Tag: Michael Friel

Rocketeers Roll To D2 South Title Against Oliver Ames

North Attleboro baseball
North Attleboro’s Nate Pearce (right) is greeted at home plate after his sixth inning home run. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
BROCKTON, Mass. – There’s hot, there’s red hot, and then there’s Big Red hot.

The North Attleboro lineup continued its torrid streak this postseason, belting out 18 hits on its way to a 17-2 win over Hockomock rival Oliver Ames in the D2 South Sectional Final.

It was the second straight game the Red Rocketeers have had double-digit hits and double-digit runs. In its three postseason games, North Attleboro has outscored opponents 42-2.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“They are swinging the bat well, we’re just trying to keep the same approach regardless of what the pitcher is doing out there,” said first-year North Attleboro head coach Mike Hart. “We’re taking it one pitch at a time, one batter at a time. We feel if we take care of ourselves, we can be successful.”

And if the offense wasn’t hot enough, North Attleboro ace Nick Sinacola allowed just two hits and two unearned runs in six innings of work while striking out seven to earn the win.

“I’ll give it to that North Attleboro lineup, they crush the ball,” said Oliver Ames coach Joe Barr. “I’ve never seen a team like that, top to bottom, just go through and square it up. Our guy [Reid Latham] was throwing strikes but I don’t know if the air was a little thin or what but those balls got in the air and kept traveling.”

Once Sinacola set the Tigers down in order in the first inning, North Attleboro’s offense went right to work. Brendan McHugh led off with a double, Zach DeMattio had a one-out walk, and Nate Pearce roped a ground-rule double over the fence for a quick 1-0 lead.

Nick Raneri scored on a fielder’s choice as DeMattio was able to get home before OA’s throw did, and Jeff Gale hit one deep enough that brought Pearce, who was ruled to have tagged up after Mitch Goulet’s spectacular catch in center, home for a 3-0 lead after an inning.

Big Red tacked on four more runs — all with two outs — when it returned to the plate in the bottom of the second inning. McHugh started the rally with a single and moved to third when Sinacola picked up his first hit of the day. DeMattio brought both runners home with a hard hit triple, Pearce knocked a run in with a single, and Raneri drove a run in with a single as well to make it 7-0.

“We’ve all been working together through the winter and the spring and it really just shows how much hard work and coming together as a group can accomplish when you execute,” DeMattio said.

Nick Zwerle reached after forcing an error on his bunt and Sean O’Brien walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Sinacola got the second out but Michael Friel hit a line drive double into the gap in left center to bring both runs in to give the Tigers some life, cutting the deficit to 7-2.

But North Attleboro landed a big counter punch in the form of four runs in the bottom of the third to extend its lead. Aidan Harding walked and pinch runner Kyle Briere took second on a wild pitch and third on a single from McHugh. Briere beat out a throw home on Sinacola’s grounder, DeMattio scored McHugh with a single, Sinacola scored after DeMattio stole second and OA attempted to pick him off, and Pearce doubled in DeMattio for an 11-2 advantage.

“Subconsciously that’s the type of stuff that just creeps into your mind,” Abarr said. “You think you’re back in it — and I think we were in it more most of the game — but that was a deflating experience. I’ve been on that end as a player and a coach, and it’s tough. I tip my cap to North for that, they didn’t let up. They played hard right to the end.”


“I give [OA] a lot of credit, they are an excellent hitting team,” Hart said. “In regards to answering back, I think it just puts us at ease. I think it made it 7-2 then and five runs with these two teams means nothing. So to get those runs back, it helps Nick on the mound.”

Sinacola retired the side in order in each of the first and second innings, and after allowing two runs in the third, only allowed one base runner to reach third base (an error and a wild pitch). It was Sinacola’s second win against OA this year after beating them in his first appearance back in early April.

“I think early in the year, a lot of hitters struggle with the fastball,” Sinacola said. “Once you get to this point in the season, they are a lot better and they have their timing down. So I think we had to change it up and throw a little bit more offspeed then I did the first time and I think it worked.”

Raneri scored on a passed ball and Gale came home on a hard hit ball from Nolan Buckley that was ruled an infield error for the Tigers in the fifth inning.

In the bottom fo the sixth, Sinacola got his second RBI with a single to score McHugh, DeMattio picked up his fourth RBI of the day with a base hit to score Sinacola and at the next at-bat, Pearce launched a two-run home run to cap the scoring.

“We had to pretty much show up and play perfect against that lineup and that pitcher in order to walk out with a win,” Abarr said. “We knew they’d be relentless. But it was an unreal run for us here at the end, with a team that didn’t quite expect to be here. We don’t set hard and fast goals about where a team can get to, we have just shown up and worked on specific things to get better each day. And these guys did a great job doing that.”

North Attleboro’s top four hitters — McHugh, Sinacola, DeMattio, and Pearce — combined for 13 hits, 11 RBI, and 14 runs scored.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

For Oliver Ames (16-8), Friel had two hits and two RBI, Matt McCormack and Nick Bloumbas each had a base hit, and O’Brien and Zwerle each scored once. On the mound, Jay Fruci pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout.

“This is definitely the best group I’ve ever coached,” Abarr said of his team. “From top to bottom, the first guy in the lineup to the last guy on the bench to the team manager…they were tight, always behind each other, and regardless who was in the lineup each day, they were ready to play. It was the most reliable, hard-working, and unified group that I’ve coached and those are the three qualities you look for in a high school team.”

North Attleboro (21-2) advances to the D2 State Final to play North champ Beverly (20-4) on Thursday night at 6:30 at LaLacheur Park in Lowell.

Oliver Ames Answers The Call Against Duxbury

Oliver Ames baseball
Oliver Ames’ Jake Erlich (left) and Reid Latham celebrate after recording the final out to beat Duxbury. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
ROCKLAND, Mass. – Any time Duxbury tried to make its way back into the game, Oliver had the answer.

Similar to a boxing match, the Tigers countered any punch that the Dragons landed with a blow of their own. In the end, it was a unanimous decision, 11-7, in favor of the Tigers.

Oliver Ames advances to the D2 South Final to play Hockomock rival North Attleboro.

The Tigers opened the bout by landing a big shot away, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth. But as big as the opening inning was, it was the other two innings in which Oliver Ames scored that mattered most.

Duxbury connected with a jab in the top of the third in the form of two runs, cutting OA’s four-run lead in half. In the bottom half, the Tigers landed a clean shot of their own with their second four-run inning, pushing the lead to 8-2.

And again, when Duxbury landed another attempt in the top of the fifth with two more runs, making it a four-run game with just a couple innings to go, the Tigers responded. The fifth-seeded Tigers quickly striking back for three runs, restoring a comfortable lead at 11-4.

“That’s something that we said is one of our team priorities offensively,” said Oliver Ames head coach Joe Abarr. “When we’re scored on, our goal is to answer back immediately. I know from being around the game that if you’re the team playing catchup, and every time you get on the board, and the other team comes right back, it’s a very uphill battle. I think that was something really positive about our offense today, they did a good job with that.

“We put ourselves in good counts to hit the ball when we needed to and we got a ton of walks that really helped us down the line.”

After Duxbury failed to cash in in the top of the first inning, stranding a runner at third, the Tigers took advantage of their chance in the bottom half.

Senior Matt Muir led off with a single while senior Michael Friel and junior Chris Pearsons followed with walks to load the bases with one out. Mitch Goulet brought in a run when he was hit by a pitch and Jake Erlich smacked a two-run single up the middle for a 3-0 advantage.

CJ Deveau earned a one-out walk to load the bases before Sean O’Brien did the same with two-outs bring Goulet in for a 4-0 lead.

“That was huge and this time we didn’t take our foot off the gas,” Abarr said of the opening offense. “We were able to keep putting runs up there. The top of our order has guys that at any given at-bat can do big things. It’s nice to see them stringing them together consistently.”

OA starter Michael Mulrean (5.2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 1 K) ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the third. Not only was he taking on a strong Duxbury lineup, an issue with the mound caused issues for both pitchers. North Attleboro starter Peter Cohen had a similar issue during the game prior.

John Roberts led off the third with a walk but was erased when Sam Reagan reached on a fielder’s choice. A soft line drive from Luke Eggers put runners on the corners and then the ump called a balk, bring a run in and moving Eggers to second. A passed by and a single from Charles Coon brought in another run, making it 4-2. Coon made it into scoring position at second but Mulrean got back-to-back outs on two pitches to escape further damage.

Arguably OA’s most important was the bottom of the third. After Duxbury made a move to get back into it, the Tigers landed a deflating shot in the form of four runs.

Goulet walked and took second on an errant pickoff attempt. Erlich drew a walk and Deveau, who tried to sacrifice them both over, ended up safe at first after his speed down the first base line forced a high throw.

Nick Zwerle delivered a one-run base hit through the left side and O’Brien brought a run home on a groundout. With runners on second and third, Muir roped a hard line drive to right center field for a two-run triple to give OA an 8-2 advantage.

Mulrean was picked up by some solid defense in the fourth inning. A hard hit high bouncing ground ball was picked up by Zwerle on the first base line for an out. After a walk, Muir nearly made a spectacular leaping grab at short. The ball fell down but the senior stuck with it and got the force at second. And Friel snagged a tailing line drive at second for the third out.

“This isn’t a knock on the facilities but that mound was tough, I saw it when I went out for warmups,” Abarr said. “I think both sides really had to deal with that adversity. You could see their guy slipping and sliding. And the way Mulrean pitches, he pushes himself down and really does land in a slide with his front foot. He was almost doing a little split at times. I have to hand it to him, he did a good job hanging in there and gave us a chance to win and that’s all we can ask for.”

A leadoff single from Reagan sparked another comeback attempt for Duxbury in the top of the fifth. Eggers and Coon both walked to load the bases with no outs. Pat Melampy singled in one run and Frank Tower’s sacrifice fly made it 8-4.

Duxbury loaded the bases again but Mulrean got a big ground out to third to prevent any further damage.

True to form, Oliver Ames responded to recreate a comfortable separation. Sophomore pinch hitter Jacob Levine crushed a ball to left center field for a one-out triple and scored on an RBI single from Pearsons. A single from Goulet pushed Pearsons to third after, after Goulet stole second, Erlich walked to load the bases.

It looked as though Duxbury had its second out when Deveau hit a slow roller up the first base line. But once again, his effort down the line forced a second of indecision by the fielder and he slid in safely at first and Pearsons came racing in to score.

“It’s stuff like that that you need in these games,” Abarr said of Deveau’s two hustle plays. “That was unbelievable, they were both great hustle plays. We said last night, it’s going to be tough for everyone, so don’t take anything granted, we have to run everything out. And I have to really hand it to these guys, I don’t think I’ve had to talk to anyone about not running a play out, which is awesome.

With O’Brien up, Goulet sprinted home on a wild pitch to make it 11-4.

Duxbury pushed back with three runs in the top of the sixth inning but reliever Tom Parker came in and eventually got the third out – a swinging strikeout – to strand runners at second and third.

OA’s Reid Latham inherited a runner at first when he came in to pitch in the top of the seventh. Latham got a strikeout, fly ball to center field, allowed a two-out walk, but closed the door on a groundout to second base.

“We were here last year, we got knocked out here [by a similar score],” Abarr said, the Tigers having lost 10-6 to Westwood at this point a season ago. “We battled back [in that game] but came up short. We’ve tried to work on specific things throughout the season. And these guys, from top to bottom, have done a tremendous job working on those things in order to get better.”

Oliver Ames baseball (16-7) will take on the Rocketeers in the D2 South Final on Saturday at 10:00AM at Campanelli Stadium.

The two teams opened the season against one another back on April 9th with Big Red prevailing 5-2. The Tigers loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh before North got the final out to secure the win.

“We faced [Nick] Sinacola, who is the real deal and their catcher [Zach DeMattio] is unbelievable, he crushes the ball, he’s one of the best high school hitters I’ve ever seen,” Abarr said. “Just thinking back, we had a couple of errors, we aren’t on time with our hitters. I’m hoping with two and a half months under our belt now, we’ll come in and give them a better game. I think we lost by three runs but they were just a step ahead. Hopefully we’re even now and have a good game on Saturday.”

OA Advances To South Semis With Win Over Nauset

Oliver Ames baseball
Oliver Ames’ Jake Erlich (left) and Matt Muir celebrate after getting the final out against Nauset. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – With the way the game started, it was looking like it was going to be a blowout win for Oliver Ames.

But by the end, the Tigers were just happy to survive and advance.

OA built a 5-0 lead through the first three innings of play but saw that advantage shrink to just one run after the next two. The Tigers added a big insurance run in the fifth and escaped a seventh-inning threat from Nauset to emerge with a 6-4 win.

“I tip my cap to Nauset,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “Their first base coach just kept saying ‘play the game’ which I thought was a cool mantra. You could see their guys stay in the moment and getting hits when they needed to. But we were able to get enough runs across early in the game and protect the lead in the end.”

“As soon [Nasuet] battled back it was like a wake-up call and all the guys got behind each other. I’m hoping they remember that and keep that attitude moving forward because the games won’t be any easier moving forward.”

Some heads up base running in the bottom of the first inning helped the Tigers grab an early lead. Michael Friel (4-for-4, RBI, run) had a one-out single and stole second with two outs. Chris Pearsons (3-for-4, RBI, run) hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield but raced down the line and beat the throw for an infield hit.

With two outs, Friel was off and running, but didn’t stop at first. The senior infielder alertly sped around third and took off for home. The Nauset first baseman held the catch at first while the ump made the call and Friel crossed without a throw home. With no one covering second, Pearsons sprinted to the open bag for a free base but was stranded there.

“My assistant coach was just saying that’s what wins tournament games,” Abarr said of the alert base running. “I really can’t say enough about both of those guys, their baseball instincts are tremendous. But it’s not just instincts, they work at it. We have two rounds during batting practice that you have to run the bases after and those two guys take all their reps very seriously and it pays dividends. We’re hoping to get more guys to buy into that too because it makes a big difference.”

Oliver Ames starter Reid Latham (3.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 2 K, 0 BB) worked around a hit in both the first and second innings. In the first, Nauset’s Stephen Kalnick was gunned down by Sean O’Brien after trying to turn a single into a double. And in the second, Harrison Field’s leadoff single didn’t result in anything when Latham got three straight outs.

Jake Erlich (2-for-4, RBI, run) got the bottom of the second started with a single and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt from Nick Zwerle. CJ Deveau battled his way through a nine-pitch at-bat, ending it with an RBI single to score Erlich. Matt Muir followed up with a two-out single to bring Deveau in and Muir took second on the throw.

Friel grabbed his second hit of the day with a double to bring Muir home to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

Pearsons led off the third with a bloop single into left field and made his way all the way to third after a throwing error. Junior Matt McCormack grounded out but Pearsons came in to score to make it 5-0.

Nauset came firing back in the top of the fourth, taking care of some miscues by the Tigers. Latham got the first out with a strikeout but a high fly ball from Kalnick dropped in left center field. Latham bounced back with another strikeout but Chris Beach singled with two outs to put runners on first and second.

Latham induced a ground ball to the left side but miscommunication allowed John Dysart to reach and load the bases. Kurtis Thomas and John Paul LaBarge hit back-to-back singles, though each only scoring one run apiece. Henry Blanchard was then awarded first after a catcher’s interference call, bringing a third run in.

“This was the first time he’s been on the mound in a real game in probably five or six weeks so I have to give it to him,” Abarr said about Latham. “He did a tremendous job. When he had the cast on his hand, he was still the first one at the park each day. As soon as he was able to get the hard cast off, he could throw some and he came straight from the doctors to practice and wanted to throw. I think this was a moment he’s been waiting for and as far as I’m concerned, he shouldn’t be deflated about that inning, he just didn’t have some things go his way, and that’s the way baseball goes.”

Abarr went to the bullpen and brought in junior Tom Parker (2.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 K, 3 H). The lefty needed just one pitch to get a fly ball to right to leave the bases loaded for Nauset.

“I give Tommy credit, coming in there and throwing that one pitch to get us out of it, which I thought was a huge momentum changer for us,” Abarr said.

A single from Friel and a walk to Mitch Goulet put runners on first and second for OA in the bottom half of the fourth but an infield pop up ended the threat.

Kalnick helped get Nauset one run closer with a one-out triple in the fifth inning. Harrison Field followed with a triple of his own to bring Kalnick in but Parker didn’t let Field get any further, getting two ground balls to end the inning.

OA got the insurance run it needed in the bottom of the fifth. McCormack led off with a walk and took second on a passed ball. Erlich hit a hard grounder down the third base line for an RBI double to plate McCormack to put the Tigers up 6-4.

After Zwerle was hit by a pitch, Deveau’s sac bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out but Kalnick, Nauset’s third pitcher of the day, prevented any further damage with a strikeout and 6-3 ground out.

Parker worked around a one-out error in the top of the sixth, getting back-to-back strikeouts after the runner reached. OA had a chance to blow the game open when it loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth behind three straight singles from Friel, Pearsons, and McCormack.

But this time it was Kalnick with back-to-back strikeouts to prevent any further damage.

Nauset threatened in the top of the seventh behind a one-out single from Kalnick and a walk to Field. Abarr brought in Muir to close the game out and the senior did just that, getting a line drive to center and a ground ball to short for the final two outs.

“[Parker] kept himself really composed when their three and four hitters had those triples,” Abarr said. “He was able to get out of that inning with just the one run which I’ll take all day. He was jacked up for that last inning and then we had that pause for the base runner and I think that hurt his momentum. And Matt Muir has probably been our most consistent guy out of the pen this season.”

Oliver Ames baseball (15-7) advances to the D2 South Semifinal for the second straight year. The Tigers, seeded sixth, will take #7 Duxbury (14-8) on Wednesday at 7:00 at Rockland Stadium.

Mansfield Walks Off With 1-0 Win Over OA In Extras

By Brian Hines, HockomockSports.com Contributor

MANSFIELD, Mass. – With runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Mansfield’s Justin Pena had the chance to play hero — and that’s exactly what he did.

Pena dropped a bloop single over the first base bag to drive in Dan Saraceno to give Mansfield a 1-0 walk-off victory over Oliver Ames.

“We kind of had tabbed [Pena] coming into the season as a pitcher only, and he’s taken on a whole new life as a designated hitter,” said Mansfield head coach Joe Breen. “He’s just been unbelievable the last few weeks, so I’m just really happy for him. He’s worked his butt off the last few years and he deserved that one.”

The eighth inning rally by Mansfield didn’t come easy, as Oliver Ames starter Michael Mulrean quieted the Hornets’ bats the majority of the afternoon. Mulrean pitched 7.2 innings, allowing just one run and seven strikeouts.

“I’m not sure we ever did figure [Mulrean] out,” Breen said. “He pitched a heck of a game, you got to tip your cap to a kid who goes out there and busts his butt like he did.”

But in the eighth, a strong at-bat by Saraceno and a single by Kevin Dow provided the spark the Hornets needed. A sacrifice fly was able to advance Saraceno to third, where he then scored on Pena’s walk-off single.

“We just got one more, one hit, that’s all we needed there in the end there,” said Breen. “Dan Saraceno obviously started up the rallying, getting that leadoff guy on with a great two-strike at-bat and then just keeping the inning alive. Getting him to third from Tyler’s sac fly and then Justin Pena.”

As brilliant as Mulrean was for Oliver Ames, Tyler Dalton was just as good on the hill for Mansfield. The senior right-hander pitched an eight-inning complete game shutout, piling up 11 strikeouts throughout.

“[Dalton’s] kind of hit his groove here,” said Breen. “The last few games he’s basically just taking the ball and refused to give it back to me until the game is over and we win.”

Dalton was able to retire 24 of the 27 batters he faced over his eight innings of work. Oliver Ames’ only real threat came in the fourth when leadoff batter Michael Friel reached first and proceeded to advance all the way to third.

The inning ended without Frier scoring, and it was the only player the Tigers’ saw reach third base all game.

With the win, Mansfield stays in control of the race for the Kelley-Rex division championship. The Hornets are currently tied with Franklin for league wins but have two league games left compared to just one for the Panthers.

“Honestly at this point just every win, doesn’t matter who you play, how you get the win, there all huge at this point,” said Breen. “We just got to keep battling and keep being led by our seniors, and hopefully we can pull a few more out.”

Mansfield baseball (11-3 Hockomock, 15-3 overall) returns to action on Wednesday, as they travel to take on Bridgewater-Raynham. Oliver Ames (9-5 Hockomock, 11-6 overall) retakes the field Tuesday at home against King Philip.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/09/18


Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – Mansfield got off to a strong start with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, extended the lead with three runs in the fifth inning and tacked on one more in the sixth in a win over Attleboro. Tyler Dalton went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored to lead the Hornets’ offense while Cullin Anastasia was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Kevin Dow struck out nine in five innings of work, allowing four hits and just two walks with no runs against to earn the win. Alvaro Espinel was 1-for-3 with an RBI while Matt Callahan (hit) scored Attleboro’s run.

Stoughton, 6 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Stoughton plated four runs with two outs in the top of the third to build a lead it never let go of. Robbie Seaman had a two-run single and Evan Gibb (2-for-4) followed with a two-run double for the Black Knights. George Currier went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Ruben Gonzalez had another strong day, getting the win on the mound (5 IP, 1 ER, 3 hits, 5 K) and went 3-for-3 with a walk.

Canton, 1 @ Milford, 11 – Final – Milford senior Aidan Wilde had three hits, the second one being the 100th of his career, to lead the Hawks to a big win over Canton. Wilde notched the milestone in the bottom of the fourth inning with a single into left field. Sophomore Luke Rosa earned his first career win, striking out three with just one run allowed in five innings of work.

Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Taunton took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring three runs on five hits but Franklin tied the game with three runs off two hits in the top of the fifth. The Tigers responded right away with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Tyler Medeiros got it done at the plate and on the mound for the Tigers. Offensively, he had two hits and an RBI. And on the mound, he earned the win, allowing just three hits while striking out 10 in a complete game effort. Jacob Crawford added two hits and two runs and Griffin Tomaszycki had a hit, two RBI, and a run scored for the Tigers.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames and King Philip each scored two runs in the first inning but the Tigers were able to beat the Warriors the rest of the way. OA tacked on two more runs in the top of the third, KP cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the third, but the Tigers added the insurance run in the sixth inning. Michael Friel (hit) reached bases three times, stole two bases, scored a run, had an RBI, and played outstanding defense at second base to pace OA to the win. Matt Muir (RBI, double) and Jack Erlich (run) each had two hits for the Tigers. OA’s Tom Parker earned the win with six innings of relief work, not allowing an earned run.

Sharon, 2 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro junior Ryan Warren roped a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning to break open a tie game and help the Rocketeers beat upset-minded Sharon. Zach DeMattio got things started with a walk, and pinch runner Billy Drummond took second on a sac bunt from Jeff Gale (2-for-2, two runs). After Cohen reached on a drop third strike, Drummond advanced to third, and Cohen stole second. That’s when Warren delivered. Sharon held a 2-0 lead after an inning but North tied things in the third on DeMattio’s two-out, two-run single. Peter Cohen pitched 5.1 innings of relief to earn the way for the Rocketeers.

Softball
Mansfield, 3 @ Attleboro, 15 – Final (6 inn.) – Attleboro exploded for 20 hits on the day, getting the game started on the right foot with seven runs in the first inning. Each Bombardier in the lineup had at least one hit led by MacKenzie Killough, who went 3-for-5 with two home runs. Freshman catcher Lora Woyton added a three-run home run, freshman Autumn O’Connell had three hits, Ashley Macia (two doubles) went 3-for-3 and Jordyn Lako was 4-for-5 for the Bombardiers. Jenna Gittle struck out five in six innings of work for Attleboro.

Canton, 1 @ Milford, 13 – Final (6 inn.) – Milford senior Kelley Reichert struck out 10 in a six-inning performance and Emily Piergustavo (3-for-4, four RBI) and Emily Hartman each belted a two-run home run as the Hawks won big at home. Kate Irwin (two runs), Jess Tomaso (double, two RBI), Antonia Bonina (two runs, RBI), and Maddy Bonvino (double, RBI) each had two hits on the day for Milford.

Stoughton, 3 @ Foxboro, 10 – Final – Foxboro avenged a loss from earlier in the season to the Black Knights with a big win on its home field on Wednesday afternoon. Lexi Buckner went 3-for-4, including two doubles and a home run, and finished with six RBI to pace Foxboro’s offense. Morgan Sylvestre went 3-for-4, Kelli McCarthy added two hits and two RBI, and Hannah Davis knocked a run in Emma Rohan scattered five hits, walked one and struck out seven for Foxboro.

Taunton, 6 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Taunton pushed across three runs in the first inning, added another in the second, and put the game out of reach with a pair in the fourth inning on the road at Franklin. Tigers freshman Kelsey White won her fourth game of the season, allowing just one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts (and no walks). Offensively, Alexa White and Liana Duarte (RBI) each had two hits while Jaime Brown (RBI) reached four times with three walks and a triple. Kya Enos, Hanna Aldrich, and McKenzie McAloon each knocked in a run for the Tigers. Franklin scored in the sixth inning when Ally Shea doubled and courtesy runner Molly Collins came around to score on a single from Tara Hartnett. Emily Valentino struck out four while Gabby Colace played a great game defensively for FHS.

King Philip, 13 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – King Philip scored eight runs in the top of the third to create separation against the Tigers and never looked back. Destiny Goyco, Lilliana Rolfe, and Faith Turinese each collected three hits for the Warriors while Nicole Carter and Meghan Gorman each pitched in with two apiece. Turinese earned the win, allowing one run in seven innings of work. For OA, Katie Mills was 1-for-3 with a run scored. Mills was knocked in by Katie Abreu (2-for-3); Sarah Tetrault and Lexie Campbell also each had a hit for the Tigers.

North Attleboro, 14 @ Sharon, 2 – Final (5 Inn.) – Olivia DesRoches pitched five innings and struck out four to pick up the win for the Rocketeers. Abby Gallagher had four hits and drove in a pair of runs for the North offense, which also got two hits apiece from Olivia Capobianco, Bella Erti (including a two-run homer), and Andrea Miceli. Stephanie Inglese hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Emily Pastore made a “highlight-reel grab” for North in the win.


Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Milford, 8 – Final – Milford scored four goals in each the second and third quarters, taking a shutout into the final frame against visiting Attleboro. Freshman Evan Hazard turned aside 15 shots while Andrew Gallagher and Ryan Hazard each scored three goals apiece for the Hawks.

Canton, 7 @ King Philip, 8 – Final (OT) – Canton junior Mike Shaw scored in the final minute of the game to tie it and send it to overtime but the Warriors prevailed with the win. KP was able to hold off Canton’s extra-man opportunity to begin the overtime period before netting the winner. Canton sophomore Jack Connolly played great in goal with 12 saves while Dan Cohen (two goals) was one of six Bulldogs to score.

Foxboro, 7 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 17 – Final – Senior Johnny O’Glishen scored a pair of goals and added an assist to help the Panthers pick up a big win on Senior Night. Sophomore Ben Greco added a pair of goals, while sophomore Luc Sweeney and junior Patrick Morrison each had one goal and one assist each. Eric LeBlanc scored three goals for Oliver Ames.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Sharon, 7 – Final – Sharon limited North Attleboro to just one goal in the first half, building a 4-1 advantage that it never let go of. The Rocketeers got within two late in the fourth quarter but the Eagles secured the win with a seventh goal with three minutes to go. A big reason for Sharon’s big defensive game was goalie Jonathan Greenberg, who turned away 18 shots in the in. Offensively, Chase Waxman had three goals for the Eagles, Kadin Nestler added two, and Spencer Hall and Dan Lilienfield each scored once. Senior Brett Litner collected four assists for the Eagles.

Stoughton, 7 @ Taunton, 5 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Milford, 6 @ Attleboro, 12 – Final – Kyra Lyons paced the Bombardiers with seven goals and Kim White scored her first varsity goal in the win. Attleboro also got goals from Hannah Aspinwall, Emily Patton, Sydney DiLiddo, and Rylee Fontes. Head coach Kevin Patton called it a “total team effort.”

King Philip, 16 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Seven different players scored goals for the Warriors in another big league win. Olivia Tormey and Caroline Klim each scored four goals for KP and Dana Truini scored twice and assisted on three other goals. Alli Meehan, Lauren Anderson, and Emma Izydorczak each scored once in the win, while Caroline Watson made eight saves in the KP goal. Leah McClellan and Maggie Connolly each scored twice for the Bulldogs and Kaitlyn Goyetch scored once. Connolly also had an assist. Vicki Revanche made 13 saves in the loss.

Mansfield, 5 @ Foxboro, 20 – Final

Franklin, 17 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Franklin senior Nicole Houlihan and freshman Elizabeth Wilson each accounted for four points apiece as the Panthers rolled to a win on the road. Houlihan had two goals and two assists, Wilson finished with one goal and three assists, and sophomore Erin Walsh chipped in with three goals and three assists. FHS coach Kristin Igoe-Guarino said Annie Walsh and Hailey Toolin both played well in the midfield for the Panthers. Chloe Kilkelly scored twice for Oliver Ames while Olivia Piazza recorded three assists.

Sharon, 9 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Maeve Barbera scored the game-winning goal, her second of the afternoon, for Sharon with 15 seconds left in the game to split the season series against North. Sharon coach Shara Ginthwain called this a “huge win” for the Eagles and said that the game was “very close and competitive the whole time.” She added that the Eagles defense created turnovers in big moments and that the transition was “really great.” Sabrina Robbins scored three goals and Emma Eberhardt had four goals and an assist. Jenna Goldstein had an assist and Rose Wald made five saves in the win. Mackenzie Rosenberg scored six goals in defeat for the Rocketeers.

Boys Tennis
Mansfield, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield went on . the road and picked up a sweep over Attleboro, winning all five matches in straight sets. Luke Nickerson didn’t lose a game at first singles, Luke Devine won 6-3, 6-1 at second singles, and Peter Lally emerged with a 6-3, 7-5 decision at third singles. The team of Sam Cavicchi and Nilay Pangrekar won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles, and Sam Schirmacher and Sam Donellan won by the same score at second doubles for the Hornets.

Milford, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton picked up a pair of wins in singles and two more victories in doubles to beat visiting Milford. Dillon Anderson won 7-6, 6-0 at second singles and freshman Minh Duong took a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles for the Bulldogs. The team of Charlie Malloy and Aidas Jakubenas won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles and Justin Luk and Ethan Nguyen prevailed 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles for Canton. Milford’s BrenO’Shaughnessyessy rallied from a one-set deficit to win 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.

Stoughton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Stoughton freshman Waseem Sablon picked up a win in straight sets at first singles but the Black Knights fell on the road to the Warriors. Sablon won his match 6-3, 6-1.

Franklin, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Franklin took a pair of wins from singles play and swept doubles in straight sets to get a win on the road at Taunton. Freshman Liam Marr won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles and senior Tyler DiPalma prevailed 7-5, 6-2 at third singles. The team of Tony Calderone and Derek Wu won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles while Saketh Saripalli and Shournik Sompally lost just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles for the Panthers.

King Philip, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – King Philip’s Max Goreham and Riley Outlaw recorded their first career wins, taking a 6-0, 6-4 victory at second doubles in the Warriors sweep of OA. Jake Mager and Zak Ryan added a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles, Nick Putney (first singles) and Jack Cannon (second singles) didn’t lose a game, and Nick Ihley won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for KP.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Click here for a recap of this match.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – The Hornets swept doubles play and picked up two more wins in singles action, winning all four matches in straight sets against the visiting Bombardiers. Senior Sarah Doyle won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and junior Elizabeth Elsner notched a 6-2, 6-2 win at second singles for the Hornets. The team of Tessa Garufi and Hannah Podolske won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles while Samantha Sternburg and Aryana Khosravani won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles for Mansfield. Attleboro’s Anna Nelson won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles.

Canton, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Canton freshman Natalie Keppler emerged with a third set breaker to get the win, helping the Bulldogs finish off the sweep on the road. Keppler won 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 to get the win, classmate Rachel Kupferman won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles, and Sarah Hernandez won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles for Canton. The team of Stelina Michaelidis and Caitlin Matthews earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles while Anjali Mandal and Jamie Cree teamed up to win 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Foxboro’s three singles players combined to drop just three games total in a clean sweep over Stoughton. Sophia Prinos didn’t drop a game at first singles, Pamela Nelson won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles, and Kayla Prag earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Julia Muise and Sarah Prag paired together for a 6-2, 6-4 victory at first doubles while Olivia Dantona and Kendall Milender dropped just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Taunton, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Taunton won all five of its matches in straights, going on the road to get a sweep at Franklin. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Vanessa Rosa took a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca earned a 6-1, 6-2 decision at third singles. McKenzie Lucie and Samantha Martin notched a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles while Amanda Pugh and Brianna Fevrier teamed together for a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – After dropping a first set tiebreak, Oliver Ames’ second doubles team of Olivia Groebe and Rachel Stryke rallied to win two straight sets and clinch the winning point for the Tigers. Groebe and Stryke won 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 while OA’s first doubles team of Kristin Bloumbas and Emily Yu also recorded a comeback win, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Sophomore Maura Kiernan also won in three set for OA, taking a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 decision at third singles. KP’s Erin Regnier won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles and Meghan Sepich prevailed 6-3, 6-0 at second singles.

Sharon, 5 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Sharon won all five matches in straight sets to earn a sweep of North Attleboro on the road. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Lulu Yuan earned a 6-0, 6-3 decision at second singles, and EmilyWen prevailed 6-3, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Katie Merport and Sachi Bhasin notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles while Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein continued their strong season with a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Millis, 0 – Final


Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/04/18


Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Foxboro, 1 @ Attleboro, 10 – Final – Attleboro plated four runs in the second inning and scored in every other inning except for the fifth to score a big win over Foxboro and snap its five-game losing streak. Senior Jon Candiales won his first varsity start, scattering four hits, one walk, and six strikeouts in a complete game effort. At the plate, Candiales helped his own cause with two hits, including a double, and two RBI while James Weir added two hits – a double and a triple. Troy Gamache and Sam Larkin each went 2-for-4 with two RBI while Lorenzo Wilson played well in his first start behind the plate.

Canton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – OA scored once in each the first and second innings and then tacked on three more in the fourth inning in a win over Canton. Matt Muir pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief without allowing a hit while Cam Perron tossed two scoreless innings in his first varsity outing on the mound. Mitch Goulet and Michael Friel each had a double and a run scored for the Tigers.

North Attleboro, 5 @ King Philip, 1 – Final

Milford, 4 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – Mansfield pushed across seven runs in the first inning and added two more in the second to build a big lead over visiting Milford. The Hornets totaled 13 hits as a team lead by Chris Jenkins (two RBI) and Kevin Dow (two runs, RBI) each contributing three hits. Cullin Anastasia added two hits, two runs, and two RBI while Tyler Dalton and Jake Gerraughty each drove in a pair of runs. Milford’s Aidan Wilde went 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while Matt Nickerson was 3-for-3 with three RBI for the Hawks. Mansfield junior Matt Scibilia allowed just one hit in 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Stoughton, 8 @ Taunton, 3 – Final

Softball
Attleboro, 13 @ Foxboro, 7 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Canton, 15 – Final – Canton’s Caroline Hughes pitched a complete game in the circle and helped her own cause, going 4-for-5 at the plate, including a double, to help the Bulldogs get a big win. Ally Chin went 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored, Torie Anglin added an RBI triple, and freshman Nikki Desjardins had her first career hit and scored two runs. For Oliver Ames, Lexie Campbell was 2-for-3 with a run scored, Rachel Han was 2-4, and Kayla Georgeu had a triple and a run scored.

King Philip, 16 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final

Mansfield, 7 @ Milford, 13 – Final – Milford scored in each of the first five innings to build a 13-2 lead against visiting Mansfield. Emily Piergustavo went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and two RBI while Sabrina Haarstick had two hits, including a home run, knocked in two runs, and scored twice for the Hawks, who had 18 hits. Kate Irwin scored four runs on two hits and Jess Tomaso finished with two doubles and three RBI. Kelley Reichert earned the win, striking out eight while allowing five hits in five innings of work. Mansfield had nine hits as a team, including the first varsity hits for Emma Roche and Tori Farrington. Kara and Mady Bendanillo, Caty DeMassi, Ella Verheggen, Mary Muldoon, and Grace Benton also had hits for the Hornets in the loss.

Sharon, 0 @ Norwood, 11 – Final

Taunton, 8 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Taunton senior Kya Enos and freshman Hannah Aldrich each belted a two-run home run in the third inning, helping the Tigers build a lead they would never surrender. Payton Ceglarski added an RBI single in what was a five-run third inning for Taunton. Enos (three hits) added another run with an RBI single in the fourth, and then drove in another run with a triple in the sixth inning. Aldrich (three hits) added another RBI in the sixth. Jaime Brown added three hits and McKenzie McAloon chipped in with two, including a double. Kelsey White allowed just two hits while striking out 10 in a complete game shutout. “She pitched a masterful game,” said THS head coach Dave Lewry.

Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 16 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final
Mansfield, 9 @ Canton, 3 – Final
King Philip, 12 @ Oliver Ames, 10 – Final
Milford, 5 @ Sharon, 13 – Final
North Attleboro, 15 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 7 @ Foxboro, 15 – Final

Canton, 6 @ Mansfield, 16 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 @ King Philip, 17 – Final – KP had eight different players find the back of the net to get another league win. Alli Meehan was the top scorer with four goals and two assists, while Caroline Klim had three goals and three assists. Jess Sullivan also had a hat trick for the Warriors, while Olivia Tormey and Dana Truini each had two in the win. KP also got goals from Lauren Anderson and Shayla Weitzman.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final

King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro swept singles play to edge King Philip in a battle of two of the top teams in the Hockomock League. North senior Richard Bermudez won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, senior Christian Bermudez won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles, and freshman Jonah Manso recorded a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles. KP’s Sean Desrochers and Nate Ihley won 7-5, 6-2 at first doubles while Aidan Ignatius and Nick Ihley prevailed 6-3, 6-4 at second doubles.

Taunton, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Taunton won its fourth straight match, taking both doubles matches and winning two more in singles play to get the win. Junior Brett Beaulieu won his 40th career match with a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, Mike Briggs didn’t lose a single game at third singles, the team of Charlie Fiske and Alex Pugh won 6-3, 6-2 at first singles, and Kyle Dennehy and Trevor Hart notched a 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles. Stoughton freshman Waseem Sablon won 7-6, 6-1 at first singles.

Girls Tennis
Stoughton, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton defended home court by winning all five matches in straight sets against Stoughton. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Vanessa Rosa earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca won 6-3, 6-1 at third singled. Taunton’s first doubles team of Amanda Pugh and Brianna Fevrier won 6-1, 6-3 while Samantha Martin and Kayla Parrett won 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Foxboro’s singles played combined to lose just three games in a sweep over Attleboro. Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Pamela Nelson lost just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Kayla Prag picked up a 6-1, 6-1 decision at third singles. The team of Julia Muise and Sarah Prag won 6-3, 6-3 at first doubles and the pairing of Olivia Dantona and Kendell Milender won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles.

Canton, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames’ second doubles team of Olivia Groebe and Eva Belanger overcame a one-set deficit to battle back, winning in a tiebreak to give the Tigers the win. Groebe and Belanger won 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5) while OA’s first doubles team of Kristin Bloumbas and Emily Yu won 7-5, 6-2. Maura Kiernan earned OA’s first point, taking a 6-3, 6-0 decision at third singles. Canton freshmen Natalie Keppler (6-0, 6-1) and Rachel Kupferman (6-1, 6-0) won at first and second singles, respectively.

North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Taunton @ Durfee, 5:15


Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/20/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Milford, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton senior Robbie Wilkinson allowed just two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings of work and added an RBI on offense to help the Bulldogs edge the Hawks. Milford loaded the bases in the top of the seventh against reliever Paul Cocoran but the junior got the final two outs to escape the jam. Wilkinson had an RBI double in the third while Jake Aronson had two doubles and an RBI for the Bulldogs. Aidan Wilde went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk for the Hawks while sophomore Luke Rosa allowed just one earned run in five innings of work, striking out four.

Taunton, 2 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Mansfield, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – Mansfield broke open a tie game with a five-run sixth inning to beat Bishop Feehan. The Shamrocks had a total of just two hits and no walks but plated the first run in the first inning. The Hornets tied the game in the top of the third and then pulled away in the sixth. Sam Nugent and Kevin Dow each had two hits and scored a run for the Hornets while pinch hitter Jake Gerraughty knocked in a pair of runs. Connor Sheehan earned the win on the mound, striking out eight with just two hits in six innings of work. Sophomore John Carney struck out one in a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames pushed across four runs in the top of the third inning and tacked on solo runs in each the fourth and seventh innings to beat Stoughton. Michael Friel went 3-for-3 with an RBI while Reid Latham struck out five and allowed six hits in six innings of work to get the win. Stoughton’s Ruben Gonzalez allowed just one earned run in three-plus innings of work and went 3-for-4 at the plate.

Softball
Attleboro, 5 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Attleboro took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and the third innings but Mansfield scored three in its half of the third to jump in front. Sarah Cahill, who struck out three in six innings in the circle, led off with a single and scored on a base hit by Kara Bendanillo. Mady Bendanillo made it 3-2 with a two-run homer. Attleboro rallied with a pair of runs in the fifth to get the lead back and then added the eventual game-winner in the sixth. The Hornets got within one in the sixth after Mady Bendanillo (3-for-3) tripled and was brought in by Caty DeMassi, but couldn’t find another run. Mansfield coach Lori Letendre called it a “good back and forth game” and said the Hornets had chances late but “couldn’t come up with the timely hit we needed.” Freshman Ashlyn Conley went 2-for-3 in her varsity debut for Mansfield.

Milford, 19 @ Canton, 6 – Final (6 inn.) – Milford scored 10 runs in the top of the second inning to earn a big win on the road at Canton. Sabrina Haarstick (three-run), Jess Tomaso (3-for-5, triple five RBI), and Maddy Bonvino (3-for-4, three RBI, three runs) each had a home run in the win for the Hawks. Shannon Cormier added two hits and four runs, Emily Piergustavo reached base four times and scored four runs, and Kate Irwin (2-for-4) had a double, stolen base, and three runs scored. Kelley Reichert struck out eight with one hit allowed in three innings of work in a relief appearance.

North Attleboro, 4 vs. Dartmouth, 2 – Final – Bella Erti allowed three hits and one walk, while striking out one to pick up the win for North. Katie Daby (2-for-3) broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning with a solo homer and North added a fourth run in the following inning when Abby Gallagher scored on an Erti fielder’s choice. Katherine Munley and Gallagher each made nice catches in the outfield, according to North coach Bill Wallace, and Olivia Capobianco robbed Dartmouth of a homer in the seventh that would have cut the lead to one.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Walpole, 12 – Final (5 inn.)

Stoughton vs. Milton, 11:00

Sharon, 0 @ Taunton, 17 – Final (5 inn.) – Alexa and Kelsey White combined to strike out 10 batters with three hits allowed and no walks in five innings of work to lead Taunton to a win. Alexa struck out eight, scattering three hits in four innings of work to get the win. Kelsey struck out two of the three she faced in the fifth inning. Offensively, Alexa White went 3-for-3 with a triple and a pair of doubles, knocking in three runs. Mackenzie Handrahan had three hits, including a home run, and four RBI while Kya Enos (2-for-3) and Abbie McDonough (2-for-3) each had a double and two RBI.

Boys Lacrosse
Sharon, 1 @ King Philip, 9 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 11 vs. Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final – Click here for a Recap from this game.

King Philip, 13 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – KP used seven different goal scorers and allowed only one goal in the second half (head coach Kourtnie Wilder described it as a “huge defensive effort!”) to pull out the non-league victory. Caroline Klim was the top scorer for the Warriors with five goals. Jess Sullivan and Lauren Anderson each tallied twice, while Alli Meehan (five draw controls), Olivia Tormey, Mackenzie Mazur and Dana Truini (four draw controls) each had one for KP. Shayla Weirzman had an assist. The Warriors also got 13 saves from Caroline Watson. Abbi Solomon and Sabrina Robbins each scored a pair of goals and Emma Eberhardt scored a goal, had a pair of assists, and five draw controls for the Eagles.

Mansfield, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 13 – Final – Ann Maher scored six goals to pace the Hornets, including the game-winner with just over two minutes remaining. Coming out of a timeout in a tie game (13-13), Maher scored her fifth goal of the game to give Mansfield the lead for good. Katy Garvin and Maher each added another goal in the closing minutes to seal the win. Olivia Murray had a hat trick for the Hornets, while Hayleigh Crawford, Lauren Whitman, and Garvin each scored twice. Hannah Sternburg made 14 saves in the win.

Milford, 5 vs. Nipmuc, 14 – Final

Boys Tennis
Franklin, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Franklin continued its perfect start with a sweep on the road at Taunton. Rohan Herur won a battle at first singles, emerging with a 7-5, 6-4 win while Liam Marr (6-2, 6-0) and Saketh Saripalli (6-0, 6-0) also picked up wins to sweep singles play. The team of Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles while Tony Calderone and Dan Angermeier didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Stoughton junior Erik Anderson stepped into the first singles spot and picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win, helping the Black Knights edge neighboring Oliver Ames. Hassan Khan added 6-3, 7-5 win at third singles and Brendon Buckley and Mike Veliotis notched a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles. Oliver Ames’ Henry Simone won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and the team of TJ Clifford and Liam McMorrow rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
Mansfield @ Attleboro – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Milford, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton swept doubles play and picked up two more wins in singles to earn a victory over visiting Milford. Rachel Kupferman didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles and Sarah Hernandez won 6-0, 6-2 at third singles. The team of Jena Moyle and Stelina Michaelidis picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles and Canton’s pairing of Caitlin Matthews and Sophie Le earned a 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles. Milford’s Julie Rabinowitz won 7-5, 6-4 at first singles.

Taunton, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Taunton dropped just two games total in four matches to get a win on the road. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Vanessa Rosa picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca won by forfeit at third singles. Samantha Martin and McKenzie Lucie (first singles) and the team of Amanda Pugh and Kayla Parrett (second doubles) both won without losing a game.

Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – OA sophomore Sarah Barron made her varsity debut at third singles and came away with a 6-1, 6-1 win to help the Tigers sweep Stoughton. Sarah Leger picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at first singles and Tate Hadges won 6-2, 6-0 at second singles. OA’s pairing of Kristin Bloumbas and Emily Yu won 6-4, 6-3 at first doubles and Olivia Groebe and Rachel Stryke paired up for a 6-1, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Boys Outdoor Track
North Attleboro, 45 vs. Bishop Feehan, 35, @ Attleboro, 24 – Final

Outdoor Track
North Attleboro, 61 vs. Bishop Feehan, 38 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final

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

Cahill Powers Mansfield To Win At Frothingham

Mansfield baseball
Mansfield’s Matt Farragher waits for the throw as OA’s Michael Friel slides into second base. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – It’s been nearly a year since Oliver Ames pulled out a stunning two-out ray to beat Mansfield at Frothingham Park.

But it was fresh in the minds of many Mansfield players as they returned to North Easton in the Hornets first matchup with the Tigers this season. And this time, they made sure to finish the game off.

Mansfield took the lead with a four run fifth inning, Oliver Ames cut the deficit to one in the sixth but the Hornets tacked on two more in the seventh to pick up a key 6-3 division win over OA.

“OA plays hard and you knew they weren’t going away,” said Mansfield head coach Joe Breen. “We brought it late in the game and talked about how OA would keep fighting to the end so we need to get at least one more to get some breathing room. The guys responded and had a nice inning there to cap it off.

“[OA] is certainly a very strong team, there’s really not a whole lot of weaknesses on that team. We knew we’d have our hands full with OA, especially with the way they’ve played this season. Coach Abarr has done a great job with those guys, they obviously play very hard for him. But our guys played hard today too. I think we had last year’s late inning loss in the back of our minds, a lot of our returners remembered and had a little extra incentive to get a win today.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Both teams put a runner in scoring position in the first inning, with Mansfield’s Matt Farragher (fielder’s choice, stolen base) getting to second and Oliver Ames’ Matt Muir (double, stolen base) reaching third but neither crossed the plate.

Oliver Ames sophomore and left handed pitcher Tom Parker retired the side in order in the second inning while his counterpart, Mansfield junior Kevin Dow did the same.

Mansfield threatened in the third when Dow walked, stole second, advanced to third on a single from Anthony DeGirolamo but Parker escaped, getting a fly ball to right and a line drive to short.

OA finally broke through in the third inning, with sophomore Reid Latham reaching on an error and moving to second on a base hit from Muir. Muir was forced out on a fielder’s choice but Latham moved to third but OA loaded the bases with a steal from Michael Friel and a walk to Mitch Goulet.

Senior Kyle Gagliardi delivered, driving a 1-0 pitch to the outfield for a two-run single.

Parker cruised through the top of the fourth with the help of a double play while Dow put the Tigers down in order to keep the deficit at two.

Mansfield’s offense finally came to life in the top of the fifth to take the lead. Cullin Anastasia set things up with a lead off single and Dow helped his own cause with a deep double. The throw home was high, allowing Anastasia to cross and Dow to take third, cutting OA’s lead to 2-1. DeGirolamo drew a walk and stole second with one out. With a 3-1 count, OA elected to intentionally walk Farragher to load the bases.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Mansfield senior Aidan Cahill came through, taking a 1-0 pitch for a ride with a line drive for a two RBI single that pushed Farragher to third. The Hornets weren’t done in the inning as sophomore Kyle Moran singled off OA reliever Jay Fruci to bring Farragher home for a 4-2 lead.

“He’s come up big for us all year,” Breen said of Cahill. “He started off in the two-hole because he’s a very good situational hitter and can go gap to gap. We moved him back to the three hole because he couldn’t stop hitting. He had a huge two-run homer to win a game against Feehan, he’s been on fire this season. He’s a super hard working kid and I love seeing guys work as hard as he does reap the benefits of it.”

Oliver Ames’ offense had its response in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore Chris Pearsons was hit by a pitch by Mansfield reliever Kyle Moran to start the bottom half and advanced to second on a dropped third strike. Pearsons took third on a fielder’s choice and then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3.

Farragher was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the seventh to get Mansfield’s offense in gear. He went to second on a passed ball and Cahill came through one again with an RBI double. Pearsons got two outs in relief for OA but Cahill took third on a wild pitch. Colin Gibbons looped a hit into shallow center field to bring Gibbons home.

“We’ve been preaching to our guys to be aggressive as much as possible and get up there and swing the bat and try to drive the ball as much as possible,” Breen said. “I think early on we were probably too aggressive swinging at balls outside the zone but we made a little bit of an adjustment and started to swing at better pitches. Our guys, one though nine, anyone can do the job right now and that’s kind of where things turned around for us offensively.”

Moran closed the game with a 1-2-3 inning to earn the save. Dow earned the win in 4.1 innings of work, allowing four hits with one strikeout. The Hornets lost their #2 pitcher Tyler Dalton for the season, so Breen was looking for someone to step up.

“We knew we needed guys to step up,” Breen said. “Both Kevin and Kyle have pitched well in relief for us. We knew going into today it would be a combo effort and I think they split the game pretty well and got their jobs done. Kevin set the table for us and Kyle got some big pressure outs in the late innings.”

Oliver Ames (6-4, 5-3) will host Foxboro on Monday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.