Tag: Nolan Bradley

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

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final (8 inn.) – Oliver Ames took a 4-0 lead early and had a 5-2 lead going into the seventh inning but the Bombardiers took advantage of a couple of Tiger miscues to get the win. Drew Pagano (walk) and Sam Larkin (HBP) reached, and then Rob Furtado delivered a two-out RBI single to bring Big Blue within two runs. With the bases loaded, Larkin and Furtado came in to score on an infield error to tie the game. In the top of the eighth, Larkin (2-for-2, three runs) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second. After stealing third, Larkin came home to score the go-ahead run on an error. Jon Candiales, who inherited runners at first and second with no outs, got the final three outs. Michael Mulrean had a strong outing for OA, going six-plus innings with nine strikeouts. Chris Pearsons went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Tigers.

Milford, 11 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Milford plated four runs in the second inning, tacked on three more in each the third and fourth innings and added one more in the fifth to pick up its first win of the season. Matt Shaver went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI while Nick Marcolini had two hits, three runs and a pair of stolen bases. Dan Corsini earned the win, scattering five hits in six innings, striking out three with one earned run allowed. Foxboro’s Devin Hassett was 3-for-3 with a double and scored both of the Warriors’ runs.

Canton, 5 @ Sharon, 6 – Final

Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin senior Jake Noviello was spectacular again, firing his second straight complete game shutout to help the Panthers edge Mansfield. Noviello allowed just one hit, walked four and had one strikeout to earn the win. Noviello took the no-hitter into the final inning before Mansfield’s Dan Saraceno had a base hit to lead off the seventh. Franklin scored a run in the third, and then again in the fourth. Jack Nally had a double and scored a run for Franklin, Alex Haba added an RBI double, Evan Wendell scored a run, and Colby Fitzgibbons had an RBI double. Mansfield sophomore John Carney allowed just one hit and two walks over 2.1 innings of work in relief.

King Philip, 6 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – King Philip scored a run in the top of the first, tacked on three more in the top of the second, plated one more in the fourth, and score what turned into the winning run in the top of the sixth. Taunton tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth before KP took the lead back for good in the next half inning. Liam Rohan came in to pinch hit and drove in Nolan Bradley for the winning run. Jeremy Rhines struck out a pair and gave up three earned runs in five innings of work while junior Terry Murray didn’t allow a run in two innings, striking out four. Rhines added a single and an RBI as well.

North Attleboro, 12 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Softball
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Attleboro, 14 – Final (5 inn.) – Attleboro pushed across 11 runs in the second inning in a big win over visiting Oliver Ames. AHS freshmen Autumn O’Connell went 3-for-3 and scored twice in the second inning while freshman Lora Woyton (2-for-3) cleared the bases with a double. Jordyn Lako added two RBI and two runs for the Bombardiers. Emily Gittle struck out four in five innings of work, allowing two runs with no walks. Oliver Ames’ Lexie Campbell (1-3) scored both of the Tigers’ two runs on RBI singles from Katie Abreu and Caroline Mahoney.

Sharon, 0 @ Canton, 16 – Final (5 inn.) – Sharon got a pair of hits from Jody Goldenberg and a long single to center from Lauren Yaffe.

Foxboro, 4 @ Milford, 16 – Final (6 inn.) – The Hawks broke the game wide open with an eight-run second inning and collected 20 hits as a team. Emily Piergustavo led the way for Milford with three hits, including a homer, and five RBI. Emily Hartman also went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI and Kelley Reichert went 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and also allowed one earned run in six innings, striking out eight. Sabrina Haarstick had two hits and three RBI. Jess Tomaso had two hits and scored two runs, and Shannon Cormier reached base four times and scored twice.

Franklin, 8 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Franklin scored two in the first inning, one each in the fifth and sixth innings, and then put the game away with four in the seventh. Emily Valentino picked up the win, while striking out 12 and allowing just five hits. Franklin coach Kate Fallon said that the Panthers played “solid defense,” including catcher Maggie Hobby, who also hit a two-run double in the seventh to extend the lead. Anna Balkus went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Kylie Bouzan was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored for the Panthers. Franklin finished with 14 hits as a team.

Stoughton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 9 – Final – Bella Erti struck out 11 in a complete game victory, allowing only four hits and walking none. Emily Nardelli and Erti both hit homers for the Rocketeers, while Abby Gallagher had a pair of hits and a diving catch. Andrea Miceli, Erti, and Gallagher each drove in two runs for North. For Stoughton, Jordan Lyons went 2-for-3 with a double while Nikki Cappola and Gina Carafa each had a single.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 8 @ Pembroke, 6 – Final – Canton built a 6-3 lead at halftime, led by the same score going into the fourth and held on for a win on the road at Pembroke. The Bulldogs never trailed in the win. Dan Cohen led the scoring with four goals while Kevin Albert scored two goals and had one assist. Sophomore Brendan Clifford scored his first career goal on perfectly placed snipe and classmate Jack Connolly made 15 saves in net for the Dogs.

Foxboro, 16 @ Medway, 8 – Final – Foxboro continued its undefeated start, moving to 8-0 with a win over Medway. Louis Piccolo scored a team-high seven goals and added three assists while Brendan Tully registered five points (three goals, two assists) for the Warriors. Bobby Yerardi added three goals while Andrew Whalen (two goals, one assist) and Pete Conley (goal, two assists) each had three points. Jake Addeche made nine saves in the win for Foxboro.

Mansfield, 6 @ St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 15 – Final

Milford, 2 vs. Hopedale, 13 – Final

Oliver Ames, 18 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames had six different players score multiple goals in a win over D-R. Eric LeBlanc, Owen Gallagher, Shane Kilkelly, Colin Bourne, Sandro Masciarelli, and Sam Stevens all had multiple goals for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 0 @ Sharon, 12 – Final – Sharon’s Brett Litner (two goals, three assists) and Drew Litner (one goal, four assists) each recorded five points as the Eagles rolled to a win. Kadin Nestler chipped in with a pair of goals and an assist while Daniel Lillenfield added two goals as well.

Taunton vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 3:30

Girls Lacrosse
Taunton, 16 @ Coyle & Cassidy, 2 – Final – Taunton freshman Alana Tavares paced the offense with eight goals while senior Hannah Moniz scored four goals and senior Kayla Phillips added a pair. Senior Diana Brens and freshman Anastasia Lajoie each found the back of the net once. Goalie Brianna Winfield made eight saves in the win.

Foxboro, 15 vs. Medway, 12 – Final

Franklin, 6 @ Natick, 5 – Final – Franklin sophomore Erin Walsh scored the game-winning goal inside the final minute to lift the Panthers to a win on the road at Natick. Erin Walsh and Annie Walsh each finished with two goals and one assist in the win. Kelsey MacCallum added two assists while Nicole Houlihan and Katie Jones each had one goal. The Panthers played well defensively, with Corinne Lewis grabbing two ground balls and forcing three turnovers. Sophomore Gianna Cameron made seven saves in net.

King Philip, 5 @ Walpole, 19 – Final – Caroline Klim and Alli Meehan each scored twice, but the Warriors lost for the first time this season. Ali Wilson also scored for KP.

Mansfield, 9 @ Old Rochester, 13 – Final – Ann Maher scored four goals and Katy Garvin added three for the Hornets in the loss.

Milford, 6 @ Hopedale, 7 – Final

North Attleboro, 2 @ Notre Dame Academy, 19 – Final

Oliver Ames, 7 vs. Silver Lake, 15 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Sofia Masciarelli scored three goals and added one assist but the Tigers fell at home against Silver Lake. Olivia Piazza added four assists and Ella Hogan had a hat trick for OA.

Boys Tennis
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Attleboro defended home court, winning four of the five matches in straight sets. Evan Capar won 6-1, 1-6, 10-7 at first singles to complete the sweep. Jared Cooper (6-2, 6-1) and Ryan Gordon (6-3, 6-1) won at second and third singles, respectively. The team of Luis Sandoval and Hans Estrada won 6-2, 6-4 at first doubles while Zach Brown and Ryan Solari picked up a 6-4, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Sharon’s Fred Bondar overcame a one-set deficit to earn a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win at first singles, helping the Eagles complete the sweep on the road. Andre Olivei won 6-1, 6-4 at second singles and Danujan Thirumavalavan picked up at 6-1, 6-0 victory at third singles. Junior Max Brody and sophomore Alberto Olivei teamed up for the first time this season for a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles while senior Russell Rapaport and junior Arie Chinnappan won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles for Sharon.

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Franklin, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – The Panthers won a pair of matches at singles and swept doubles play to beat Mansfield. Both of Franklin’s doubles teams overcame first set deficits to get the wins. Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu rallied for a 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 6-2 win at first doubles and Tony Calderone and Dan Angermeier came back with a 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 win. Freshman Liam Marr didn’t lose a game (6-0, 6-0) at second singles and Tyler St. Marie earned a 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 win at third singles. Mansfield’s Luke Nickerson won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip won all five matches in straight sets, sweeping visiting Taunton. Marco DiStefano won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles, Nick Putney earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Jack Cannon took a 6-1, 6-1 decision at third singles. The team of Nick Ihley and Aidan Ignatius notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles while Nate Ihley and Sean Desrochers teamed up for a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Senior Christian Bermudez, freshman Jonah Manso, and the team of sophomore Alex Pfeffer and freshman Sam Gallagher all won their respective matches without losing a game. Christian Bermudez won at second singles, Manso took the win at third singles and Pfeffer and Gallagher won at second doubles. North senior Richard Bermudez won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles and the team of senior Ben Pfeffer and junior Vikram Senthilakumaran won 6-2, 6-0 at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
King Philip, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – King Philip picked up an impressive win, taking all five matches in straight sets on the road at Taunton. Erin Regnier won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles, Meghan Sepich took a win at second singles by the same score, and Caitlin Gonser didn’t lose a game (6-0, 6-0) in a win at third singles. The team of Katarina Schneider and Grace Ely emerged with a 6-0, 7-5 win at first doubles and the team of Mia Valencia and Lucy Bernard took a 6-1, 6-1 decision at second doubles.

Attleboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames defended home court, winning all five matches in straight sets to sweep visiting Attleboro. Junior Sarah Leger won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, sophomore Tate Hadges lost just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 victory at second singles, and sophomore Sarah Barron emerged with a 6-4, 6-2 win at third singles. The team of seniors Kristin Bloumbas and Emily Yu took home a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles and seniors Rachel Stryke and Olivia Groebe notched a 6-0, 6-3 victory at second doubles for the Tigers.

Canton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Canton freshman Rachel Kupferman became the first player to win a game against Sharon’s Lulu Yuan this season, but Yuan prevailed 7-5, 6-1 at second singles as the Eagles came up with a sweep. Nupur Shukla (6-0, 6-0) and Lauren Glass (6-2, 6-4) completed the sweep in singles play for Sharon. Katie Merport and Anjali Mandal won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and Sophia Fein and Sophia Le earned a 6-2, 6-2 decision at second doubles.

Milford, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro picked up a clean sweep at home, knocking off Milford with all five matches ending in two sets. Sophia Prinos earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, Pamela Nelson didn’t drop a game in a win at second singles, and Kayla Prag picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles. The team of Julia Muise and Sarah Prag won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles while Olivia Dantona and Kendall Milender teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Mansfield picked up two wins in singles and swept doubles play to record a win on the road at Franklin. Senior Sarah Doyle didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and Elizabeth Elsner earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles for the Hornets. The team of Tessa Garufi and Hannah Podolske continued their strong start with a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles and sophomore Sam Sternberg and freshman Aryann Khosravani won 6-2, 6-4 at second doubles. Franklin senior Emmy Mahoney won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for the Panthers.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro senior Leah Marceau and junior Tara Nair won a tiebreaker 7-4 to take the second set and earn a win (6-3, 7-6 (7-4)) at first doubles, helping the Rocketeers win all five matches in straight sets. Senior Jordan Willis won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and classmate Emily Chiasson won by the same score at second singles. Senior Azka Siddiq won 6-2, 6-1 at third singles for North while seniors Shurobhi and Monica Nakhla earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/09/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Sharon, 5 @ Attleboro, 13 – Final – Attleboro overcame a 4-1 deficit, scoring three runs in the fifth inning to tie it, two more in the sixth in the take a lead, and then seven runs in the final inning to put the game to bed. Attleboro senior Drew Pagano earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings. James Weir went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI, Troy Gamache had two hits and an RBI and Sam Larkin chipped in with two hits. Sophomore Alvaro Espinel drew five walks, stole three bases and scored three runs while senior Corey McKenna had a two-run double and three stolen bases.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Foxboro senior Steve McLaughlin tossed a complete game shutout, scatting three hits while striking out three to lead the Warriors to a win over Franklin. Chad Bearce (single) and JT Burke (double) each recorded an RBI as Foxboro scored single runs in each the first, second, and fourth innings. Anthony Mollica and Joe Cavaleri each had a hit for Foxboro. Franklin’s Jake Noviello struck out 11 batters in five innings of work with just two walks and no earned runs allowed.

King Philip, 17 @ Canton, 4 – Final – King Philip’s offense exploded for 17 runs in its season opener to pick up a win on the road. Sophomore Robbie Jarest went 3-for-3 with an RBI while Jeremy Rhines had two hits, including a double, and an RBI. Rhines earned the win on the mound with five innings of work, striking out four batters without allowing an earned run. KP head coach Greg Kessler said Collin Cooke and Nolan Bradley had strong games defensively.

Mansfield, 9 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Mansfield broke open a 1-1 game with two runs in the fifth and then added four more in the sixth, and two more in the seventh inning to turn a close game into a big win in both teams’ season opener. Hornets senior Tyler Dalton scattered four hits over four innings of work while striking out four to earn the win. Kevin Dow pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Offensively, Sam Nugent (RBI, run), Mike Hargadon (two RBI, run), Cullin Anastasia (RBI), Eric Longley (run), and Dow (two RBI, run) each had two hits for the Hornets. For Stoughton, Ruben Gonzalez, Mike Nazzaro and Will Eckhart each had a pair of hits. Eckhart allowed three earned runs in five innings of work while striking out four.

Taunton, 5 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Taunton senior Tyler Medeiros allowed just four hits in five-plus innings of work, striking out seven with two runs allowed to earn the win. Taunton scored three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead, added another run in the fifth inning, and tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Josh Lajoie (save), Christian Simoes, and Jacob Crawford each had two hits for Taunton while Jack Moynihan had a two-RBI triple in the fourth inning. For Milford, Danny Corsini allowed just two earned runs in six innings of work with three strikeouts. Colby Pires (RBI) and Matt Shaver (walk, two runs) each had a pair of hits for the Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro senior Nick Sinacola dazzled in his season debut, striking out 11 batters over six innings of work with five hits and two walks allowed. North scored single runs in the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. OA had a chance to tie the game with the bases loaded in the seventh inning but Peter Cohen came in to get the final out via strikeout. Nick Raneri went 2-for-3 with a double, Zach DeMattio went 2-for-3, and Nolan Buckley had a two-out RBI triple in the fifth for the Rocketeers. Oliver Ames senior Mitch Goulet was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Softball
Sharon, 1 @ Attleboro, 13 – Final (6 inn.) – Attleboro’s McKenzie Bergdoll had a strong day in the circle and at the plate to help the Bombardiers open the season with a win. Bergdoll struck out eight in four innings of work, allowing just two hits and one unearned run. At the plate, she had two hits and two RBI. Jenna Gittle finished the final two innings in the circle, striking out three while allowing two hits. Makenzie Killough and Ashley Macia each had big days at the play; Killough went 3-for4 with four RBI, including a home run while Macia was 3-for-4 with five RBI and a home run. Jordyn Lako chipped in with three hits and two RBI for Big Blue. “This was a good start with only three practices outside so far,” said AHS coach Mark Homer. “Everyone in the starting lineup contributed offensively.”

Canton, 0 @ King Philip, 25 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip’s Meghan Gorman had four of the Warriors 15 hits, including a two-run home run and a pair of doubles, finishing with five RBI. Brooke Taute contributed three hits, including a triple, and three RBI while Faith Turnese and Hailey McCasland each had multiple hits. Elise Pereira earned the win with a complete game, six strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Chelsea Gibbons went 2-for-4 to lead the Warriors, while Hannah Davis and Jill Finn each had an RBI single in the victory. Foxboro’s Emma Rohan went the distance in the circle to get the win.

Stoughton, 1 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – Mansfield coach Lori Letendre called the opening game of the season “a great team effort,” as the Hornets got a strong start from Sarah Cahill, who allowed only three hits and struck out five, and had six players record at least two hits. Mady Bendanillo and Caty DeMassi both went 3-for-4 with DeMassi just a double away from the cycle. Sydney Woods, Felicity McMullin, Ella Verheggen, and Cahill each went 2-for-4. Every player in the Mansfield lineup had at least a hit or an RBI. Kerran Holmes also made a big play in left, turning a double play after a shoestring grab.

Milford, 8 @ Taunton, 7 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ North Attleboro, 22 – Final (5 inn.) – Bella Erti struck out six and allowed only three hits in five innings of work, while also registering three hits at the plate. Ashley Cangiano led the offense, going 4-for-4 with a homer and five RBI. Abby Gallagher scored four runs, while Olivia Capobianco scored three times and had a stolen base and Annabelle Hebard and Katy Daby each had triples. All four finished the game with two hits apiece. Lexie Campbell, Kayla Georgeu, and Katie Mills each had a hit for Oliver Ames.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 15 – Final

Canton, 2 @ Foxboro, 13 – Final – Foxboro built a 7-0 lead by halftime and never looked back to earn a league win over division foe Canton. Louis Piccolo collected eight points – three goals and five assists – to pace the Warriors’ offense. Shayne Kerrigan went 15-for-17 at the face-off X and Bobby Yerardi chipped in with three goals.

Sharon, 4 @ Franklin, 13 – Final – Franklin junior Jacob Alexander dominated the face-off X, winning 17 of 21 attempts to help give the Panthers the edge in possession. Eric Civetti paced the offense with six goals and assist while Zach Alexander, Jacob Alexander, Jake Davis and Nitin Chaudhury each scored once for the Panthers. Will Davis made five saves in net for Franklin.

Mansfield @ Stoughton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Oliver Ames, 10 @ Milford, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Eric LeBlanc had a hand in over half of the Tigers goals, helping his side earn its first win of the season. LeBlanc scored five goals and had one assist to pace the offense while Shane Kilkelly added two goals and three assists and Frankie Ireland finished with a goal and two assists. Milford freshman goalie Evan Hazard made 15 saves in net while Andrew Gallagher had a team-high five points with two goals and three assists. Mike Demko and Brendan White each scored a pair of goals while Chase Blanchette had a strong game defensively with six ground balls.

Taunton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 12 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 16 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro had eight different goal scorers, as new coach Colleen Carchedi gets her first win on her Rocketeers debut. Kayla Moulin earned the shutout in net. Alana Tavares grabbed two draw controls for the Tigers, while Hannah Moniz and Rosemary McGrath each had three ground balls.

King Philip, 17 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final KP had seven different scorers and improved to 2-0 on the season. Katie Crowther led the way for the Warriors with seven goals and two assists, while Caroline Klim chipped in with three goals and three assists. Alli Meehan and Olivia Tormey each added two goals and an assist, while Dana Truini, Victoria Tormey, and Ali Wilson each scored once in the win. Caroline Watson made eight saves for KP.

Foxboro, 19 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Sophia DiCenso scored three goals and Caroline Boudreau recorded four assists, as Foxboro used 13 different goal scorers to get the division win. Sara Addeche picked up the shutout in goal.

Franklin, 18 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Franklin junior Annie Walsh and sophomore Erin Walsh combined for 15 points to lead the Panthers to a win on the road at Sharon. Annie had seven goals and two assists while Erin finished with four goals and two assists. Katie Jones added two goals and two assists while Nicole Houlihan had two goals and Corinne Lewis had a strong game defensively with two ground balls. Gianna Cameron made seven saves in the win while Kate Morse made her season debut after suffering an ACL injury this past Fall. Sabrina Robbins scored a pair of goals, grabbed four draw controls, and three ground balls, while Emma Eberhardt added a pair of goals and five draw controls for the Eagles. Sharon also got a goal and an assist from Lydia Chase and 13 saves from goalie Rose Wald.

Mansfield, 16 vs. Holliston, 12 – Final

Milford, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 16 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Chloe Kilkelly and Olivia Piazza combined for seven goals and six assists to lead the Tigers to a win.

Boys Tennis
Sharon, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – It was a clean sweep for Sharon with all five matches ending in straight sets. Fred Bondar won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles, Danujan Thirumavalavan, won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and Ashwin Sreevatsa won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for the Eagles. The team of Max Brody and Russell Rapaport earned a 6-2, 6-0 decision at first doubles while Arie Chinnappan and Alex Aspel won 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles.

Canton, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip’s Marco DiStefano rallied after losing the first game to win the second and take a third set tiebreaker to complete the Warriors sweep. DiStefano won 2-6, 7-6 (5), 10-7 while Nick Putney (6-2, 3-6, 6-1) also went three sets at second singles. Jack Cannon won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles, Aidan Ignatius and Nick Ihley won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Sean Desrochers and Nate Ihley didn’t lose a single game (6-0, 6-0) at second doubles.

Foxboro, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin swept singles play and took another win at first doubles to beat Foxboro. Rohan Herur (6-1, 6-3), Liam Marr (6-0, 6-1) and Tony Calderone (6-4, 6-3) took care of business in singles action while Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu rallied from one set down to earn a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win. Foxboro’s team of Justin Neale and Brady Gardner earned a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – The Hornets picked up a pair of wins in singles as well as doubles to defend home court against Stoughton. Luke Nickerson won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles and Peter Lally earned a 6-1, 6-0 decision at third singles. The team of Jalaj Singh and Danny Radev notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while Ben Salden and Yash Sakitarkar won by the same score at second doubles. Stoughton’s Erik Anderson won 6-4, 6-4 at second singles.

Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton’s Mike Briggs (third singles) and Alex Pugh and Trevor Hart (second doubles) each won in straight sets without dropping a game to pace the Tigers. Francois Hennaux won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Brett Beaulieu earned a 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and the team of Charlie Fiske and Dylan Kullas notched a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – North Attleboro won all five matches in straight sets without dropping a single game to record a win on the road. Richard Bermudez (first singles), Christian Bermudez (second singles) Jonah Manso (third singles), the team of Ben Pfeffer and Sam Gallagher (first doubles) and Alex Pfeffer and Alex Rinaldi (second doubles) all won 6-0, 6-0.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – The Tigers notched a pair of wins in singles play and two more in doubles to take home a win from Milford. Vanessa Rosa won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles and Jocelyn Pagliuca took a 6-2, 6-1 decision at third singles. The team of McKenzie Lurie and Sam Martin dropped just one game (6-0, 6-1) at first doubles and Amanda Pugh and Brianna Ferrier did the same (6-1, 6-0) in a win at second doubles. Milford’s Julie Rabinowitz won 6-3, 6-3 at first singles.

Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon dropped a total of three games in singles action and two total in doubles play in a sweep over Attleboro. Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Lulu Yuan didn’t lose a game (6-0, 6-0) at second singles and Emily Wen earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Katie Merport and Sophia Fein earned a 6-2, 6-0 win at first doubles while Rithika Neti and Lauren Glass didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

King Philip, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – King Philip won all five matches but some were closer than the score indicates. Erin Regnier won 6-0, 7-5 at first singles, Meghan Sepich earned a 6-1, 6-4 victory at second singles and Caitlin Gonser walked away with a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Grace Ely and Mia Valencia squeaked out a win at first doubles (5-7, 6-4, 10-8) while Katarina and Schneider and Lucy Barnard dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Franklin, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro won three matches without losing a single game in a sweep at home over Franklin. Sophia Prinos (first singles), Pam Nelson (third singles), and the team of Julia Muise and Sarah Prag (first doubles) each won their match 6-0, 6-0. Kayla Prag won 6-0, 6-3 at second singles for the Warriors and Olivia Dantona and Kendall Milender emerged victorious (6-2, 6-3) at second doubles.

Mansfield, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Mansfield opened its season with a win, winning all three singles matches in straight sets. Senior Sarah Doyle won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Elizabeth Elsner took a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles and freshman Aryann Khosravani won 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. Junior Tessa Garufi and sophomore Samantha Sternberg won 6-3, 6-1 at first doubles while junior Hannah Podolske and senior Cindy Gu prevailed with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 win at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro edged out Oliver Ames with a pair of wins in singles play and one win in doubles. Jordan Willis had a convincing 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, senior Katie Ovoian won 6-1, 6-4 at third singles and the team of seniors Leah Marceau and Shurobhi Nandi prevailed 6-4, 7-6 (7-0) at first doubles. For Oliver Ames, Tate Hadges won 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at second singles and Olivia Groebe and Rachel Stryke notched a 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Brockton, 0 – Final – Taunton picked up a convincing win on the road behind a balanced attack. Malik Charles had a team-high eight kills while Alex Tavares (four blocks), Lens Esquil (three blocks), and Lance Law (four aces) all registered seven kills. Ricardo DaFonseca finished with 32 assists for the Tigers.

2018 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

2018 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 6-14
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Matt Bosh

After missing out on the postseason a year ago, Attleboro head coach Matt Bosh believes his team’s depth and versatility will help the Bombardiers get back there.

Junior Eoin Kelleher is back to lead the pitching staff after a stellar sophomore season in which he earned HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year honors. Kelleher posted a 1.00 ERA in 35 innings of work, including throwing a no-hitter against rival North. Senior captains Jason Weir and Jon Candiales, senior Drew Pagano along with junior Sam Larkin will all see time on the mound for Big Blue as well.

Candiales and Weir also anchor the offense with the former patrolling shortstop and the latter seeing time in both the outfield and first base. Candiales gives the Bombardiers power from the left side of the plate while Weir is a three-year starter that gives Bosh flexibility in the lineup. Larkin will be in the outfield when he isn’t pitching and can use his speed to hurt teams. Corey McKenna returns as the starting second baseman while senior Dakota Kirby is back behind the dish after a year off. Kirby will add pop to the lineup as he hit 0.425 as a sophomore with 10 RBI.

“The biggest improvement that I see from last year is our team speed and athleticism,” Bosh said. “We have a lot of guys that can play multiple positions and we’re very athletic. We have a high number of kids who can play anywhere.”

Canton

2017 Record: 6-12
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Greg Digirolamo

A strong core of returning players and a good amount of depth will be keys for the 2018 Canton Bulldogs baseball team.

After losing just four players from last year’s team, there is a good mix of experienced players and talented youth for head coach Greg Digirolamo to work with. The Bulldogs will look to three senior captains to the lead the way: Matt Casamento, Robbie Wilkinson, and Tommy DeLello. Casamento is a three-year starter in center field, DeLello will man first base and Wilkinson will try to carry over the momentum from an impressive junior year into 2018. Wilkinson went 3-1 last year with a 1.58 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 31 innings pitched.

Wilkinson will be joined in the pitching staff by seniors Austin Maffie, Niko Donovan, and Ryan Hickey, along with juniors Paul Corcoran, Robbie Sullivan, and Kevin McGonigle. Freshman Matt Connolly will also figure into the mix on the mound.

Casamento anchors the defense from the center field spot while junior catcher Matt Pigeon and sophomore shortstop Nate Quan bolster the defense up the middle.

“It’s a good group of kids that like to compete every day, what else can you ask for as a coach?” Digirolamo said. “For us the biggest thing will be seeing live pitching. If we’re to have any success this year we’ll need to do a better job at the plate.”

Foxboro

2017 Record: 7-14
2017 Finish: Reached D3 South First Round
Coach: Derek Suess

New Foxboro head coach Derek Suess sees a little bit of the past in his first team as head coach. Suess, a former Warrior himself, said the 2018 version of Foxboro reminds him of a team that won 15 games during his senior year just over a decade ago.

“This team is hungry to put the program back on the map,” Suess said. “I couldn’t ask for a better senior group to lead us. They remind me of the senior group I was a part of in 2007 in which we won 15 games. With a good mix of underclassmen, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s hard work pay off on the field.”

After losing a painful eight games by just one run a season ago, including a near upset of third-seeded and D3 South Finalist Norton in the playoffs, the Warriors will be looking to turn those losses into wins this time around.

“We need to make more winning plays to put those tallies in the win column,” Suess said.

Junior Anthony Mollica will spearhead the offense after leading the Warriors with a 0.367 batting average a year ago. Senior Chad Bearce and sophomore Joe Cavaleri will bolster the middle of the lineup, freshman Sean Yoest has shown flashes early on at the dish, and seniors Joe Freitas, Matt Rongione, and Jack Franceschelli provide the Warriors with some speed.

Senior Steve McLaughlin returns after an impressive 2017 season. Despite posting an 0-6 record, McLaughlin struck out 24 batters in 32.2 innings of work and posted a 1.73 ERA. McLaughlin will be joined by Cavaleri, Yoest, and junior Guy Quartarone in the rotation while senior Robert Theriault returns behind the dish after getting a year of experience last season.

Franklin

2017 Record: 18-6
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Zach Brown

Focusing on pitching and defense, the Panthers will be looking to get better each and every day as they try to replicate the success from a season ago.

Franklin won the Kelley-Rex division last year, its first league title since 2012. And the mix of pitching and offense put the Panthers in some conversations for Super 8, but the Panthers ended up in the D1 South and bowed out in the quarterfinals after being forced to play on back to back days.

The arms that helped the Panthers have so much success last year as almost all back, starting with staff ace senior Jake Noviello. The Fairfield-commit struck out a Hockomock-best 61 batters a year ago, going 6-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 55.1 innings of work. Noviello is complemented by lefty Jason Ulrickson (7-0, 0.80 ERA, 35 K), Bryan Woelfel (3-2, 0.91 ERA, 4 SV, 31 K) and senior James Leofanti.

The defense will be anchored by a pair of returning starters in junior shortstop Alex Haba (0.360, 12 runs) and junior catcher Jake Macchi.

“While we are returning a number of experienced arms we are also turning over a number of positions last season,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “So, we will be young or inexperienced at a number of positions. Offensively, my hope is that as the season progressing we will be able to develop an identity and find a way to manufacture runs.”

King Philip

2017 Record: 10-11
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Greg Kessler

After just squeaking into the postseason a year ago, first-year KP head coach Greg Kessler is hoping his team will be in contention for a Kelley-Rex division title in 2018.

One reason for that is the senior class and the handful of returning players that have plenty of experience at the varsity level. Ben Furfari returns as a key piece of the Warriors’ outfield and lineup. He hit 0.298 last season and will provide the power on offense. Senior Pat Limerick, committed to play at St. Joseph’s (ME), will set the tone as the leadoff hitter.

On the mound, senior Jeremy Rhines (2-1, 1.45 ERA) and junior David Morganelli will be the main options while hard-throwing senior Liam Rohan will also be in the mix. Nolan Bradley returns behind the plate as one of the top catchers in the league while sophomore Robbie Jarest will step in to take over at shortstop.

“We have a great group of senior this year,” Kessler said. “They have been dedicated to the weight room and leading our underclassmen. They continuously strive to build a team that will compete for the Hock championship. They deserve to have a great year. I guarantee that will be the most vocal and most energetic team in the Hock. We pride ourselves on being positive and enthusiastic every pitch.”

Mansfield

2017 Record: 14-8
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Joe Breen

There is a lot of optimism surrounding the Mansfield baseball program this season. And with the arms they have back, there’s good reason for it.

Senior Tyler Dalton, a UMass Amherst commit, returns after missing the majority of his junior year with an injury. Dalton was tremendous during the 2016 season as a sophomore, posting a 6-2 record while striking out 35 batters and posting a 1.78 ERA. He will be joined on the Hornets’ staff by senior Kevin Dow (UMass Amherst commit, 4-1, 1.93 ERA), junior lefty Connor Sheehan (2.82 ERA, 28 K), and junior Kyle Moran (three saves). Sophomore John Carney will also likely see time on the mound for the Hornets.

Senior catcher Cullin Anastasia returns after being named to the 2017 HockomockSports.com Second Team. Anastasia had 19 hits a year ago, knocking in 10 runs and scoring 10 runs as well. Sam Nugent will give the Hornets a spark in center field and on the base path with his speed, Moran picked up plenty of experience at third base last season, and Eric Longley will provide Mansfield with some pop in the middle of the lineup.

“We will rely heavily on our pitching staff this season to keep us in games and look to make the plays behind them and be aggressive with our offensive and baserunning approach to get those guys a few runs per game,” said Mansfield head coach Joe Breen. “As always, we will turn to our senior class to set the tone and for our underclassmen to blossom under their leadership.”

Milford

2017 Record: 12-10
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Alex Dion

Milford baseball starts a new chapter in its historic history as longtime assistant Alex Dion takes over the reigns of the program.

Dion’s first challenge will be having to overcome the loss of a dozen seniors, including team ace Alex Macek, reliable infielders Zack Tamagni and Anthony Arcudi, and hard-hitting outfielder Ryan Goncalves. However, the good news is that Dion has one of the best players at his disposal in Stonehill-commit Aidan Wilde. Wilde had 59 hits between his freshman and sophomore years and added 21 more in the regular season a year ago. After seeing time as a catcher last season, Wilde will mainly man the corner infield positions in 2018.

Wilde will be complemented by junior Matt Shaver, who picked up some experience a year ago at both shortstop and on the mound. The Hawks will rely on Shaver to anchor the defense from short and give the offense a spark from the leadoff position. Junior Tyler Almeida will step in behind the dish and will provide some offense from the left side of the plate. Sophomores Luke Rosa and Colby Pires look to be in the mix as well as junior Nick Marcolini, who will pitch and patrol the outfield.

“We graduated a strong senior class this past year and are now in a situation where we have a lot of new players who we will look to take advantage of new opportunities,” Dion said. “I am excited about the athleticism that we have on our roster and the energy that these guys bring to practice each day. I think our philosophy is simple, but we preach a team-first mentality to our guys and strive to get quality pitching, play clean defense and get timely hits to win games.”

North Attleboro

2017 Record: 8-10
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mike Hart

North Attleboro didn’t have to go far to find its new coach. Mike Hart takes over for Paul Tobin and Hart truly bleeds Big Red – a graduate from the school and three-sport coach.

And expectations are high for the Rocketeers after just missing out on the postseason a year ago. Senior captain Nick Sinacola returns after having an MVP-caliber junior season. Big Red will rely on Sinacola on both sides of the plate, leading the offense (he batted 0.415 last year with 15 runs scored) and being the ace of the staff (48.1 IP, 49 K, 2.01 ERA). Senior captain Zach DeMattio is also back after being named to the 2017 HockomockSports.com First Team, batting 0.333 with 15 RBI and three home runs. Big Red also gets senior Nate Pearce (0.371) back after a strong junior year.

Senior Peter Cohen (24 IP, 0.29 ERA) will look to build upon a superb junior year while Nolan Buckley and Jeff Gale bring experience to the outfield. Aidan Harding also has varsity experience and will be in the mix to get innings on the mound along with juniors Matt Wanless, Jake Palmer, Matt Seavey, Nick Raneri, and Ben Arrighi.

“We have a truly industrious group of players,” Hart said. “We’re going to keep moving guys around until we find the lineup that works for us. Some may have to play multiple positions, depending on whose pitching on any given day. We had a decent season last year, with many guys getting some varsity time, but we’re still unproven. We need to continue to improve every day and only worry about the things we can control. Guys will be competing every day all season, which will only make us better. We will approach each day, with a great attitude, high effort, and a steadfast approach.”

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 14-9
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinals
Coach: Joe Abarr

A lot of the players that helped Joe Abarr have a successful first season as head coach last year are back, which means the Tigers are aiming to replicate that success.

Despite finishing in a tie for third in the Kelley-Rex, the Tigers put together the best playoff run of any Hock team, knocking off #2 Dighton-Rehoboth on the road to reach the sectional semifinals. Junior Matt McCormack is back after earning a spot on varsity late in the season this year, and along with classmate Tom Parker, should give OA a solid 1-2 punch. With a handful of capable arms in the mix, the third spot in the rotation is still up for grabs.

Abarr won’t have to worry much about anything hit to the left side of the infield as the Tigers return third basemen Chris Pearsons and shortstop Matt Muir, two of the top defensive players at their positions. Both are capable hitters as well and will provide some pop to the lineup. Another returning starter is senior Mitch Goulet. Goulet had a breakout junior campaign in center field (0.347, 7 RBI), catching fire in the second half of the year. Abarr is hoping that momentum will carry over to this season.

The Tigers have a battle for the spot behind the plate as both junior Jake Erlich and junior Reid Latham are back, both with experience behind the dish.

“We have a great core of returning players that will be the backbone of the program,” Abarr said. “We have to fill positions in the outfield and at first. If we have some guys step up in that role we should have a decent lineup from top to bottom.”

Sharon

2017 Record: 6-14
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kee Arguimbau

Sharon is aiming to improve on its six-win season in 2017, and will be looking to ride its senior leadership to do so.

Senior captains Max Tarlin and Drew Naisuler are two of the most experienced players in the league and will be spearheading the Eagles’ offense and defense this year. Tarlin (5-4, 46 K, 1.11 ERA) is the anchor of the pitching staff, picking up five of Sharon’s six wins last season. When he’s not on the mound, expect to see Tarlin patrolling shortstop. Naisuler returns as the team’s No. 4 hitter to provide some pop to the lineup and will be a key defensive piece at both center field and first base.

The Eagles will also rely on senior Ben Schwartz, who will mainly be catching this year as well as being a major offensive contributor. Junior Noah Kamens will be a major piece of the pitching puzzle after impressing during his sophomore year. Similar to Tarlin, Kamens will be a major player in the offensive lineup and will see time off the mound spent in the outfield. Spencer Singer is transitioning to the outfield and will continue to be one of the players the Eagles look at for offensive production.

“I have a lot of guys who are multifaceted baseball players and I can foresee a lot of games being played with straight nine in the lineup,” Arguimbau said. “We have great senior leadership and some very promising sophomores that are going to play a major role in our season’s success.”

Stoughton

2017 Record: 15-6
2017 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Mike Armour

There are a lot of questions to be answered for this year’s Stoughton baseball team, but head coach Mike Armour is excited for his players to rise to the challenge.

The Black Knights graduated nearly their entire team (10 of its 13 rostered players), which won its second straight Davenport division title. So not only will Armour be leaning heavily on his three returning players, he is looking for new faces to seize the opportunity.

“This is an exciting year for our program,” Armour said. “It’s an awesome opportunity for our younger guys. The JV and freshmen teams both over 15 or more games last year, so we’re looking for them to carry that winning attitude into this season. I expect our team to play with heart and execute the fundamentals to make us a competitive team.”

2017 HockomockSports.com First Team selection and senior captain Ruben Gonzalez returns as one of the top players in the league, both defensively at shortstop and offensively at the plate. Senior Matt Hadley and junior Evan Gibb, both captains, are the other two returning players for the Knights. Gibb has plenty of varsity experience behind the plate and Hadley, although he will miss some time with injury, will be key piece in the outfield.

Meanwhile, Armour is looking for sophomores James Genest (first base) and Michael Nazzaro (third base/catcher) to step up and play important roles both offensively and defensively this season. Juniors Kyle Gagnon, Kevin Dixon, and Cian Swierzewski will see time in the outfield and classmate Robbie Seaman will be in the mix for middle infield.

For pitching, Gibb will see time on the mound as well as behind the play. Senior Will Eckhart has some varsity experience and junior Zak Paquette will likely log some meaningful innings for the Knights. Seniors Tim Kellogg, Talyor Atkinson, and Mike Anderson provide infield depth and Jack Brown and Ryan Semler will be in the mix in the outfield.

Taunton

2017 Record: 12-10
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Blair Bourque

There are a lot of good pitchers in the Hockomock League this year, and it looks like the Tigers’ staff could be right near the top of the list.

Taunton returns senior Tyler Medeiros, who had a terrific junior campaign and will get junior Jack Moynihan back on the mound. Moynihan was impressive during his freshman year two seasons ago but an injury limited his action on the mound last season. Medeiros fanned 68 batters in 56.1 innings of work, posting a 1.98 ERA to anchor the staff. Look for senior Trevor Pietrzyk and juniors Griffin Tomaszycki and Josh Lajoie to get some meaningful innings on the mound as well.

“Tyler clearly emerged as our top pitcher last year,” said second-year head coach Blair Bourque. “Fortunately, he’s a big kid and was able to put us on his back and carry us. Hopefully, we’re able to provide more support for him this year.”

Moynihan will also play a big role in Taunton’s offense this year. While patrolling third base, Moynihan will try to provide some pop in the middle of the lineup. The Tigers also get their top two batters back with senior shortstop Jacob Crawford (0.350, 15 runs) and senior Christian Simoes (0.340, 12 RBI).

Taunton will carry nine seniors and eight juniors this season so experience will be key.

North Attleboro Edges King Philip With Late Surge

North Attleboro boys basketball
North Attleboro’s Josh Montague drives to the basket in the second half at King Philip. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
 
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
WRENTHAM, Mass. – In a back and forth battle between King Philip and North Attleboro, it was the visiting Rocketeers that landed the biggest blow of the game, rallying over the final five minutes to earn a 55-51 decision over the Warriors.

While the first half was a see-saw type game, featuring four lead changes and four ties, King Philip was in control for the majority of the second half.

The Warriors led by as much as 10 points early in the third quarter only for North to get within four heading into the final frame. The hosts extended their lead to seven with five minutes to go in the game, but KP’s offense went cold from there.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

North finished the game on a 12-1 run, rattling off eight straight to take its first lead of the second half with two minutes to go. Big Red tacked on a big three and a key free throw to go up by four in the final minute.

“I thought our kids worked really, really hard,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “In the first half, [King Philip’s] screens were bothering us, which they shouldn’t have. Some guys had some miscommunications, some breakdowns. And then at times, it was giving up open shots. You give KP a lot of credit because they put us in a lot of tough spots but give our kids a lot of credit to finish the game the way they finished and make just enough plays to get out of here with a win.

Rocketeers junior Josh Montague (25 points, four assists) scored on back-to-back drives to open the final quarter, tying the game at 43-43. King Philip responded with a 7-0 run with a bucket from Kyle Layman (14 points, eight rebounds, three assists) down low, a three from Tim Nault (career-high 13 points) and a pair of free throws from Bruce Santillus. King Philip led 50-43 with just over five minutes to play.

That’s when North went on its run. Junior Matt Seavey (six points, five rebounds) converted a putback, junior Jake Petersen scored an easy bucket after a strong drive and dish from Montague, Nate Gonsalves (seven points) came up with a huge steal that led to two points from Montague, and then Gonsalves beat the shot clock buzzer with a deep two, giving the Rocketeers a 51-50 lead with two minutes to play.

King Philip looked to answer but Gonsalves came up with yet another big defensive play, blocking a shot at the free throw line. The Warriors had another chance on the play but couldn’t get their three-point to fall.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Gonsalves wasn’t lacking any confidence when he launched a deep three from straight away, sinking the shot with a minute to go to put North up 54-50.

“Nate’s got a knack for scoring, he’s got pretty good instincts,” Mulkerrins said. “Defensively, he’s like a lot of our guys – a work in progress – but in the fourth he had that steal, that block…so for a kid like him who isn’t naturally gifted on the defensive side of the ball to make defensive plays down the stretch is so important. We know he can make threes, he’s becoming a pretty good consistent big game shooter for us.”

The Warriors missed on the other end but got the ball back with a North turnover. Pharoah Davis (15 points) sank one free throw to get within three. Montague sank a free throw of his own with 13 seconds to play, icing the win for the Rocketeers.

King Philip led 28-24 at the half-time break and came up with a quick 8-2 burst to take its largest lead of the game. A strong move from Davis, a jumper from Nault, a nice post move from Layman and a layup from Davis helped the Warriors build a 36-26 lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

But Montague spearheaded an 11-3 run from the visitors, hitting a pair of threes in the stretch while both Ethan Friberg and Seavey scored down low to bring North within two at 39-37.

“We’ve been trying to add a little bit of ball screen to our offense and I thought, on short notice, the guys did a pretty good job of getting pretty good looks,” Mulkerrins said. “[Josh] has that ability to get by most defenders in one-on-one, but its a matter of his ability to make the right read. Tonight I thought he did a better job of getting into that second level and finishing so a lot of credit to him.”

North Attleboro built an early 9-5 lead but five straight from Davis put the hosts in front. Junior Owen Nassaney (seven points) came off the bench and scored four straight of his own to give the Rocketeers the 13-10 edge after one.

Nassaney started the second quarter with a bang. Gonsalves came up with a steal, tossing it ahead to Nassaney for a two-handed dunk while being fouled. He made the free throw for a 16-10 lead.

“Owen’s someone I have to give a lot of credit to tonight He’s had a lot of good practices over the past week, week and a half,” Mulkerrins said. “And it’d be really easy for a kid in his situation, not playing a lot and watching his junior classmates play a lot, to just mail it in. To his credit, he’s stayed hungry. We’ve talked a lot as a team about being ready, being in the moment and he’s a great example of a kid caring about the team more than himself. He had a fantastic two days of practice and then it carried it over to tonight.”

King Philip responded with an 8-2 run of its own with two from Layman, a free throw from Tom Madden, a bucket from Davis, a triple from Nault and another layup from Davis for a 20-18 lead.

Montague tied the game at 20-20 but King Philip won the final tow minutes 8-4, including threes from Nault and Nolan Bradley.

The Warriors won the rebounding battle (30-27) but had 14 turnovers and shot 38% from the field.

“We seemed to play scared, we seemed to tighten up a little bit,” said KP head coach Mark Champagne. “It’s a little bit of a broken record a bit. Tim [Nault] played well for us, that was the best game he’s played. It was more minutes than he’s played, and he was solid for us. But overall, it’s just been frustrating.”

North Attleboro boys basketball (5-6 Hockomock, 7-6 overall) is back in action on Friday when it resumes play against division foes with a road trip to Canton at 5:00. King Philip (2-9, 2-11) will try to snap its current skip when it hosts Attleboro on Friday at 7:00.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

2017-2018 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

2017-2018 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017-2018 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2016-2017 Record: 13-10
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Mark Houle

Attleboro will be looking to its youth to try and get back to the state tournament this season. With just two seniors and four juniors, half of the Bombardiers’ roster is made up of underclassman.

But just because the Bombardiers are young, doesn’t mean they aren’t experienced. Senior Nate Douglas, a returning starter, has been getting minutes on varsity since his freshman year, and classmate Elvin Sam emerged as a reliable shooter off the bench last season. Sophomores Qualeem Charles and Bryant Ciccio made big impacts during their rookie campaigns last season. Charles (6’5) will be a big presence in the post while Ciccio will be one of the primary ball handlers.

Charles will be joined by sophomore Jason Weir (6’2) in the post while junior forward Dom Victor will be a game-changer on both ends of the floor. At 6’4, his athleticism will cause a lot of matchup problems for opposing defenses. Douglas and Ciccio will be joined by Mason Houle, Kevin Velazquez and Tim Callahan in the backcourt.

“We will need to have our younger players step up this year,” said AHS head coach Mark Houle. “We expect to be a well-rounded team who can play a fast pace game or well in a half court set.”

Canton

2016-2017 Record: 9-11
2016-2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Ryan Gordy

The goal is pretty clear for Canton this season. Not only do the Bulldogs want to reach the postseason for the first time since 2014, they want to compete for the Davenport division title.

With two of the top players back in the lineup, both goals are reasonable. Senior Tony Harris and junior Devin Foster, both HockomockSports.com Third Team selections a year ago, return to anchor a Bulldogs’ team that just missed out on the playoffs last year. They’ll be joined by Austin Maffie and Jake Verille, both returning starters, as well as Paul Corcoran, Kyle Fitzgerald and Ryan Lentol, who all have varsity experience.

Harris and Foster give Canton an immediate edge on offense with two talented scorers, but it will be important for others to step up and make plays all season long. On defense, the Bulldogs will rely on their quickness to try and bother teams.

“This is a fun group who have played a lot of basketball together, they like each other which helps with team chemistry,” said Canton head coach Ryan Gordy. “Hopefully that will translate into a good product on the court.”

Foxboro

2016-2017 Record: 12-10
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Jon Gibbs

The mantra “Defense Wins Championships” has been proven in many different sports, at many different levels. The 2017-2018 Foxboro Warriors are hoping that will be the case this season.

Head coach Jon Gibbs says that this team has the potential to be the best defensive team that he’s coached. “We have a lot of quick, tough, physical guards that move their feet well on the perimeter and are committed to the defensive end of the court,” he said. “I think this should be a major strength of our team.”

It helps that Foxboro returns the reigning HockomockSports.com Defensive Player of the Year in senior Joe Morrison. As a junior, Morrison routinely limited opponents’ best offensive player, and was a big reason why the Warriors allowed just 55.9 points per game.

Sophomore Brandon Borde returns to the starting lineup alongside Morrison. Borde had a strong freshman season and will likely see his role increase this year, especially on the offensive end of the court. Seniors Teddy Maher and Matt Rognione, both with plenty of varsity experience will both see plenty of time this year and will be relied upon to make plays.

“We have a very good mix of experience and youth,” Gibbs said. “Our seniors have shown excellent leadership thus far, practices have been competitive, and everyone is working hard to earn their spot and get better. We hope to keep building and improving each day so that we are peaking and playing our best basketball at the end of the season.”

Franklin

2016-2017 Record: 22-5
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D1 State Final
Coach: CJ Neely

After making it to the Division 1 State Final a year ago, the Panthers are hoping to be just as competitive this season. With three starters back, and a handful of experienced and talented bench players, the expectations for Franklin are certainly high.

Losing Josh Macchi to graduation will hurt, but the Panthers return their best player in senior Paul Mahon, along with two terrific young talents in junior Jalen Samuels and sophomore Chris Edgehill. When playing at his best, Samuels’ athleticism and offensive skills make him one of the toughest marks in the league. Edgehill really turned it on in the tournament and if he can sustain that level of play throughout the regular season, the Panthers will be a favorite for the league title.

Seniors Alex Klowan, Matt Elias, Jack Rodgers and Gavin Farnan all picked up valuable minutes a season ago and will be key pieces for the Panthers, whether its apart of the starting line up for coming off the bench. Having so many experienced players ready to come off the bench should give Franklin the upper hand on a lot of teams.

“Our strength on the offensive end will be in our balance and willingness to share the ball and create great scoring opportunities for the team,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “On defense, we hope to make our opponents uncomfortable at all times and really focus on getting stops as a unit.”

King Philip

2016-2017 Record: 8-13
2016-2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mark Champagne

After losing just three seniors that played valuable minutes last season, and a full season complete under head coach Mark Champagne, King Philip is looking to take the next step this year and get back to the postseason.

The biggest shoes to fill are those left by Seth Sullivan and Will Weir, but the Warriors have five players back that either started or saw significant varsity minutes a season ago for a team that was just a couple games away from making the playoffs. Not only were they just a couple of games off, they were competitive in almost every game, including a three-point loss to Attleboro, a one-point loss to Taunton, and a three-point loss to Mansfield in a four-game span.

Seniors Tom Madden, Pharoah Davis, and Nolan Bradley are all back this season, along with juniors Kyle Layman and Bruce Santillus. Layman and Madden (both 6’4) will give the Warriors size in the frontcourt while Davis, one of the most experienced players in the league, will be the premier ball handler. Bradley provides King Philip with a threat from beyond the three-point line and Santillus showed this offseason the ability to fill the scoresheet up.

“With more familiarity comes trust, and a more comfortable time spent in the gym this season,” Champagne said. “Guys have worked hard in the offseason and we expect it to pay dividends as we get into our schedule. We have good depth and good leadership.”

Mansfield

2016-2017 Record: 23-3
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Final
Coach: Mike Vaughan

This might be the most turnover we’ve seen the Hornets have in quite some time, but just because there will be a lot of new faces doesn’t meet much will change for the Hornets.

Expectations are still sky high, as Mansfield will be looking to compete for another Kelley-Rex title (Mansfield has won five straight division titles). And when it comes to the postseason, the Hornets are aiming to get back to at least the spot they got to last year – the D1 South Final – with aspirations to go further.

All six seniors that graduated all played important roles over the past couple of years for the Hornets, including last year’s HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Sam Goldberg. However, Mansfield does bring back experience in Tyler Boulter, John McCoy, Ryan Otto and Sam Hyland. Senior Nick Ferraz will give Mansfield some depth in the frontcourt after missing last year to injury, and senior transfer Justin Vine gives the Hornets another shooting option.

Junior Damani Scott showed glimpses at the end of last when he was called up while Khristian Conner and Tommy Dooling should see increased roles this season.

“I think our strength will be controlling the tempo on offense and having a bend don’t break defensive mindset,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan. “I think we have lots of options with going small ball, playing with a taller lineup, or a good shooting line up. That creates lots of tough matchups over the course of the game.”

Milford

2016-2017 Record: 11-12
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D2 Central Quarterfinal
Coach: Paul Seaver

Although the Hawks graduated three of their top scorers from last year, expectations are still high in Milford. It will be tough to replace the offensive output of Zack Tamagni, Anthony Arcudi, and Nate Davila, but the Hawks will be relying on their size this season to get the offense going.

Senior Kayden Kelley is back for his third year starting on varsity and will be an important piece on both ends for Milford. Standing at 6’4, Kelley is a tough matchup and is one of the best rebounders in the league. He averaged 14.3 boards per game a year ago and led the league in double-doubles. Senior Shane Cosquete will start at point guard again this year, and will be relied upon on to set the offense in motion. He will likely be relied upon for more scoring this season.

Junior Brendan White will join the starting lineup after coming off the bench in 23 years ago. A physical presence, White brings energy and defensive toughness to the lineup. Transfers Andew Fraioli (6’5) and Joey Everett (6’3) give the Hawks depth in the frontcourt.

“We’ve improved statistically offensively and defensively over each of the past three seasons and that’s a trend that we will be hoping to continue here in 2017-2018,” said Milford head coach Paul Seaver.

North Attleboro

2016-2017 Record: 15-8
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Sean Mulkerrins

It’s no surprise that after graduating four starters, and the team’s sixth man that it will be a youth revolution in Big Red Country. Starters Brent Doherty, Johnny Friberg, Kyle McCarthy and Tommy Reynolds are gone, as well as Moni Cuevas, who played plenty of minutes off the bench.

The one returning starter is senior Chad Peterson, a familiar face in the Rocketeers’ lineup since his freshman year. And all four of the other returning players – senior Derek Shanks and juniors Matt Seavey, Josh Montague and Nate Gonsalves – all saw plenty of minutes last season.

While Peterson will likely take on a leadership role and see increased point production, expect Montague to emerge as a leading scorer for the Rocketeers. Shanks can stretch the floor some and hit mid-range jumpers, Seavey is a solid option in the post, and Gonsalves is a capable ball handler.

Offensive, North will rely on its size. On top of Seavey and Shanks, the Rocketeers have a pair of 6’6 forwards in Jacob Petersen and Owen Nassaney to add depth and size to the frontcourt. Junior Jonathan James, recovering from a football injury, will likely factor in as well.

“We are really looking forward to seeing how this new group gels,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “With a lot of new faces, its really been a preseason spent trying to find our identity. We know we need to grow up really fast as the Hock won’t give us any nights off. We’re really pleased with how this group has responded to the coaching and is accepting the challenges that lay ahead. We are excited to see what this team can accomplish together.”

Oliver Ames

2016-2017 Record: 13-11
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Don Byron

Oliver Ames surpassed most expectations in its first year in the Kelley-Rex division, coming in third and opening the playoffs with a road win at Milton.

But the toughest part about the Kelley-Rex is that the challenge gets harder and harder every year. And with Oliver Ames losing three starters – Carter Evin, Nick Welch, and Dylan Mahoney – to graduation, the Tigers will be facing an uphill battle. The good news is that the Tigers have seniors Jack Spillane and Matt Muir back this year. Both were starters a year ago, and Spillane showed the ability to really fill up the stat sheet, scoring 25 points or more on three occasions.

Junior Ethan Eckstrom, a center, will see more minutes this season and his size will be key to helping defend opposing teams. Senior Noah Fitzgerald showed last year how much of a pest he can be on the defensive side of the ball, and the Tigers will rely on him to do so again this year.

Junior Jake Erlich earned his way into the lineup and picked up valuable experience last season. He will likely see an increased role this season and his strength help the Tigers in the post.

Sharon

2016-2017 Record: 7-13
2016-2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Andrew Ferguson

It will be tough to replace Ricardo Ripley at point guard, but the good news for Sharon is that the majority of the Eagles that played valuable minutes last year as returning this season.

Senior Malik Lorquet broke out of his shell last year and showed that he can take over a game. Now a senior, Lorquet will be a focal point on both sides of the court for the Eagles. Senior Jimmy Fitzhenry can catch fire at any moment, and when he does, he is one of the most dangerous shooters in the league.

Alex Kaufmann also showed glimpses last year as a sophomore, both as a ball handler and a scorer. Between him, Lorquet and Fitzhenry, the Eagles have a solid offensive core to rely on. Jayvon Monteiro is one of the most passionate players in the league and will see an increased role at guard and be key to Sharon’s defense. Aidan Kane, Ben Kaplan, and Aaron Strong will all be important players off the bench for Sharon.

“Our goal is to improve upon last year, the end of the year was a confidence boost for our returning players and we’re hoping to carry over that momentum to this year,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We have an experienced group of starters, but will be looking for our less experienced players to make a jump and help us at the varsity level.”

Stoughton

2016-2017 Record: 5-15
2016-2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: John Gallivan

Stoughton will be looking to improve on last year’s season, and the best way to do that will be to improve on the defensive end of the court.

The Black Knights haven’t had too much trouble on the offensive end, and with leading scoring Cam Andrews back for his senior year, it likely won’t be a big issue this year either. But the Knights have allowed a league-high in points each of the last two seasons.

Andrews led the Hockomock League in scoring last year with 17.8 points per game and will demand the attention of opposing defenses. Senior Colin Sanda can also hit from the outside and will be a solid second option for the Black Knights, who graduated eight players including reliable scoring options Cam Gomes and Matthew Valle.

In the frontcourt, junior David Bell (6’2) showed some potential at the end of last year and should factor in more in 2017-2018.

“Offensively we may create problems for some teams but our defense has to be better than it has been in the recent past,” said Stoughton head coach John Gallivan.

taunton

2016-2017 Record: 13-9
2016-2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Charlie Dacey

When it comes to pace, Taunton is hoping to be among the fastest teams in the league this season. The Tigers will still be young this year, but not as much as last year with plenty of young players returning after gaining experience last season.

Seniors Lens Esquil and Malik Charles both played last year and have shown improvement in their skills; they’ll be relied upon to be team leaders this season. Sophomore Dante Law had a tremendous freshman season, and hurt a lot of teams in a lot of ways. Whether it was from deep, like his six three pointers against Foxboro, or his ability to attack the basket, he’s one of the most dangerous young players in the league. Junior Lou Vendrell also emerged as a top scorer last season and could be one of the top shooters in the league this year.

Junior John Martins is another experienced player that is capable of scoring while Diamond Blakely and Prince Brown will share point guard duties. Naz Kenian, Tyler Medeiros, and Wesner Charles are all going to be options for head coach Charlie Dacey as well.

“We have much depth with tremendous team speed,” Dacey said. “If we can learn to harness this speed and use it productively we could be interesting.”

Stoughton Completes Late Comeback In Extra Innings

Stoughton baseball
Stoughton players celebrate as Jack Connelly (right) approaches home plate after hitting a solo home run. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
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WRENTHAM, Mass. – With ten seniors on the roster, there aren’t many situations that Stoughton baseball hasn’t experienced over the past few seasons.

That helps explain why there was no panic among the Black Knights heading into their last three outs, trailing KP 1-0.

Stoughton plated the tying run in the top of the seventh and scored the winning-run in the top of the eighth to escape with a 2-1 win over the Warriors at newly dedicated Gary Lombard field on the campus of King Philip Regional High School.

Both Stoughton senior Justin Hutchinson (compete game, six hits, two strikeouts) and King Philip senior Stephen Murray (7.2 innings, six hits, six strikeouts) dominated throughout the contest, turning a matchup between two strong offenses into a pitcher’s duel.

With the Warriors holding a 1-0 lead through six innings, Stoughton senior Luke Johnson reached on an infield error to lead off the seventh. Nick Hardy came through with a sacrifice bunt to move Johnson to second and Pat Hagerty drilled a single down the right field line to bring Johnson home to tie the game.

Hagerty stole second to move into scoring position but Murray picked up a strikeout and induced a fly ball to escape.

Murray singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh but a pinch runner was caught in a run down between first and second after Stoughton catcher Evan Gibb quickly fired to first after a missed bunt attempt. Hutchinson sandwiched a pair of fly balls around a walk to send the game into extra innings.

After a pair of groundouts for the Black Knights, senior Jack Connelly stepped to the plate. The first baseman launched a 1-2 pitch over the fence in right field — estimated at 400 feet by the grounds crew — to put Stoughton ahead 2-1.

“They don’t get any bigger than that,” said Stoughton head coach Mike Armour. “And Pat Hagerty coming through with the single to tie the game in the top of the seventh. He’s been a little snakebitten this year, hitting the ball on the screws a lot. So it’s nice to see him come through. If he doesn’t get that hit, Jack doesn’t have the opportunity to get his hit.”

Hutchinson needed just six pitches to get three straight ground balls in the bottom of the eighth to earn the win.

“Both kids were pitching really well,” Armour. said “Their guy [Murray] kept us in check, hit his spots and established the zone early. And then Hutch does what he always does. It was a good old fashioned pitcher’s duel. KP got their run across the plate…it was one of the craziest runs I’ve seen scored. I was just hoping that wasn’t the difference in the game.”

“We’ve had our tight games before today. These guys are just ball players. I think the experience they have, having a decent little run last year and the senior leadership, there’s 10 of them…they want to get it done every day they step out there.”

Both Stoughton and KP threatened in the third inning but both were denied at home on throws from the left side of the infield. In the top half, Matt Gallagher singled and Ruben Gonzalez had a bunt single to put move Gallagher all the way to third. Gonzalez stole second to put runners in scoring position with one out.

Murray then got a ground ball to shortstop Will Weir, who fired home to Nolan Bradley for the tag. Murray then induced a ground ball to escape without any damage.

In the bottom of the third, Jeremy Rhines led off with a second and moved to second on a sac bunt from Bradley. Rhines took third on a single from Chris Wing but was tagged out at home when a grounder went to Johnson at third and he fired home to Gibb for the tag.

KP broke the scoreless tie an inning later, needing just one hit to bring in a run. Murray connected on a two-out single, moved to second on a passed ball and stole third without a throw. With Murray taking a big lead at third, Stoughton catcher Evan Gibb elected to fire down the third base line to try and pick him off after a pitch from Hutchinson.

However, Gibb’s throw hit Murray in the helmet as he retreated back to third. The ball bounced into foul territory, temporarily freezing the defense. Murray took off for home and beat the throw to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

“That was a great baseball game,” said KP head coach Pat Weir. “There were a couple of mental errors, a couple of mental mistakes. Stoughton is a great hitting team. Stephen pitched his heart out, he deserved a better outcome than we gave him. But Stoughton is going to battle every time you play them. They’re well coached and they hit the ball very well, they’re a darn good baseball team.’

Hutchinson allowed just one hit between the fifth and sixth innings, and the runner was erased immediately. Bradley hit a fly ball down the right field line that just eluded the dive of Stoughton right fielder Ryan Sullivan. But Sullivan was quick to his feet and got the out as Bradley tried to leg out a double.

Murray also allowed just one hit between the fifth and sixth innings, a two-out single from Connelly but quickly got a ground ball to get out of the inning.

Stoughton baseball (7-2 overall, 6-2 league) is back in action on Monday night on the road at Franklin with first pitch scheduled for 7:00. King Philip (5-4, 4-4) will try to snap its current skid when it hosts Sharon on Monday at 3:45.

King Philip Rides Fourth Quarter Run Past Stoughton

King Philip boys basketball
King Philip’s Pharoah Davis (right) goes up for a shot against Stoughton’s Cam Andrews (4). (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
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STOUGHTON, Mass. – In a game in which the largest lead either side had was four through the first three quarters, it was only a matter of time before one side rattled off a game-changing run.

That run came from the King Philip Warriors, who went on a 10-0 spurt that took less than two minutes in the final quarter to pick up a 62-51 win over Stoughton.

The teams were tied at the end of the first quarter (15-15), separated by just two at halftime (29-27 Stoughton) and again knotted through 24 minutes of play (42-42). The largest lead at that point was when the Black Knights led 25-21 late in the first half.

Stoughton scored on its first two possessions of the fourth quarter on baskets from Cam Gomes (12 points) but wouldn’t add another field goal the rest of the way. Nolan Bradley started the run, taking a pass from Pharoah Davis to tie the game at 46 with 5:44 to play.

Seth Sullivan (14 points) took in a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup on back to back possessions to give the Warriors a 50-46 lead. Sophomore Kyle Layman (21 points, six rebounds, three blocks) hit a jumper and then found Sullivan on a cut up the middle for a layup to cap the 10-0 run with four minutes to play.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

A free throw from Stoughton’s Cam Andrews (17 points, seven rebounds, three assists) followed by two more from Craig Goodrich brought the Black Knights within five (54-49) with 3:08 to play but Justin Vine answered on the other end for KP. After a stop defensively, KP missed on the other end but Will Weir grabbed the rebound and Sullivan converted two free throws with just under two minutes to play to make it 58-49.

“The wins are huge at this point in the season,” said KP head coach Mark Champagne said. “We have to win 11 [to qualify for the tournament] because we have the 21 games. It’s a really good win and we really needed the win too.”

“I think [the run] was all driven by their defense,” said Stoughton head coach John Gallivan. “They just stepped it up a notch and took it to a level that we didn’t have an answer for. A six point lead seemed like 26 when it’s been that kind of game. They stepped it up and we stepped it back, and that’s what happens.”

After missing time in the first half because of an eye injury, Sullivan gave the Warriors a big boost in the second half. The senior scored all of his 14 points in the second half with 10 of them coming in the final quarter.

“We had a lot of adversity int he first half with Seth out, [Tom] Madden sick – I thought he sucked it up and played well – and Noah Goodwin isn’t even here, he’s got the bug. Every team is going to go through the flu,” Champagne said. “That was a good, gritty win. We were tied after three, down two at halftime. We came out and did a good job against their pressure. I thought we scored off of it a lot. Down the stretch, it was a little scary with some of the decisions we made playing against the clock but they had to foul just to get the bonus so that wasted more time.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Both Layman and Andrews had strong starts for their respective sides. Layman was 4/7 from the field to net nine points in the opening quarter while Andrews was 3/5 (2/2 FT) to lead the Black Knights with nine points as the teams were tied 15-15.

Both sides got help from the bench in the second quarter. While Adrian Castillo and Bradley provided a spark for KP, Stoughton got four points from Izon Swain-Price and two points apiece from Justin Ly, Luis Monteiro and Matt Gallagher to take a 29-27 advantage into the break.

Although King Philip won the game, the Warriors were held without a three point field goal (0/10).

“Seth wasn’t in the game as much, [Justin] Vine stepped in on one he made – Justin did a good job down the stretch and Pharoah was in foul trouble in the first,” offered Champagne. “I thought Adrian Castillo and Nolan Bradley did a great job off the bench. Bradley only had seven points but they were big points.”

The win marked the second time Layman, just a sophomore, went over the 20-point mark this season. He scored a career-high 24 points earlier this month in a win over Taunton.

“It’s becoming more consistent, and as it should be,” Champagne said. “Just like Cam Andrews is for them, he’s a very good player. I think it’s a matter of confidence for a sophomore. Sophomore year is an interesting year but he’s done a great job for us.”

King Philip (4-8 overall, 3-6 Hockomock) will look to make it two in a row when they welcome Sharon to Wrentham on Friday night. Stoughton (3-8, 2-7) tries to bounce back the same night with a trip to Franklin.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

KP ‘Answers the Bell’ Against Franklin, Clinches Title

By Lance Reynolds, HockomockSports.com Contributor

FRANKLIN, Mass. – The top of the sixth inning of Monday’s contest between King Philip and Franklin could very well be what defines the Warriors’ season, and what ignites them into a lengthy tournament run.

Losers of three straight coming into the marquee showdown against the Panthers, circumstances were not looking promising for KP as Franklin tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a commanding 5-0 lead going into the sixth. However, that’s when everything began to go in the Warriors’ favor.

In the top of the sixth, KP ‘answered the bell’ by plating a game winning seven runs en route to clinching at least a share of the Kelley Rex title with a pivotal 9-5 victory over the Panthers, who also had a chance at claiming a split of the title entering Monday.

“That’s something that we haven’t been able to do all year. That’s a great Franklin team – they answered the bell there with the five runs. We haven’t been able to come back deep in games,” KP coach Pat Weir said. “I brought the kids in between that inning, and they understood what was on the line here. Coming off of three losses last week, I asked them to answer the bell, and every single one of those kids stepped up to the plate and answered the bell. There’s no one that stood out from nobody else – that was a complete team effort in that inning.”

Franklin sophomore Jason Ulrickson was nearly unhittable through the first five innings. The left-handed starter’s only blemish coming on a single off the bat of Will Weir in the top of the first. From there on, Ulrickson retired the next 13 KP batters – getting the Warriors to go down in order in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. However, King Philip was finally able to solve Ulrickson’s mastery the third time through the order.

The Warriors promptly put the first two batters on base in the decisive top of the sixth in the form of pinch hitter Ben Furfari, who was hit-by-pitch, and a Ryan Guenette single to right. Two batters later, Jon Rolfe loaded the bases on an infield single. Hitting in the third spot of KP’s lineup, Will Weir drove in Furfari for the first Warriors run on a sacrifice fly to center.

Cleanup hitter Jack DiCenso chipped in with a two run double to right bringing in Guenette and Rolfe to trim the Panthers lead to two at 5-3. Kyle Guenthner then drilled a double into left driving in DiCenso for a one-run ballgame at 5-4. Ryan Coulter followed with a game-tying single to right and quickly scored the go-ahead sixth run on a single that dropped into left field off Patrick Limerick’s bat. The seventh and final run of the inning came on a Guenette single to left scoring Limerick.

“I think it was a matter of us going through a few times and seeing [Ulrickson] for that second and third time,” Weir said of the KP’s offensive attack in the sixth. “He definitely kept us off balance – his breaking stuff kept us off balance – I think we were off on our front foot quite a bit. I think our guys relaxed there late in the game. Second, third time through, some of those guys sat back and kept their hands back, and I think we saw some good results from it.”

The Warriors were not quite done as they tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh. Rolfe and Weir led off with back-to-back singles through the right side. The duo then converted a double steal during a Guenette at-bat with Rolfe successfully coming home for the eighth run. Weir came around on a Guenette single to score the ninth run and put KP on top 9-5.

“We have two games left in the season, and we’re fortunate enough for the first time in seven years to go into tournament play,” Weir said. “There is nothing worse going into tournament play on a losing streak. Nothing better than having an inning like that and being able to roll in to our next two games and enter the tournament hitting like we hit in that sixth inning.”

DiCenso started on the mound for the Warriors and tossed four innings of one run ball before Franklin tagged him for four runs in the bottom of the fifth. The first run came in second on a Corey Langevin single plating Mike Skaza.

Langevin got things going in the fifth by reaching on a leadoff error in the KP infield. Number nine hitter Alex Bissanti put two runners on a hit-by-pitch, and leadoff hitter Nick Santucci bunted his way on to first base to load the bases with no outs. Ryan Hodgkins followed through with a two-run knock on a double to right scoring Langevin and Bissanti for the second and third runs. Skaza brought in Santucci and Hodgkins was able to get around the tag of KP catcher Nolan Bradley for Franklin’s fifth and last run.

DiCenso was pulled after five innings of work allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out three. Weir elected to go with Jake Cavanagh for the final two innings. The senior first baseman and pitcher retired all six batters he faced – two of them coming on strikeouts – to pick up the win for the Warriors.

“Jack (DiCenso) is a kid that’s done it all year long. I think this was the first time that he’s given up an earned run in this game here today,” Weir said. “I think he battled hard. Don’t forget that that’s a Franklin team that’s been hitting the cover off the baseball as of late.

“Jack got in a little trouble there in the end, but we then decided to go to Cavanagh. Jake Cavanagh is someone that has come in time and time again in a save situation or starting a baseball game, and being able to finish it. I can’t say enough about that kid as a person and as a player.”

After combining to score just four runs in three games last week, Weir is nothing but thrilled with how his Warriors were able to come back with a nine run explosion on Monday.

“How can you not feel good after that sixth inning?,” Weir chuckled. “I’m extremely proud of these boys.”

King Philip baseball (11-4 in league-play, 14-4 overall) hopes things continue to roll when they travel to North Quincy on Wednesday for a non-league game while Franklin (10-6 in league-play, 12-8) looks to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they take on Hopkinton at Natick High School.

Warriors Steal Victory On Rough Day at the Plate

King Philip Baseball
Jake Cavanagh threw 3-1/3 innings of one-hit relief to help KP pull out a win against North Quincy. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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WRENTHAM, Mass. – With King Philip leading by a run and two outs in the fourth inning, Chris Wing, who was making his first start and just second appearance of the season, walked his second North Quincy hitter of the game to load the bases.

The Warriors were struggling at the plate against North Quincy starter Shawn Kelly, so KP coach Pat Weir decided it was time to go to the bullpen. He brought in senior Jake Cavanagh, who promptly induced a comebacker to end the inning and escape the jam.

“I did it in the Mansfield game, similar situation, game was on the line, runners in scoring position,” said Weir about making the pitching change. “He’s absolutely emotionless on the mound. I know he’s going to get it done.”

KP added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break the game open and managed to pull out a 5-1 victory over the Red Raiders, despite managing only four hits (three of them infield hits) and hitting two balls out of the infield.

“Absolutely a day to put behind us,” said Weir. “That’s the funny thing about the game of baseball, you’re always going to have one of these days. I’m actually proud of the way they were able to battle through and fight through it and still come away with the victory.

“It was kind of a sub-par performance from a baseball perspective but I’m proud of the way they were able to grind it out.”

What the Warriors lacked in pop at the plate they made up for with aggressiveness on the basepaths. KP finished with eight stolen bases and also advanced on four wild pitches.

Although they also were thrown out trying to take second on a ball four that went to the backstop and trying to come home on contact against a drawn in infield, Weir will play the percentages and stick with the aggression.

“A lot of times we’re going to make those outs at home or at second base but that’s just the way we play,” he explained. “A lot of times you apply the pressure to the defense and a lot of time you have them make mistakes.

“We’re not going to change. It’s aggressive baseball and that’s our style here at King Philip.”

The Warriors took the lead in the bottom of the second. Jack DiCenso led-off the inning with a walk, one of six free passes issued by Kelly, and Jake Lannigan was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position for Ryan Guennette, who line a single to left scoring one.

Guennette stole second and Wing was also hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lead-off hitter Stephan MacMeans grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Lannigan with the second run.

Wing cruised through the first two innings with four groundouts and a strikeout in the first six hitters. In the third he allowed a pair of singles, but a 6-4-3 double play (Will Weir to Guennette to DiCenso) ended the inning.

In the fourth, North Quincy out together a rally. A one-out walk got it started, followed by a double to left that put two in scoring position. Matt McDonald grounded to third and Lannigan tried to get the lead runner at the plate but Nolan Bradley’s tag was not in time and the Raiders were on the board.

Wing struck out the next hitter for the second out, but then walked Tommy Kelly to load the bases and the coach called for Cavanagh.

“With the non-league game and four games this week, I took it as an opportunity to try and get [Chris] some reps,” said Weir. “He did well and in the fourth inning he got himself into a little jam but then you’ve got the senior leadership coming in, Jake Cavanagh.”

The Warriors were still scuffling at the plate, but in the fifth they put the game away. Ryan Coulter started the inning with a swinging bunt that he beat out for an infield hit, one of two for him in the game. Cavanagh drew a walk and both moved up on MacMeans’ two-strike sacrifice bunt.

Kyle Guenthner grounded to third and the throw to the plate was judged to have beaten Coulter, although it did not appear that the catcher had actually made the tag. Kelly threw a wild pitch and that brought Cavanagh home and Guenthner stole third. Will Weir walked and managed to get himself into a rundown that allowed Guenthner to score before diving back into first safely.

Weir then stole second and third. He would score on another wild pitch to make it 5-1. Three runs for the Warriors with only one hit that did not get past the mound.

Pat Weir joked, “We scored four runs that inning and we had an infield dribbler for a base hit?”

Cavanagh shut down North Quincy. He threw 3-1/3 innings of one-hit relief and struck out two in each of the final two innings.

Weir said, “He got stronger as the game went along. You could see it in that last inning he was bringing it pretty hard. He’s a kid I can alway rely on and lean on.”

It was an ugly win, but it counts. Weir said with a laugh, “We’re not going to look back on how it was a win, but I’ll take the ‘W’ anytime I can.”

KP (12-1, 10-1) will be right back on the diamond on Friday with a non-league game at Sharon.

Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.