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2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Taunton players celebrate after beating Franklin to win the D1 state title. Both teams bring back strong teams and are contenders to win the state championship again this spring. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2022 Record: 5-15
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Steve Dunlea
Attleboro returns a strong core from last year and will be aiming to make some noise in one of the toughest divisions in the state. The Bombardiers had three one-run losses last year and two more in extra innings, and despite their record, just missed out on the state tournament. A big reason for that is the challenges they face throughout the season as the Kelley-Rex division last year featured both Division 1 state finalists (Franklin and Taunton), the Division 2 state finalist (KP), plus Mansfield, who reached the Division 2 final four.

The Bombardiers boast a lot of returning players up and down the lineup, and on the mound as well. Although it’s a young rotation, Attleboro has some talented arms that picked up some invaluable experience a year ago. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Dunlea (3-3, 2.74) will anchor the rotation a year removed from striking out 23 batters in 23 innings of work as a freshman. Junior Jonny Pagano is another righty that gained key experience last year and senior Sean O’Hara will be a veteran presence in the rotation. Senior Owen Lombardo, juniors Matt Harvie, Braxton Levin, Tyson Forte, and freshman Ryan Landry are all in the mix to get some innings in relief.

Offense will be an area that Attleboro will look to improve on as they go against some of the best pitchers in the area. Senior Danny Johnson is in his third year as a varsity starter and will lead a talented outfielder group that features Harvie and classmate Brody McKenna. Seniors Casey Victorio and Ran Martin, along with junior Jackson Huntington, will look to provide an offensive punch as well. Senior captains Peter Delpozzo and Cooper Johnson (0.364 average last year) are back in the fold and will lead by example both offensively and defensively for head coach Steve Dunlea. Pagano, junior Andrew Gorman, and sophomore Jacob Bettencourt are all battling for time in the infield as well. Aiden Hochwarter resumes his role as the starting catcher for the Bombardiers.

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

“I am very excited about this year’s team,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have excellent leadership in our three captains. Our pitching and defense will continue to be a strength for us. We also have a great mix of returning starters and new players on offense. These guys are well aware that we play in arguably the toughest division in Massachusetts and you have to be ready to compete every day.”

Canton

2022 Record: 9-12
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: David Walsh
Canton has a new head coach in David Walsh but the goals remain the same as the Bulldogs will be aiming to return to the state tournament again this year. With a talented core back in the fold from last year’s team, not only will the Bulldogs be in the mix to make the playoffs, they could contend for the Davenport division title.

The lineup will feature a lot of familiar faces from last year that is anchored by a seasoned senior class. Shortstop Matt Chafin is among the best players in the league and is committed to play at the next level at Brandies. He will be joined in the lineup by Jack Digirolamo, one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. Digirolamo led the team in average last season with a 0.446 batting average (29 hits), which was good for fourth in the entire league while Chafin finished at 0.350 with 16 runs scored. Senior Hayden Rose (Framingham State) is another familiar name that will play a lot of innings for the Bulldogs, coming off a season in which he hit 0.328 with a team-high 17 RBI.

Rose will anchor a pitching staff that will need to fill some holes this year. Rose was among the league leaders in terms of innings pitched last year, coming in second in the regular season in the Hock with 43.2 innings of working. He posted a 4-4 record with a 2.89 ERA, striking out 28. Andrew Butler and Zach Peters combined for over 50 innings last year but with both players graduated, there will be an opportunity for new faces to step up for Walsh. While the Bulldogs get the rotation set, Walsh is preaching fundamentals and having the team pride themselves on good defense.

“This will be a fundamentally sound group who is gritty, tough, and are not afraid of the everyday grind,” Walsh said. “We will rely on our pitchers to throw strikes, defense to be routine, and situationally hit. If we are able to do all three in each game we will be very competitive.”

Foxboro

2022 Record: 16-8
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Final Four
Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro was one of the feel-good stories last season as the Warriors made a dramatic tournament run to the state semifinals before falling to eventual state champ Austin Prep. While the Warriors are strictly focusing on the road ahead, last season set a new standard for Foxboro.

There is a lot of optimism that the Warriors can pick up where they left off because they have almost their entire roster back for 2023. Last year’s squad had a lot of young and inexperienced players that matured quickly throughout the year. Foxboro won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year as they start the season as a serious contender for the Davenport division title. On the mound, Foxboro has six players back that tossed varsity innings including their top three: senior Sean O’Leary (UMass Lowell), senior Mat Sullivan, and sophomore Nolan Gordon. Senior Alex Stern and sophomores Danny Jacobs and Tommy Watts are also back in the fold and the Warriors have added junior Pradyu Gubbala and sophomore Ryan O’Leary to the mix. Ryan LeClair, a veteran in the group, could also see time on the mound this year.

Sophomore Mike Marcucella returns behind the dish after earning the starting role as a freshman last year. LeClair (Stonehill) returns to shortstop and is one of the best defensive players in the region and he’s complemented by Sean O’Leary, who will play third when he isn’t pitching. On the right side, junior Tyler Prescott will man second base and he will also be counted upon to set the table for the offense out of the leadoff spot. Ryan O’Leary will take over at first base this season. Stern, Sullivan, and Watts will add infield depth when not on the mound.

The outfield will also have a lot of familiar faces with veteran Louis Carangelo back in left field after a breakout junior season. Carangelo was one of the most consistent offensive players in the Hock, hitting 0.333 with 16 RBI. Sophomore Ben Angelini has had a strong preseason so far and will patrol center for the Warriors while junior Shane Henri will be in right field. Senior Kenny Mello was a solid contributor for Foxboro last year but will miss the season with an injury. Freshman Aidan Stow and Gordon will provide outfield depth.

“Despite last season’s success, this season provides new opportunities and challenges for our ballclub,” said Foxboro head coach Derek Suess. “We will be battle-tested, with an always difficult Hockomock League schedule, and a strong non-league slate as well. We need to compete each day, at a championship-level standard, to give ourselves the best opportunity to reach the goals we have set for the season. Our leadership and culture have never been stronger.”







2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Franklin

2022 Record: 23-4
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Final (Kelley-Rex champion)
Coach: Zach Brown
Although Franklin has won three straight Kelley-Rex division titles, there is still plenty of motivation for these Panthers.

The Panthers are coming off a tough one-run loss in the Division 1 state championship to rival Taunton, but with a strong core returning it looks like Franklin will once again be among the top powerhouses in the state this year. One obvious strength will be the offense with five players back in the lineup from last year’s squad. Not only is it an experienced group (multiple players entering their third year starting), but it’s an incredibly talented one that features senior Ryan Gerety (Northeastern), senior Jase Lyons, senior Eisig Chin (Stonehill), senior Ben Jarosz, and junior Henry Digiorgio (Northeastern). Gerety and Chin will return to their spots in the outfield while Lyons (1B), Jarosz (3B), and Digiorgio (SS) are all back in the infield. Seniors Tyler Bellan, Luke Sidwell, and Ethan DePaolo also provide some experienced depth and newcomers Rex Cinelli, Ryan Carlucci, and Koen Bonetti will all try to contribute for head coach Zach Brown.

Pitching will be another strength with senior righty Alfred Mucciarone (UMass Lowell) back after going 5-1 during the regular season last year, posting a 2.33 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 42 innings. His experience gives the Panthers an ace to rely on as they navigate a difficult schedule. Junior lefty Austin Campbell could be the next breakout star for Franklin after some impressive outings last year, and juniors Jake Shaughnessy (LHP) and Matt Miller (RHP) fill out a strong core of pitchers. Both Chin and Lyons will also be in the mix while senior newcomers Dillon Cashin and Zach Ramaswamy are prepared to come on in relief when needed.

“We are returning a strong senior class and veteran core,” Brown said. “We are excited about how hard this group has been preparing for the upcoming season. The seniors have provided great leadership during the preseason and scrimmages.”

King Philip

2022 Record: 16-9
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final
Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
King Philip is another squad that is coming off a tremendous season (a trend among most Hock teams) as they reached the Division 2 state championship, falling to Milton. The Warriors are also following another trend in the league as they have the majority of their lineup back in the mix this season as they look to challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title in a loaded field.

The Warriors have a strong pitching staff in the league, highlighted by senior Rudy Gately. Gately has been KP’s ace for the past two seasons and will resume that role again this year. During the regular season, he tossed 39 innings and struck out 37, posting a 3.41 ERA. He will be joined by lefty Tommy Martorano, who missed virtually all of last year with an injury. Junior Tommy McLeish emerged as a reliable option in relief last year, striking out 22 batters in 20.2 innings and he should be in line for an expanded role this year.

Offensively the Warriors will have a big void with the graduation of Shawn Legere, one of the best hitters in the state. But head coach Jeff Plympton Jr. has plenty of options to work with, including senior Brendan Sencaj, who is coming off a terrific season in which he hit 0.371 with 15 RBI and 21 runs scored. Gately, a middle infielder, is a strong two-way player that hit 0.344 last year with 16 RBI and senior Matt Kelley is a great all-around player that will make the switch to center field this season, and another weapon in the lineup. Junior Max Robison is coming off a breakout campaign (0.359 average) and is one of the best defensive first basemen in the Hock.

“We are excited to be bringing back a great core of guys from our team last year,” Plympton Jr. said. “We’re hoping to build off of our success last season and continue to build a winning culture. We will have a lot of new arms in the rotation and a few very good returning arms from last year.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Mansfield

2022 Record: 17-8
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four
Coach: Chris Hall
Mansfield lost some key contributors from a sizable graduating senior class that led the Hornets to the Division 2 Final Four a year ago, but the cupboard is far from empty for head coach Chris Hall.

The most experience back on the team comes on the offensive end with some key bats back in the lineup. Senior captains Sam Martin and Conner Zukowski look to man the left side of the infield while returning starters Matt DeShiro and Jake Maydak — both juniors — will hold down the right side. Zukowski had a great season at the dish, hitting 0.344 during the regular season with 15 runs scored while DeShiro had a breakout sophomore campaign, leading the Hornets in batting average with a 0.373 average and a team-high 25 hits, driving in 13 runs as well. Defensive wiz and captain Aidan Jones returns as the starting catcher for the squad.

There is a lot of competition in the outfield right now including junior Brian Butler, another returner from last year. Seniors Kyle Marnikovic and Will Lund are also in the mix along with juniors Wyatt Bolduc, Connor Curtis, Drew Urban, Dylan Saraceno, Anthony Saraiva, and Joey MacIntyre. Juniors Matt Tryon and Derek McGrath are versatile pieces that will bring some power to the lineup.

Mansfield lost its top three starters from a year ago in Jimmy Gilleran, Aaron Blinn, and Anthony Sacchetti, who combined to pitch over 100 innings during the regular season. Hall will turn to junior Connor Curtis, who didn’t allow an earned run in 16 innings of work in the regular season last year, recording three saves with 19 strikeouts. Maydak is also in the mix for an expanded role on the staff along with juniors Yuv Sakhalkar and Ryan Jeans, and sophomore Luke Rogan. Senior Nate Thibault will chip in as a reliever.

“Most teams who play in the Hockomock League have a chance to make a run at a state championship due to the competition you face every single game in the regular season,” Hall said. “I believe the makeup of our roster puts us in that conversation this year. This year’s team is a tight-knit, cohesive group that battles with one another at practice. They thrive off competition and work together to do whatever they can to best benefit the program. We are excited for the season and look forward to the challenges presented to us.”




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Milford

2022 Record: 7-13
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Alex Dion
Similar to Attleboro, the Scarlet Hawks were a victim of playing in a division that had three teams reach a state championship game and another reach the final four. With another year of experience, Milford will look to challenge those top teams and make a push for the postseason.

The roster features a lot of familiar names that are either in their third or second year in the lineup and head coach Alex Dion is hoping that experience will lead to competing with some of the state’s best teams. The pitching staff starts with three-year starter and right-handed pitcher Evan Cornelius. A top two-way play and multi-sport athlete, Cornelius leads by example both on and off the field for the Scarlet Hawks. He went 4-2 last year with a 2.31 ERA, ranking among the league leader with 48 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work. Junior righty Damien Carter is also in his third year while senior Tyler Caldon and junior Anthony LaPierre logged a lot of work on the mound a year ago and return as starters this year. Senior Mason Baldic and sophomore Ian Carter are both in the mix for innings this year as well.

While pitching looks to be a strength for Milford this year, the Hawks will rely on a lot of the same names to deliver offensively as well. Cornelius will man first base when he isn’t on the mound and is a reliable offensive option. Damien Carter, junior Sean McGee, and freshman Joey McGee are options in the infield alongside Cornelius while Ian Carter, Baldic, and sophomore Nick Koch are in line for opportunities in the outfield. Junior Keith Lee is back behind the dish as taking on that role a season ago and junior Nate Scudo can be effective in a variety of positions. Seniors Brady Butler, Tony Fontes, Jacob Gove, Guy Saintyl, and Cam DelPrete will provide key depth while junior Victor Martinez will look to provide some pop in the lineup.

“Looking forward to competing in this great league again this spring,” said Milford head coach Alex Dion. “We have a number of guys that have been together for three years now. I have seen strong leadership from veterans early on, a group of guys that are competitive on the mound, and some athletes that are eager to learn and compete at a high level.”

North Attleboro

2022 Record: 18-6
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four (Davenport champion)
Coach: Mike Hart
The Hockomock League had so much success during last season’s tournament that the Rocketeers’ accomplishments almost get lost in the shuffle. North Attleboro went 13-3 in league play last year and reached the D2 final four, picking up wins over D1 state finalists Franklin and D2 state finalists KP in the process. Now the Rocketeers join a loaded Kelley-Rex division along with those two squads, defending state champs Taunton, and two improved squads in Attleboro and Milford.

That means North Attleboro has its work cut out for them as they not only try to navigate a difficult schedule but has a lot of holes to fill in the lineup after graduating nearly a dozen seniors from last year’s 18-win squad. Head coach Mike Hart has done a terrific job since taking over the helm of the program and he will be leaning on the handful of returners he does have to lead the way this year. Hart has a dozen more seniors this year led by veterans Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis. Maceda will patrol center field, Harding is at shortstop, and Paradis is a seasoned pitcher that had 18 strikeouts in 17 innings of regular season work. Maceda will also get some innings on the mound along with classmates Ayden Delaney Peter Santoro, junior Parker Abrantes, and sophomore Gio Martello, and Harding will be a go-to option to close games out.

Martello was a late-season call up to the varsity squad and made an impression in his short stint with the squad. He will complete the middle of the infield at second base and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. Seniors Jack Munley, Mark Vogel, Delaney, and sophomore Bryce Kiser are also in the mix for spots in the infield. Along with Maceda and Paradis, seniors Kyle Conroy and Reed Collins, along with junior Chris Hanewich, will cycle throughout the outfield. Junior Nate Kelly and senior Harrison Gagne are competing for time behind the dish. Hart expects the defense to be a strength of this year’s squad.

“We are looking forward to a season of growth,” Hart said. “We have many quality players new to varsity baseball who are looking to take the next step in their development and continue the success we have been privileged to have over the last few seasons. Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis are three capable and proven players in all three phases of the game. We will look to our pitching staff to lead us. Our team has committed to getting better each and every day. We are excited to get out and compete!”




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Oliver Ames

2022 Record: 11-11
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Joe Abarr
After graduating one of the largest senior classes in the league, there is plenty of opportunity to go around for Oliver Ames and head coach Joe Abarr this season. After an up-and-down year that included a playoff win, the Tigers will be looking to challenge the likes of Foxboro and Mansfield in the division title race.

With a lot of pieces departed from last year’s lineup, Abarr will start the season leaning heavily on the handful of returning pieces that played key roles last year. Senior captain Patrick Finnerty will be a major part of the defense and offense this year, as the Bentley University commit will patrol the center field and anchor the offense. On the mound, the Tigers will turn to senior captain Andrew Zagami to lead a relatively young staff that will include juniors Ian Kelley and Lucas Riley, both returners from last year’s team.

Abarr noted that there is a lot of competition in the squad right now as they battle for spots in the lineup, and he’s hoping the first few weeks will allow for a consistent lineup to emerge. Senior Nathan Luke, another returner from last year’s roster, will play the corners in the outfield at Frothingham Park this year.

“Many players have been stepping up in early practices and inter-squads and will be counted on early in the season,” Abarr said. “If we consistently stay after hitters and throw strikes we will be a competitive club. We have the potential to hit well, but the Hock’s pitching will be top-notch again based on some of the stellar returners around the league.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Sharon

2022 Record: 3-17
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The Eagles will have to replace some of the production lost from the 10 seniors that graduated from last year’s squad, but Sharon has some key pieces in key spots and will look to continue to improve.

One strength the Eagles will have early on is the return of almost all of its pitching staff back from last year, plus the addition of some more talented arms to create some strong depth at the position. Junior captain Luke Meixel was among the league leaders in innings pitched last season and will anchor this year’s staff. He had 33 strikeouts in 38 innings of work as a sophomore year and the Eagles are looking for him to take a big step this year. Senior Alex Coughlin will pair with Meixel to create a formidable 1-2 punch, and the Eagles will also get pitching contributions from Cole Arundale and Zach Loomis.

Senior Palash Raina is a captain alongside Meixel and Coughlin, and he will be a staple in Sharon’s lineup this season. He battled through an injury almost all of last season but is ready for a breakout final year on the diamond as he patrols center field. Head coach Andrew Poliferno believes there is a lot of depth — and internal competition — in the lineup, and that should improve production at the plate. Sophomore Drew Yaffe got his feet wet at the varsity level last season and will be looking to turn that experience into more production this year. Junior Liam Conway is back behind the dish after a strong defensive year in 2022.

“I’m really excited to see what this group of players accomplishes this season,” Poliferno said. “We have a large group of players on varsity and in the greater SHS baseball program who are hungry to compete and win games. My expectations for this team are high and that is a direct reflection of the level of talent and work ethic our players have exhibited since day one.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Stoughton

2022 Record: 3-15
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Kevin Carty
Although the Black Knights lost a lot of production from its eight-member senior class that graduated last Spring, there is a lot of opportunity for new faces to work their way into the lineup for Stoughton head coach Kevin Carty.

There are some key pieces back in the mix this season after getting some valuable experience a year ago. Carty will lean on senior captains Sean Farley and Joe Rush to lead the way, with Farley both patrolling center field and pitching while Rush will play first base when he isn’t on the mound, and potentially some time behind the dish at catcher. There is also a strong contingent of players looking to build off of last year, including seniors Jeriel Cuello, who will play in the infield, and outfielder/pitchers James McCarthy and Liam Dunn, and Andrew Beder, who can play both in the infield and outfield, as well as on the mound.

Juniors Hunter Malkin, Ryan Summers, and Dom Belle all factored into the lineup for the Black Knights a year ago as sophomores and are in line for bigger roles this year. Malkin will pitch and play at first, Belle can play at both corners of the infield, and Summers will see time behind the dish at catcher.

“So far I could not be more impressed with the hard work and attitude from all of our players in the program, especially the new players on the roster,” Carty said. “I am very excited to work with these guys on a daily basis and can’t wait to see them improve throughout the season.”

Taunton

2022 Record: 22-3
2022 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship
Coach: Blair Bourque
The defending Division 1 state champions enter this season with a massive target on their back, but Taunton has the majority of its talented lineup back in the mix and is ready to take on all challengers, including a very competitive and skilled Hockomock League.

Athleticism, competitiveness, and experience will all be strengths for this year’s Taunton squad which has a lot of familiar faces in it including last year’s league MVP Ryan MacDougall, who had the game-winning home run in the state final against rival Franklin. The left side of the infield might possess the best duo in the state in seniors Braden Sullivan, a UMass commit with a strong bat that plays third base, and Dawson Bryce, a slick-fielding shortstop with consistent offensive production that is also going to play at the D1 level at Merrimack. That trio makes up the heart of the lineup for the Tigers and will make life difficult for opposing pitchers. Junior Brayden Cali, who started at second in the championship game, will be another key piece offensively for Taunton.

MacDougall also led the Tigers in innings pitched during the regular season, and classmate Shawn Cali was right there with him, posting a 4-2 record with a 1.60 ERA, striking out 27 in 35 innings of work. That gives Taunton a strong 1-2 punch in its rotation, but there’s also room for opportunity with the graduation of Evan Cali, who went 3-0 in the regular season and started the state championship game.

“The majority of our guys are multi-sport athletes who love to compete,” said Taunton head coach Blair Bourque. “And since many of our starters from last season are returning, they know the challenges of playing in arguably the most competitive league in the state as well as how to manage playing in the high-stress environment that is the post-season. Taunton has never been in a position with such high expectations so as a coach, I’m excited to see how my kids respond. This is a close-knit group and even with all the talent, they have great camaraderie.”

King Philip Stuns North With Last Second Goal

King Philip boys hockey
King Philip senior Sam Naggar (right) celebrates his game-winning goal with 5.8 seconds left. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 FOXBORO, Mass. – King Philip established control early in the game while North Attleboro asserted itself in the third period.

It looked like the Warriors and Rocketeers were destined to finish level, especially with the strong play of goalies Kyle Abbott and Nate Kelly.

The Warriors peppered Kelly for two periods but only lit the lamp once while North gained traction offensively in the third, including the tying goal early in the fame. But Abbott came up with two of his biggest stops with under a minute to go.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

With 21.9 seconds left in the game, KP senior James Boldy won a faceoff in the defensive zone back to classmate Sam Naggar, who whipped a clearance around the boards and out of the zone. North collected the puck in its own zone but heavy pressure from junior Rowan Boulger down low forced a turnover at the blue line.

With the clock ticking down, Naggar released a quick slap shot that deflected off a defenseman’s leg and through the five-hole with just 5.8 seconds left in the game to deliver King Philip a stunning 2-1 win over North Attleboro.

“Just put it on the net in that situation, good things will happen when it gets there,” said first-year King Philip head coach Toby Carlow. “The first half of the game we were better for sure. The third period, give credit to [North] because they came out and played very hard, they didn’t want to go home with a loss. In a game like this, one mistake ends up as the difference in the game.”

King Philip carried a 1-0 lead into the third period thanks to a second period goal from junior Tyler Douglas. The Warriors had a hefty advantage in offensive zone time and a large edge in shots on goal (29-10) entering the final period.

The chances for North started early in the final and snowballed from there. A weird bounce off the glass on a clearance from KP presented North senior Mark Ayvazyan with a good chance right in front but Abbott came up with the stop.

“I think the kids deserved a better fate,” said North Attleboro head coach Kyle Heagney. “Nate Kelly played very well for us. We had a very sluggish start but we got better as the game went on, got better each shift. The third period, I thought we controlled the majority of the puck but just a simple breakdown at the end destroyed our destiny.

“There’s always a lesson in a win and a loss, but there always seems like a bigger lesson in the loss. When you lose with five seconds in the game, as a coach, you’re always wondering what if, what if, what if. It comes down to inches and milliseconds…there were a lot of what ifs.”

The Rocketeers’ pressure was rewarded with a power play opportunity and despite having limited offensive zone time through the first 30-plus minutes, North wasted very little time cashing in.

Brody Gaulin took the faceoff, Joe Quinn skated in and dished the puck back to Ayvazyan at the blue line and his low shot/pass found Kaden Burns skating in front of the net all alone and he tucked away a low backhand shot into the back of the net just five seconds into the man-advantage situation to pull the Rocketeers level at 1-1 with 10:09 to go in the game.

North kept it going and had another power play chance just two minutes later but Abbott and the KP defense was up to the task. Boldy and Naggar had early clearances, and the line of Nate Garstka, Douglas, Cam Lehan-Allen, and Sonny Bianculli denied North any chances.

The best chance of the power play came when North defenseman Gavin Arabian ripped a deflected shot that took a bounce right in front of goal but Abbott gloved it comfortably and held on.

KP’s second penalty kill unit of Max Robison, Evan Trujillo, Naggar, and Ethan Sullivan killed the rest of the power play.

North had two good chances in the final two minutes. First, Dominic Bertino came flying down the right side but his wrist shot was snagged by Abbott. And right before the final face-off that sent KP to the win, Ayvazian had a good bid from a similar spot but Abbott had another stop.

“Kyle made two huge saves and he was ready for them,” Carlow said. “It’s tough sometimes when for the first half of the game, you’re not seeing a lot so you have to stay ready for when it does come and he was. Their goalie played outstanding too.

The Warriors came out on the front foot and registered 20 shots on Kelly in just the opening 15 minutes. Jack Gresham had two early chances, Evan Regan had a good shot after a feed from Trevor Pelkey, and Tim Mullen had a shot through traffic but all of KP’s chances in the first were turned aside by Kelly.

“Nate showed up and did his job,” Heagney said. “The defense and the forwards, we didn’t do our job for Nate tonight. I thought he played very well and he’s the reason we were in the game so late.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

KP’s breakthrough came just over a minute into the second period. Douglas won a faceoff in the offensive zone, Robison battled in front with a defenseman and Douglas came skating back through and finished a low shot from in close to make it 1-0 at 13:56 of the second.

“Give credit to KP, I thought they outplayed us, I thought they beat us to pucks, and I thought they were tougher on pucks,” Heagney said. “It just seemed like it was their night, I don’t think we put enough pressure on them or tested their goalie. In order to win a game, you need effort, energy, and execution and we were lacking in execution tonight.”

King Philip boys hockey (3-0 Hockomock, 7-1 overall) travels to Canton on Saturday for a big showdown with the Bulldogs at 6:20. North Attleboro (1-2, 4-3) has a non-league tilt at home against Dartmouth.

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview Canton boys hockey Brendan Tourgee
Canton junior Brendan Tourgee and the rest of the Bulldogs are aiming to get back to the TD Garden. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Attleboro

2021-2022 Record: 0-15-0
2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Gary Warren
Last season is not one to remember for Attleboro. The Bombardiers finished winless and had only eight goals in 18 games. New head coach Gary Warren will hope to find more firepower in front of goal and more depth with three forward lines and three defensive pairings as Attleboro tries to get back into the mix for a tournament berth.

Seniors Owen Parker and Colin Flynn will be the leaders on the top line with eighth grader Bryan Capone getting his first taste of varsity hockey. Sophomore Nathan Conroy will center the second line with senior Mike Lachance and junior Nick Fernandes on the wings. Eighth-grader Andrew Bessette will center the third line for the Bombardiers, joining up with sophomores Austin Bessette and Jack Moran.

Defensively, Attleboro will also lean on youth. Sophomores Alex Jarousky and Brody Shaw will partner on one line, eighth graders Beckett Stone and Cam Harrison will be a second partnership, and sophomore Lucas Devonis teaming up with senior Luke Logan. Junior Bradley Lehtonen and freshman Joey Santos will also see time on the blue line this season. After graduating four-year starter Nick Piazza, Attleboro will turn to junior Julien Horton and eighth grader Jacob Westwater between the pipes.

“Our success this season will hinge on good senior leadership, along with our younger players building confidence in their game,” Warren said. “We are a young, inexperienced team that hopefully will get better game after game.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Canton

2021-2022 Record: 22-3-1 (D2 State Finalists)
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final
Coach: Brian Shuman
Only one team has ever won the Davenport division boys hockey title and, despite graduating 14 seniors off last year’s roster, Canton looks well-positioned to extend that run for another winter. After reaching the Div. 2 state title game for the third straight season, the Bulldogs will be incorporating a lot of new faces and young players (five freshmen and three sophomores) into this year’s roster to try and stay among the top teams in the state.

While there are several new players that will be getting time this year, Canton does return its top two scorers from last year. Senior AJ Thomas had a great playoff run to help the Bulldogs get back to the TD Garden and junior Brendan Tourgee was a standout as a sophomore with his combination of stick skills and strength. Juniors Pat Drury, Colin Blake, and Brian Middleton also saw plenty of ice time as sophomores and came through with some big goals during the season, while senior Jack Digirolamo adds some physicality in the attacking zone.

Canton always gets attention for its scoring punch, but its strength on the blue line has been one of the main reasons for its sustained success. Senior Leo Owens will start the season on the sidelines with an injury, so other players are going to need to step in while he gets healthy. Senior James Young and junior Matt Anderson, who scored the overtime winner in the season opener, will get plenty of ice time. Sophomore Colin Davis should provide the defense with plenty of confidence after a stellar rookie campaign between the pipes. He looked unflappable during Canton’s run to the final and senior Carson Eagles is a more than dependable backup in goal.

“As always, strong team defense and the depth to play four lines and six defense pairs will determine whether or not we can make a run for the league title and/or the playoffs this year,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman.







2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Foxboro

2021-2022 Record: 10-11-0
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32
Coach: Eric Galanti
Foxboro has a new head coach this season but it’s a familiar face as Eric Galanti steps in after five years on the bench as an assistant coach for the program. After graduating nine seniors from last year that accounted for a lot of production and ice time, the Warriors are looking for some new names to step up.

Albeit young, Foxboro has a strong core of returners from last year’s squad that had 10 wins and scored 70 goals. Senior Henry Diamond, who plays on the right wing, spearheads a relatively young forward group that includes returners Connor Hayers (left wing) and Luigi Muttart (left wing), both juniors, as well as sophomores Ryan Wood, Dan Jacobs — both centers — and, Finlay Campbell. Senior Jake DeMaino and sophomores Brendan LaCroix, Will Groves, and Connor Reardon bolster the offense. Freshman Michael Ruo and Owen McAuliffe are looking to make an impact right away.

Defense and goaltending will be a strength for Galanti and the Warriors this season. Senior Alex Coviello is a seasoned veteran that will anchor the blue line for Foxboro, joined by junior Tommy Devlin and a handful of sophomores who already have varsity experience including Tom Watts, Evan Paluzzi, Leo Campbell, and Connor Reardon. In net, Galanti has some veteran options with senior Peter Souaiden and junior Trevor Marder as options.

“We have a solid defense and great net minding that will allow a sophomore-heavy team to work toward an offense to match,” Galanti said.

Franklin

2021-2022 Record: 14-9-0 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Sweet 16
Coach: Chris Spillane
A very familiar face has made his return to the bench for Franklin this season, as longtime coach Chris Spillane, who stepped away in 2019, is back in charge of the program. The Panthers have won 11 straight league titles and been a fixture in the Div. 1 state tournament and they boast a strong attacking lineup this season that will be looking to continue its control of the Kelley-Rex division.

Up front, Franklin will be boosted by the return of seniors Ben Jarosz and Ryan Sicchio, who combined for 15 goals and 23 assists last year. Classmate Tommy Balducci will join them on the top line. Last year’s sophomore class was prolific in front of goal and, with a year of valuable experience, looks ready to be even more dynamic this season. Juniors Anthony Lampasona (six goals and 13 assists) and Ben Paterson (10 goals and 14 assists) will lead the way along with classmates Dylan McEvoy and Dan Daley. Sophomore Carter Balducci is a newcomer to look out for in attack.

Four players return on the blue line to give Franklin solid experience in the defensive zone. Seniors Liam O’Rielly, Aiden Kuykendall, and Lucas Sheehan will be joined by junior Dylan Marchand, who had an impressive sophomore season in defense. Sophomore Vinnie Pasquarosa should also see time on the back end. Goalie depth will be a strength for the Panthers this year, with sophomore Jack O’Connor returning, sophomore Joe Torraco making the jump from JV, and junior Colby Wagner coming back to the program after playing last year with the Northeast Generals.

“Offensively we will run three lines who all have the ability to score goals,” Spillane said. “The Panthers’ success will depend on our team defense, and how quickly we can understand our defensive systems.”




2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

King Philip

2021-2022 Record: 10-9-3
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32
Coach: Toby Carlow
King Philip is two years removed from taking a share of the Kelley-Rex division title (joining only the 2011 Mansfield team to win at least a piece of the division crown) and last year the Warriors showed off their potential by giving eventual state champion St. John’s Prep a battle in the opening round of the playoffs. Former Medfield coach Toby Carlow, who won a state title with those Warriors in 2016, take over this season with the intention of elevating these Warriors into one of the state’s top programs.

Carlow will be introducing new systems on both ends of the ice, relying on team speed and structure in the defensive zone to get back into the tournament. One challenge for KP will be replacing standout Brad Guden, who moved to Tabor Academy this season. In the defensive zone, junior Cam Lehan-Allen along with senior Sam Naggar will need to step up to provide leadership at the blue line. Senior Kyle Abbott will help out at the back, as he returns in goal after allowing fewer than two goals per game as a junior.

In addition to Guden, who had 17 points from defense last year, KP also graduated its three top goal scorers from last season, so the forward line will need new faces to step up and consistently find the back of the net. Senior James Boldy is the team’s top returning scorer with seven goals and 10 assists and junior Max Robison adds speed on the wing. Juniors Nate Gartska and Rowan Boulger also saw time as sophomores and provide depth in the forward lines.

“Our goal this year is to establish ourselves as a good solid team in Division 1,” Carlow said. “It’s time for King Philip to step into the upper level of Massachusetts hockey.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Mansfield

2021-2022 Record: 7-12-1
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: Mark O’Brien
Mansfield has a lot of turnover to contend with this season, as the Hornets open their first season of Davenport division play. Former assistant Mark O’Brien has taken over as head coach and he takes over a team that will lean on underclassmen to try and find the attacking threat to keep the Hornets in the league title mix and to stay in the tournament mix.

After graduating its top six forwards from last season, Mansfield will be hoping that a host of freshmen and sophomores can step up to the challenge of leading the line this winter. Seniors Cody Gordon, Connor Davey, and Brendan Flynn will provide much-needed leadership in the attacking zone. Sophomores Brendan Vokey, Matthew Tourigney, Matthew Cromack, and Kevin O’Brien and freshmen James Warren, Matt Kelly, Matthew Rabinovich, Liam Wells, and Cody Silva give the Hornets a lot of depth up front but also a lot of untested talent.

The blue line is a very different story. Mansfield’s defense should be a strength this season. Seniors Ryan DeGirolamo and Patrick Gormley return to anchor that end of the ice along with junior Will Cameron and sophomore Declan Foley. Sophomore Thomas Gormley is a newcomer to watch for the Hornets in defense. Freshman Aidan Shea and sophomore Luke McGuire are versatile players who could see time at forward or defense. In goal, Mansfield will have plenty of experience to call upon with senior Chris O’Brien and junior Josh Hussey.

“We have a tremendous group this season and they are committed to the team concept and giving their best effort for each other,” said O’Brien. “We are excited about our talented younger players and confident that our strong nucleus of upperclassmen will lead the way with a focus on team defense.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

North Attleboro

2021-2022 Record: 10-11-1
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet 16
Coach: Kyle Heagney
North Attleboro head coach Kyle Heagney begins his second year in charge of the Rocketeers and they are looking to improve on last year’s 10-win season as they join the Kelley-Rex division for the second time in program history.

The Big Red will have to look for some new players to step up as they try to fill the void left by the graduation of a talented senior group, including Nik Kojoian, who led the Hockomock League in scoring with 11 goals and 24 assists last season, and Nick Longa, who was second in the league with 17 goals and tied for fifth overall in points with 26 points. The good news is that Heagney and the Rocketeers have one of the top returning forwards in the league in Mark Ayvazyan, who produced 13 goals and 12 assists in the regular season last year.

North will also look for seniors Brody Gaulin and Jack Dluhy to take on increased roles after netting five goals and two assists last season as well as junior Kaden Burns, who had five goals and one helper last season. Junior Kyle Gruber is back between the pipes after impressing last season.




2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Oliver Ames

2021-2022 Record: 6-11-1
2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Jimmy Tierney
Oliver Ames begins a new chapter in program history as they welcome a familiar face as new head coach in Jimmy Tierney, a former player and assistant coach. Tierney was the inaugural HockomockSports Goalie of the Year in 2013 and was a two-team First Team selection during his stellar career with the Tigers.

Now Tierney will look to guide this year’s team back to the success they experienced during his playing days when they reached the South sectional semifinals and finals during his sophomore and junior years. The Tigers have nearly their entire roster back from last year after graduating just two seniors, including senior center Sean McCarthy, who was second on the team with 10 goals and nine assists, and junior Andrew Livingstone, who earned HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors after leading OA with 12 goals and eight assists. The offense will have plenty of depth with seniors Matt Lawson (15 points), Jack Corey (15 points), Daniel Paul, and Jack Perron, who is a team captain for the second year along with McCarthy.

Sophomore Patrick DeLoughrey and freshman Brenden Teehan will look to make an immediate impact on the offensive end. Along the blue line, junior Sean Kearns (three goals, 11 assists) will look to build upon a solid campaign last year when he earned honorable mention for league all star. He’ll be joined by classmates Landon Grothe and Andy Poulos in the defensive group. The Tigers have experience in the net with senior Brandon Burke back between the pipes after playing in 17 games last year.

“Our biggest strength this season will be the team-first mentality our players have,” Tierney said. “The players care a lot about each other and will do what it takes to put the team first. This along with the hard work they are putting in is what will make us successful.”

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Stoughton

2021-2022 Record: 11-11-2
2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Round of 32
Coach: Dan Mark
The Stoughton/Brockton co-op team is coming off its most successful season together, and the Black Knights’ best campaign in over a decade after winning 11 games, including a preliminary game in the Division 3 state tournament.

The Black Knights won’t be competing in the Hockomock League again this season as they team up with the Boxers to try and replicate the success from last year. In order to do so, they’ll blend a mix of veteran and younger players as they navigate through their schedule, which will feature games against Hockomock League teams Attleboro, Foxboro, Oliver Ames, and Taunton. Offensively, Stoughton/Brockton returns a strong core led by last year’s leading scorer senior Charlie Caputo, who netted 13 goals along with 14 helpers. Senior Sean Farley added a team-high 16 goals as well as nine assists, while junior Colby Strunk is coming off a 21-point season as a sophomore.

Defensively, longtime head coach Dan Mark will turn to junior Ryan Summers to anchor a relatively inexperienced group. Summers had five goals and seven assists but the Knights lost three defensemen to graduation. In net, juniors Sean McGowan and Dmytro Yakovenko are battling for the starting job.

2022-2023 Hockomock Boys Hockey Preview

Taunton

2021-2022 Record: 7-10-4
2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Kris Metea
Taunton comes into the new season with definitely the youngest roster in the league and one of the youngest rosters in program history. Head coach Kris Metea has 35 players in the system this season and 26 of them are sophomores or younger. There is plenty of energy on the ice and plenty of potential, but there may be some growing pains for players getting their first taste of varsity action.

There are a few seniors on the team to provide the Tigers with much-needed experience and leadership. One of those seniors is Colton Scheralis, who will move up from the blue line to the attack at the start of the season. He recorded 13 points as a defenseman last year and should be able to bring his creativity and stick skills to the forward line. Senior Connor McGrath will also give Taunton a scoring punch, after his 13-goal, 13-assist junior campaign. Junior Conner Goranson scored 14 points last year as a sophomore and will be on the top line.

Experience is in short supply in the defensive zone, especially with Scheralis moving forward at the start. Sophomores Travis Cashman and Jon McGrath both saw time as freshmen and will look to build on that first season on the blue line. Sophomore Cam Tomaszycki is back in goal for the Tigers. He was a standout as a freshman, allowing a little more than three goals per game and saving nearly 90 percent of the shots he faced.

“We have a great group of players,” Metea said. “They are excited to go to the rink every day. They love each other and are willing to fight for one another. They make going to the rink a pleasure every day for our coaching staff.”

King Philip Falls To Milton In Division 2 State Final

King Philip baseball Brendan Weddleton
King Philip senior Brendan Weddleton catches a throw on a pickoff attempt at second base in the Division 2 state championship against Milton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 WORCESTER, Mass. — King Philip’s quest for a state championship came up just short.

The Warriors’ great run in the postseason came to a close in the Division 2 state championship on Saturday, falling to top-seeded Milton, 4-2, at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.

“Coming in, with their bats and their pitching, I thought we were going to have to play perfect,” said King Philip head coach Jeff Plympton. “We came up a little short but I’m proud of the way the guys played. They’re a pleasure to be around all the time.

“We stuck around, which is kind of where we wanted to be. It was alright if we weren’t ahead, but as long as we were in striking distance we thought with our bats in the lineup we could make up for it, but it just didn’t happen tonight.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Walks, errors, and aggressive base running became the difference in the game as the Warriors actually recorded more hits (five) in the game than the Wildcats (four). And Milton senior Charlie Walker, who is committed to play at Northeastern next season, was on his game with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Rudy Gately had a strong showing on the mound with four runs allowed, but none of them were earned. He scattered four hits and four walks, striking out three in 5.1 innings of work. Sophomore Tommy McLeish got the final two outs in the sixth, holding an inherited runner at third with a ground ball and a pop-up.

“I had all the confidence in the world in Rudy, he’s been a hell of a pitcher for us for the past two years and I’m excited for him to come back,” Plympton said. “And then Tommy McLeish coming in in that tough spot, and as a sophomore, that’s not easy. And he showed his composure and did a fantastic.”

An infield error (on a tough hop) allowed Milton’s leadoff man to reach in the bottom of the first, a walk pushed him to second, and a single up the middle brought the run home for an early 1-0 lead. Gately got a strikeout and an infield pop-up to strand runners at second and third.

Milton’s Ryan Kelley battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a one-out walk in the second, moved to second on a single, took third on an error, and then scored after a hard grounder got the force out at second but couldn’t be turned into a double play.

King Philip got a boost from the bottom of its lineup, starting with a one-out line drive double from the No. 9 hitting Eli Reed in the top of the third, the Warriors’ second hit of the day. Sophomore Max Robison followed with a hard-hit single to center and Reed scampered all the way home to cut the deficit in half.

Gately hit a batter with one out in the bottom half but induced a 6-4-3 double play with shortstop Shawn Legere hitting second baseman Brendan Weddleton, who fired over to first where Robison made a great scoop to hold on to end the inning.

Legere was hit by a pitch to put the leadoff runner on in the top of the fourth for the Warriors, but Walker got back-to-back strikeouts against the heart of the order, and then an infield pop-up for the third out.

“He threw a lot of curveballs and has a heck of a fastball, sitting around 90 [miles per hour],” Plympton said of Walker. “That’s probably the best curveball our guys have seen this year, it’s next level and he’s going to Northeastern so that’s what you’re going to see in Division 1 baseball, and I thought we gave him a pretty good bid.”

Meanwhile, the Wildcats proved to be dangerous with two outs. An infield error put Marcus Ollivierre on, who promptly stole second, and a second error allowed Jimmy Fallon to reach and Ollivierre to take third. A wild pitch bounced past the catcher and just like that, the Wildcats had another run without a hit.

Sean Sullivan had a one-out single in the top of the fifth and moved into scoring position after an errant pick-off attempt from the catcher, but the Warriors couldn’t push him any further as Walker got a ground out and then a pick-off.

Gately erased a leadoff walk with a pickoff and then worked around a single and a walk to keep the deficit at 3-1 through five innings, but Walker was in a groove on the mound and quickly retired the side in the top of the sixth. Milton added a key run in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single from Fallon to score Kelley, who reached on an error to start the inning.

That ended Gately’s outing and McLeish took over with a runner on third. After falling behind 3-0 in the count, McLeish induced a ground to shortstop where Legere looked the runner back before firing to first for the second out. Four pitches later, McLeish got Walker to pop up to right for the third out.

King Philip battled to the end as junior Brendan Sencaj smacked a hard-hit grounder up the first base line, and it took a friendly bounce off the wall in right as Sencaj hustled his way to a triple. A ground out to the right side from Gately brought Sencaj in, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with two outs.

But that was all the damage the Warriors would do as Walker got a strikeout and a liner to second for the final out.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“The program wasn’t in a great spot a few years back and this group of seniors has led the charge with the turnaround,” Plympton said. “We had a pretty decent season last year too. They played a little bit of an underdog role all season and I couldn’t be happier where we are as a program now and the future looks bright for next year.

“They are a resilient group and they’re able to let things go. We had a bad loss to Franklin but they were back in practice the next day ready to move on like nothing happened, which is huge. Baseball is mental…so if you’re dwelling on things, it won’t be good so I definitely learned what a resilient bunch they were.”

King Philip baseball finishes the season at 16-9.

Martorano, KP Edge Mansfield For Spot In D2 Final

King Philip baseball
King Philip’s Shawn Legere (16) and Brendan Weddleton (2) celebrate with Tommy Martorano (5) after beating Mansfield (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 BROCKTON, Mass. — Coming into the season, King Philip junior Tommy Martorano had high expectations but an injury in his first start of the season back in early April derailed his plans, forcing him to watch the entire regular season from the sidelines.

After two relief appearances earlier in the tournament, Martorano earned the start in the Division 2 state semifinals against rival Mansfield, and the left-handed pitcher delivered.

He tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just one hit and a pair of walks while striking out 12 as the Warriors edged out the Hornets, 1-0, for a spot in the D2 state championship game this weekend.

King Philip baseball

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We knew it wasn’t too serious of an injury early on but he was going to need the whole season to get back into form,” said King Philip head coach Jeff Plympton. “We wanted to get him into some games early on [in the tournament] and he was pumping, he was doing well so I just asked him, and I said do you want the ball for the semis and he lit up like a Christmas tree.

“We watched him in practice, he was painting those corners so we wanted to give him a chance and put him out for a game. I was hoping for at least four [innings] and then go from there but he was electric today, just the one hit. He had a few curveball strikes but he really had that fastball going. We were planning on going with him until he couldn’t go anymore.”

Martorano was on from the get-go, retiring the Hornets in order on 15 pitches in the top of the first order, his first strikeout coming on the third out. He didn’t retire the side in order again until the final inning, striking out all three Hornets to end the game, but he also didn’t let a runner advance past second.

King Philip baseball

“I felt pretty good in the relief appearances so I was telling coach that I was ready for a start, I was ready to go,” Martorano said. “I love being out there with my guys and now we get to play for a state championship.

“I was pumped to get back. I had a timeline to get back for the playoffs and when I was ready to come back, I made sure I was ready to help the team out and go as far as we could. We really wanted this game and now we’re ready to roll for the next one.”

Martorano’s counterpart, Mansfield senior Aaron Blinn, also had a stellar performance on the mound backed up by solid defense from the Hornets in the field and Aiden Jones behind the dish. He scattered eight hits over six innings of work, striking out four without issuing a walk.

After a clean first inning from both, Martorano worked around a leadoff walk with back-to-back strikeouts and a fly ball in the top of the second. Juniors Brendan Sencaj and Rudy Gately had the first two hits of the game, and mixed in with a balk and a stolen base, the Warriors had runners on second and third with no outs but Blinn bunkered down with a strikeout and two shallow fly balls.

The third inning presented both teams with a chance to break through on the scoreboard, but only the Warriors were able to cash in.

Sophomore Brian Butler had a one-out single for the Hornets and classmate Matt DeShiro followed with a walk. But Martorano got a line drive out to center and then a strikeout to deny the Hornets.

King Philip baseball

In the bottom half, sophomore Max Robison had a one-out single, but after Matt Kelley followed with a single, the Hornets got Robison at third after a heavy round of the bag. The rundown did allow Kelley to move to second to keep a runner in scoring position, and with two outs, senior Shawn Legere came through in the clutch with an RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.

“Shawn’s great…honestly, probably the best hitter to probably come through the King Philip program,” Plympton said. Legere was third in the Hock this regular season in average and was third in the league in hits as a junior. “He was just a little short for the best average in team history but he’s so confident, whatever the count is, doesn’t matter if it’s a fastball, a curveball, a changeup, a 3-2 count… he’s ready to go whenever.”

Mansfield got the leadoff runner on in Jake Maydak in the top of the fourth after an infield throwing error but Martorano quickly fielded the sac bunt in the next at-bat, and Robison alertly saw the runner taking off for an extra base at third and fired it over to Sean Sullivan, who applied the tag just before the slide. Another strikeout gave KP the third out.

Eli Reed had a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth, stole second, and took third on a ground out from Robison but Blinn didn’t allow him to go any further with a strikeout to end the inning.

“When you’re playing in the state tournament, every game is going to be close,” said Mansfield head coach Chris Hall. “We knew it was going to be a battle, already playing each other twice this year, and that’s exactly what it was. Martorano came out and pitched his tail off and I thought Aaron Blinn pitched incredibly on the mound and we played a clean game. But it comes down to that one run and they got it and we didn’t.

“But that can’t take away from what we achieved this year. I don’t think anyone in the state had us making it to the Final Four in Division 2, especially after starting off 1-4, but we’re here. I can’t say enough great things about this team. I’m very proud of this senior class for how they competed today and all year, such a huge positive. As far as I could find, I think this is the farthest any Mansfield team has gone so I’m just so proud.”

The Hornets got a final base runner on after an error in the top of the sixth, but once again Martorano came up with a strikeout to end the inning. Sencaj had one-out single in the bottom half to try and extend KP’s lead but was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice on a grounder from Gately. With the hit-and-run on, Travis Crawford drove one to center for a single from Mansfield center fielder Jared Fraone came firing and hit third baseman Jimmy Gilleran and he got the tag down to get the third out.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“The Hockomock League in general is tough, I think it’s the best league in the state,” Plympton said. “Blinn was fantastic, he dealt a good game. He shined, and he’s accurate and does a good job keeping guys off balance. Getting him for a third time, I was hoping that we’d be on him a bit more but he came out ready to go and he wanted it just as much as we did, it made for a good game.”

The Warriors, who won just three of its final eight games, have seemed to rediscover their form from the beginning of the season (seven wins in the first eight games) and now head into the D2 state championship against top-seed Milton riding a four-game winning stream.

King Philip baseball

“They’re a fun group to be around,” Plympton said. “There’s never a dull moment at practice and there’s a lot of talent on the team too. They can hit the heck out of the ball. I just have a smile on every time I’m with them, it’s great to come this far because they’re great to be around.”

King Philip baseball and Milton are scheduled to face off on Saturday at Fitton Field on the campus of Holy Cross with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00.

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/11/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Division 1
#9 Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 @ #1 Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin scored all five of its runs between the fourth and fifth innings and senior Jacob Jette tossed a complete game shutout to lead the Panthers to a spot in the Division 1 Final Four. The Panthers had a run on in each of the first three innings before finally cashing in in the fourth inning, sparked by a leadoff single from Evan Raider. Pinch runner Jacob Crisileo moved to second on a ground out and then to third on a single from Jase Lyons. Eisig Chin smacked a two-run double to score the first two runs, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a squeeze bunt from Ben Jarosz. In the fifth, Ryan Gerety led off with a double, took third on a passed ball, and came home to score after a dropped third strike. Chris Goode, who earned a one-out walk and stole second, came in to score on an RBI single from Henry Digiorgio. Jette worked around a bases-loaded situation in the first, getting his second strikeout in the inning to end the frame. After that, he only allowed one hit (one-out single int he fifth) and one walk (lead off in the fourth) while retiring the side in order in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings, finishing with eight strikeouts. Franklin will play #4 Shrewsbury in the D1 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

#10 Braintree, 0 @ #2 Taunton, 3 – Final – Behind a complete game shutout from Evan Cali and some timely hitting, Taunton blanked Braintree, 3-0, to advance to the Division 1 Final Four. Cali allowed just four hits and one walk, striking out one to deny the visiting Wamps. Offensively, Taunton took the lead with one run in the second inning and then pushed across a pair of runs in the fourth. Dawson Bryce smacked a double and came around to score on a single from AJ Lewis, and then singles from Lewis and Colby DeCouta put a pair of runners on in the the fourth and this time it was Shawn Cali who delivered the big hit, cranking a double to the outfield for two runs and a 3-0 lead. Taunton will play #3 Catholic Memorial in the D1 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

Division 2
#7 Plymouth South, 3 @ #2 King Philip, 14 – Final – King Philip saw its early lead disappear in the top of the fourth inning, but the Warriors responded in a big way with 10 combined runs over the next two innings in a win over Plymouth South that booked a spot in the Division 2 Final Four against Hock rival Mansfield. KP seized a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run single from junior Brendan Sencaj, who finished the day with six RBI for the Warriors, but Plymouth South cut the deficit in half with a run in the third and then took its first lead with two runs in the top of the fourth. Eli Reed got things started in the fourth by taking first after being hit with a pitch, and an error on Max Robison’s bunt put two runs on. An RBI double from Matt Kelley brought Reed home to make it 3-3, and after an intentional walk to Shawn Legere loaded the bases, Sencaj blasted a shot well over the center fielder’s head — a likely home run in most parks in the league — that turned into a three-run triple. A single from Rudy Gately added another run and gave KP a 7-3 lead. Gately (6IP, 3H, 3ER, 3BB, 3K) retired the side in the top of the fifth and the Warriors capitalized on the momentum with five more runs in the bottom half. Robison lined an RBI triple, Kelley drove in a run with a single, an error allowed Sencaj to reach and bring a run in, Matt DiFiore drew a bases loaded walk, and a sac fly from Sean Sullivan made it 12-3. Gately capped the scoring with a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth. King Philip will play #3 Mansfield in the D2 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

#6 Hopkinton, 6 @ #3 Mansfield, 7 – Final – A strong start and a key run in the sixth inning lifted the Hornets to a win over Hopkinton and into the Division 2 Final Four, booking a date against Hock rival King Philip. Mansfield scored twice in the first inning and then added three more in the bottom of the second right after the visiting Hillers had scored twice to tie it. A run in the fourth extended the lead but Hopkinton scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to close within one run. Mansfield answered with what turned out to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth as Cian Goulet drew a bases loaded walk to bring in Conner Zukowski, who had reached on an error. Hopkinton threatened in the seventh with a leadoff single and a walk but the Hornets got a key force out at third on the same play the Hillers scored, and then got a grounder to first to end it. Jimmy Gilleran got the win on the mound, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits and six walks, striking out seven while also helping his cause with a big three-run home run in the second inning. Connor Curtis came in and earned the save in 1.1 innings of work. Brian Butler had two hits and scored a run for the Hornets while Jake Maydak drove in a pair of runs with a hit and a walk. Mansfield will play #2 King Philip in the D2 Final Four with a date and time to be announced.

#21 Falmouth, 5 @ #4 North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.








Boys Lacrosse
Division 1
#10 North Andover, 7 @ #7 Franklin, 12 – Final – A dominant first half paved the way for Franklin in a win over North Andover, earning the Panthers a date with Lincoln-Sudbury in Round of 8. A pair of goals from Luke Davis and one from John Walshe presented the Panthers with a 3-0 lead after a quarter, and Franklin followed with a 6-0 second quarter to seize a 9-0 lead by halftime. A dominant defensive performance kept North Andover in check through three quarters, as Franklin took a 10-2 lead into the final frame. Davis finished with five goals, Jayden Consigli added a pair of goals and three helpers, and Tyler Sacchetti chipped in with a hat trick and an assist. Matt Corvi made 19 saves while Justin Alexander went 18-for-23 at the faceoff X. Franklin will travel to #2 Lincoln-Sudbury on Tuesday at 6:30.

Division 2
#24 Mansfield, 5 @ #8 North Attleboro, 11 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Matt Antonetti scored five goals and Brady Backner had a hat trick, as North earned its second win over Mansfield this season and its second win over a Hock opponent in the tournament to reach the D2 Elite Eight. It was the Hornets, who upset KP in round one, who got off to the quick start, as Grady Sullivan scored and assisted on an Andrew Burnham goal to make it 2-0. North would turn things around with a four-goal burst. Backner and Antonetti each scored twice in that run, with Clayton Billingkoff assisting on both Antonetti goals. Antonetti added his third in transition early in the second (North’s fifth straight goal) but that would be the lone goal of the quarter. Mansfield goalie Ryan DeGirolamo came up big on a pair of North breakaways and had five of his 15 saves in the quarter to keep the Hornets in it going into halftime. Drew Sacco took advantage of a turnover to get Mansfield within two just 20 seconds into the third, but North scored the next three to push the lead back to five. Antonetti again had the answer, first dodging from the X to his left and then getting space to fire in a righty shot. He then teed up Connor Ruppert for a bounce shot that went just under the bar. North kept rolling in the fourth with Jack Regan, Antonetti (from Backner) and Backner getting on the board. Tommy Smith and Sullivan also scored for the Hornets. North advances to the Elite Eight to face the winner of No. 1 Longmeadow and No. 16 Wakefield.




Girls Lacrosse
Division 1
#19 King Philip, 2 @ #3 Lincoln-Sudbury, 15 – Final – King Philip scored the first goal of the game to seize an early lead on the road but couldn’t keep pace with state powerhouse Lincoln-Sudbury. Seniors Julia Marsden, Haley Izydorczak, Lily Brown, Colleen Crowther, Margo Riley, Morgan Cunningham, Ally Peterson and Rachael Anderson all played well.

#22 Lexington, 2 @ #6 Franklin, 19 – Final – The Panthers pumped in a dozen goals in the first half and pitched a second half shutout in a big win over Lexington. Franklin raced out to an 8-2 lead with 10 minutes in the half and then outscored the visitors 4-0 before halftime for a 12-2 lead. Franklin went on to win the second half 7-0. Stella Regan scored five goals, including her the 100th of her career, and added an assist, Kaitlyn Carney also had five goals and one helper, while Katie Peterson (three goals, one assist) and Lindsay Atkinson (one goal, two helpers) also had a part in the attack. Head coach Kristin Guarino praised her defense for a great effort in the second half shutout.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/08/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Division 1
#16 Chelmsford, 2 @ #1 Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin overcame an early two-run deficit and escaped a bases loaded jam in the seventh inning to slip past upset-minded Chelsmford. After the visitors staked a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, Franklin plated a single run in the bottom half of three straight innings. In the bottom of the second, junior Eisig Chin brought home Evan Raider with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit in half, and in the bottom of the third a two-out single from Chris Goode brought courtesy runner Luke Sidwell (Joe Tirrell walk) to tie it 2-2. After a 1-2-3 inning from junior Alfred Mucciarone (6IP, 4H, 2ER, 0BB, 5K) in the top of the fourth, the Panthers pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom half. Jase Lyons led off with a single, took second on an error, and advanced to third on a ground out. After back-to-back outs, Tirrell delivered a single to left to bring Tirrell home to make it 3-2. Mucciarone kept rolling, retiring the side in order again in the fifth and sixth innings. Chelmsford threatened in the final inning against Franklin’s bullpen with a one-out single, a two-out walk, and then an infield error to load the bases, but James Kuczmiec induced a grounder to second for the final out.

#15 Natick, 2 @ #2 Taunton, 8 – Final –

Division 2
#18 Plymouth North, 5 @ #2 King Philip, 12 – Final – After a scoreless first inning left the hosts on the wrong end of a one-run game, the Warriors’ offense roared to life with five straight scoring innings to knock off visiting Plymouth North. The visiting Eagles took advantage of a leadoff walk and an RBI double to seize an early 1-0 lead but after the first inning, it was all KP. Matt DiFiore knotted the score at 1-1 with an RBI single in the second, and a sac fly from Rudy Gately followed by an RBI double from Travis Crawford gave the Warriors the lead for good. Brendan Sencaj was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth, and Gately followed with a walk to bring in another run for a 5-1 lead. Plymouth North made a game of it with three runs in the top of the fifth to get it back to a one-run game but KP answered with three of its own in the bottom half, with a two-run triple from Max Robison and a sacrifice fly from Matt Kelley to make it 8-4. In the sixth, three straight singles from Sean Sullivan, Eli Reed, and Robison each brought in a run, and Shawn Legere was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in KP’s 12th run of the game.

#14 Marblehead, 1 @ #3 Mansfield, 5 – Final – Buoyed by a big start offensively and a pair of terrific pitching performances, Mansfield picked up a win over visiting Marblehead. The Hornets scored three runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed, tacking on two key insurance runs in the sixth inning. Matt DeShiro and Conner Zukowski drew back-to-back walks, and the former came across to score on a passed ball. Anthony Sacchetti was hit by a pitch and Jake Maydak walked to load the bases, and a two-out single from Jared Fraone saw two runs come home for a 3-0 lead. Marblehead got a run back in the fifth inning but a two-out, two-run single from sophomore Brian Butler in the sixth inning restored Mansfield’s lead. Aaron Blinn earned the win on the mound for the Hornets, allowing just one unearned run on two hits and five walks, striking out one. Connor Curtis tossed three scoreless innings in relief, allowing just three walks and no hits, striking out a pair.

#13 Westfield, 1 @ #4 North Attleboro, 15 – Final – North Attleboro’s offense stayed red hot, belting out 13 hits to the tune of 15 runs in a big win over Westfield at DiNardo Field. After leaving a pair of runners in scoring position in the first inning, the Rocketeers didn’t squander many chances in the next five innings, scoring in each of them. Gio Martello got the scoring started with a one-out single to score Gavin Wells (walk) and David Floyd (double), and Tyler DeMattio doubled the lead with a two-out, two-run line drive single to left. Danny Curran cleaned things up with a an RBI single to push the lead to 5-0 after just two innings. Wells added a third inning sac fly to plate Jordan Paradis, and both DeMattio (triple) and Curran (error) scored in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 8-0. Paradis had a two-run hit in the sixth and Jack Munley cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the sixth to make it 15-1. Floyd earned the win on the mound, allowing just one run on three hits and one walk, striking out eight in 4.2 innings of work. Dillon Harding finished the game off, issuing just one walk while striking out a pair in 2.1 scoreless innings.

Division 3
#12 Sandwich, 6 @ #5 Foxboro, 7 – Final – For the second game in a row, Foxboro used a walk-off home run to rally for a win in the final inning. After using back-to-back homers on Monday in the seventh inning to knock off Saugus, Foxboro senior Liam Mulkern launched a two-out, two-run home run to hand the Warriors a dramatic 7-6 decision over Sandwich. The host Warriors rallied for three runs in the fifth to stake a 5-3 lead but the visiting Knights tied the game with two runs in the sixth and took the lead back with a two-out run in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half, sophomore Tyler Prescott kept the game alive with a two-out walk. Mulkern battled his way to a full count, and with the Warriors down to their final out, the senior sent a fastball over the fence in left for his first career homer and a walk-off win for Foxboro. Sean O’Leary (single) and Prescott (squeeze bunt) each brought a run home for the hosts for an early 2-0 lead. Sandwich leveled the scoring in the second and went up a run in the fourth before the Warriors pushed three across the plate in the fifth: an RBI single from Prescott followed by a two-run single from Mulkern. Tom Marcucella pitched well in relief for Foxboro, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out two in three innings of work.








Softball
Division 1
#15 St. Paul Diocesan, 4 @ #2 King Philip, 6 – Final – King Philip plated five runs with two outs in the fourth inning and that was enough to hold off an upset bid from visiting St. Paul Diocesan (formerly Holy Name). The Warriors carried a 1-0 lead (Taylor Regan RBI in the first inning) into the into the bottom of the fourth. Mia Bennett was hit by a pitch with one out and Sarah Cullen followed with a two-run opposite field blast over the fence in left, her second two-run homer in as many games, to make it 3-0. Ava Kelley kept it going with a single, and scored on a double from Ava Lanza (three hits, two runs, RBI). After Meg Sherwood was hit by a pitch, an infield error brought a run home. Charlotte Raymond tacked on an RBI single to make it 6-0. The visitors rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth but Jordan Bennett (7IP, 5H, 4R, 0ER, 1BB, 6K) put an end to the rally by inducing an infield ground out and retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts in the sixth. St. Paul reached on an error to lead off the seventh but Bennett snagged a trailing line drive and doubled the runner up at first and Bennett got the final out with a fly ball to Cullen in center two at-bats later.

#14 Bridgewater-Raynham, 3 @ #3 Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Kylie Thorpe launched a two-out home run over the fence in left in the bottom of the seventh to give the Tigers a walk-off win over Bridgewater-Raynham. The visiting Trojans twice took a lead in the game, first with a single run in the top of the first inning to make it 1-0, and then used two runs in the third to stake a 3-2 lead over the Tigers. Taunton rallied in the sixth as Kyleah Plumb dropped a bunt down the third base line and moved all the way to second when the throw was high. After a wild pitch moved Plumb to third, junior Ava Venturelli dropped two-out bunt down to bring in the run to make it 3-3. Freshman Cate Larson (5IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 4K) needed just six pitches for a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, setting up Thorpe’s winning home run. Taunton took its first lead in the bottom of the first as Plumb and Angie Lynch both reached on a bunt, an error on the latter allowing the former to come all the way home. Kaysie DeMoura followed with a double to center to bring Lynch in for a 2-1 lead. Larson came on in the third after B-R took its lead, and after a single loaded the bases with no outs, Larson got a strikeout, fielded a grounder and got the force out at home, and Hayley Krockta fielded another bunt to get the third out at home.

Boys Lacrosse
Division 2
#24 Mansfield, 7 @ #9 King Philip, 4 – Final
#26 Sharon, 8 @ #7 Minnechaug, 16 – Final

Division 3
#28 Bishop Fenwick, 5 @ #5 Foxboro, 16 – Final – Foxboro outscored visiting Fenwick 7-1 in the second quarter and closed the game on a 5-0 run to get the win and advance. After trading early goals, the Warriors staked a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter before dominating the second to grab a 11-3 lead at half. Fenwick scored two quick goals to start the second half but Foxboro blanked the visitors the rest of the way, scoring five straight. Conor Noone was involved in over half of the goals with five goals and four assists, Lincoln Moore added five goals and a pair of helpers, and John Sacchetti netted four goals and two assists. Tommy Sharkey and Finn Stapleton each added a tally in the win.




Girls Lacrosse
Division 1
#19 King Philip, 11 @ #14 Needham, 9 – Final – King Philip built a lead by the halftime break and stayed ahead throughout the second to earn an upset on the road over #14 Needham. Lily Brown led a balanced offensive showing for the Warriors, scoring four goals and adding one assist for the Warriors, who led 7-5 at half. KP outscored the hosts 4-2 to extend their lead before the Rockets made a late push to get within two. Julia Marsden and Makenzie McDevitt each had a hat trick in the win, Morgan Cunningham added one goal, and Emily Campbell made six saves in net for the win.

Division 2
#22 Canton, 2 @ #11 Burlington, 11 – Final
#23 Oliver Ames, 8 @ #10 Holliston, 20 – Final

Division 3
#27 Bishop Stang, 4 @ #6 Foxboro, 21 – Final – Mya Waryas scored seven times and Paige Curran racked up 11 points as Foxboro rolled in its opening round game against Stang. Waryas also added an assist, while Curran finished with four goals and seven helpers. Val Beigel also had a big day with five goals and Cate Noone chipped in with a hat trick and a pair of assists. Mary Collins (one assist) and Kaelin Connors also found the back of the net for the Warriors. Audrey Campbell made seven saves to record the win in goal. Foxboro will host No. 11 Hanover in the next round.

Boys Tennis
Division 2
#10 Mansfield, 1 @ #7 Walpole, 4 – Final – Mansfield’s season came to a close on the road at #7 Walpole, winning just one match. Sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at third singles for the Hornets.

Girls Tennis
Division 2
#22 Minnechaug, 1 @ #6 Sharon, 4 – Final
#13 Oliver Ames, 0 @ #4 Masconomet, 5 – Final

Division 3
#10 Whitinsville, 3 @ #7 Foxboro, 2 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Division 2
#13 Lowell Catholic, 0 @ #4 Milford, 3 – Final

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/06/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Division 1
#33 Lexington, 0 @ #1 Franklin, 14 – Final – Franklin was firing on all cylinders in its playoff opener, scoring in five of the six innings while Jacob Jette and three relievers dominated on the mound for the shutout. The Panthers pushed across three runs in the first, two more in the second, three in the third, four in the fifth, and two more in the sixth to get the win. Jack Marino went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs to pace the offense, which totaled 19 hits on the day. Henry Digiorgio (three RBI, two runs), Jase Lyons (two RBI, two runs), Esig Chin (RBI, run), and Ben Jarosz (RBI, run) all added two hits in the win. Jette allowed just one hit with no walks, striking out eight in five scoreless innings of work. James Kuczmiec, Evan Raider, and Aidan Langmeyer combined for two scoreless innings of relief, with just one walk issued.

#31 Waltham, 1 @ #2 Taunton, 13 – Final

Division 2
#31 Melrose, 1 @ #2 King Philip, 8 – Final – King Philip wasted little time in getting the offense going with four runs in the first inning to run away with a win over visiting Melrose. Max Robison and Matt Kelley drew back-to-back walks and Shawn Legere was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brendan Sencaj drove in a pair with a single, Travis Crawford added an RBI single two at-bats later, and back-to-back walks to Brendan Weddleton and Max DiFiore brought home a fourth run. KP tacked on one run in the third (RBI single from Weddleton), one in the fourth (Sencaj sac fly), and two more in the sixth (two-run single from Crawford) to make it 8-1. Rudy Gately shined on the mound for the Warriors, allowing one run on six hits and two walks, striking out seven in six innings of work. Tommy Martorano tossed a scoreless inning in relief with one hit and one walk allowed, striking out three.

#30 Danvers, 5 @ #3 Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield senior Jimmy Gilleran led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a game-tying solo home run and then drove in the game-winner with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh as the Hornets walked off with a 6-5 win over upset-minded Danvers. A run in the top of the first presented the visiting Falcons with an early lead but Mansfield jumped ahead with three runs in the bottom of the third, first an RBI single from Brian Butler to tie the game followed by a two-run single from Gilleran to make it 3-1. The seesaw battle continued with Danvers scoring twice in the fifth and Mansfield scoring once (Matt DeShiro sac fly), and the same happening again in the sixth with Danvers taking a 5-4 lead before Gilleran’s solo shot in the bottom half. In the bottom of the seventh, Cian Goulet led off with a single and courtesy runner Caden Colby took second on a sac bunt from Butler. An error allowed DeShiro to reach and Colby to move to third, and Conner Zukowski reached first on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases, setting up Gilleran’s game-winning sac fly.

#29 Somerset Berkley, 2 @ #4 North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North Attleboro exploded for seven runs in the third inning, breaking open a close game and running away with a double-digit decision over Somerset Berkley. The visitors staked an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first but a two-run home run from Tyler DeMattio tied it before the first inning was over, and a Gio Martello RBI single in the second gave the Rocketeers a 3-2 lead going into the third. In the bottom of the third, DeMattio had a one-out walk, Danny Curran followed with a single, Dillon Harding scored both on a single to left, Jordan Paradis drew a walk, David Floyd brought Harding in with an RBI single to left, and Gavin Wells followed with a three-run blast to left field to extend the lead to 9-2. Derek Maceda tacked on an RBI double before the inning was over to make it 10-2. Paradis brought two more runs in in the bottom of the fourth with a single to center. Tyler Bannon earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, striking out nine in six innings. Harding came on for a scoreless inning in relief, striking out one.

#19 Canton, 2 @ #14 Marblehead, 6 – Final – Canton pushed across the tying run in the top of the fifth inning to make it 2-2 but the Magicians quickly made the Bulldogs’ momentum disappear, scoring three runs in the bottom half and one more insurance run in the sixth for the win. Trailing 1-0 in the third, Matt Chafin (two hits) delivered an RBI single to pull the Dogs even, but Marblehead jumped right back ahead with a run in the bottom half. In the top of the fifth, Jack Digirolamo delivered an RBI base hit to left to make it 2-2 before the Magicians scored three in the bottom half, including a pair with two outs. Andy Butler added two hits and a run scored for Canton. Hayden Rose allowed four runs (two earned) on just four hits and no walks, striking out three in 4.1 innings of work.

#25 Oliver Ames, 3 @ #8 Westwood, 8 – Final

Division 3
#28 Saugus, 5 @ #5 Foxboro, 6 – Final – After seeing its lead slip away in the top of the seventh, Foxboro got the fireworks started early with a dramatic walk off win over visiting Saugus. The Warriors held a 4-3 lead going into the final hour and were three outs away from advancing in the Division 3 state tournament. But the visitors took advantage of an infield error to score one and used a sac fly to make it 5-4, meaning the Warriors were just three outs from their season ending. On the first pitch of the bottom of the the seventh, junior Ryan LeClair ripped his first career home run over the fence in left to knot the score at 5-5. On the very next pitch, Sean O’Leary launched his first career home run and Foxboro walked off with the win. Matheiu Sullivan pitched well in relief for the Warriors, tossing three scoreless innings with two hits and no walks allowed with a pair of strikeouts.

Softball
Division 1
#30 Newton South, 0 @ #3 Taunton, 25 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton got its playoff run started in grand fashion as freshman Brooke Aldrich hit three home runs and the Tigers roared to a big win at home. Aldrich launched a three-run home run in the first to highlight a five-run inning, added another three-run blast in an 11-run run second inning, and a two-run blast in the fourth inning. Mia Fernandes added three hits, including a home run, with three RBI and the runs, while Kaysie DeMoura had two hits, including a home run, with two RBI and three runs.

Division 2
#27 Ludlow, 1 @ #6 North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Kelly Colleran matched her career-high with 19 strikeouts, allowed only one hit and three balls in play, leading North to a first round win over visiting Ludlow. Mandi Hanewich got North off to a great start with a solo homer in the first. In the third, Hanewich reached on an error, stole second, and came home for what turned out to be the winning run on an Ally Levine base hit. The Rocketeers would add another run in the fourth. Shaelyn Burns reached on an error and would come around to score on a hit by Grace Simmons. Colleran helped her own cause in the fifth by driving in Mary Rogers and Hanewich, who had both singled and moved into scoring position on a Levine bunt. Colleran sealed the victory by striking out the side in both the sixth and seventh innings. North will face No. 11 Bedford on Tuesday afternoon.

#17 Wakefield, 7 @ #16 Stoughton, 2 – Final

#19 Leominster, 2 @ #14 Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield scored five times in the fourth inning to earn a first round win over visiting Leominster and advance to the round of 16. Liv Madeira opened the rally with a triple and scored on a bunt single by Alanna Conley. Casey Moussette singled and Olivia DeTrolio bunter her way on to load the bases. Julia Kelly plated one with a fielder’s choice and Molly Kucharski added a two-run single. Cat Kipp singled to plate one more and make it 5-0. Leominster answered with two in the top of the fifth but the Hornets got out of the inning and then added an insurance run in the bottom half. Conley singled, Moussette walked and Jill Koppy had an RBI single to make it 6-2. Conley finished the day 3-for-3. Kelly earned the win in the circle, scattering six hits and striking out eight. Mansfield will face No. 3 Walpole on Tuesday.

#23 Oliver Ames, 1 @ #10 Agawam, 4 – Final

Division 3
#24 Diman, 4 @ #9 Foxboro, 5 – Final – Visiting Diman pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to try and force extra innings but a single from freshman Vittoria Cuscia gave the host Warriors a walk-off win to advance to the next round. Foxboro held a 4-2 lead going into the final frame but Diman struck twice for make it 2-2. In the bottom of the seventh, senior Peyton Feldman had a single, stole second, and came home to score the winning run on a base hit from Cuscia. Cuscia got the win in the circle, striking out nine. Freshman Jill Slattery added two hits, two runs, and a stolen base in the win.

Girls Lacrosse
Division 1
#38 Milford, 4 @ #27 Newton North, 14 – Final

Boys Tennis
Division 1
#18 Algonquin, 4 @ #15 Franklin, 1 – Final

Division 2
#23 Nauset, 1 @ #10 Mansfield, 4 – Final
#19 Oliver Ames, 2 @ #14 Plymouth North, 3 – Final
#22 Canton, 1 @ #11 Wakefield, 4 – Final
#31 King Philip, 0 @ #2 Westboro, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Division 1
#25 King Philip, 0 @ #8 Hingham, 5 – Final
#30 Franklin, 0 @ #3 Brookline, 5 – Final

Division 2
#27 Ludlow, 1 @ #6 Sharon, 4 – Final
#20 Marblehead, 2 @ #13 Oliver Ames, 3 – Final

Division 3
#26 Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 @ #7 Foxboro, 5 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Division 2
#29 Boston Latin Academy, 0 @ #4 Milford, 3 – Final

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/27/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – In a playoff tuneup for two of the two rated teams in Division 2, North Attleboro emerged with its second win over King Philip this season. The Rocketeers scored twice in the third and once more in the sixth, and David Floyd had a strong showing on the mound in the win. Floyd allowed just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts, allowing one unearned run in 6.2 innings of work. Tyler Bannon had a one-out single and Tyler DeMattio drew a two-out walk in the third, and both came home to score on a single to center from Danny Curran to give the hosts the lead. King Philip cut the deficit in half on an RBI ground out from Max Robison but North responded in the bottom half on a single to center from Floyd to score Jordan Paradis, who had a leadoff walk. Quin Gartska pitched well in the loss, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out three in 4.1 innings of work.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames built an early lead with a run in each of the first two innings, but Dighton-Rehoboth tied it with two runs in the fifth, and took the lead for the first time with two runs in the sixth. Jake Waxman went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI double for the Tigers. Nathan Carpentier also had an RBI for the Tigers.

Softball
King Philip, 8 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 5 – Final – King Philip’s offense erupted for seven runs in the top of the sixth inning, erasing a four run deficit to claim a 8-5 win on the road at Bridgewater-Raynham, finishing the regular season 20-2. KP staked a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single from Charlotte Raymond but the Trojans plated three runs in the bottom half and two more in the third for a 5-1 lead. After Taylor Regan reached on an error to start the sixth, Raymond blasted a double to right to bring in a run, and then scored when Liv Petrillo reached on an error. After a single from Mia Bennett, Maddie Paschke drove in a run with a single to right. Sarah Cullen reached on a bunt single to load the bases before Ava Kelley tied the game with a single to right field, and an overthrow allowed courtesy runner Liv Ali to score for a 6-5 lead. Meg Sherwood (sac fly) and Regan (infield error) each brought in another run to make it 8-5. Emma Sheehan was terrific in relief for the Warriors, allowing just one hit and no walks, striking out two in five scoreless innings of relief for the win.

Taunton, 11 @ Newton North, 4 – Final – Locked in a one-run game through six innings, Taunton exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh to run away with its second win over Newton North this season. It was a back-and-forth battle between the two Tigers squads with Taunton claiming a 3-0 lead through 3.5 innings only for Newton North to erase that deficit with a three-run fourth inning. The visiting Tigers went back ahead with two runs in the top of the sixth (an RBI single from Liv Mendonca that brought a second run home on the throw) but the hosts responded with a run in the bottom half to make it a one-run game, 5-4, going into the final inning. Mia Fernandes had other plans as she launched a leadoff solo home run in the seventh, her second straight game with a homer. Angie Lynch and Kaysie DeMoura had back-to-back singles, and both scored on a double from Ava Venturelli. Hayley Krockta followed with a two-run double of her own, and Kylie Thorpe added a one-out RBI single to make it 11-4. Kyleah Plumb and Brooke Aldrich each added two hits and scored twice, and freshman Cate Larson went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Larson allowed three runs (all unearned) on two hits and three walks, striking out. three in 3.2 innings. Mendonca came on in relief, allowing one run on three hits and a walk, also striking out three in 3.1 innings.

Franklin, 9 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final (9 Inn.) – A back-and-forth seesaw battle between Franklin and Foxboro saw the visitors prevail with a tight 9-8 win in innings of action. Franklin took the first lead of the game with a run in the top of the first, Foxboro answered with two runs in the second, Franklin jumped back ahead with five runs in the third, but the Warriors responded with four runs in the fifth and another in the sixth for a 7-6 lead. The Panthers plated a pair in the top of the seventh to go up once again but Foxboro sent the game to extra innings with an RBI double with two outs. After a scoreless eighth, Franklin’s Carly Pellegri smacked a one-out double to bring Katy Liberman in for the winning run. The Warriors got a runner in scoring position with two outs but Kiera Kotwicki got her third strikeout to end it. Pellegri finished 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs with her two-run home run putting Franklin ahead 8-7 in the seventh. Reece Allen (RBI, run), Georgia Harvey (two runs), and Aislinn Lavery (two RBI, run) each added three hits for the Panthers. Freshman Ava Hill went 4-for-5, including an RBI double in the seventh that forced extra innings. Peyton Feldman added three hits, an RBI, and a run scored for the Warriors.

Boys Lacrosse
King Philip, 8 vs. Medway, 4 – Final
Sharon, 22 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 7 – Final
Canton, 10 vs. Marshfield, 13 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 13 @ Quincy, 8 – Final – Canton closed the regular season with a 13-8 win on the road over Quincy, winning eight of its final nine games to finish the season at 14-3. Goalie Elyse Broderick had one of her best games of the season, turning away 12 shots to lead Emily McCabe led the charge offensively for the Bulldogs with four goals and three assists while Ella Yeaton added four goals and one helper.

Taunton vs. New Bedford, 4:00

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/18/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 1 @ King Philip, 15 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip got off to a great start offensively with seven runs in the first inning and never looked back in a big win over visiting Attleboro. The Bombardiers struck first in the top of the first inning but the Warriors responded with seven runs in the first, five more in the second, and three in the third to take a 15-1 verdict. The Bombardiers scored without a hit in the first, an error followed by a fielder’s choice allowed the visitors to stake the early lead. KP scored all seven of its runs in the first with two outs, getting two-run singles from each Matt Kelley and Max Robison. The Warriors added five more in the second with two outs as well with Matt DiFiore, Eli Reed, and Brendan Sencaj singling in a run each. Quin Garstka earned the win for the Warriors, allowing just one hit (leadoff single in the fourth) with no walks and five strikeouts.

Sharon, 8 @ Canton, 13 – Final – Canton exploded for six runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to pull away from Sharon, who acted as the home squad for the game. Junior Matt Chafin went 3-for-3 with a walk, scoring all four times he reached base and Jack Digirolamo (two runs, three RBI), Hayden Rose (four RBI), and Matt Quan (run, two RBI) each added two hits in the win. For Sharon, Will Hippler went 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs and two RBI and both Conbor Blaney and Eli Greenfield drove in a pair of runs for the Eagles. Junior Alex Coughlin pitched well in relief for Sharon, allowing one run on four hits and one walk, striking out three in 2.2 innings out of the pen.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro made it five straight wins with a 9-1 decision over visiting Oliver Ames, making it four straight games the Warriors have limited the opposition to just a single run. Sean O’Leary earned the win on the mound for the Warriors, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks, striking out eight for the win. Matheiu Sullivan had one of his best performances of the season, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief with a pair of strikeouts. The Warriors wasted little time to get the offense going, plating five runs in the first inning before tacking on insurance runs in the fifth (three) and the sixth (one) innings. Ryan LeClair tripled on Foxboro’s second at-bat, driving in Jack Watts, and then scored on a single from O’Leary. Sophomore Tyler Prescott had an RBI single and then Louis Carangelo (double) and Prescott both came around to score on separate wild pitches. Kenny Mello and Mike Marcucella each added an RBI single in the fifth and Tom Marcucella had a sac fly in the sixth. OA’s Jake Waxman smacked a solo home run in the fourth for OA’s first hit of the game.

Franklin, 12 @ Milford, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Holding a 3-0 lead after four innings, Franklin found its groove in the fifth and exploded for nine runs to secure a win at Fino Field. Eisig Chin had an RBI double early in the fifth, Evan Raider blasted a two-run triple, and Jacob Crisileo had a two-out RBI triple to give the Panthers a 12-0 lead. Jack Marino (two RBI, run) Jase Lyons (two runs, RBI), and Joe Tirrell (two RBI) also had two hits for the Panthers. James Kuczmiec tossed a five-inning complete game shutout for the Panthers, allowing a pair of hits and walks to go along with four strikeouts to get the win. Sophomore Keith Lee went 2-for-2 for the Scarlet Hawks.

Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Ryan MacDougall, Colin Botelho, and Dawson Bryce combined to toss a shutout as Taunton avenged a loss to Mansfield from earlier this year with a 6-0 verdict at home. MacDougall got the win, scattering four hits and three walks to go along with a pair of strikeouts. Botelho (one hit) and Bryce (one walk, one strikeout) each pitched a scoreless inning in relief to help the Tigers close out the win. After MacDougall pitched out of a bases loaded situation in the top of the first, Taunton took the lead with one run in the bottom half. MacDougall hit a two-out double and scored when Bryce got a hit to fall into right. Braden Sullivan led off the third with a triple and scored on a single from MacDougall, AJ Lewis added an RBI double and Shawn Cali singled in a third run for Taunton to make it 4-0. Botelho knocked in a run with a single to right in the sixth and Lewis grabbed another RBI with a single to right.

Stoughton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – Stoughton pushed across three runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead but North responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to get the win and clinch the Davenport division title outright. Christian Bates earned a leadoff walk, stole second, took third on an error, and scored the tying run on a single from Kyle Conroy. Tyler DeMattio added an RBI double to put the Rocketeers ahead, and Dillon Harding brought in two runs after reaching on an error to make it 6-3. Tyler Bannon earned the win for North, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks, striking out nine in a complete game effort. Derek Maceda and Danny Curran each added two hits in the win for North. Jonah Ly went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Stoughton while Anthony Tilton and Dom Belle each drove in a run.








Softball
King Philip, 7 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip earned a shutout win on the road over Attleboro to clinch the Kelley-Rex division title for the first time since 2018. Sophomore Jordan Bennett had another stellar outing in the circle, allowing just three hits and one walk, striking out eight in a complete game shutout effort for the win. The Warriors pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the second and went on to score in each of the next three innings, punctuated with a three-run fifth. Mia Bennett opened the scoring with an RBI double and Maddie Paschke followed with an RBI single up the middle for a 2-0 lead. Ava Lanza drove in a run in the third to make it 3-0 and Bennett dropped a squeeze bunt down in the fourth to plate Taylor Regan. Meg Sherwood extended KP’s lead with an RBI single to right to bring Sarah Cullen home, and then Regan followed with her second hit of the day, a line drive single to right to bring both Ava Kelley and Lanza home.

Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Taylor Reynolds had two hits and an RBI, Emily Ciampa had a hit and an RBI, and Gillian Gordon scored a run as Canton secured a close win over visiting Sharon. Jessica Vo had a solid game defensively in right for the Bulldogs, and Sophia Santos was the winning pitcher, striking out four. For Sharon, Ally Foulsham had two hits, Ciara McAuliffe played a strong game defensively behind the plate, and Trinity Payne struck out six in four innings of work.

Foxboro, 12 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Foxboro exploded for eight runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in a win on the road at Oliver Ames, earning a season sweep of the Tigers. Freshman Vittoria Cuscia tossed a complete game shutout for the Warriors with three strikeouts, and helped her cause at the plate with a hit and an RBI. Peyton Feldman went 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot with three runs scored and two RBI, Allie Willis added two RBI, and Natalia Leach drove in three runs for the Warriors.

Milford, 2 @ Franklin, 10 – Final – Milford jumped ahead with two runs in the top of the third but Franklin quickly responded with seven runs in the bottom half and went on to secure a big win over the visiting Scarlet Hawks. Sophomore Camille Bonina launched a two-run home run in the top of the third to put Milford ahead 2-1. In the bottom half, Franklin had its first five batters reach base including a two-run double from Hailey Fales as the Panthers jumped back ahead 4-2. Avery Chalk and Dana Stott had back-to-back RBI singles and Katy Liberman smacked a two-out, two-run double to push Franklin’s lead to 8-2. Junior Kiera Kotwicki earned the win for the Panthers, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks, striking out four in a complete game effort.

Taunton, 13 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final (6 Inn.) – Taunton bounced back after losing two of its last three games by picking up a big win at Mansfield. The Tigers finished with 19 hits as a team, including nine extra-base hits, and scored five runs in the second and four in the third to break the game open. Ava Venturelli was 2-for-5 with a homer, a double, and four RBI, while Kaysie DeMoura also was 2-for-5 with a homer and drove in three. Taunton got good production from the bottom of the order, including Kylie Thorpe, who was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Liv Mendonca and Cate Larson combined to pick up the win. The Hornets got their lone run in the third inning. Amanda Schwarz singled and courtesy runner Sydney Fernando took second on a wild pitch before crossing the plate on a Callie Lake double. Mansfield finished with seven hits as a team.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final (8 Inn.) – Freshman Maryellen Charette drove in the game-winning run in the top of the eighth and Kelly Colleran made it stand up by striking out the side in the bottom half to secure the win and clinch the outright league title for North. Zoey McDonough started the winning rally with an infield hit and took second on the throw. Shaelyn Burns singled to move McDonough to third and Charette followed with a hit of her own to bring in the go-ahead run. Colleran went the distance in the circle and struck out 16 hitters. Charette, Burns, and Grace Simmons each had two hits, while Colleran scored twice and McDonough had a pair of RBI.




Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 9 @ Sharon, 12 – Final
King Philip, 10 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 9 – Final (3 OT)
Franklin, 11 vs. Longmeadow, 16 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 12 – Final

Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 15 – Final – Canton had seven different scorers to pick up its 10th win of the season, sweeping the season series with the Eagles. Emily McCabe was the spark plug for the Bulldogs, scoring five goals. Ella Yeaton added a hat trick for Canton and Elyse Broderick made nine saves. Bailey Garte scored both of Sharon’s goals and Tess Letendre had a big game, making 14 saves in the loss.

Franklin, 9 vs. Notre Dame Academy, 7 – Final

Foxboro, 11 @ Natick, 8 – Final – Foxboro pulled out a big non-league win at Natick to build momentum for the postseason. Val Beigel led the Warriors with four goals and Paige Curran finished with a hat trick and four assists. Mary Collins added two goals and an assist, while Cate Noone and Grace Riley each found the back of the net once. Mya Waryas had an assist and Audrey Campbell made nine stops in the win.




Boys Tennis
King Philip, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Behind a pair of single wins and one from doubles action, King Philip went on the road and picked up a win over Attleboro. Jonathan Cohen took care of business with a 6-1, 6-3 win at second singles and Jackson Hom captured a 6-1, 6-2 victory at third singles for the Warriors. The team of Leo Manning and Arjun Kullo added KP’s third point, getting a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles. Attleboro’s Kyle Neuendorf grabbed a 6-3, 6-2 win at first singles and the duo of Tyler Rocchio and Evan Sousa earned a 7-6, 6-3 win at first doubles.

Sharon, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Sharon swept both doubles matches and added another win from third singles to fend off host Canton. Jacob Stavsky earned a 6-0, 6-0 third singles win, the team of Ruemon Bhattacharyya and Mitch Weiss earned a 6-0, 6-0 first singles victory, and the team of Hyojae Park and Sava Kassev emerged from second doubles with a 6-1, 6-4 verdict. Canton sophomore Max Kupferman and senior Suraj Ramanathan both continued their strong seasons with wins at first singles (6-4, 6-2) and second singles (6-1, 6-1), respectively.

Foxboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final

Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin’s experience was on full display as the Panthers used five seniors in the lineup to knock off visiting Milford. Senior Vayshnav Malhotra and senior Sameen Shaik both won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while senior Drew Mahoney earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The senior tandem of Thomas Broyles and Tyler Fitzpatrick captured a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles and Franklin’s sophomore pairing of Ahan Shetty and Jay Gorgas captured a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Taunton, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Mansfield used a trio of underclassman to sweep singles action and added a fourth point in a win at second doubles to defend home court against Taunton. Freshman Neema Khosravani captured a 6-3, 6-1 win at first singles, while sophomores Iniyan Karruppusami and Nikhil Nain both won 6-0, 6-0 at second and third singles, respectively. The tandem of Jesse Colchamiro and sophomore Dhruv Jain added a 6-1, 6-0 second doubles win for the Hornets. Taunton’s first doubles pairing of senior Andrew Letourneau and junior Derek Deseault battled to a 6-3, 5-7, 10-8 win.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Behind a three-set victory at first doubles, North Attleboro returned home from Stoughton the victorious side of a 3-2 match. Junior Griffin Rodden and sophomore Quinn DiFiore won the first set but Stoughton took the second, sending it to a third set. Rodden and DiFiore had their best set of the match and prevailed with the win (6-4, 4-6, 6-1). North senior Will Folan captured a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles and junior Brody Carter took a 6-1, 6-0 verdict at second singles. Stoughton senior Anish Sinha earned a 6-4, 6-3 win at third singles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the Kelley-Rex division, King Philip took a clean sweep over visiting Attleboro. Ahunna James (6-4, 6-1), Shea Mellman (6-0, 6-0), and Caroline Freese (6-1, 6-2) swept the singles matches for the Warriors. Resha Ajoy teamed up with Lauren Casper and emerged from a 90-minute battle to take a 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 victory at first doubles, and the pairing of Priya Riar and Carlie Burns used their strong chemistry to capture a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles for KP.

Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon took three matches in straight sets and two more in third-set tiebreakers to earn a 5-0 sweep of visiting Canton. In a great battle at first singles, sophomore Navya Shukla emerged with a hard-fought win over Canton freshman Camila Cutter (7-5, 4-6, 10-8). Sharon’s Sophia Oh and Ritu Sreeram also prevailed in a tiebreaker, taking a win at first doubles (6-2, 4-6, 10-6). Sharon’s Ale Aguilar won 6-2, 6-4 at second singles, Judy Song added a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at third singles, and Jenny Sand teamed up with Alina Hou for a 6-1, 6-2 second doubles victory.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames swept both doubles matches and got a key win in singles action from a senior to take a 3-2 verdict on the road at Foxboro. Senior Elizabeth O’Brien played a very smart and consistent match to take a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Tigers’ lone point in singles action. The senior pairing of Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper were strong at the net in a 6-3, 6-2 win and the duo of Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli also won in straight sets (6-3, 6-3) for OA. Foxboro’s Athena Li continued to shine at first singles with a 6-0, 6-0 win while Hailey Kornbluth took a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles for the Warriors.

Franklin, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Franklin took all five matches in straight sets to take down Milford and stay in first place in the Kelley-Rex division with three matches to go. Izzy Trull (6-2, 6-1) Chloe Essum (6-3, 6-2), and Sarah Schiavo (6-1, 6-2) swept the three singles matches for the Panthers while Vedika Vinayak and Lexy Winkler secured a 6-2, 6-3 win at first doubles, and Amulya Jayam and Nihara Lijan captured a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final

Stoughton @ North Attleboro, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Millis, 6:00
Milford @ Medfield, 6:00