Tag: Nick Zwerle

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.

Oliver Ames Rallies For Walk-Off Win Over Feehan

Oliver Ames baseball
Oliver Ames’ Michael Mulrean struck out 11 in a complete game nine-inning effort. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Bishop Feehan was just three outs away from scoring an upset on the road of Oliver Ames.

But the Tigers showed just how quickly they can change a game with their offense. Three straight hits resulted in two runs and a tie game, sending the game to extras.

And in extra innings, Oliver Ames needed just two innings to breakthrough, earning a 3-2 walk-off win over the Shamrocks in nine innings.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I give my guys a lot of credit to come back in that seventh inning,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “[Feehan starting pitcher Colin Gauther] did a phenomenal job, he was mixing pitches and getting ahead of almost every batter and I could tell it was getting to our guys.

“Around the fourth or fifth inning it kind of occurred to me, in terms of coming from behind, we haven’t done it a lot. But looking back, it didn’t matter because our focus all season has been winning every pitch and treat every at-bat as the same. We had some guys step up and do the job.”

Gauthier tamed the Tigers through the first six innings, allowing just four hits and issuing one walk. And of those five baserunners, only Sean O’Brien (double) reached past third.

But Matt McCormack’s double to lead off the seventh inning gave the Tigers the spark they needed. McCormack had singled back in the second inning but was picked off at first. A half inning later, Feehan capitalized on that momentum and scored the game’s first run.

“I just didn’t let it get to me,” McCormack said of the second inning pickoff. “Coach came over and told me to shake it off. We knew the pressure was on the pitcher in the seventh inning so I just tried to make contact and put the ball in play. I was seeing it well and my timing was pretty good.”

With McCormack on second, junior Jake Erlich collected his first hit with a single into right field. That was enough for McCormack to sprint around third to bring OA within a run, down 2-1.

Abarr then called upon sophomore Jacob Levine to come in and pinch hit. Despite not playing all game, Levine answered the call in impressive fashion. The sophomore got a hold of one and ripped a deep shot to the gap in right-center field. Pinch runner Ezra Coyne came racing around from first to tie the game and Levine was into third with a stand up triple with no outs.

OA couldn’t get the winning run across though as Gauthier got three straight outs without the ball leaving the infield, sending the game to extras.

OA starter Michael Mulrean didn’t skip a beat in either the eighth or ninth innings. He got two fly balls to center and then made a nice play on a slow grounder for an unassisted out. In the top of the ninth, Mulrean sandwiched his 10th and 11th strikeouts around a 6-3 ground out.


McCormack was once again the catalyst for OA in the bottom of the ninth. His patience paid off, drawing a leadoff walk. A one-out single from Nick Zwerle advanced McCormack to second.

“[McCormack] stepped up for us early in the year as a DH and then he had a slump where he was struggling a little bit,” Abarr said. “He took a great batting practice the other day, he was all over the ball in our scrimmage against Brockton. After that scrimmage, I told him he was going to be the DH for us and he really stepped up for us. He could have let that [pickoff] situation break him but he didn’t, he showed a lot of mental toughness.

Junior CJ Deveau, who entered the at-bat 0-for-2 on the day, tried to lay a bunt down on the first pitch but it went foul. Three pitches later and the junior drove a shot to center field just out of the reach of the outfielder and McCormack sprinted his way to the plate for the walk-off win.

“I was just thinking about having runners on second and third, and I was hoping CJ could put one down, put some pressure on the third baseman and make a play,” Abarr said of the original bunt call. “He struggled during his first couple at-bats but he did a nice job grinding through there. He could have counted himself out and said it wasn’t his day but he came through with an unbelievable hit for us.”

Feehan took the lead in the top of the third inning. Back to back singles put runners on first and second but a sacrifice bunt attempt turned into an out when the ball hit the batter. A chopper got just through the gap on the left side allowing Joe Castano to come home and score for the first run. Mulrean induced an infield fly and pop up to right to escape without further damage.

The Shamrocks capitalized on a pair of OA mistakes in the fifth inning to double their lead. Castano reached on an infield single and took second on an errant throw. He took third on an infield groundout and then came home to score on a passed ball to make it 2-0.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Beyond those chances, Mulrean had his way with the Shamrocks lineup. He allowed just five hits, only one of which dropped in shallow center field. He retired the side in each of the first, second, fourth, eighth and ninth innings. He had a pair of strikeouts in the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and nine innings. He had just one walk all game.

“And he was ready to go back out there for the 10th inning if we needed it,” Abarr said of Mulrean. “He’s one of our most reliable strike throwers. He was dealing for us and he battled for us. He treats himself like a softball pitcher, if he could he would pitch every single game.”

Oliver Ames baseball (14-7) advances to the D2 South quarterfinal round and will host #14 Nauset (7-12), who upset #3 Whitman-Hanson, 3-0, in the first round. The Tigers will welcome Nauset to Frothingham on Tuesday at 4:00.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/02/18


Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final (8 Inn.) – Milford junior Nick Marcolini earned the win on the mound and scored the game-winning run as the Hawks took down visiting Attleboro in extra innings. Marcolini led off the eighth with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third. He came in to score the winning run on a sacrifice fly from Colby Pires. In a relief appearance, Marcolini tossed three scoreless innings with two strikeouts to get the win. Luke Rosa was the starter for Milford, allowing two runs in five innings with four strikeouts. Matt Swanson added two hits, including a double and a run scored, for the Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 13 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Foxboro held a 4-2 lead after an inning of play but OA chipped away and used five runs in the third inning to seize an 8-4 lead and never looked back. Jack Erlich went 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI and Mitch Goulet had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and four RBI. Nick Zwerle and Tom Parker combined for 6.1 innings of scoreless relief for the Tigers. Foxboro’s Chad Bearce was 2-for-4 with a triple while Joe Cavaleri and JT Burke each drove in a pair of runs.

Taunton, 7 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Taunton’s Trevor Pietrzyk (two doubles, triple) set the tone, going 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot with an RBI and a run scored as the Tigers notched a win on the road. Jakob Roberts added two hits and two RBI while Ben Joyce drove in a pair of runs. Tyler Medeiros and Jacob Crawford each had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored for the Tigers. Medeiros got the win on the mound, scattering three hits over five innings of work with five strikeouts. Brendan Bignar and Logan Lawrence each tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

Franklin, 14 @ Stoughton, 10 – Final – Franklin scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 9-9 tie and emerge from Stoughton with a win on the road. JB Flores went 4-for-4, including a double and an RBI while scoring a pair of runs. Evan Wendell also had a strong day for Franklin with a pair of doubles, runs scored and four RBI. Jake Macchi added three hits and three RBI for Franklin while both Scott Elliott and Colby Fitzgibbons had two RBI apiece. Ben Guzman got the win in relief, allowing three hits and one run over three innings of work. Stoughton’s Matt Hadley and James Genest both went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Geroge Currier and Cian Swierzewski each drove in two runs for the Black Knights.

King Philip, 8 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – King Philip tied the game in the fifth, took the lead in the sixth, and then tacked on three insurance runs in the seventh inning to complete a comeback from at Sharon. KP took a 3-0 lead in the second before Sharon pulled ahead with four runs in the third. Pat Limerick had three hits and one RBI, sophomore Chris Sawyer had two hits and two RBI, and Tyler Nault delivered with an RBI pinch-hit single for the Warriors. Terry Murray earned the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings with one strikeout.

Mansfield, 3 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield senior Kevin Dow had a dominating performance on the mound, throwing a complete game with just two hits allowed and no walked and one unearned run allowed to lead the Hornets to a win over previously unbeaten North Attleboro. Dow struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk to get the win. Offensively, Dow went 2-for-4 and had an RBI triple in the third inning that put Mansfield up 2-0. Dow then scored on an RBI single from senior Tyler Dalton. Mansfield took the lead in the top of the second when Cullin Anastasia scored. Zach DeMattio and Brendan McHugh (run) each had a hit for Big Red.

Softball
Milford, 12 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Milford plated six runs in the sixth inning to break open what was a two-run game to grab a win on the road. The Hawks took a 5-3 advantage into the sixth before exploding for six runs. Jess Tomaso (2-for-4, three RBI) hit a home run in the sixth for her 100th career hit. Emily Piergustavo added two hits, two runs, and four RBI, Maddy Bonvino went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and two-run home run and Kate Irwin had three hits, three runs, and an RBI for the Scarlet Hawks. Kelley Reichert got the win in the circle, striking out nine. Attleboro leadoff hitter Jordyn Lako went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and MacKenzie Killough blasted a two-run home run in the third inning.

Canton, 0 @ Taunton, 13 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton sophomore Jaylin Couto struck out 10 while allowing just two hits and one walk to help the Tigers notch a win over visiting Canton. Couto improved to 3-0 with five scoreless innings. Offensively, Kelsey White went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and a stolen base, Kya Enos had two hits including a double, a run scored and an RBI, Abbie McDonough recorded two hits, scored three runs, stole a base, and had an RBI, and freshman McKenzie McAloon drove in three runs for the Tigers.

Foxboro, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Foxboro senior Mandy Ryan had an RBI single in the top of the seventh to help the Warriors come up with a win on the road. Hannah Davis and Chelsea Gibbons each had two hits while Emma Rohan earned the win in the circle, striking out four. Oliver Ames’ Caroline Mahoney went 2-for-4 with RBI, Katie Mills was 2-for-3 with an RBI, Marissa Guarino had two hits and an RBI, and Alexis Campbell had two hits and a run scored for OA. Freshman Emma Varella pitched a complete game for OA, striking out three.

Stoughton, 2 @ Franklin, 12 – Final

North Attleboro, 7 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – North Attleboro broke open a two-run game with four runs in the last two innings to make it two wins in two days for the Rocketeers. Bella Erti struck out 11, allowing only four hits and no walks to pick up the win. Abby Warren and Olivia Capobianco paced the North offense with three hits apiece, while Ashley Cangiano and Katie Daby each had two hits. Katherine Munley came through with a couple of nice grabs in the field, according to North coach Bill Wallace, and Cangiano threw out her third runner attempting to steal in two days. Mary Muldoon drove in the lone Mansfield run in the second, singling in Caty DeMassi. Kara Bendanillo went 2-for-3 for the Hornets.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 11 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Canton raced out to a 5-1 lead at half time and never looked back to beat Attleboro. The Bulldogs, who never trailed in the game, had seven different goal scorers including senior Joey Vaughan.

Foxboro, 11 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ Franklin, 20 – Final

King Philip @ Taunton, 3:45

Mansfield, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final – OA goalie Nick Gillis had a huge game in the cage and Frankie Ireland netted three goals to help the Tigers score a big win over Mansfield. Eric LeBlanc and Sam Stevens added two goals each in the win.

Milford, 3 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – For Milford, Josh Ligor, Andrew Gallagher, and Mike Demko each scored once while Cullen Burns recorded an assist.


Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ Canton, 15 – Final – Caroline Tourgee had four goals, Molly Colburn scored three goals and had a pair of assists, and Maggie Connolly had two goals and four assists for the Bulldogs. Leah McClellan and Kaitlyn Goyetch each added two goals and an assist, while Alexa Maffeo scored once and had a pair of helpers. Rachel Beatty scored once for Canton and Vicky Revanche made 12 saves in the Bulldogs net.

Taunton, 2 @ King Philip, 19 – Final – KP used nine different goal scorers to put an end to it two-game losing streak. Alli Meehan (one assist), Caroline Klim, Mackenzie Mazur, and Ali Wilson all recorded hat tricks for the Warriors, while Jess Sullivan scored a pair. Izzy Agricola, Jenna Hitchen (one assist), Olivia Tormey, and Dana Truini also scored for KP.

Sharon, 8 @ Foxboro, 19 – Final – Sabrina Robbins and Emma Eberhardt both had hat tricks for Sharon in the loss. Robbins added eight draw controls, while Eberhardt also had two assists and four draw controls. Maxine Gordon and Abbi Solomon scored the other goals for the Eagles and Taylor Kim scooped four ground balls.

Franklin, 15 @ North Andover, 10 – Final

Oliver Ames, 9 @ Mansfield, 19 – Final – The Hornets won for the second time in three days to get back to .500 on the season and move into a third-place tie with OA in the Kelley-Rex division. Mansfield had six different goal scorers in the game, led by Katy Garvin’s six and Maggie Danehy’s four. Hannah Sternburg made six saves in the Mansfield goal.

North Attleboro, 15 @ Milford, 2 – Final – North Attleboro had its passing game working on Wednesday, getting an assist on all 15 of its goals. Freshman Maggie O’Brien notched her first varsity goal in the win and also had four assists on the day. Julia Tolfa chipped in with six draw controls for the Rocketeers.

Boys Tennis
Milford, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro swept doubles play and picked up one win in singles to get a win over visiting Milford. Jared Cooper won 6-3, 6-1 at third singles while the team of Ryan Gordon and Estrada won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Luis Sandoval and Eli Araujo didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles. Milford’s Brendan Shaughnessy won 6-3, 6-3 at first singles and classmate Cam Doherty took a 7-5, 6-3 decision at second singles.

Canton, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton picked up its second straight win by sweeping visiting Sharon, taking all three singles matches in straight sets without dropping a game. Francois Hennaux (first singles), Brett Beaulieu (second singles) and Mike Briggs (third singles) all won 6-0, 6-0. The team of Charlie Fiske and Dylan Kulas won 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles while Kyle Dennehy and Alex Pugh prevailed 5-7, 6-4, 10-1 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin’s doubles teams combined to drop just one game total in a sweep over visiting Stoughton. Tony Calderone and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles while Shournik Sompally and Saket Gandham won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles. Rohan Herur won 7-5, 6-3 at first singles, Liam Marr dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Tyler DiPalma won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles.

Sharon, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip pushed Sharon to the edge but the Eagles prevailed, keeping their lengthy league win streak alive. Senior Andre Olivei won 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 at first singles and sophomore Alberto Olivei recorded a 6-2, 6-3 win at third singles. Sharon’s third win came from Ashwin Sreevatsa and Arie Chinnappan, who won 6-4, 6-2 at second doubles. King Philip’s Nick Putney won 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (4) at second singles and the team of Sean Desrochers and Nate Ihley picked up a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4) win at first doubles.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – North Attleboro swept singles play in straight sets and took another win in doubles play to record a win on the road at Mansfield. Richard Bermudez won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Christian Bermudez notched a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles and freshman Jonah Manso took care of business with a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. North’s second doubles teams of Alex Pfeffer and Sam Gallagher won 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles. Mansfield’s Jalaj Singh and Sethu Odayappan won 6-3, 7-5 at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Taunton’s first doubles pairing of McKenzie Lucie and Samantha Martin overcame a one-set deficit to record the third and final point to help the Tigers beat Canton. Lucie and Martin won 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 while Taunton’s second doubles team of Amanda Pugh and Brianna Fevrier won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles. Freshman Jocelyn Pagliuca won 6-4, 6-3 at third singles for Taunton. Canton freshman Natalie Keppler won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and classmate Rachel Kupferman didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles.

Attleboro, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro’s Sophia Prinos and Pamela Nelson won their singles matches in straight sets to help the Warriors earn a victory. Prinos won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Nelson notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Kayla Prag emerged with a 6-2, 4-6, 10-4 win at third singles. The Warriors’ team of Sarah Prag and Julia Muise won 6-1, 5-7, 11-9 while Olivia Dantona and Kendall Millender recorded a 6-1, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Franklin, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

King Philip, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon picked up a pair of wins in singles play and two more in doubles to get a win over King Philip. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles while Lulu Yuan emerged with a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles. Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles and Sophia Fein and Rithika Neti recorded a 6-4, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro swept singles play, taking all three matches in straight sets, to defend home court against Mansfield. Jordan Willis won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Emily Chiasson took a 6-4, 6-0 decision at second singles, and Azka Siddiq didn’t lose a game in a win at third singles. North’s team of Leah Marceau and Tara Nair won 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles. Mansfield’s first doubles team of Tessa Garufi and Hannah Podolske won 5-7, 6-4, 10-7 for the Hornets.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 1 – Final

Taunton, 3 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton went on the road and returned with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-17) win over New Bedford. Lens Esquil notched 11 kills and four blocks, Collin Hunter added five kills and four blocks, Malik Charles chipped in with four kills and a pair of blocks, and Alex Tavares notched four kills and a block. Freshman Tyler Stewart recorded his first two career kills in the win.


Franklin Tops Oliver Ames In Extra Innings

Franklin baseball
Franklin junior Scott Elliott hits an RBI double in the third inning against Oliver Ames. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Franklin senior Steven Luttazi hadn’t had his best performance at the plate, held without a hit through the first seven innings. But his day changed with one swing of the bat.

When the Panthers needed him the most, the senior delivered a clutch two-out single to drive in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning. Junior Jake Macchi followed with a monster two-run double and Franklin prevailed from Frothingham Park with a 5-2 decision in eight innings.

“It was a tie ballgame, senior at the plate, a kid who’s worked really hard in the offseason…I feel like he was pressing early on but he let the game come to him and put a good swing on it and sparked us,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “Then Jake followed it up with the big blow.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin was three outs from earning a win in regulation, but Oliver Ames rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. But instead of wilting, the Panthers responded — all with two outs.

Senior Colby Fitzgibbons drew a two-out walk from the nine hole, and after stealing second, junior Alex Haba took first after another walk. In stepped Luttazi, who laced a 1-0 pitch into center field to bring pinch runner Shane O’Neil home.

Macchi then launched the first pitch he saw into deep left center field resulting in a two-run double and a three-run lead.

“It was one of those early New England high school baseball games,” Brown said. “OA is really well coached, they play a real sound game. We’re lucky to get out of here with an extra inning win. It was a character win for us. We were frustrated with the way we played in the opener, and we let a two-run lead bleed away here but the guys showed a lot of resolve and a lot of character, and we got a lot of contributions from guys up and down the lineup.”

Sophomore Will Pacheco, who escaped a jam in the bottom of the seventh, retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to earn his first varsity win.

Franklin built a 2-0 lead by scoring solo runs in the top of the second and the third, but Oliver Ames clawed back with a run in the fifth and the tying run in the seventh. OA senior Matt Muir reached with a one-out single, stole second, and came around to score on a double from classmate Nick Zwerle to tie the game.

OA had runners on first and second with one out, but Pacheco got a big strikeout, and Scott Elliott made a nice catch in foul territory in left field to send the game into extras.

“The kids showed a lot of heart there at the end to rally,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “We’ll reset…we’ll try to get our timing right with our hitters and then try to figure out our rotation, and see what happens from there.”

Elliott had a hand in both of Franklin’s first two runs. In the top of the second, the junior led off with a single and took second on a fielding error. He took third on a groundout from Jake Noviello and then scored on a bases loaded infield single from Haba to make it 1-0.

Macchi singled to lead off the top of the third and advanced to second base on a balk. Elliott delivered with an RBI double to bring Macchi home for a 2-0 lead.

“Scott has been doing a real nice job,” Brown said. “He’s been working hard, has had great at-bats, really competitive. He’s a hockey guy so he has that hand-eye coordination and we’re just excited with where he’s at.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Oliver Ames cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth inning. Muir drilled a triple into center field, through the branches of the tree at Frothingham. Muir came home to score on a groundout from Zwerle.

As a team, Oliver Ames posted just five hits.

“A lot of is just timing,” Abarr said. “You see it click with some guys, like Muir today, he came on line. But some of the guys we’re dependent on just haven’t picked up the in-season rhythm yet. The kids will come around…Franklin figured it out in the last inning there.”

Franklin senior Bryan Woelfel got into a nice rhythm over his 6.1 innings of work, allowing five hits while striking out seven.

“Bryan worked really hard in the offseason and was throwing a lot,” Brown said. “He did a good job building up his arm so that he can last longer. Then Will Pacheco came in and slammed the door for us.”

Oliver Ames senior Michael Mulrean had a strong outing in relief for the Tigers, striking out four in four shutout innings of work with just four hits.

“He was phenomenal, I was very impressed with him,” Abarr said of Mulrean. “There were a lot of positives that came out of that game, obviously we want the win, but a lot of guys stepped up and showed what they’re capable of. Mike did awesome, he kept us in the ballgame.”

Oliver Ames (0-2, 0-2) looks to bounce back on the same day when it hits the road to play at New Bedford.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/24/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Attleboro junior Will Halben scored the game-winner with 10 minutes to play, handing the Bombardiers their second win in three games, and three straight games with at least a point. After a scoreless first half, sophomore Michael Russo set Halben up for the late winner.

Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

King Philip, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – In a battle of two heavyweights, Mansfield edged King Philip to stay within one point of Oliver Ames in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex title. Senior Nick Wisnieski headed in a corner kick from Luke Savoie in the 56th minute for the lone tally. Nick Ferraz made five saves in net for Hornets.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – North Attleboro scored a pair of goals in the second half and held off a late push from the hosts to clinch its first-ever Davenport title, and first league title since 2007. Big Red took the lead in the 12th minute as Ryan Pasquel’s service was flicked by Gabe Pinhancos and then headed in by Zach Matracia. North made it 2-0 just eight minutes into the second half when Pinhancos converted at the near post on a service from Noah Barney. Milford cut the deficit to one 12 minutes later when Andre Oliveira got free and scored. But North responded five minutes later when Pinhancos volleyed in a header from Barney. Oliveira scored again on a rebound in the 76th minute.

Taunton, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 7 – Final – Oliver Ames celebrated senior night with seven goals from seven different seniors. OA went up 1-0 before Taunton tied it; OA extended its lead to 4-1 before Taunton found the back of the net again and then the hosts scored three straight. Nathaniel Cardoza scored once and had three assists in the win. James Gillespie, Michael Nikiciuk, Jack Galas, Mason Galbato, Brandin Osborne and Nick Zwerle each scored once. Chris Lawrence added three assists and Matthew Alvarado had one helper.

Stoughton, 2 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sharon overcame an early deficit and then broke a 2-2 game with a late goal to earn two points against Stoughton. Stoughton senior Tyler Melo scored on a free kick from distance but Sharon’s Tyler Goldstein nodded in a throw from Tyler Hippler in the 33rd minute to tie it. Andy Reyes-Jones put the Eagles ahead in the 36th minute but Stoughton’s Terry Lapomarede knotted the score in the 65th minute. Goldstein grabbed his second, and the game-winner, heading in a free kick from sophomore Michael Baur in the 70th minute.

Girls Soccer
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Molly Duncan scored five minutes into the game off an Anna Balkus assist to put the Panthers ahead early. In the second half, Miranda Smith scored off a Duncan assist just two minutes after the restart and Calen Frongillo wrapped up the scoring from Emily Mastaj with 11 minutes to play. Franklin coach Tom Geysen said that all of the Panthers stepped up and “played really well,” despite the blustery conditions.

Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton scored three times in the second half to break open a tie game and earn the two points. Olivia Rodman continued her standout freshman season with a hat trick for the Bulldogs and Sarah Connolly added a 30-yard free kick in the win. Foxboro’s goal was scored by Jordyn Collins and Foxboro coach Katie Stalcup said her team struggled to get into its typical passing game in the wind.

Mansfield, 0 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Milford, 1 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final North put in a stellar performance and Haley Guertin reached another career milestone in a big win. Guertin scored the game’s third goal for her 100th career point, making her only the second Rocketeers player to ever reach that mark. Haley Ferrin had a hat trick and Ashlyn Gaulin had a brace for North, while Rachel Labonte added the seventh. Gaulin added three assists, Leah Jette had two and Aine Mendonca and Guertin each had one apiece. Emma Noreck picked up the win in goal and North coach Bill Wallace said that Britta MacDonald and Brie Wescott “played inspired soccer.” Madeline Boyle scored the lone Milford goal.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Abigail Reardon and Anna Tempestoso each scored a pair of goals for OA in the win. Sophia Cox recorded a pair of assists and Emily Freeman had one.

Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Stoughton coach Tara Daniels said that Gaby Diaz, Victoria Fallon, Sarina Hutchinson, and Nikki Anderson played well defensively to limit the Sharon strikers and goalie Emma Harrington earned the clean sheet. Daniels said, “Great game played by all.”

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/24/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 3 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Attleboro senior Tyler McGovern tossed a complete game, scattering six hits while issuing just one walk to guide the Bombardiers past Franklin. James Weir went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI and made a game-ending diving catch in the outfield for Big Blue. Dylan Maskell brought home the third run on a squeeze play. Franklin’s Jake Noviello also threw a complete game, allowing just two earned runs while striking out six. Ryan Hodgkins went 2-for-2 with a run and two stolen bases while Jason Ulrickson also notched two hits.

Canton, 7 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final

King Philip, 0 @ Mansfield, 9 – Final – Mansfield senior Nolan Dousa needed just 70 pitches to finish a complete game shutout and the Hornets’ offense got off to a strong start early on to beat King Philip. Dousa tossed 54 of his 70 pitches for strikes, allowing just four hits and striking out for to earn the win. Mansfield scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, added single runs in the third and fifth and then tacked on two more in the sixth. Zack Peterson (run, RBI) and Kyle Moran (two runs) each had a pair of hits for Mansfield. Aidan Cahill (1-for-3) and Cullen Anastasia (1-for-2, run) each knocked in a pair of runs for the Hornets. King Philip’s Ben Furfari had a pair of hits for the Warriors.

North Attleboro, 7 @ Milford, 3 – Final – North Attleboro broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the fifth inning and then tacked on three more insurance runs in the seventh inning to pick up a key division win. Nick Sinacola picked up the win for Big Red, tossing a complete game with three strikeouts. At the plate, Sinacola went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. John Brennan had a two-run single in the fourth inning that tied the game 3-3. Nick Crawley had a two-run hit in the seventh to tack on North’s final two runs. Milford’s Anthony Arcudi was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Aidan Wilde was 2-for-2 with an RBI.

Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Sam Burr tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and didn’t issue a walk to help hand Taunton its first loss of the season. Burr struck out three in the win. Kyle Gagliardi was 2-for-3 and turned a double play in the third inning to help OA escape potential danger. Evan DeMartinis was also 2-for-3 while Nick Zwerle was 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Stoughton, 13 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Justin Hutchinson was dominant through the first four innings to earn the win and classmate Matt Gallagher completed the shutout with three innings of work with just two hits allowed. Hutchinson allowed just one hit in his four innings of work while striking out seven. Offensively, Ruben Gonzalez had a pair of hits, two runs scored, three stolen bases and four RBI to pace the Black Knights. Ryan Sullivan, Pat Hagerty, and Michael Batte each had two hits for Stoughton.

Softball
Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Attleboro’s McKenzie Bergdoll impressed in the circle and Jordyn Lako played a big role in the offense as the Bombardiers beat Franklin. Bergdoll allowed just two hits in a complete game effort to earn the win. Lako went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Attleboro freshman Mishayla Cullhane took over at catcher in the first inning after an injury and head coach Mark Hoemr said “she did a great job for her first game behind the plate.” Homer added Attleboro’s solid play in the infield made a big difference for the Bombardiers.

Foxboro, 23 @ Canton, 5 – Final

Mansfield, 3 @ King Philip, 9 – Final – King Philip scored five runs in the first to take control in the Kelley-Rex matchup. Jess Bonner had a standout day at the plate for the Warriors, hitting a pair of home runs and totaling five RBI. Jenn Hutnyan allowed just two hits in a strong game in the circle for KP. Meghan Gorman, Hailey McCasland and Elise Pereira each added a pair of hits in the Warriors’ win. Mady Bendanillo drove in all three Mansfield runs with a homer in the third inning, plating Sarah Bradley and Kara Bendanillo, and cut the lead to two. KP added four runs on five hits in the sixth to pull away.

Milford, 14 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – Milford’s offense was locked in, belting out 17 hits to pick up a key division win over North Attleboro. Jess Tomaso accounted for four of those hits, including a double, and finished with two RBI and two runs scored. Kate Irwin (RBI, two runs, stolen base) and Emily Piergustavo (double, triple, three RBI, three runs) each had three hits for the Hawks. Emily Hartman connected on a solo home run and Shannon Cormier launched a three-run home run to complete Milford’s big day on offense. Ali Atherton scattered five hits in six innings of work, striking out six, allowing one walk and giving up just one earned run.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Taunton, 13 – Final – Taunton rebounded from a two-game losing streak to pick up the league win. Courtney Fisher threw four innings to get her sixth win and eighth grader Kelsey White threw three scoreless innings in relief, striking out six while allowing just one hit. Eighth grader Hannah Aldrich had three hits for Taunton, while Kya Enos had a homer, a double, and drove in three runs. Jaime Brown (RBI), MacKenzie Handrahan, Katie Van Zandt (RBI), McKenzie McAloon (RBI), and Jaylin Couto (two RBI) all had two hits apiece for Taunton. For Oliver Ames, Sarah Tetrault was 1-for-3 with a run scored, Kayla Georgeu was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Colleen Larson was 1-for-2, putting Georgeu in scoring position for Victoria Ziner (1-3, RBI) to bunt Georgeu in for a run in the second.

Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 9 – Final – Gina Carafa picked up the win in the circle, striking out seven Eagles in four innings, and also went 3-for-3 with five RBI, including a three-run homer in the first inning. Jordan Lyons went 2-for-3 and hit a two-run homer in the sixth for the Black Knights. Shannon Flaherty, Nikki Coppola, and Brianna Ferrandiz all had two hits apiece for Stoughton. Sam Marglous, Rebecca Clayman, and Courtney Sollis had hits for Sharon.

Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 4 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

Franklin, 18 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Franklin’s offense scored in double figures for the fifth time in the last six games, netting at least 18 for the fourth time in a big win at Sharon. Sam Arsenault (three goals, three assists) and Eric Civetti (five goals, one assist) each had six points to pace the offense. Nitin Chaudhury added two goals and one assists and Johnny O’Glishen and Jake Davis each found the back of the net twice. FHS coach Lou Verrochi praised Pat Morrison, Wyatt Arsenault and Spencer Briggs for their defensive work in front of goalie Connor O’Rourke (one goal allowed).

King Philip, 10 vs. Westwood, 9 – Final

Mansfield, 9 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 8 – Final – Bridgewater-Raynham staked a 5-4 lead at halftime but Mansfield ramped up its effort on both ends of the field to get the win. Senior Cullen Murphy (goal and assist) provided the game-winning goal off an assist from Aidan Sacco) Sean Powers had another strong game in goal, recording 16 saves while Grant Milas and Tommy Donnelly had strong games in front of him. Offensively, Hunter Ferreira netted a pair of goals and recorded two assists, Danny DeGirolamo and Sam O’Connell each scored twice, Joe Cox scored once and had two assists and Murphy and Sacco each scored once and had once assist for the Hornets.

Taunton, 4 @ Milford, 12 – Final

North Attleboro, 14 vs. Scituate, 6 – Final – North Attleboro picked up its biggest win of the season, knocking off Scituate at home. Big Red’s starters raced out to a 12-3 lead before the Sailors made a late push. Zach McGowan (one assist) and Jack Dakin (two assists) each scored four goals to pace the Rocketeers’ offense. Tommy Lindstrom set up three goals while LSM Max Fontes and Jason McNeany (14 face off wins) both scored twice. Nick Moore added one goal and one assist, Colin Young had one helper and Andy DeMattio scored once. Senior Dan MacDonald turned away 16 saves while also recording two assists for North Attleboro.

Girls Lacrosse
King Philip @ Attleboro, 3:45

Canton, 18 vs. Plymouth North, 6 – Final

Foxboro, 5 vs. Cohasset, 14 – Final

Franklin, 4 @ Notre Dame Academy, 14 – Final – Franklin cut the deficit to just three goals early in the second half but the top-ranked team in the state pulled away with a 7-1 run. Kendall Reardon had two goals while Caroline Lounsbury and Erin Walsh each found the back of the net once. Freshman Gianna Cameron made 10 saves in net.

Milford, 14 @ Taunton, 18 – Final – Eighth grader Alana Tavares scored 13 goals to lead the way for the Tigers. Abbey Kingman and Delaney Powell each scored two goals and Lorna Li made 13 saves in the win. Taylor Dube was the top scorer with five goals, Jill Burley added four goals, and Briana Maietta had a pair of goals, while Amber Stearns made eight saves in the loss.

Oliver Ames, 17 @ Norton, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames snapped four game skid with an impressive performance on both ends on the road at Norton. Olivia Piazza poured in a team-high six goals to pace the offense while Kendall Clifford and Chloe Kikelly each had four goals. Sofia Masciarelli chipped in with two goals for the Tigers. Ari Waldorf made five saves in goal for OA.

Boys Tennis
Franklin, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Neither of Franklin’s doubles teams lost a game and the Panthers won all five games in straight sets to beat Attleboro. The team of James Johnston and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles. In singles play, Rahul Herur won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles, Eli Brooks was victorious 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and freshman Rohan Herur notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles.

Foxboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final

Mansfield, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip picked up comfortable wins at first and third singles as well as second doubles to beat the Hornets. Cole Ginter won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles and Martin Matous won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for KP. The team of Aidan Ignatius and Marco DiStefano won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles to get the third and final point. Mansfield’s Luke Nickerson won 6-4, 6-1 at second singles.

Milford, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro won a pair of matches at singles as well as doubles to defend home court against the Scarlet Hawks. Senior Zac Pfeffer won 6-4, 6-0 at first singles and classmate Barsomo Nuay won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles. The team of senior Daniel Zhang and junior Ben Pfeffer won 6-1, 6-2 at first doubles and senior Andrew Harris and junior Mayank Wadekar won 6-2, 6-2 at second doubles. Milford senior Sam Little won 3-6, 7-6, 10-6 at third singles.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton swept singles play and won three of its four matches in straight sets to take down Oliver Ames. Sophomore Brett Beaulieu won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, junior Mike Briggs won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and senior Eric Gwozdz won 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 at third singles. The team of sophomores Dylan Kullas and Charlie Fiske was 6-3, 6-4 at first doubles. Oliver Ames’ Greg Mueller and Michael Souza won 7-6, 7-5 at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Sharon didn’t drop a game in any of its three singles matches on the road at Stoughton. Senior Griffin Fein and juniors Fred Bondar and Andre Olivei each won 6-0, 6-0 at first, second and third singles, respectively. Alex Romantz and Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Alberto Olivei and Ashwin Sreevatsa won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin won all five matches, three of them in straight sets to beat the Bombardiers. Senior Hannah Sweeney won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, senior Anja Deric won 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and junior Stephanie Schiavo won 3-6, 7-6, 10-6 at third singles. The team of seniors Julia Hogan and Madison Derby won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at first singles and senior Sarah Labo and junior Jillian McLaughlin won 6-1, 6-3 at second doubles.

Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – The Warriors of Foxboro won all three singles matches in straight sets to defend home court. Sophia Prinos won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, Julia Muise won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and Kayla Prag picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Olivia Dantona and Kendall Milender notched a 6-1, 3-6,6-3 at first doubles. Canton’s Stelina Michaelidis and Sarah Hernandez won 6-2, 7-5 at second doubles.

King Philip, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Neither of King Philip’s doubles teams dropped a single game and the Warriors also won two single matches in straight sets to pick up a win on the road. Freshman Erin Regnier won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles and junior Meghan Sepich won 6-2, 6-3 at third singles. The team of seniors Megan Davenport and Carly Adams won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and the senior Corinne Palumbo and junior Lucy Barnard won by the same score at second doubles. Mansfield’s Paulina Martin won the first set 6-1 and then battled back from an 0-3 hole to win the second set 6-4 at first singles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Taunton, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Taunton won all five matches in straight sets, dropping a total of four games in singles play and just one in doubles play. Olivia Sweeney won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Jordan Pagliuca notched a 6-0, 6-1 at second singles and Jillian Pagliuca recorded a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor didn’t drop a single game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles and Jordan Martin and Caroline Hebert won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.

Stoughton @ Sharon, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Taunton earned its second sweep of Milford this season, notching a 25-21, 25-22, 25-23 win. Taunton head coach Toby Chaperon said sophomore Gabe Kingman had a strong game in the back row for the Tigers while Malik Charles had seven kills and three blocks. Milford senior Jack Winship notched 10 kills, nine digs and four aces while classmate Danny Zwonik had 27 assists and an ace. Sophomore Joao Boaventura added eight kills, six digs and two blocks and sophomore Zach Brown had four kills, three blocks and an ace.

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/18/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – Attleboro senior Tyler McGovern allowed just two earned runs in six innings of work, but Feehan escaped with the win. McGovern struck out six. Matt Callahan went 3-for-3 with a stolen base and scored the Bombardiers’ lone run of the game.

Foxboro, 3 @ Dedham, 0 – Final – Senior Colin Thoener tossed a complete game shutout, earning the Warriors a key Division 3 win over Dedham. Theoner scattered six hits, walked three and finished with six strikeouts to earn the win. With the win, Foxboro qualifies for the postseason through the Sullivan Rule.

North Attleboro, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final

Mansfield, 4 vs. Braintree, 10 – Final – Mansfield got off to a good start with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the unbeaten, two-time defending Super 8 champions Braintree flexed its muscles with five runs in the second to take the lead and never look back. Max Boen went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Kyle Moran, Anthony DeGirolamo and Cullen Anastasia each had an RBI. Aidan Cahill and Zack Peterson each went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Oliver Ames, 6 vs. Falmouth, 5 – Final – Falmouth scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead but Oliver Ames scored three runs in the bottom half to walk off with a the win. Senior Kyle Gagliardi had a two-run double to knock in the tying and game-winning runs for OA. Nick Zwerle went 2-for-2 with three runs scored in his first game back from injury while Cam Johnson went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Sam Burr was solid on the mound, allowing just two runs in six innings of work while striking out three.

Taunton, 4 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 2 – Final – Coyle took the lead in the top of the fourth, but Taunton responded with three runs in the bottom half to take the lead for good. Senior Jimmy Hoye (two runs) knocked in the tying run and Jacob Crawford and Jack Moynihan both drew walks to bring in Taunton’s second and third runs. The Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Tyler Medeiros earned the win, allowing just two hits without issuing a walk in 5.1 innings of work. Danny Keogh earned the save with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Bishop Feehan, 8 – Final

Franklin, 1 @ Abington, 11 – Final

King Philip, 0 vs. Newton North, 1 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames picked up its first win of the season on the back of sophomore Kayla Georgeu, who allowed just three hits in a complete game effort. Georgeu struck out two with just one run allowed while Rachel Han provided strong defense with seven put outs. Freshman Katie Abreu went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored and Caroline Mahoney went 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored to pace the offense. Junior Sarah Tetrault added an RBI and junior Lexie Campbell had a stolen base and a run scored for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 1 vs. Milton, 3 – Final – Shannon Flaherty threw five innings without allowing an earned run, but picked up the loss in the second game of the doubleheader. Jordan Lyons had a pair of hits for the Black Knight and scored their lone run.

Stoughton, 6 vs. Milton, 4 – Final – Gina Carafa struck out 16 for Stoughton and earned her fourth win of the season in the opener of a doubleheader with the Wildcats. Jordan Lyons went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Taunton, 5 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 6 – Final – The Tigers rallied with three runs in the sixth inning to cut the D-R lead to one, but couldn’t avoid their first loss of the season. Courtney Fisher allowed two earned runs and struck out four for Taunton. Jaime Brown had three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth, and MacKenzie Handrahan had two hits and two RBI, both in the sixth.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 3 @ Bishop Feehan, 16 – Final

Canton, 13 @ Norwood, 3 – Final – Canton junior Charlie O’Connor was in control at the face off X and senior Michael Pigeon dominated at ground balls as the Bulldogs picked up a big win on the road. Senior Ryan Lodge had a team-high five goals and three assists to pace Canton offensively. Freshman Chris Lavoie netted his first career goal in the win and O’Connor notched two assists. Freshman Jack Connolly made seven saves in net for Canton.

Foxboro, 6 vs. Norwell, 5 – Final (OT) – Foxboro built a 3-0 lead through the first three quarters but Norwell stormed back to tie the game at 5-5 and send the game into overtime. Foxboro senior Colin Spinney scored his second goal of the game less than a minute into overtime to lift the Warriors. Brendan Tully and Bobby Yerardi also scored two goals apiece for Foxboro while Jake Addeche made 10 saves in net to keep the Clippers’ offense at bay.

Franklin, 18 vs. Westford Academy, 5 – Final – Junior attack Eric Civetti netted a team-high seven goals and had one assist as Franklin rolled past Westford Academy. Senior Packie Watson netted two goals and had three assists and Chase Tanner finished with four goals and one assist. Sophomore Jacob Alexander won 21 of 26 face offs and Connor O’Rourke made six saves in net.

North Attleboro, 4 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip built a 3-1 lead by halftime and held on for a narrow non-league win over North Attleboro. KP head coach Jamie Stefanini said John DeLuca (two assists) put forth great effort on both sides of the ball for KP. Tim Watson paced the Warriors’ offense with three goals and one assist. Paul Macrina made 11 saves in net for KP. For North, Tommy Lindstrom had two goals and one assist, Zack McGowan and Hunter Sarro each scored once and Jack Dakin, Nick Moore and Jason McNeany each had one assist. Tom Lockavitch had four ground balls and Dan MacDonald made 15 saves in net.

Mansfield, 12 vs. Braintree, 6 – Final – Mansfield junior Hunter Ferreira outscored the Wamps himself, netting seven goals with two assists to pace the Hornets. Danny DeGirolamo (assist) and Sam O’Connell each added two goals for the Hornets, who advance to the semifinal round of the Chowder Cup. Cullen Murphy added a goal and an assist for Mansfield. Grant Milas and Mick Debreuil played well defensively in front of Sean Powers (eight saves) in net.

Milford, 8 @ Stoughton, 9 – Final – Stoughton celebrated its first ever home varsity lacrosse game with the program’s first ever varsity win, edging out Milford in a non-league game. Seniors David Cellucci and Jon Lessa each found the back of the net three times to pace the Black Knights’ offense. Sean Doherty added two goals and AJ Scott netted one for Stoughton.

Sharon, 7 @ Medway, 8 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro vs. Bishop Feehan, 10:00AM

King Philip, 9 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – Mackenzie Rosenberg led the way for the Rocketeers with five goals and a pair of assists. Julia Dakin had a hat trick and Katie Lindstrom added three goals and an assist. Emily Schromm had seven draw controls for North.

Mansfield, 13 vs. Holliston, 12 – Final

Taunton, 6 @ Sharon, 20 – Final – Alex Rabb was the top scorer for the Eagles with four goals. Emma Eberhardt, Amanda Klayman, and Sabrina Robbins each had hat tricks in the win.

Boys Tennis
King Philip, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip came away with a clean sweep of singles play and also grabbed a win at second doubles in a non-league showdown with North. Cole Ginter won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Blake Ginter won 6-3, 6-4 at second singles and Martin Matous won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Marco DiStefano and Aidan Ignatius won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles. North Attleboro’s Daniel Zhang and Ben Pfeffer won 7-5, 7-5 at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final

Baseball: Davenport Division Preview 2016

Stoughton junior Ryan Sullivan will look to try and lead the Black Knights to the playoffs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Stoughton junior Ryan Sullivan will look to try and lead the Black Knights to the playoffs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

CANTON

2015 Record: 11-11
2015 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: JP Scott

The Bulldogs graduated a handful of key pieces from last year’s team that reached the playoffs but they also return plenty of experienced players and hope to reach the playoffs again.

“The expectation for us is to have a successful season and make a run for a small Hock title,” Canton head coach JP Scott said. “But our main goal of the season will be to make it back to the state tournament like we did in 2015.”

Canton has 11 seniors on the roster this season led by captains Griffin Jerrier and Joe Peccia. Jerrier has plenty of experience on the bump while Peccia was second on the team last year with a .393 batting average. The Bulldogs also have their top batter back in Kevin Powers, who batted over .400 last year and drove in 15 runs in the season. Powers was also one of Canton’s top pitchers after logging over 40 innings in 2015.

Scott also brings back Jim Jenkins, Mike McMahon, Sean Doyle and Joe Bires, all which have starting experience. Junior Jackson Maffeo, fresh off a tremendous season on the ice, is expected to contribute in his first season on varsity.

FOXBORO

2015 Record: 4-16
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Chris Sullivan

After just four wins last year, the Warriors look poised to improve on that this year. Foxboro graduated just two seniors year last and have seven starters back for 2016.

“This is the hardest working and most dedicated group that has come through the school since I graduated in 2002,” head coach Chris Sullivan said. “We have a ton of guys who worked hard in the weight room, in the cages, and by playing competitive summer baseball this past offseason.”

Justin Garcia will lead a strong group of experienced pitchers. Garcia had a 1.54 ERA last season, striking out nearly 50 batters to rank near the top of the league. Colin Thoener, Darren Kelly and Aaron Wentling will also all see time on the mound this season.

Chad Bearce will likely handle first base while Garcia is on the mound while Darren Kelly and John Cronin will see time up the middle. Thoener will show off his defensive prowess at third and senior Nick Wright will return for his third season patrolling centerfield for Foxboro. AJ Cavossa, AJ Bubencik and Cam Feldman will all split the other outfield time and Jesse Galanti is back behind the plate for the third consecutive season.

MILFORD

2015 Record: 11-10
2015 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Paul Pellegrini

After just getting into the postseason last year, Milford has key pieces back in key positions to try and keep their playoff streak alive.

“This team is a very athletic team with lots of versatility,” head coach Paul Pellegrini said. “If we put everything together, which I believe we will, we should be fun to watch. We will definitely be very competitive and strong team all around.”

One big reason that Milford has a shot at getting back there is sophomore Aidan Wilde, who led the league as a freshman in batting last year. He hit had 36 hits and hit .537 with 21 RBI and was selected as the HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year. Junior Blake Hill has batted .360 over the past two years and will also be a key part of the Scarlet Hawks pitching staff.

Junior Alex Macek will be one of the more experienced pitchers in the Davenport and will be relied upon as Milford tries to replace Griffin Lynch and Alex Croteau. Brian Ireland, who also is the starting third baseman, will also get innings for Milford this season.

OLIVER AMES

2016 Record: 15-7
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Leo Duggan

Losing arguably the two top players in the league will be tough for Oliver Ames but the Tigers have been the class of the league in recent years and have reloaded year after year.

Oliver Ames has won six straight league titles but this season might be the biggest challenge. Hockomock MVP and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Brendan Welch is off at SNHU now and Mike Ferrara, who set the single season hit record for the Tigers, is out at Worcester State.

However, Leo Duggan has infielder Chris Romero back to lead OA after batting .474 last year, good for fourth in the league. Romero gets it done at the plate, in the field and on the bases – stealing 18 bases last year. Romero will be joined by Josh Minuskin, who saw time all over the field last year and will settle in behind the plate in 2016.

Ryan Adams will be another key piece, playing in 18 games last year and batting .404 with 10 RBI. Sophomore Matt Muir also returns after a standout freshman year. Sam Burr, Kevin Geary, Mitchell Goulet and Nick Zwerle should all see some innings on the mound this season.

Sharon

2015 Record: 6-14
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kee Arguimbau

For the first time in nearly a half a century, there will be a new head coach for the Sharon Eagles baseball team. After 44 years at the helm, Joel Peckham retired after last season and assistant Kee Arguimbau has taken the reigns.

Senior Isaac Miley will be a leader that Arguimbau will rely on all over the place. He’s been on varsity since his sophomore year and is returns as the starting shortstop this season and will be one of the program’s top pitchers.

Senior Mark Botaish will also see a lot of time on the mound and will man third base when he’s not pitching. Arguimbau noted Botaish’s strong junior season and is hoping that will be built on this year. Andrew Filipkowski is back in the outfield for his third season and will be relied upon to get the offense started from the leadoff spot.

Junior Jake Marglous is back at catcher again this season and classmate Aiden Arnold is back to man first base. Arnold was also one of the Eagles’ top hitters last season and will help pace the offense this year. Arguimbau also expect contributions from Rob Bayha, Mike Dumont, Jordan Chabot, Ryan Crooks and Spencer Singer.

Stoughton

2015 Record: 9-11
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mike Armour

The Black Knights came up just short of the postseason last year but return a strong core and are poised to punch their ticket to the playoffs in 2016.

“With a mix of experience and youth, we are looking to field a competitive team this season that should be able to compete with anybody,” head coach Mike Armour said.

Jake Gibbs has been one of the top players in the league the last two seasons and will look to do the same during his senior year behind the plate. Junior Ryan Sullivan showed a lot on the mound last season and will see a lot of innings along with juniors Justin Hutchinson and Nico Parmeggiani and senior Barry Cooke.

Armour is looking for Doug Seaman to take on an expanded role during his senior season after being limited to just hitting last season. Junior Jack Connelly will man first base for the Black Knights while Joe Piana will see time at third base. Expect Chris McNulty, Nick Quattrucci, Matt Gallagher, Luke Johnson, Michael Batte to all see time in the field while Jared Maher will log some innings on the mound.