Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles for the Panthers while Barrow won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles.
North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip’s Cole Ginter won at first singles, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-4 and the team of Justin Rohan and Marco DiStefano won 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles.
Sharon, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Sharon freshman Danujan Thirumavalavan picked up a 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, sophomore Andre Olivei won 6-1, 6-1 at second dingles and senior Andrew Tarnoff swept 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. Sophomore Russell Rapaport and freshman Max Brody teamed up for a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles for the Eagles and junior Sharov Mikhail and senior Jing Huang won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – It was a clean sweep for the Tigers, who won in straight sets in each match. Jordan Paglica won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Olivia Sweeney won 6-1, 6-4 at second singles and Kelsey Hebert won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles for the Tigers. The team of Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles for Taunton and Caroline Hebert and Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.
Canton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Canton got wins at first and second singles as well as first doubles to get the win. Tiffany Ha and Sarah MacQuarrie picked up their third win in as many days, notching a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles. Carly Scanlon won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles and Skyler Jabbour won via forfeit (injury) at second singles. OA’s Sarah Leger won 6-3, 7-6 at third singles and Rachel Stryke and Claudia Ferrera won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.
Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final
Mansfield, 3 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Mansfield swept both doubles matches and got a win from sophomore Sarah Doyle at third singles to edge the Panthers. Doyle won 6-0, 6-3 at third singles while Cathryn Heavey and Chloe Peters won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles. The team of freshmen Tessa Garufi and Elizabeth Elsner took a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win at second doubles to help clinch the win for the Hornets. Franklin’s Anna Humphreys won 7-6, 7-6 at first singles and junior Anja Deric won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles for the Panthers.
King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final
Stoughton @ Sharon, 3:45
Boys Volleyball
Milford @ Millis 6:00
Taunton @ North Quincy 4:00
Figueira Tosses Shutout for Taunton at North
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – North Attleboro lead-off hitter Kyle McCarthy started Monday afternoon’s game at Community Field with a base hit off Taunton ace Luke Figueira. Two batters later, McCarthy was doubled up trying to take third on a groundout.
That would be the last base runner the Rocketeers would get.
Figueira was dealing on Monday, hitting spots and changing speeds. He faced the minimum of 21 batters, setting down the final 20 in a row, allowing just the one hit and striking out five in seven shutout innings, as Taunton pulled out a 5-0 victory to split the season series with North.
“Honestly, I became a fan today,” said Taunton coach Jeff Sylvia about watching his starting pitcher work through the North lineup.
“We have a lot of confidence with him on the mound. Every time he takes the ball our team has a little cockiness and a little swag.”
The Bentley University-commit admitted that he had to figure out the mound in the first inning but once he got his mechanics right he felt comfortable with his approach, especially using his off-speed stuff to keep the Rockeeters off-balance.
“So far this year my curveball has been pretty good,” Figueira said. “Last year, I was throwing fastballs 90 percent of the time and my off-speed has been much better. I’ve been trying to really hit my spots this year.”
He consistently got ahead of the Rocketeers hitters, mixing his fastball and breaking ball, and that allowed him to focus on hitting spots rather than trying to blow batters away. Of course, he could also rear back when he wanted, striking out the final batter in the second, third, and fourth innings.
“It didn’t seem like he was overpowering us, but he mixed his pitches very well and he kept the ball away,” said North Attleboro coach Paul Tobin. “It was curveball away and fastball away and we didn’t adjust.”
The Tigers also made the plays behind their starter, highlighted by shortstop Brendon Mazzerolle’s pick of a sinking line drive off the bat of John Brennan in the sixth. Mazzerolle got up from his knees and fired a strike to get Brennan by a step at first.
“It gives you confidence and makes you really pound the zone,” said Figueira about the Taunton defense. “The big goal is to get ahead and then there wasn’t too much solid contact and when there was the defense made plays.”
North Attleboro starter Andy Katch, who allowed four runs but only one earned, did not get as much help from the defense and those couple mistakes would give Taunton the offense it needed to pull out the win.
The game was scoreless to the third. Matt Machado reached on an errant throw to start the inning and moved to second on a groundout. Figueira helped his own cause with an RBI-single to left and took second on the throw.
Max Bowden (2-for-3) followed with a line drive to left that moved Figueira to third. He came home on a pitch that bounced away from North catcher Zach DeMattio.
“Against a team of that caliber, against a pitcher of that caliber, there is no margin for error,” said Tobin. “We made a couple of errors and that gave them the lead…We battled but Figueira is a great pitcher and it was his day today.”
Katch pitched around a lead-off error in the fourth, but Taunton would take advantage of another North mistake to double the lead in the fifth.
Figueira reached when his infield pop-up fell in and Bowden hit a hard single into the hole at short that John Brennan did well to keep on the infield. Christian Simoes drew a walk to load the bases with no outs and give the Tigers a chance to break the game wide open.
Sophomore Joe Manchester singled in a run but Charles Hearrold III hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Ethan Hebard and he started a 5-2-3 double play. Katch was on the verge of getting out of the jam but Kevin Griffin had an infield single to deep short to plate Manchester and make it 4-0.
That was plenty for Figueira.
“With Luke on the mound and getting more than two I think we’re okay,” said Sylvia. “We left a lot of guys on base (nine runners) but we did take advantage of some mistakes that they made, which was good because we haven’t really done that all season.”
Taunton added an insurance run in the seventh. Bowden drew a lead-off walk against reliever Matt Papineau, Simoes singled and then Manchester drove in Bowden with his second hit of the game.
“Joe’s first at-bat he was diving into the pitch a little bit,” said Sylvia. “My coaching staff talked to him before I got to him and we all said, be shorter to the ball and trust your hands.”
Figueira told the coaches that he wanted the ball to try and avenge an early season loss to the Rocketeers and he made sure to rise to the challenge.
Taunton (9-2, 8-2) will face another tough Kelley-Rex test on Wednesday with a trip to Attleboro. North Attleboro (6-6, 5-5) will travel to league-leading King Philip.
Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.
Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/04/16
Today’s games are listed below.
Baseball
Stoughton, 12 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final (5.5 inn.) – Stoughton’s offense came to life, plating nine runs in the first five innings and tacking on three more in the top of the sixth before the game was called due to the weather. Ryan Sullivan went 2-4 with two RBI and two runs, Joe Piana went 2-4 with two runs and three RBI, Pat Hagerty contributed a clutch 2-out two RBI single, scored a run, and stole a base, Jack Connelly had a stolen base as well, with two walks and two runs scored and Luke Johnson scored three runs and had a double and RBI. Shortstop Doug Seaman played well defensively, overcoming the elements to record five assists and a put out with no errors. Nico Parmeggiani got the win on the mound, going five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on just three hits with three strikeouts.
Franklin, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Kevin Powers got the win on the mound for the Bulldogs, going the distance by tossing a complete game, giving up six hits while striking out three and issuing just one walk. Powers helped his cause at the plate, going 2-4 at the plate with an RBI. Jim Jenkins was 2-3, Mike McMahon was 1-3 with the run scored in a stolen base and junior Kevin Monagle had two hits for Canton.
Mansfield, 5 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Aaron Wentling earned the win, pitching six innings and senior Nick Wright came in to pitch the seventh inning for the save. Both AJ Bubencik and Jesse Galanti had two RBI singles for the Warriors.
Oliver Ames, 2 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – With the game knotted 2-2, the Warriors plated three runs in the fifth inning to break open the game. Jake Cavanagh threw a complete game for the Warriors, scattering eight hits and striking out six. King Philip’s defense played error free and the offense belted out nine hits. Jon Rolfe went 3-3 on the day with an RBI while Jake Lannigan and Jack DiCenso each knocked in a pair of runs for the Warriors. Ryan Adams and Matt Mancini each had two hits for the Tigers.
Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 3 – Final (5 inn.) – In a rain shortened game, the Tigers took advantage in the first and fourth innings to get the win. Sophomore Christian Simoes smacked a two run double in the first inning, scoring Matt Machado and Max Bowden. Senior Kevin Griffin added an RBI single in the fourth, knocking in sophomore Joe Manchester (hit, stolen base). Senior Luke Figueira improved to 5-0 on the season, throwing five innings, striking out six with just two hits allowed.
Sharon, 7 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final (6 inn.) – Sharon took advantage of a five-run second inning to get the win in a rain shortened game. Mark Botaish reached base four times, going 2-2 with a double, Aiden Arnold had a three-run double and Spencer Singer went 2-3. Andrew Filipkowski gave up two hits in 2 2/3 innings in relief for save. North Attleboro’s John Brennan had a double and a home run, knocking in four runs for the Rocketeers.
Softball
Attleboro, 6 @ Stoughton, 7 – Final – Stoughton scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out the win, which was capped by Shannon Flaherty’s walk-off single to right. Flaherty also picked up the win in the circle after pitching a scoreless seventh in relief of Gina Carafa, who had allowed three earned runs in six innings.Jordan Lyons went 2-4 for the Black Knights and scored a pair of runs. Carafa, Courtney Campbell, and Bri Ferrandiz each went 2-3 for Stoughton.
Franklin, 14 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Franklin broke the game open with an eight run third inning, tacking on five more in the final two innings after scoring one in the opening game. Alexx Niss went 3-4 with two RBI, a triple, and three runs scored, Olivia DiGiacomo went 4-5 and knocked in four runs and Olivia Haba, Julia Arms and Alyssa DaSilva combined for five RBI. Courtesy runner Kerry Blaney scored three runs for the Panthers. Emily Sawyer tossed a complete game, striking out four to earn the win.
Mansfield, 8 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – It was a game to remember for freshmen twin sisters Mady and Kara Bendanillo. Mady went 4-4 at the play with two runs knocked in and Kara added three hits, knocking in two more runs. Liz Mackin also knocked in a pair of runs on two hits and Rachel Carafa had one RBI and two hits. Megan Letendre, Maddie Letendre, Marissa Staffier and Jocelyn Reardon all had a hit each for the Hornets, who totaled 16 hits. Maddie Letendre got the win for Mansfield, surrendering five hits while striking out 13.
King Philip, 10 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames freshmen Kayla Georgeu kept King Philip’s high powered offense in check through five innings but the Warriors exploded for eight runs in the the sixth inning. Christa Wagner had three hits while Meghan Gorman, Sydney Phillips and Elise Pereira each had a double in the sixth inning. Kali Magane struck out 11 to earn the win. Jamie Gottwald, Victoria Ziner, Caroline Mahoney (double), Missy Krim and Emma Papargiris each had a hit for Oliver Ames.
Taunton @ Milford – Postponed to TBD
North Attleboro, 10 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Amelia Murphy threw her first career perfect game and helped her own cause offensively, scoring three runs. Kristina Murphy paced the Rocketeers’ offense, going 3-4 with a home run and five RBI. Jordan Sharpe had three hits, Gina Miceli and Liz Morehouse each had two hits and Mycala Moody had eight assists defensively.
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final
Canton, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Canton jumped out to an 8-0 lead on its way to a win over the Tigers. Head coach Bill Bendell said Chris Albert and Dylan Cunningham both played well in the cage and added seniors Dan Nadeau and Ben Berkowitz stood out on defense.
North Attleboro, 6 @ Franklin, 11 – Final – Franklin held a two goal lead at halftime (5-3) and went on to score six second half goals. Eric Civetti had five goals and an assist and Austin Kent Scored twice with one assist. Justin O’Callahan pitched in with three assists and freshman Jacob Alexander won 17/21 faceoffs.
King Philip, 5 @ Mansfield, 8 – Final – Mansfield goalie Sean Powers was strong in the cage, helping the Hornets edge the Warriors. Hunter Ferreria and Ryan Smith each scored twice for Mansfield while Cullen Murphy, Connor Finerty and Sam O’Connell each scored once. Both Grant and O’Connell also had an assist for the Hornets, who led 4-3 at halftime. King Philip’s Tim Watson scored twice and had one assist while Harry Fallon, Sam Agricola and Anthony Truini each scored once for the Warriors.
Sharon, 21 @ Milford, 3 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 18 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Canton, 12 – Final – Mary Nee led the Bulldogs, scoring twice and adding one assist in the win. For Oliver Ames, Sofia Masciarelli and Hannah Friend each scored twice while Carly Cidado and Erin Fitzgerald scored once.
Franklin, 13 @ North Attleboro, 9 – Final – Franklin freshman Annie Walsh paced the offense with four goals while Julia Jette had two goals and two assists and Caroline Lounsbury scored once and had one assist. Head coach Kristin Igoe said Dana Lewandowski played well on defense with two draws and two ground balls.
Mansfield, 8 @ King Philip, 21 – Final
Milford, 3 @ Sharon, 15 – Final
Boys Tennis
Stoughton @ Attleboro – Postponed to TBD
Canton @ Franklin, 3:45
Foxboro @ Mansfield, 3:30
Oliver Ames, 0 @ King Philip, 4 – Final
Milford, 3 @ Taunton, 1 – Final
Sharon @ North Attleboro – Postponed to TBD
Girls Tennis
Attleboro @ Stoughton – Postponed to TBD
Franklin @ Canton, 3:45
Mansfield, 4 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final
King Philip, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final
Taunton @ Milford – Postponed to TBD
North Attleboro @ Sharon – Postponed to TBD
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 1 vs. Quincy, 3 – Final
Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/29/16
Today’s games are listed below.
Baseball
Sharon, 4 @ Canton, 7 – Final
Oliver Ames, 10 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Matt Muir’s strong week continued as the sophomore pitched a scoreless bottom half of the seventh inning to seal the deal after the Tigers incredible comeback. Oliver Ames trailed 9-4 heading into the seventh inning but rattled off six runs to take the lead. Kyle Gagliardi had three hits for OA, Ryan Adams knocked in four runs on two hits and Mitch Goulet and Muir each added two hits for the Tigers.
Taunton, 5 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Sophomore Christian Simoes blasted his first career home run off the foul pole in left field to break a 3-3 tie game in the top of the fourth to lift the Tigers. Taunton added a bases loaded walk in the same inning to create the separation. Mansfield struck in the first inning before Taunton took a 2-1 lead in the second and 3-1 lead in the top of the third. Mansfield tied the game in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs. Taunton senior Luke Figueira earned his fourth win of the season, scattering five hits in five innings of work, striking out two. Max Bowden earned the save, striking out two while not allowing a hit in two innings of work. Matt Machado had two hits, an RBI and a run scored, Charles Hearrold III had two hits, two RBI and a run scored and William Emerson added two hits for Taunton. Mansfield junior Zack Peterson had a pair of doubles and runs scored, Aidan Cahill had two hits, an RBI and a run scored and Mike Arnold had an RBI for the Hornets.
Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Click here for a recap from the game.
Softball
Canton, 2 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon junior Clara Cook recorded 11 strikeouts and only allowed five hits to pace the Eagles to their second straight win. Senior Rachel Usen was 2-3 with two runs scored, freshman Rebecca Clayman had a pair of singles, an RBI and a run scored and senior Jenny Friedman was 2-3 with a pair of singles.
King Philip, 13 vs. St. Peter Marian, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – King Philip wasted no time jumping all over the defending D1 State Champions, plating 10 runs in the first inning. Christa Wagner went 3-3 and Hailey McCasland, Meghan Gorman and Jenn Hutnyan all added two hits for the Warriors. Hutnyan closed out the game with a two-run home run for KP. Kali Magane pitched three innings for the Warriors, striking out eight of the nine batters she faced.
Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 10 – Final – The Tigers used a six hit, six run sixth inning to break open the game and score a big win over Mansfield. Taunton loaded the bases in the first but a throw home from Marissa Staffier and a pair of strikeouts helped the Hornets get out unscathed. Taunton scored one run in the second, one in the third and two in fourth to build a lead. Aimee Kistner continued her shutout streak to start the season, pitching six inning, striking out 13 with just one walk. Courtney Fisher retired the side in order in the seventh for Taunton. Meghan Navarro went 3-3 with a double, Liana Duarte was 3-4 with a triple and an RBI, Jordan Wade was 2-4 with a triple and an RBI and Jaime Brown went 2-3 and knocked in a pair of runs. Mansfield freshmen Megan Letendre, Mady Bendanillo and Caty DeMassi each had a hit for the Hornets.
Milford, 8 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Milford’s Kelley Reichert only allowed two hits in five innings of work, striking out four to earn the win for the Scarlet Hawks. Kate Irwin had a pair of hits and stolen bases, Jess Tomaso was 2-4 with a triple and an RBI, Jill Powers knocked in a pair of runs and both Maddy Bonvino and Shannon Cormier hit a homerun. Stoughton freshmen Freshman Jordan Lyons and Jeni D’Andrea each had a hit as well as sophomore Val Whalen and senior Nicole Bodette for the Black Knights.
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 4 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Click here for a recap from the game.
Mansfield, 16 @ Sharon, 11 – Final
Milford, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 16 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Max Bamford and sophomore Owen Gallagher paced Oliver Ames’ offense, finding the back of the net four times apiece. Sophomore Eric LeBlanc added a pair of goals and assists for the Tigers.
Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 16 @ Canton, 3 – Final
Sharon, 10 @ Mansfield, 18 – Final – Caroline Maher led the way for the Hornets with five goals and Marie Foley added four. Katy Garvin also had a hat trick for Mansfield, which also got two goals apiece from Julia Todesco, Emily Aarons and Maggie Dunn According to head coach Alexis Kobey, Cat Daly and Kaleigh Jodice played well on defense and Victoria Lawlor had a great game in goal.
Oliver Ames, 17 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Abby Duval paced an explosive Tiger offense in a big win on the road. Duval finished with a team-high five goals, adding two assists as well. Sam Lang and Erin Fitzgerald each netted a hat trick with an assist, Sofia Masciarelli and Hannah Friend each scored twice and had an assists, Devin Gardner had an assist and a goal and Emalyn Duvall scored once for OA. Ariana Waldorf made 10 saves in net for the Tigers.
Boys Tennis
Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – It was a clean sweep for the Eagles, who didn’t drop a game in four of the five matches. Griffin Fein (first singles), Han Cui (third singles), Adam Dobbin and Alex Romantz (first doubles) and Tilak Mehta and Danujan Thiru (second doubles) all won 6-0, 6-0. Sharon sophomore Fred Bondar completed the sweep with a 6-3, 6-1 win at second singles.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final
Taunton, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final
Girls Tennis
Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon didn’t lose a game at two of the three singles matches and won all five in straight sets. Lulu Yuan won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles while Nupur Shulka and Emily Wen each won 6-0, 6-0 at second and third singles, respectively. Pooja Puttigampala and Michel Kondratiev won 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles and Sydney Gordon and Akhila Songadi won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles for the Eagles.
Foxboro, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Foxboro won all three singles in straight sets without dropping a game to edge the Tigers. Diana Prinos (first singles), Sophia Prinos (second singles) and Lexi Nelson (third singles) all won 6-0, 6-0. Oliver Ames’ Valeria Tueme and Claudia Ferrara battled for a 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4) win while Rachel Stryke and Olivia Groebe won 6-3, 3-6 7-6 (8-6) at second doubles for the Tigers.
Mansfield, 2 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Taunton swept both doubles matches and sealed the win with a victory at second singles. Junior Olivia Sweeney won 6-2, 6-4 at second singles while juniors Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor won 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) at first doubles and junior Caroline Hebert and freshman Jillian Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-2 at second doubles. Mansfield’s Paulina Martin won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles and sophomore Sarah Doyle on 6-3, 6-0 at third singles.
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 0 @ Quincy, 3 – Final
Taunton Prevails In Extras After Great Pitcher’s Duel
TAUNTON, Mass. – The pitcher’s duel between Attleboro’s Nate Tellier and Taunton’s Luke Figueira certainly lived up the hype.
Two of the top pitchers in the Hockomock League went back in forth, Figueira landing a punch the top half only for Tellier to answer with a counter punch on the mound in the bottom half.
While both pitchers were engaged in a heavyweight battle, both offenses struggled to get just about anything going, combing for three hits total.
In the end, it was a walk, Taunton’s lone hit and an error in the bottom of the 8th inning that allowed the Tigers to walk off with a 1-0 over the Bombardiers.
“It’s a win and it’s a league win against an outstanding opponent and a well coached team so we’ll take it,” Taunton head coach Jeff Sylvia said. “And it was against one of the better pitchers in the league. So after the first week we have two wins and just one loss so that’s a good week. Now going forward we have two big games coming up after the City Championship [against Coyle].”
Taunton went seven innings without a hit but finally got one in the bottom of the eighth inning. Junior William Emerson battled to draw a lead off walk and advanced to second on Matt Machado’s sacrifice bunt back to pitcher Matt Callahan. Senior Brendon Mazerolle reached on a hard hit infield single to put runners on first and second. Callahan responded with a strikeout for the second out.
Senior Max Bowden then hit a hard hit grounder up the left field line was squirted through at third base and rolled slowly into left field. With two outs, Emerson was running on contact and came around to score the winning run.
“Whoever is going to play better defense is going to win [these types of games],” Attleboro head coach Matt Bosh admitted. “We made some mistakes, a couple popups, we booted a couple of ground balls. Eventually those will hurt you and they did.”
Attleboro had one of its best chances in the opening inning when a one out walk preceded a single and a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Figueira was able to get his third strikeout of the first inning to escape the jam though.
Taunton’s lead off batter reached in both the first inning (Machado via a walk) and sophomore Joe Manchester (via an error) but both times, Tellier came up with a pair of strike outs to walk away unscathed both times.
Figueria (four pitches) and Tellier (13 pitches) each breezed through the third inning. Bowden reached on an error to lead off the fourth and moved to second on a sac bunt from Manchester and to third on a wild pitch. But Tellier once again closed the inning with a strike out to escape.
Attleboro’s Tyler Stowe reached on a one out error in the fifth and moved to third after a stolen base and a ground out to short. Figueira closed the curtain on his performance by inducing another 6-3 groundout.
Tellier got into a little trouble in the bottom of the sixth after a hit batter and an error put runners on second and third with two outs but the senior got Manchester looking with his 98th and final pitch to get out of the jam.
In relief, both Taunton’s Bowden and Attleboro’s Callahan was very strong. Bowden had 1-2-3 innings in both the 6th and 7th but ran into a little trouble in the 8th inning. After getting a strikeout to start the top half, an infield error allowed Cam Hochwarter to reach. Nate Tellier then reached on another infield error to put runners on first and second.
Patrick Collins’ blooped Attleboro’s second hit of the game (and first since the first inning) into right centerfield. After a bobble from Machado, Figueira – who shifted to right field after coming off the mound – rocketed a throw to home to gun out Hochwarter at the plate. Bowden then induced a grounder to Mazerole at short get out of the inning.
“If the have runners in scoring position and we have either of those two guys pitching, I want the ball hit to [Mazerolle],” Sylvia said. “He’s as solid as you get. In the 12 years that I’ve been here, he’s one of the premier defensive players that we’ve had come through the program. It was nice to have a lot of 6-3s today. Luke, he’s another guy. With the game on the line, he was in the right place at the right time and he made a perfect throw.”
Tellier pitched six innings of no hit baseball, struck out 10 with just one walk issued. Figueira tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and struck out six. Neither pitcher was involved in the decision.
“Can’t ask for anything more pitching wise,” Bosh said. “We could battle more than we did at the plate. I don’t know how many called third strikes we had today but we need to battle better than we did today against good pitching. Everyone has a good pitcher so we need to learn to battle better against a good pitcher.”
“We had two really good pitching performances,” Sylvia said. :Fortunately we had our two veterans, our two top notch pitchers going today so that was beneficial. After a shaky first inning I thought Luke did a great job settling in, being very efficient and started to get ahead of hitters which is key for him. Sometimes he tries to be too perfect and too fine with his pitches but after the first inning he just attacked the strike zone and let the defense handle it. It all came down to pitching and we made the plays when we needed to so that’s the key.”
Taunton baseball improves to 2-1 overall and in league play. The Tigers will be back in action when they travel to Coyle & Cassidy on Monday in the all important City Championship. Attleboro (1-3) will look to bounce back when they travel to Sharon on Tuesday at 11:00AM.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.