Tag: Olivia Capobianco

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/10/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Super 8
#2 St. John’s Prep, 4 vs. #1 Franklin, 1 – Final

#7 Mansfield vs. #5 BC High, 7:00 – Postponed to Tuesday, 6/11 at 4:00 at Campanelli Stadium.

D1 South
#12 Catholic Memorial, 3 @ #4 Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton rallied from a 3-0 deficit, scoring twice in the fifth inning and then twice more in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the win. Evan Melo got the Tigers on the board while Nic Notarangelo (2-for-3, walk) had a hit and scored a run in the fifth. In the seventh, Jared Roderick (walk), Andrew Gomes (error), and Melo (walk) loaded the bases with no outs. Gavin Leahy brought in the tying run with a sacrifice fly. After Notarangelo singled to load the bases again, Lucas Martins laid down a bunt to squeeze Nolan Melo in for the winning run. Junior Logan Lawrence earned the win on the mound, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks, striking out eight. Taunton will travel to #9 Xaverian on Wednesday at 4:00.

#14 Bridgewater-Raynham, 7 @ #11 Attleboro, 8 – Final – Attleboro overcame an early deficit and then held off a late B-R charge to get the win and advance to the D1 South Semifinals. The Trojans raced out to a 4-1 lead over the first 1.5 innings, with Ryan Morry drawing a bases-loaded walk to score Tim Callahan (2-for-4, two runs). Morry (5.2IP, 6K) was strong in relief, which allowed Attleboro to get back into the game. Attleboro jumped in front for good with a five-run second inning. Sam Larkin (2-for-2) knocked in Troy Van Vliet with a single, Camden Fitzpatrick drove in both Callahan and Alvaro Espinal (two walks), and Lorenzo Wilson scorched a triple into the gap to bring two more runs in to make it 5-4. Larkin knocked in Van Vliet in the third, and Van Vliet scored his third run of the game on a sac fly from Espinal in the sixth inning. Attleboro will play #2 Durfee on Wednesday at 4:00 at Fino Field in Milford.

D2 South
#11 Oliver Ames, 3 @ #3 Dartmouth, 1 – Final (9 Inn.) – Oliver Ames loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth and pushed across two runs to pick up an upset on the road. Jake Erlich and Chris Pearsons (2-for-4, RBI) singled, and Jacob Levine was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth before senior Reid Latham put the Tigers in front with a one-run single. Cam Perron brought a second run in with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. Pearsons was strong on the mound, allowing one run on seven hits and no walks, striking out five in seven innings of work. Latham got the win in relief, tossing two scoreless innings in relief. Latham got a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth to strand the winning run at third. Jared Spillane (two walks) was vital in the win, stealing second and scoring on an infield single from Pearsons to put OA up in the fourth. Spillane also started a double play in the bottom of the ninth to help secure the win. Oliver Ames will play #7 Westwood on Wednesday at 4:00 at Adams Field in Quincy.

#13 Milford, 1 @ #5 Stoughton, 7 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Softball
D1 South
#15 King Philip, 0 @ #2 Taunton, 4 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

#8 North Attleboro, 0 @ #1 Bridgewater-Raynham, 1 – Final – North Attleboro’s Bella Erti and Bridgewater-Raynham’s Julia Perry put on a show for those in attendance, going back-and-forth in a pitcher’s dual. The Trojans managed just six hits against Erti, who struck out three (including the 400th of her career), getting a bloop single in the bottom of the ninth for the win. Olivia Capobianco and Ashley Cangiano each had a hit for the Rocketeers, Abby Gallagher had a pair of walks, and Emily Nardelli shined defensively at second for North.

#11 Franklin, 0 @ #3 Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – A strong pitching performance from Jackie Cherry and an outstanding defensive effort behind her kept the Panthers in contention for the entire game but the Shamrocks earned a walk-off win with a pair of hits in the bottom of the seventh inning. Tara Hartnett had the lone hit of the game for the Panthers.

Boys Lacrosse
D1 South
#6 Duxbury, 8 vs. #2 Franklin, 7 – Final – Franklin held the Dragons without a goal for nearly the entire fourth quarter but Duxbury scored its lone tally of the frame with 16.9 seconds left, finishing off a lengthy offensive possession for the game-winner. Franklin trailed 7-5 after three quarters but Jake Davis (three goals) scored twice in a two-minute span to knot the score 7-7 with three minutes to play. Duxbury scored on a close shot with 16.9 left for the winner. Ben Greco also had three goals for Franklin while Nitin Chaudhury scored once.

Girls Tennis
D1 South
#4 Hopkinton, 2 @ #1 Sharon, 3 – Final – Sharon picked up two wins in singles action and another in doubles to nip Hopkinton and advance to the D1 South Final. Nupur Shukla earned a 6-4, 6-0 win at first singles, Valeria Barajas picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles, and the team of Lauren Glass and Makaila Cheung won 6-4, 6-2 at second doubles. Sharon (21-0) will play #2 Wellesley (19-0) on Wednesday at 4:00 at Somerset-Berkley. It’s the fourth time in the past five years the Eagles have reached the sectional final and third time they will take on the Raiders. Wellesley won in 2016 and Sharon won in 2017 – both teams went on to win the state title that season.

Two-Out Hits Propel Big Red Into South Quarterfinal

North Attleboro softball
Abby Gallagher holds up the ball after making a diving catch for the first out of the game against Dartmouth in the playoff opener, while Olivia Capobianco celebrates. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Having played each other twice in the regular season, including an 11-inning epic a little more than a week ago, there were no secrets between North Attleboro and Dartmouth in Saturday afternoon’s Div. 1 South first round game at Kelly Field. It all came down to execution.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Rocketeers scored seven times with two outs, including six runs after having two outs and no one on base, while the Indians stranded 10 runners and North ran away with an 8-0 victory that not only sealed a win of the season series but sent Big Red into the D1 South quarterfinal to face top seed Bridgewater-Raynham.

“I thought our defense played really well today,” said North coach Bill Wallace. “When you see a team twice…Bella [Erti] throws hard, but that wow factor is gone. For us, they throw the lefty and come back with the righty, but we know that. When you only have three strikeouts and they put the ball in play 18 times then you’ve got to make the plays.”

Two-out hitting has been a theme of late, as North used a series of two-out hits to beat Taunton in the regular season finale and had a similar burst in the first inning on Saturday. With two outs, Ashley Cangiano (3-for-3, three RBI) singled to left, Annabelle Hebard drew a walk, and Katie Daby brought both runners in with a ringing double that bounced off the fence in right center.

North wasn’t done. Emily Nardelli and Alex Moulson drew walks and Belle Clarkin lined a single to left center that brought in another couple of runs for an early 4-0 lead and a cushion for starting pitcher Bella Erti to work with.

“It just got us hyped and started and just play our defense after that,” said Cangiano about the quick start.

In the second inning, Olivia Capobianco reached on an error to lead things off. Abby Gallagher dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt and Capobianco showed off her wheels to go from first to third. She scored when Cangiano ripped a line drive to the centerfielder. It was the only run that North scored with less than two outs.

Wallace said, “It’s so much easier playing ahead than playing behind. When we bunted with Olivia on first, she goes first-to-third, you might not try that down a run.”

Mandi Hanewich drew a lead-off walk in the fourth and stole second on a pitch in the dirt. Capobianco bunted her to third and with two outs Cangiano came through with another line drive hit to right center to make it 6-0.

The runs kept coming, as North tacked on insurance runs off Dartmouth’s reliever Hannah Arruda (who hit a pair of home runs and drove in five the last time the two teams played), always wary of a dangerous Dartmouth lineup. With two down (again), Gallagher doubled to right center, the ball skipping past the centerfielder. Cangiano followed with a carbon copy, this time heading to third with an RBI-triple. Hebard doubled to left and North led 8-0.

This was far from an easy win for the Rocketeers. Dartmouth consistently put pressure on Erti and the defense, but North made the plays it needed, including a couple of spectacular grabs in the outfield. Gallagher got things started on the first out of the game, laying out in right to take a hit away from Arruda. Capobianco took extra bases away from the Indians in the fifth when she chased down Samara Turgeon’s drive to the fence, flipping over the fence after pulling in the catch.

Erti finished with only three strikeouts and Dartmouth left two runners on in the first, fourth, sixth, and seventh, but Cangiano praised her pitcher’s approach to grind her way out of jams.

“She just gets so focused and she knows what she’s doing,” Cangiano said about Erti bearing down with two outs. “She’s been pitching for so long that she’s so used to that kind of stuff.”

“Her biggest improvement this year has been limiting the walks and I know she walked two today but part of that was trying not to just pound the strike zone,” said Wallace. “I think a lot of those runners on base were with two outs and, honestly, if you want to point a finger at the game that was the difference: we had two-out hits and also made two-out plays. That’s huge.”

North Attleboro (16-5) will move on to the Div. 1 South quarterfinal to face top seed Bridgewater-Raynham on Monday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

North Holds Off Taunton Rally to Win Finale

North Attleboro softball
North Attleboro third baseman Annabelle Hebard (9) celebrates after the final out at Jack Tripp Field. North ended the regular season with a win in a battle of league champs. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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TAUNTON, Mass. – As she walked off the field following the final out, North Attleboro third baseman Annabelle Hebard, smile on her face, head back, lifted her outstretched arms up and took a big breath. It had been a long couple of days for the Rocketeers, who traveled to Taunton on Friday night for their third game in three days. After suffering back-to-back losses, North went into the regular season finale against its fellow league champion trying to build momentum entering the playoffs.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

North showed no ill effects from its busy schedule, jumping out to a four-run lead in the first inning, twice led by the Tigers by five runs, and then held off a late Taunton rally to earn a 6-5 victory at Jack Tripp Field. It was exactly the response that head coach Bill Wallace wanted from the Davenport division champions.

“We kind of needed this tonight,” North coach Bill Wallace explained. “We lost two games that weren’t the easiest to swallow, if you know what I mean, and this one, the kids are like okay we’ve got our mojo back. We did the little things, we bunted, we moved runners along.”

While North had been playing every day, Taunton had been off for five days and there was a little rust at the beginning of the game. Starting pitcher Kelsey White retired the first two North hitters, but then Ashley Cangiano beat out an infield hit on a slow roller to short. Hebard followed with almost the exact same play. Katie Daby made it three straight hits, lining a single to right to score the first run.

After Emily Nardelli drew a walk, Alex Moulson got North’s third infield hit, this time right up the third base line, and brought in the second run. Belle Clarkin, North’s No. 8 hitter, doubled the lead with a bloop single to right that scored a pair of runs.

“They came through with the hits when they needed them,” said Taunton coach Dave Lewry, “but sometimes you’ve got to make those dribbler plays when you need them too. We were a little bit slow reacting today.”

A one-out error proved costly in the second inning for Taunton. Cangiano bunted Abby Gallagher to third with two outs and Hebard got her second hit of the day, grounding it right back up the box, to make it 5-0. All five runs were scored with two outs.

“That was really helpful,” said Wallace. “Bella [Erti] has thrown 24 innings in the last three days against three really good teams, so I think she could relax a little bit. She’s got more guts and that’s what it was, a gutsy performance.”

Despite having pitched 17 innings in the previous two days, including an 11-inning outing against Dartmouth on Wednesday, North starter Bella Erti came out firing. She struck out a pair in the first and didn’t allow a hit until the third. She only allowed six hits overall.

Taunton got one back in the fourth inning. Hanna Aldrich drilled a lead-off homer to straightaway center that made it 5-1. An error put McKenzie McAloon on and it looked like the Tigers might be able to start chipping away at the deficit but Moulson and Nardelli turned a quick 6-4-3 double play that effectively ended Taunton’s momentum.

The reason that Taunton was still in the game was the relief effort from Alexa White. The senior replaced her sister in the circle with two outs in the second and retired the first 11 batters she faced, nine of them by strikeout. She finished with 12 strikeouts in just 5-1/3 innings and allowed only one hit.

“She was amazing, especially considering she hasn’t pitched much in the last month,” said Lewry about White. “She pitched an inning or two here or there, so I really didn’t know what to expect. Today she was right on, kept us in it.”

North did manage a crucial insurance run in the sixth. With one out, Clarkin hit a deep fly ball to left that went off the fielder’s glove. Mandi Hanewich dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Clarkin to third and then lead off hitter Olivia Capobianco stunned Taunton with a perfect safety squeeze to get the run in.

That run proved to be the game-winner because the potent Taunton offense found its footing against a tiring Erti in the bottom half of the inning.

Abigail McDonough singled to center with one out to start the rally. Aldrich ripped a single up the middle and then both runners read a pitch in the dirt to move into scoring position. McAloon walked to load the bases and then Payton Ceglarski belted a single to right to score a pair.

After a fly ball for the second out, Paige Silvia got her first hit of the game, singling to center to score another two runs and bring the Tigers back within one. Erti managed to escape with the lead, getting a grounder to third to end the threat.

“I think we developed some character tonight,” said Lewry. “We haven’t been in that position this year, we haven’t had to play from behind. I didn’t know how they would react, but they reacted pretty well. We learned that we can come back and we had some kids come through with some big hits tonight.”

Erti made quick work of the seventh, getting the Tigers in order to secure a win that has ramifications in the league title race, in the seeding for the upcoming tournament, and for North Attleboro (15-5, 13-3) confidence as it looks to make a run at bringing home a trophy.

Wallace said, “Part of what made this so important for a lot the kids is that we haven’t done very well against the Kelley-Rex (four of North’s five losses came against teams from the opposite division) and we were wondering, where are we? Now, we showed we can play with anyone.”

Taunton (19-2, 13-2) will now go into Saturday night’s rivalry game with King Philip needing a win to secure the outright league title and also to hang out to one of the top two or three seeds in D1 South.

“It’s a big game tomorrow,” Lewry admitted. “We want to win the Hock outright, so we need to win tomorrow. It’s as simple as that. It’s another big game, we just need to play from inning one not inning four.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/24/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 1 @ Quincy, 3 – Final

Oliver Ames, 7 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final (13 inn.) – For the second straight game, Foxboro rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extras but saw the visiting team earn the win. With the win, OA keeps its postseason hopes alive with one game to go. OA plated five runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 5-2 lead before the Warriors rallied to score three runs in the seventh to send the game to extras for the second straight day. After five scoreless innings, OA tacked on two runs in the top of the 13th. Freshman Jack Richardson, who earned the win in relief, led off the inning with a single and Matt McCormack followed with a base hit of his own. Cam Perron brought the go-ahead run in with a sac fly and the second run scored on a wild pitch. McCormack (two runs) and Jake Erlich (RBI) each had two hits for OA while Kyle O’Connor had two RBI. Michael Devlin (RBI, run), Joe Cavaleri (RBI), and Sean Yoest (run) each had two hits for Foxboro while Cam Prescott was strong in relief, tossing 7.1 innings with six strikeouts, allowing one run on five hits.

Mansfield, 1 @ Walpole, 2 – Final – Mansfield took a lead in the third inning but Walpole used a pair of doubles in the sixth inning to jump in front and beat the Hornets. Kyle Moran was strong on the mound, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out five. He also had one Mansfield’s two hits.

North Attleboro, 8 vs. Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – North Attleboro jumped ahead in the first inning and senior Todd Robinson (3-for-3, two stolen bases, two runs, four RBI) belted his third home run of the season as the Rocketeers ran away with a win over Feehan. The Rocketeers took a 3-1 lead after an inning of play when Robinson drove in Brendan McHugh (HBP), Nick Raneri scored on a double steal, and Shawn Watters singled Robinson home. In the second inning, Robinson increased the Rocketeers’ lead with a two-out, two-run home to to make it 5-1. With the bases loaded in the fourth, Robinson was hit by a pitch to bring McHugh in and sophomore Jared Penta scored on a fielder’s choice from Jake Palmer. Robinson added another run by stealing home. Matt Seavey pitched a complete game, striking out six with three walks.

Softball
North Attleboro, 5 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Foxboro took a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning but the Rocketeers rallied to score five runs in the sixth inning, including four with two-outs, to upend the Warriors. Mandi Hanewich and Olivia Capobianco had back-to-back hits for the Rocketeers, and Abby Gallagher (double, two hits) drove in Hanewich to tie the game. With two outs, Katie Daby, Emily Nardelli and Alex Moulson (two hits, stolen base) strung together three consecutive singles to bring in four runs. Junior Bella Erti allowed just one earned run on two hits, striking out eight.

Franklin, 0 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 1 – Final

King Philip, 5 vs. Walpole, 4 – Final

Taunton, 6 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Taunton eighth-grader Ava Venturelli blasted a grand slam, her first career home run, in the sixth inning to spark a six-run frame that helped the Tigers beat the Hornets. Mansfield took a lead in the third when Megan Letendre put the ball in play and Sydney Woods came in to score. In the sixth, Peyton Ceglarski walked and Paige Silvia and Tayah DaCosta followed with base hits to load the bases for the Tigers. Venturelli then put one over the left field fence to put Taunton ahead. Hanna Aldrich drove in Jaime Brown with a double and scored on a squeeze from McKenzie McAloon to make it 6-1. Kelsey White earned the win, limiting Mansfield to six hits while striking out 13. Woods, Kara Bendanillo, and Mady Bendanillo (triple) each had two hits for the Hornets.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 8 @ Dartmouth, 7 – Final – Canton’s David Allen had one of his best games of the season and Dan Cohen made several key plays throughout to help the Bulldogs get a win on the road. Canton peppered the Dartmouth cage but Charles Gamache thwarted plenty of Bulldog chances. Allen had three goals, Andrew Canto added three goals and an assist, Griffin Roach scored once and had three helpers, and Tommy Vaughan chipped in with a goal and an assist.

Attleboro @ North Attleboro, 5:15

Foxboro, 5 vs. Xaverian, 9 – Final

Sharon, 11 vs. Pembroke, 10 – Final




Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 18 @ Attleboro, 13 – Final

Mansfield, 22 vs. Milton, 12 – Final – Katy Garvin scored seven goals while Hayleigh Crawford and Olivia Murray each found the back of the net four times to lead the Hornets to a win over Milton. Lauren Whitman added three goals for Mansfield.

Taunton, 21 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 0 – Final – Taunton sophomore Alana Tavares scored nine goals as the Tigers earned a big win over Coyle. Emma Sheehan added a hat trick while Mabel Smith, Tasia Lajoie, and Rosemary McGrath each scored twice for Taunton. Kamryn Li, Jade Holmes, and Kristen Hearrold each scored once while Emily Gannon made six saves in the shutout.

Boys Tennis
Franklin, 4 @ Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – Franklin won three matches in straight sets and one more in a super tiebreaker to take care of Feehan. Rohan Herur won 6-1, 6-2 at second singles while Lucas Gulick picked up a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles. The team of Saketh Saripalli and Vayshnav Malhotra earned a 6-1, 6-4, and the second doubles team of Saket Gandham and Shoyaib Shaik rallied for a 4-6, 7-5, 10-8 win.

King Philip, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip swept both doubles matches and earned two wins in straight sets in singles action to knock off North Attleboro in a non-league clash. Nate Ihley and Jack Cannon won 6-2, 4-1 (retired) at first doubles while the team of Jake Mager and Zak Ryan picked up a 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 10-3 win at second doubles. Marco DiStefano won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles and Nick Putney won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles. North Attleboro’s Sam Gallagher didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles.

Taunton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – In a match continued from earlier in the week, Mansfield knocked off visiting Taunton. Luke Nickerson won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Luke Devine picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles, and Sam Donellan earned a 6-3, 6-3 win at third singles. The team of Max Bank and Sethu Odayappan prevailed 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles while Sam Shirmacher and Ben Newcomb won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
King Philip, 5 vs. Walpole, 0 – Final

Franklin vs. Bishop Feehan, 4:00

Taunton, 5 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 0 – Final

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 2 – Final – Taunton earned a win over Durfee in five sets (26-28, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 15-11) to finish the season 11-9. Fabio Goncalves had a game to remember with a career-high 25 kills, sophomore Tyler Stewart added 12 kills, and Alex Tavares (nine blocks) chipped in with 10. Gage Kingman anchored the defense with 22 digs.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/23/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 5 @ Taunton, 15 – Final – Taunton had its best offensive outing of the season, plating seven runs in the first inning, five more in the second, and three in the third to beat visiting Attleboro. Jared Roderick (RBI, run), Nic Notaragenlo (RBI, two runs, two walks), and Jack Moynihan (three RBI) each had two hits for the Tigers while Sean Quinlan and Josh Lajoie each drove in a pair of runs. Moynihan earned the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and five strikeouts in five innings of work. Danny MacDougall and Justin Rollo each pitched a scoreless inning for Taunton. Attleboro’s Alvaro Espinal went 3-for-4 with a pair of triples.

Sharon, 4 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final (11 Inn.) – Foxboro erased a three-run deficit, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings but Sharon regained the lead in the top of the 11th and held on the for the win. The Eagles built a 3-0 lead with two runs in the third and one in the fifth before Foxboro got one back in the fifth and tied it in the seventh. Elliot Patotsky scored the game-winning run for Sharon while Justin Nault had two hits. Sophomore JD Rittenberg pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win for Sharon. Foxboro’s Adam Lanctot had two hits and scored two runs.

Franklin, 12 vs. Hopkinton, 6 – Final – After Hopkinton scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to make it a one-run game, Franklin responded with six runs in the bottom half to pull away from the Hillers and earn the win. Scott Elliott had a big day at the plate with four hits, four runs, and two RBI while Jack Nally (two runs, walk), Jake Macchi (run, three RBI), and Jake Fitzgibbons each had two hits for Franklin. Senior Alex Haba added an RBI and a run scored. Ben Guzman earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk, striking out four in 4.2 innings. Will Pacheco earned the save with one run allowed on two hits and two strikeouts in 1.1 innings.

King Philip, 5 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – KP senior David Morganelli had a strong outing on the mound, striking out eight in five innings of work to earn the win in a non-league contest against Stoughton. Jake Silveria struck out four in two innings of relief for KP to get the save. Zack Zarba had two hits and two RBI, Chris Sawyer added two hits and an RBI and Morganelli helped his own cause with two hits and an RBI.

Milford, 5 vs. Hopedale, 4 – Final – Milford senior Danny Corsini knocked in Justin Applebee in the ninth inning to give the Hawks a walk-off win over non-league rival Hopedale. With the win, Milford qualifies for the state tournament.

Oliver Ames, 12 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames’ offense exploded for 16 hits in its best offensive showing of the year, beating D-R to keep its postseason hopes alive. Junior Jacob Levine had three hits and smashed a three-run home run, CJ Deveau added two hits and hit a home run, and Jared Spillane added three hits as well for the Tigers. Chris Pearsons earned the win, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out four in five innings of work. Tyler Avery worked two scoreless innings in relief.

Softball
Taunton, 11 @ Attleboro, 0 – 5th inning/suspended – The game was stopped in the fifth inning due to weather. The game will be continued on Saturday morning at 10:00AM.

Canton, 1 @ Dedham, 9 – Final

Foxboro, 13 vs. Ursuline Academy, 0 – Final – The Warriors sealed their place in the playoffs with a big win against D2 Ursuline Academy. Emma Rohan went the distance to earn the win, allowing only three hits and striking out five in the shutout. Rylie Martignetti had three hits and drove in five runs to power the offense for Foxboro. Peyton Feldman also had three hits, including a homer, as did Morgan Sylvestre. Chelsea Gibbons went 1-for-2 and drove in three in the win.

King Philip, 0 @ Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final – King Philip senior Faith Turinese pitched a great game for the Warriors with just one allowed but the Warriors weren’t able to do any damage offensively. Meghan Gorman, Reagan Simeone and Grace Kelley each had a hit for the Warriors.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ North Attleboro, 16 – Final (5 Inn.) – The Rocketeers sealed the outright Davenport division title with the win. North used a 14-run second inning to put the game away. Katie Daby had a grand slam in the rally, finishing with five RBI in the game. Ashley Cangiano also had three hits and two RBI for North, while Belle Clarkin (two runs scored), Abby Gallagher (two runs), and Olivia Capobianco (three runs) each had a pair of hits. Bella Erti picked up the win, allowing three hits and one unearned run. Katie Abreu knocked in Abbi Holmes on a two-out double in the third for OA’s run.

Boys Lacrosse
Franklin, 12 @ Longmeadow, 7 – Final – Franklin went on the road and picked up a marquee victory over Western Mass. powerhouse Longmeadow, who have won four straight sectional titles. Jake Davis led the way with a hat trick and three assists, Nitin Chaudhury also scored a hat trick and had an assist, and Ben Greco scored twice for the Panthers, who jumped ahead 7-3 at half. Will Davis had 12 saves while FHS coach Lou Verocchi noted his defense had a strong performance, limiting the Lancers to four goals through three quarters.

Milford @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 4:30

Oliver Ames, 16 vs. Southeastern, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames earned a win in its final regular season game, finishing with the program’s best regular season record ever at 14-4. Frankie Ireland had three goals and two assists, going over the 100-point mark for his career. Shane Kilkelly added five goals and two assists, Colin Bourne and Sandro Masciarelli each had a hat trick, and Sam Stevens chipped in with a goal and four assists.

Stoughton, 3 vs. Dedham, 12 – Final




Girls Lacrosse
Canton vs. Brookline, 3:45

Foxboro, 17 @ Medway, 10 – Final

Milford, 14 vs. Assabet Valley, 2 – Final – Milford celebrated senior night with a big win over visiting Assabet Valley. Seniors Emily Haley and Sophia Bucal led the charge with four goals apiece while senior Riley Campbell added one goal and senior Savanna Rosado made eight saves in net for the win. Junior Elena Bon Tempo added four goals and Alyssa Williamson tacked on a nice goal for the Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Silver Lake, 13 – Final

Sharon, 10 vs. Bishop Feehan, 12 – Final – Sharon finished with a split of the season series against Feehan, a potential D1 East opponent. Emma Eberhardt, fresh off her 200th career goal two days ago, scored four goals and recorded one assist for the Eagles. Cass Barbera, Maeve Barbera, and Molly McAlevey each scored twice and Mia Lappen added one for Sharon. Rose Wald made 11 saves in the loss.

Taunton, 19 @ Southeastern, 5 – Final – Taunton sophomore Alana Tavares scored her 200th career goal in the Tiger’s win on the road.

Boys Tennis
Taunton, 4 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Taunton swept all three singles matches with one more point coming in doubles play in a victory over Attleboro. Brett Beaulieu won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Charlie Fiske earned a 7-5, 6-0 decision at second singles, and Dylan Kullas prevailed 6-2, 7-5 at third singles. The team of Conor Fitzsimmons and Trevor Hart won 7-6, 6-1 at second doubles for the Tigers.

Canton @ Milford, 4:00

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin won two singles matches and swept doubles play to beat Oliver Ames and secure at least a share of the Kelley-Rex division title. Sophomore Liam Marr didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while Rohan Herur dropped just two in a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles. Franklin’s first doubles team of Saketh Saripalli and Shoumik Sompally won 6-0, 6-0 while the Panthers won by default at second doubles. The third singles match was called due to weather.

Mansfield, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip’s first doubles team of Nate Ihley and Zak Ryan overcame a three game deficit in the second set, winning five straight to earn a 6-3, 6-4 win and clinch the victory for the Warriors, who stay in the hunt for the division title with the win. Nick Putney won 6-2, 6-0 at second singles and Jack Cannon added a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles for KP. Mansfield’s Luke Nickerson won 7-5, 6-1 at first singles while Sam Donellan and Dheeraj Valluru picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro vs. Framingham, 4:00

Foxboro, 2 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sharon won all three singles matches to pick up a victory over Foxboro and clinched the Davenport division title outright. Senior Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles, junior Alberto Olivei picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and freshman Rueman Bhattacharyya earned a 6-0, 6-0 decision at third singles to clinch the win. Foxboro’s Brian Gardner and Justin Neale won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles and the team of Sean McAvoy and Noah nicks prevailed 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles for the Warriors.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton won all five matches in straight sets to defend home court against visiting Attleboro. The team of Sam Martin and Brianna Fevrier earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles while the Tigers’ second doubles team of Ogechi Ariguzo and Kayla Parrett picked up a 6-0, 6-2 decision. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles, McKenzie Lucie earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles.

King Philip, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – King Philip won all three singles matches in straight sets to knock off Mansfield and secure the Kelley-Rex division title outright. Junior Erin Regnier won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles, sophomore Katarina Schneider picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win at second singles, and sophomore Mia Valencia didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Grace Ely and Katie Welch prevailed 4-6, 6-0, 10-7 at first doubles while Laura Davenport and Meghan Powers teamed up for a 6-0, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Milford, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this match. – Canton won all three singles matches and added another in doubles action to beat visiting Milford. Sophomore Rachel Kupferman didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, sophomore Natalie Keppler followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win at second singles, and Sarah Hernandez won 6-2, 5-2 (retired/weather) at third singles. The team of Nyah Claiborne and Rose Hazam earned a 6-4, 6-3 win at first doubles. Milford’s Reese Gavlik and Ketny Sousa won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles.

Oliver Ames @ Norton, 3:30

Sharon, 3 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Sharon won two matches in singles action and one more in doubles to secure the win before the match was called to rain. Senior Nupur Shukla won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles while freshman Valeria Barajas picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles. The team of Lauren Glass and Makaila Cheung had the other point for the Eagles with a 6-1, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. BC High, 0 – Final

Perfect Night for Erti, North Clinches Title at Canton

North Attleboro softball
North Attleboro junior pitcher Bella Erti was perfect over five innings, as the Rocketeers clicnhed at least a share of their first title since 1990. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


CANTON, Mass. – With an opportunity to make history for the program, North Attleboro put together a near perfect performance on Friday night under the lights at Walsh Field. The Rocketeers shut down division rival Canton, with junior pitcher Bella Erti throwing a five-inning perfect game, and the bats came alive, pounding out 17 hits and 13 runs.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

It all came together for Big Red, which rolled to a 13-0 victory and secured at least a share of the program’s first league title since 1990. On top of that, it was also the 250th win of head coach Bill Wallace’s 20-year career (18 at North and two at Walpole).

After the game, the team presented Wallace with a ball signed by all the players and they gathered in the outfield and at home plate with a sign that had 1990 crossed out on one half and 2019 written on the other.

“We had a team meeting before the bus and we said, this is it,” Wallace explained after the game. “This is the homestretch and we need to get our focus and start winning every pitch. Not win every inning, every game, it’s got to be every pitch and the kids were really dialed in today.”

Canton freshman pitcher Sophia Santos threw a perfect top of the first, but the Rocketeers got to the Bulldogs starter in the second. Annabelle Hebard (4-for-4) led off with a double to left center and Katie Daby (3-for-3) followed with a single. Emily Nardelli walked to load the bases and then Alex Moulson lined a two-run single to left.

After a sac bunt moved two runners into scoring position and a walk to No. 9 hitter Mandi Hanewich (2-for-2), Olivia Capobianco drilled a base hit to center, aggressively taking second just ahead of the throw, to plate two more. A sac fly from Abby Gallagher made it 5-0, but the inning ended with Canton centerfielder Liz Bickett throwing out Capobianco as she tried to advance to third.

Erti started the game strongly, striking out two in each of the first two innings. In the third, North tacked on three more. Ashley Cangiano (2-for-3) singled and took second on a wild pitch before scoring on a hit by Hebard. After Caroline Hughes took over in the circle for the Bulldogs, Daby drilled a triple over the head of the right fielder. Daby scored on a groundout by Nardelli.

The Bulldogs continued to struggle at the plate, but started making contact against Erti, striking out only once after the second inning. North’s infield defense made no mistakes to keep Canton off the base paths.

“They played so clean and I look at all nine positions they play the game the right way,” said first-year Canton coach Dave Bohane.

He added, “Against some girls you can try to be patient because they might have a wild streak to them but with Bella Erti, she’s in control out there. But, our kids went up there not overwhelmed. We can play better than that but again no shame in losing to them.”

North sealed the win in the fourth with five more runs. Hebard drove in her second run of the night, Moulson brought in her third run with a hard grounder off the third baseman and Hanewich cleared the bases with a double pulled straight down the line and right over the first base bag.

“I thought Hughes came in and did well,” Bohane said. “She’s a veteran and battled. I know it’s a lot of runs, but they’re a good hitting team. The bottom of the order has gotten us in both games too.”

In the bottom of the fifth, the Rocketeers clearly wanted to finish off the perfect game for Erti. She induced grounders from SSteph Trendell, Jackie Morrissey, and Hughes. The last one went to first baseman Alivia Byrne, who took it to the bag herself and set off the team’s celebration.

“They’re so happy,” said Wallace about the team pulling for Erti to get the perfect game. “That means a lot to me. At the end of the day, that is what’s important and they really pull for each other.”

When asked about what it meant for the program to get over the hump (North had a stretch of three straight seasons that it finished one game out of first place) and claim an elusive league title, Wallace pointed out that his team has made the playoffs 11 out of the last 12 years, reached two South semifinals, and one South final.

As he explained, North’s 29-year wait for a league crown was more a product of the level of competition that the Rocketeers faced within the league.

“Part of it was that we were in the Kelley-Rex division with Taunton and King Philip,” Wallace said. “And then there was Milford, which lost like three games in two seasons. It shows how strong the league is. Since 2008, we’ve missed the tournament just once and yet this is our first league title.”

North Attleboro (12-3, 10-2) can clinch the outright Davenport division crown on Monday with a win at Foxboro. Canton (6-10, 5-9) will host Milford on Tuesday and needs a win against Dedham on May 23 to secure a playoff spot thanks to the Sullivan rule.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/15/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 5 @ King Philip, 1 – Final (8 Inn.) – Attleboro junior Nick McMahon had a day to remember, scoring both the tying and game-winning runs to lead the Bombardiers to a key road win. McMahon went 3-for-3 at the play, stole three bases, and played stellar defense at second base for Attleboro. King Philip scored in the fourth to take the lead but Attleboro tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. McMahon singled, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice fly from Camden Fitzpatrick and hustled home on a passed ball to make it 1-1. McMahon was the catalyst for a four-run eighth inning for Attleboro. After leading off with a single, McMahon stole second and then stole third when Alvaro Espinal drew a walk. Fitzpatrick delivered an RBI single to bring McMahon home, and Lorenzo Wilson had a two-run double to push the lead to 4-1. Wilson came home to score on a sac fly from Troy Van Vliet. Eoin Kelleher started and went four innings giving up one run while Max Amaral pitched four shut out innings in relief to pick up his fourth win of the season.

Sharon, 10 @ Canton, 13 – Final – Canton’s offense came alive for 17 hits, resulting in 13 runs and a win over visiting Sharon. Nate Quan set the table for the Bulldogs, going 5-for-5 with four runs and an RBI from the leadoff spot. Canton scored three runs in each the first two innings and then plated five in the third inning. Sharon scored six runs in the sixth inning to make it a three-run game. Steven Burbank (three runs, three RBI), Sawyer Julier-Albert (two runs, two RBI), Matt Connolly (RBI), and Mike Konzal (two runs, RBI) each had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs. Sharon’s Justin Nault went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run, and Justin Brown (run, RBI), Hank Ward (two RBI, run), and Max LeBlanc (run) each had two hits for the Eagles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Foxboro’s Joe Cavaleri had a strong day on the mound, limiting the Black Knights to just five hits in a complete game effort. Cavaleri allowed one run in the third inning, finishing with one walk and four strikeouts. After Stoughton took the lead in the third, Foxboro responded with a pair of runs in each the fourth and fifth innings, tacking on an insurance run in the seventh. Cavaleri led the charge offensively with three hits and two runs scored while Kyle McGinnis (two RBI) and James Kaeser (RBI) each had two hits for the Warriors. Stoughton junior George Currier had two hits while Jacob Kaplan drove in Zak Paquette with a sacrifice fly.

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Franklin junior Liam Dailey tossed a complete game shutout and senior Jake Macchi uncorked a grand slam as the Panthers swept the season series against the Tigers, clinching at least a share of the Kelley-Rex division title with the win. Dailey needed just 63 pitches, allowing three hits with no walks, striking out four in an efficient performance. Macchi finished with six RBI total, Alex Haba also had an RBI and a run scored, Jack Nally scored twice, Scott Elliott had a hit and two runs scored, and Joe Lizotte and Brennan Rivera each scored once.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Mansfield, 15 – Final – Mansfield built a 3-1 lead over the first three innings but then exploded for seven runs in the fourth and added five more in the fifth to pull away with a big win over visiting Oliver Ames. Juniors John Carney and Chris Jenkins combined for a one-hitter with no walks allowed. Nick Dumouchel was the lone Hornet with multiple hits, recording six RBI on two hits for Mansfield, which totaled nine hits as a team. Kyle Moran (run) drove in two runs while Carney, Connor Fitzpatrick, and Michael DeBolt each drove in one run. Carney struck out eight in five scoreless with one hit allowed (and one hit batter) while Jenkins tossed two scoreless innings.

Milford, 6 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – North Attleboro seniors Brendan McHugh and Todd Robinson each hit a home run as the Rocketeers knocked off visiting Milford for a season sweep of the Hawks. After trading runs in the first inning, North Attleboro had its biggest inning with four runs in the second. After an RBI double from Kyle Bolger (three hits), McHugh launched a three-run home run to give the Hawks a 5-1 lead. An inning later, Robinson (two hits) smashed a two-out solo shot to extend the advantage to 6-1. The Hawks battled back with two runs in the fourth and again in the fifth to make it a one-run game at 6-5. But Nick Raneri and Jake Palmer each drove a run in in the sixth inning to give the Rocketeers the cushion they needed. Sophomore Dennis Colleran got the win on the mound while senior Matt Seavey earned the save. Sophomore Jared Penta added three hits and two runs scored.




Softball
King Philip, 13 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Sharon, 1 @ Canton, 13 – Final (6 Inn.) – Caroline Hughes went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in a run, while Steph Trendell went 2-for-3 and brought in three runs to power the Bulldogs to a division win. Taylor Reynolds helped break the game open for Canton with a two-run double. Sophia Santos earned her fourth win of the season, allowing one run and striking out three. Ally Chin and Katy Lynch both went 3-for-4 in the win.

Stoughton, 13 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Stoughton jumped out to a 7-0 lead and then scored six unanswered after the Warriors cut the deficit to two with a five-run third inning. Freshman Sydney Menz paced the Black Knights with three hits (two singles, triple, RBI), Nikki Coppola also had a triple, a single, and an RBI, and sophomore Nicole Baker had a single, a double, and drove in two runs. Brianna Ferrandiz (two RBI), Sarah McGrath (two RBI), Melody Casna (RBI) and Lexi Baptista each had two hits for Stoughton. Foxboro scored all five of its runs in the third with Maria Dunn hitting a triple and Allie Willis driving in two runs. Baker earned her 11th win of the season, scattering six hits, one walk, and striking out six.

Franklin, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Mansfield, 8 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Mansfield rallied in the final three innings to pull out a road win that clinches a playoff berth for the Hornets. OA scored all five of its runs in the third inning, but Sarah Cahill (10 strikeouts) settled down to hold the Tigers off the board for the final four innings and the Hornets offense got going. In the third, Emma Varella squeezed in Colleen Larson (double) and both Katie Abreu and Taylor Lake launched two-run home runs for the Tigers, who played terrific defense. In the fifth, Mansfield rallied to tie the game. Caty DeMassi and Mary Muldoon both had two-RBI singles in the frame. In the sixth, the Hornets grabbed the lead. Mady Bendanillo and DeMassi singled and both scored on a Muldoon double. Cahill came into score an insurance run in the seventh when she scored from first on a double by Kara Bendanillo. Mansfield had 15 hits as a team, including a 3-for-4 day for Megan Letendre.

North Attleboro, 17 @ Milford, 0 – Final (6 Inn.) – Bella Erti struck out 10 in six innings and allowed only five hits to lead North to a road win. Mandi Hanewich had three hits, three runs scored, and three RBI for the Rocketeers. Olivia Capobianco, Abby Gallagher (four RBI), and Alex Moulson all had two hits for North. Katy Daby drove in one with a sac fly and Emma Bailey drove in two in the win.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Canton, 13 – Final – Canton raced out to an 8-0 lead by halftime and never looked back in a win over visiting Attleboro on Senior Night. Seniors Griffin Roach (three goals, two assists), Dan Cohen (two goals, assist), Matt Martin, and Brendan Albert each scored for the Bulldogs while George Kent and Sam Walsh anchored the defense. Junior Tommy Vaughan added three goals and three assists.

Foxboro, 5 @ Franklin, 12 – Final – Franklin used a strong performance to pick up a convincing win over visiting Foxboro. The Panthers took a 9-1 lead into the fourth quarter to win the Kelley-Rex division title outright. Jake Davis scored four goals and had two assists, Matt Lazzaro scored a hat trick and had two helpers and Jacob Alexander (14-for-21 faceoffs) scored twice with one assist. Foxboro’s Brendan Tully and Shayne Kerrigan each scored twice while Aidan Stapleton found the back of the net once. Freshman Matt Tully made 12 saves for Foxboro.

King Philip, 18 @ Milford, 6 – Final

Mansfield, 7 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final – Mansfield had a terrific first half, building a 4-2 lead at halftime but North Attleboro scored eight second half goals and limited the Hornets to just three to get the win. Connor Quirk led Mansfield with four goals and two assists while Aidan Sacco, Mike Reed, and Jake DiSangro each scored once.

Sharon, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 13 – Final – Trailing 9-6, Oliver Ames scored the final seven goals of the game to earn a comeback win over the visiting Eagles. Colin Bourne had three timely goals for the Tigers while Shane Kilkelly (three goals, one assist) and Sam Stevens (two goals, two assists) each had four points. Remi Creighton added a pair of goals and an assist and Frankie Ireland chipped in with three helpers for OA.

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 20 @ Attleboro, 10 – Final

Franklin, 14 @ Foxboro, 10 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

North Attleboro, 19 @ Mansfield, 9 – Final – The Rocketeers kept their playoff hopes alive with a big win on the road. Katie Lindstrom scored seven goals and assisted on two others to lead North and Lexi Sinacola added a pair of goals and five helpers. Lindsay Spratt had a hat trick, and Maggie O’Brien and Siobhan Weir (assist) both scored twice, while Regan Fein (assist), Lily Cameron (assist), and Taylor McMath all scored once in the win. Faith Graveline preserved the win for Big Red with 15 saves.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Sharon, 14 – Final – Jenna Goldstein (five goals) and Emma Eberhardt (four goals and an assist) combined for nine goals and 10 points to lead the Eagles to another league win. Mia Lappen added three goals and an assist, Maxine Gordon had a goal and two helpers, and Bridget McManus scored once and assisted on another in the victory.

Milford, 3 @ King Philip, 17 – Final – The Warriors had 11 different goal scorers to earn their 10th win of the season and clinch second place in the Kelley-Rex division. Caroline Klim and Mackenzie Mazur both scored hat tricks and Klim added an assist as well. Olivia Tormey and Ali Wilson both scored twice, while Victoria Tormey, Shayla Weitzman, Emma Izydorczak, Jess Sullivan, Ava Tormey, Dana Truini, and Lily Brown each scored once.




Boys Tennis
King Philip, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – King Philip won twice at singles and once in doubles, losing just two games between the three matches in a win over Attleboro. Marco DiStefano (first singles) and Nick Putney (second) each won 6-0, 6-1 while the team of Nate Ihley and Jack Cannon didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles. Attleboro’s Ryan Gordon won 6-3, 7-5 at third singles while the team of Tyler Evans and Ryan Solari picked up a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Sharon went on the road and earned a sweep, winning all five matches in straight sets to beat Canton. Senior Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, junior Alberto Olivei picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles, and freshman Rueman Bhattacharyya didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. Sharon’s first doubles team of senior Max Brody and freshman Max Chen won 6-1, 6-1 while Alex Aspel and Deyan Kassev teamed up for a 6-1, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro swept doubles play and got another win at third singles to squeak by visiting Stoughton. Sean McAvoy and Justin Neale earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles while Noah Hicks and Bo Canfield secured a 6-2, 6-1 win at second doubles. Senior Brian Gardner picked up the third point with a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles. Stoughton sophomore Waseem Sablon won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and senior Erik Anderson prevailed 6-4, 6-2 at second singles.

Franklin, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – The Panthers won all five matches in straight sets to get the sweep, picking up their 11th victory of the season. Liam Marr won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles, Rohan Herur earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sameen Shaik emerged from third singles with a 2-6, 6-3, 10-6 decision. The team of Vayshnav Malhotra and Lucas Gulick won 6-3, 6-0 at first doubles while Saket Gandham paired up with Shoumik Sompally for a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Milford, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – The Rocketeers dropped just one game total in three singles matches and four in the two doubles matches in a win over visiting Milford. Jonah Manso won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles while Alex Pfeffer (second) and Sam Gallagher (third) both won 6-0, 6-0. North’s first doubles team of Tomas Bentley and Vikram Senthilakumaran secured a 6-2, 6-0 win while Saketh Uppuluri and Justin Strom walked away with a 6-1, 6-1 decision at second doubles.

Mansfield, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Mansfield had impressive performances in all four matches, winning a fifth by default. Luke Nickerson won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles while Luke Devine served up a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles. The team of Sam Donellan and Jonah Fine won 6-0, 6-2 while Nikhil Lankipalle and Diwakar Sandhu teamed up for a 6-1, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip won all three singles matches in straight sets on its way to a victory over Attleboro. Erin Regnier picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Katarina Schneider added a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Mia Valencia didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Grace Ely and Meghan Powers emerged with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 win at first doubles while Laura Davenport and Katie Welch won 6-4, 6-2 at second doubles.

Canton, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon picked up three wins in singles action, all in straight sets, and added another point at first doubles to knock off the visiting Bulldogs. Nupur Shukla won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, Valeria Barajas picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win at second singles, and Charlie Martinez earned a 6-1, 6-1 decision at third singles. The team of Sachi Bhasin and Lauren Glass dropped just one game at first doubles, winning 6-1, 6-0. Canton’s Rose Hazam and Nyah Claiborne picked up a 6-4, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final

Taunton, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – The Tigers won in straight sets in all three singles wins as well as the point from first doubles to pick up a victory on the road. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, McKenzie Lucie secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles, and Jocelyn Pagliuca didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Brianna Fevrier and Kayla Parrett picked up a 6-4, 6-2 decision at first doubles. Franklin’s Ashvika Boopathy and Vaquri Kantheri earned a 6-2, 4-6, 12-10 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – North Attleboro won in straight sets in its four victories, picking up a win on the road at Milford. Tara Nair won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles and Olivia Wills picked up a 6-4, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Sam Martino and Haley Strom earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles while North Attleboro’s second doubles pairing of Jayli Carmichael and Liana Nichols won 6-0, 6-3. Milford’s Juliana France emerged with a 6-0, 4-6, 10-7 win at second singles.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield punched its ticket to the state tournament with a 3-2 win over visiting Oliver Ames. The Hornets’ first doubles team of Hannah Podolske and Sam Sternburg prevailed 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to secure the win for Mansfield. Lizzy Elsner added a 6-1, 6-4 win at first singles and Aryana Khosravani secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles. Oliver Ames’ Maura Kiernan won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and the team of Kate McCormick and Sarah Morley emerged 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 2 – Final – Taunton inched within one win of a state tournament berth, battling to a 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 16-14) win on the road over Dighton-Rehoboth. Jason Khang had a strong game defensively with 21 digs and Edward Paiva dished out 33 assists. Tyler Stewart paced the offense with 16 kills and five blocks while Fabio Goncalves and Alex Tavares each put down 13 kills and had two blocks.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/29/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – For the second straight game, Taunton senior Jack Moynihan tossed a gem and this time the Tigers put a run on the board to get the win. Moynihan scattered six hits in a complete game shutout, striking out seven. Taunton scored the lone run of the game in the top of the sixth inning as Lucas Martins singled and came around to score on a base hit from Josh Lajoie. Attleboro’s Ryan Morry was also strong, allowing five hits and striking out three in a complete game effort for the Bombardiers.

North Attleboro, 7 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Foxboro, 8 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Foxboro junior Michael Devlin shined in his first start of the season on the mound and reached base four times offensively to pace the Warriors to a win over Sharon. Devlin scattered five hits and two walks in a complete game, allowing one earned run with four strikeouts. Offensively, he had one hit, three walks and scored two runs. Joe Cavaleri and James Kaeser (two hits) each added two RBI for Foxboro.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin junior Brennan Rivera allowed just one hit and faced the minimum, tossing his second straight shutout to pace the Panthers to a win over visiting Oliver Ames. Rivera fanned 12 batters and had the one hit erased on a double play against the next batter. Scott Elliott (run), Alex Haba (double, run, RBI), and Jake Macchi (RBI) each had a hit for the Panthers. Reid Latham was strong for the Tigers, allowing four hits over six innings while striking out nine. Latham also had the lone hit offensively for OA.

Mansfield, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip scored once in the second and tacked on two more in the third, holding on the rest of the way to beat Mansfield. The Hornets scored once in the fifth and made it a one-run game with a run in the seventh inning. KP sophomore Jake Silveria earned his first career win, tossing a complete game with just three hits allowed, two walks, and three strikeouts. Silveria also paced the offense with two hits and two RBI. Chris Daniels also had a hit and an RBI for the Warriors. Matt Scibilia and Nick Dumouchel each drove in a run for Mansfield.

Stoughton, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Stoughton tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the top of the sixth but the Hawks answered with a run in the bottom half to take the lead back and earn a win over the visiting Black Knights. Danny Corsini (2-for-3, run), Tyler Almeida (2-for-3), and Carter Scudo (2-for-3, run, RBI) had consecutive singles, the latter scoring the first. Corsini went five innings on the mound, allowing two runs on three hits and four strikeouts. Sophomore Mario Lee earned the win in relief, striking out one with one hit allowed in two scoreless innings. Jacob Kaplan had two hits for Stoughton while Kyle Gagnon and George Currier each scored a run.

Softball
Canton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 12 – Final – Bella Erti struck out 11 and allowed only one earned run for the Rocketeers. She also had a pair of hits at the plate and drove in a pair of runs. Ashley Cangiano led the way offensively with four hits, while Annabelle Hebard (two RBI), Olivia Capobianco, and Emily Nardelli each had three hits. Abby Gallagher and Alex Moulson each had two hits in the win.

Sharon, 0 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final – Alli Small went 2-for-3 for the Eagles and Penny Rabatsky added a triple in the fourth inning.

Franklin, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Franklin’s Emily Valentino allowed three hits, struck out five and issued one walk in a shutout performance, helping the Panthers win on the road. Maddy White paced the offense with three hits, a walk, two runs, and four RBI while Kylie Bouzan went 2-for-2 with an RBI for Franklin. OA sophomore Emma Varella had a pair of doubles while junior Katie Abreu also had a double for the Tigers.

King Philip, 3 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final – The Hornets took the lead in the fourth inning, added two more runs in the fifth, and then broke the game wide open with six runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure a win over defending league champ KP. Kara Bendanillo drove in four runs and the Hornets pounded out nine hits as a team. KP jumped in front with a run in the first and the lead lasted until the fourth inning when Mady Bendanillo homered. Caty DeMassi singled, advanced to second on a sac bunt by Ashlyn Conley, took third on a passed ball, and then scored the go-ahead run on a grounder to second. Mansfield added to its lead with two runs in the fifth. Mary Muldoon led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt by Sydney Woods. Kara Bendanillo drove her in with a single and, after making her way to third, aggressively came home to score when a pitch got away. In the sixth, the Hornets’ offense put the game away. Conley, Ella Verheggen, and Casey Mousette hit three straight singles. Muldoon drove in a run with a walk, Woods reached on an error, and Kara Bendanillo cleared the bases with a double. DeMassi made it 10 runs with a two-run single. Sarah Cahill earned the win in the circle, striking out five. Mansfield coach Lori Letendre said, “Mansfield played with a lot of energy today and I’m so proud of the total team effort.”

Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – Stoughton senior Karly Estremera had a double, a triple, and scored three runs to help the Black Knights beat Milford. Estremera and Jordan Lyons (two RBI, two runs) each had three hits total, Lexi Baptista added a pair of singles and an RBI, and Brianna Ferrandiz, Nicole Baker, and Sydney Menz each had a hit for Stoughton. Baker struck out 13 to earn the win. For Milford, April Swain (run) and Lucy Creedon (run, triple, RBI) each had two hits.

Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro @ Attleboro, 3:45

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro held Oliver Ames scoreless in the first quarter and built a 6-2 lead at halftime that it never relinquished. The Warriors held the Tigers to just one goal in each the third and fourth quarters as freshman goalie Matt Tully made nine saves to help earn the win. Senior Pete Conley paced the Foxboro offense with five goals and one assist while junior Aidan Stapleton scored once and had two helpers. Senior Colin Bourne scored twice for Oliver Ames while junior Frankie Ireland netted one goal and had one assist. Junior Nick Gillis made 14 saves in net for OA.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 17 – Final

Mansfield, 9 @ King Philip, 17 – Final – King Philip senior Chris Longobardi won 22 face offs and senior Colin DeVellis recorded 10 points to help the Warriors knock off visiting Mansfield. DeVellis had seven goals and three assists, Robbie Tartaglia and Kevin Riggs each scored a hat trick, Andrew Sajdak had two goals and an assist, Sam Mattson recorded two helpers, and David Lawler and Matt Meehan each scored once. Junior Andrew McKinney made six saves in net. For Mansfield, Aidan Sacco (assist) and Connor Quirk each had a hat trick while Brady Kessler and Jake Quirk each found the back of the net once.

Milford, 5 @ Sharon, 12 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 10 @ North Attleboro, 19 – Final – For Attleboro, Rylee Fontes netted a team-high three goals, Sydney DiLiddo and Kyra Lyons each added two goals, and Ashley Piazza, Bella Salviati, and Campbell Compton scored once each.

Taunton, 10 @ Canton, 9 – Final – Canton held Taunton to just one goal in the second half but couldn’t complete the comeback. Caroline Tourgee paced Canton with four goals and an assist, Kaitlyn Goyetch netted two goals, and Leah McClellan, Allie McCabe, and Ally Reddish each scored once.

Foxboro, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final

King Philip, 19 @ Mansfield, 9 – Final – Caroline Klim led the way for the Warriors on the road with eight goals and also added nine draw controls. Jess Sullivan added five goals and an assist and Caroline Watson held down the defensive end with 14 saves for KP. The Warriors also got a hat trick from Olivia Tormey, a pair of goals from Mackenzie Mazur, one goal from Ali Wilson and three assists from Victoria Tormey. Dana Truini also grabbed six draw controls for the visitors.

Sharon, 19 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Sharon coach Shara Ginthwain called it a “great team effort” and praised the Eagles for racking up 10 assists on 19 goals. Emma Eberhardt continued her strong playmaking season with five goals and four assists, while Jenna Goldstein added five goals of her own and an assist. Bridget McManus had a hat trick and an assist, Mia Lappen had two goals and two assists, Cass Barbera scored twice, and Maeve Barbera had a single goal. Athena Merck recorded her first varsity goal and Hailey Roseman added a pair of helpers.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton’s Barrett Hodgson and Tyler Goddard battled back from a one-set deficit to win the next two and complete the sweep against Attleboro. Hodgson and Goddard earned a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win at second doubles while the team of Trevor Hart and Alex Pugh picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles. Brett Beaulieu won 6-3, 6-4 at first singles, Charlie Fiske notched a 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles, and Dylan Kullas won 6-2, 7-6 at third singles.

Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – The Rocketeers won all five matches in straight sets to pick up a victory over Canton. Sophomore Jonah Manson won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, junior Alex Pfeffer picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and sophomore Sam Gallagher secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of seniors Vikram Senthilakumaran and Tomas Bentley earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles and junior Justin Strom and senior Saketh Uppuluri prevailed 7-5, 6-3 at second doubles.

Sharon, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Sharon swept singles action and took one more match in doubles action to hand Foxboro its first loss of the season. Senior Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, freshman Rueman Bhattacharyya earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles, and freshman Max Chen prevailed 7-6 (7-1), 6-1 at third singles. Junior Alberto Olivei and Max Brody paired together for a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles for Sharon while Foxboro’s Noah Hicks and Justin Neale took a 6-1, 6-3 decision at second doubles.

Franklin, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Franklin lost a total of four games in four matches in a road win at Oliver Ames. Liam Marr and Rohan Herur each won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively. Vayshnav Malhotra picked up a 6-3, 6-0 win at third singles and the team of Saket Gandham and Shoumik Sompally won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles.

Milford, 0 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final – Four of the five matches went to either a third set or a super tiebreaker and the Black Knights won them all, plus a straight set win at first singles, to beat Milford. Sophomore Waseem Sablon picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles, senior Erik Anderson rallied for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 win at second singles and freshman Anish Sinha secured a 7-5, 0-6, 6-3 win at third singles. Juniors Brendon Buckley and Jacob Khang battled to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 at first doubles while seniors Hassan Khan and LJ Ferrandiz prevailed 7-6 (7-0), 0-6, 10-6 at second doubles.

King Philip, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield junior Nilay Pangrekar overcame a one-set deficit at third singles, recording a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win to help the Hornets edge King Philip in a battle of two of the top teams in the league. Senior Luke Nickerson picked up a 6-4, 6-1 win at first singles while Sam Donellan and Dheeraj Valluru recorded a 6-0, 6-4 win at second doubles for the Hornets. King Philip’s Marco DiStefano won 6-0, 6-2 at second singles while the team of Jack Cannon and Nate Ihley picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – The Tigers swept all three singles matches and grabbed one more win in doubles play for a victory on the road. Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, McKenzie Lucie picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win at second singles and Jocelyn Pagliuca prevailed 6-1, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Sam Martin and Brianna Fevrier recorded a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles. Attleboro’s Rena Danho and Jordan Bernardo emerged with a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5 (7-3) win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Canton emerged with a 5-0 in a match that was played much closer than the final score makes it appear. Rachel Kupferman (6-0, 6-1) and Natalie Keppler (6-0, 6-0) both had strong showings at first and second singles, respectively. Sarah Hernandez battled to a 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 win at third singles for Canton. Stelina Michaelidis and Rose Hazam won 6-2, 6-3 at first doubles while the team of Kiara Cerruti and Lily Hazam picked up a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win at second doubles.

Foxboro, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – In a battle of Davenport powerhouses, Sharon earned a 4-1 win over previously unbeaten Foxboro. Senior Nupur Shukla picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles while freshman Valeria Barajas won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles for the Eagles. The team of senior Sophia Fein and sophomore Charlize Martinez won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles while junior Lauren Glass and senior Sachi Basin teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles. Foxboro senior Julia Muise recorded a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – The Tigers won all three singles matches and added one more win in doubles play to notch a victory on the road. Sarah Leger won 6-2, 6-0 at first singles, Maura Kiernan picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sarah Barron rallied for a 3-6, 6-2 10-7 win at third singles. OA’s first doubles team of Eva Belanger and Morgan Vasiliou won 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Franklin’s Ashvika Boopathy and Vagmi Kantheti won 6-2, 4-6, 5-7 at second doubles.

Stoughton, 0 @ Milford, 5 – Final – The Scarlet Hawks defended home court by sweeping singles action in straight sets and getting two more wins in doubles play. Ashlyn Oliveri won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Juliana France picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles, and Olivia Marshall earned a 6-0, 6-0 decision at third singles. The team of Caroline Middlecoat and Francielly Rodrigues won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles while Cristielly Prado and Ketny Sousa rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 10-8 win at second doubles.

Mansfield, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – King Philip won all three singles matches and added a fourth point with a win at second doubles to defeat Mansfield. Erin Regnier won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, Katarina Schneider picked up a 6-3, 6-0 win at second singles, and Mia Valencia earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Isabelle MacMeans and Meghan Powers notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at second doubles for KP. Mansfield’s Hannah Podolske and Samantha Sternburg won 6-3, 6-4 at first doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 1 @ Barnstable, 3 – Final

2019 Hockomock League Softball Preview

2019 Hockomock League Softball Preview
Taunton won the D1 state title last spring and comes back as one of the favorites for a league title as another competitive Hockomock softball season kicks off. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2019 Hockomock Softball Preview

Attleboro

2018 Record: 9-12
2018 Finish: Reached D1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Mark Homer

After back-to-back playoff appearances, the expectations are high around the Attleboro program this spring. The Bombardiers return eight of nine starters from last year’s team and the lineup should be loaded with good hitters, as well as multiple players who can step into the circle and produce a good start. With the depth on the roster this season, Attleboro will be eyeing another postseason berth.

Senior McKenzie Bergdoll is one of the top power hitters in the league and will be back for another spring in the heart of the Attleboro lineup. She will be joined by classmates Jordyn Lako and Kayla Battisti as starters. Junior Makenzie Killough will be back at shortstop and also batting cleanup and providing protection for Bergdoll in the order. Sophomore Lora Woyton returns behind the plate, sophomore Autumn O’Connell will be in center and batting second and junior Ashley Macia will be out in left. Sophomore Brenna Morse will be taking over in rightfield. In the circle, Attleboro has plenty of depth with juniors Emily and Jenna Gittle and Bergdoll all able to step in. The Bombardiers will try to take advantage of their overall team speed and head coach Mark Homer said there are a few freshmen who may see playing time right away.

“The bar was set high from last season,” said Homer. “So the girls are onboard to perform well again this season with high hopes of competing in every game they play. They have set some goals to achieve one a\t a time. I am cautiously optimistic with our chances of winning more games this season than we have in the past. Knowing that there are no easy games on our schedule so we have to come to play every night.”

Canton

2018 Record: 8-13
2018 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Dave Bohane

Canton had quite the turnaround in 2018 under second-year head coach Jennifer Robillard, winning eight games, seven more than in 2017, and making a return to the state tournament. Robillard, last season’s HockomockSports.com Coach of the Year, has moved on to a position at Bentley and football coach Dave Bohane has taken over a team that has seen an influx of young talent and has momentum on its side heading into the spring.

Junior pitcher Caroline Hughes is one of the reasons for optimism in the program, as she is looking to build off a strong sophomore season in which she pitched almost every inning. Hughes was also one of the team’s top hitters and she will be at the heart of the lineup along with sophomore outfielder Liz Bickett, who batted .409 last season. Bickett is just one of several sophomores who the Bulldogs will be counting on, including infielders Olivia Lanci and Sarah Kelly, catchers Steph Trendell and Amanda Vrabel. Junior catcher Jackie Howard and seniors Haley Donovan and Ally Chin will provide leadership for this young group to try and get the Bulldogs right back into the state tournament mix.

“I am very excited to be coaching this team,” said Bohane, who has previously served the program as an assistant coach. “They are extremely hard working and devoted to the program. I think they will set the standard for our future players who come through the program. It’s a very tough league, but we will take it one game at a time and try to improve each game”.

Foxboro

2018 Record: 11-12
2018 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Mark Maguire

Foxboro made a run in the Div. 2 tournament last season, winning a pair of games before being knocked out in the quarterfinals, and the Warriors will hope to build on that exciting finish to 2018 by making a run at the Davenport crown this spring. Even with the loss of catcher Hannah Davis, who was instrumental in the team’s playoff run, Foxboro has a strong returning core and some talented young players stepping in to give head coach Mark Maguire confidence ahead of the new season.

Senior Emma Rohan will be back in the circle for her fourth year as the Foxboro starter and she has the experience of pitching in a number of big games and against the top teams in the league. Senior Cam Willis will play first this season, but can also step in and pitch if needed along with junior Amelia Stowell. The pitchers will have a rookie to throw to, as freshman Allie Willis will be stepping in behind the plate. Sophomore Morgan Sylvestre returns at shortstop after a strong first season on varsity and will be one of the leaders of the infield. Senior Chelsea Gibbons is at third base and freshman Peyton Feldman takes over at second. Sophomore Nicole Theriault will be in centerfield but can play a number of positions, senior Riley Martignetti gives the team pop from the right side of the plate, and senior Jill Finn can play all three outfield positions.

“Preseason is going great as the girls are working very hard to be ready for the season,” said Maguire. “We have a group of girls who work hard. I think team defense should be good with our senior leadership, and the younger players who aggressively look to make plays in the field. I have high expectations for this team, as we look to compete for a Davenport title and gain a state tournament berth.”

Franklin

2018 Record: 9-11
2018 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Kate Fallon

Franklin has consistently been right behind perennial league leaders Taunton and King Philip in the Kelley-Rex division standings but has narrowly missed out on the playoffs by a single win in each of the past two seasons. This year, the Panthers have eight seniors coming back with the goal of getting the team back into the postseason and use a typically tough schedule to prep for a tournament run.

Pitching will be a strength for the Panthers this year with seniors Jackie Cherry and Emily Valentino giving the team depth and different options in the circle. Throwing strikes will be the key for both and limiting opposition base runners. Behind the plate, Franklin has plenty of experience as well with seniors Ally Shea and Maggie Hobby both capable of stepping in and handling the pitchers as well as providing power at the plate. Senior Tara Hartnett will be back at shortstop and provides strong defense up the middle. Junior Anna Balkus will be in centerfield and will set the table for the offense as the lead-off hitter. Junior Maddy White will be at third base and joins Shea and senior Kylie-Jade Bouzan as the team’s primary run producers.

“We are excited to see the Panther players on the field again,” said Franklin coach Kate Fallon-Comeau. “Overall our tough league and non-league schedule will keep us focused for tournament and we will rely on our solid pitching and defense.”

King Philip

2018 Record: 21-4
2018 Finish: Reached D1 South Final
Coach: Norm Beauchemin

Every season King Philip loses important players and every season the Warriors seem to be right back in the mix for the league title. This spring should be no different. KP will have several important players to replace in the lineup, but it expects to challenge for a 12th title in the past 13 seasons and also make another tournament run, following last year’s South final loss to Kelley-Rex rival Taunton.

Meghan Gorman is the player to watch for the Warriors this season, as the senior shortstop is one of the top defensive players in the state and also the spark plug at the top of the lineup. Senior Faith Turinese will move from the outfield into the circle and will split time with classmate Heather Nix as the top pitchers for the Warriors. Turinese also batted over .400 last year and will be an important bat in the middle of the order. Junior Destiny Goyco will step in behind the plate, after overcoming an injury from basketball season, and fellow junior Liliana Rolfe will take over at third. Grace Kelley will be at second base and Anna Bradley will be at first. The outfield will be filled with speed, including Kara McWhinnie in left, sophomore Paige Berdos in center, and either Ryan Stagg or junior Reaegan Simeone in right.

“One to nine, everyone hits the ball,” said KP coach Norm Beauchemin. “I’m looking forward to another solid season. The league overall is going to be very competitive, so it should be fun.”

Mansfield

2018 Record: 7-13
2018 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Lori Letendre

Mansfield is looking to bounce back from a tough 2018 season in which the Hornets struggled in the Hockomock (going 4-12 in league play) and missed the playoffs. This year, Mansfield hopes for a quick turnaround and return to the state tournament with an experienced roster that brings back 11 players, seven starters, and seven seniors from last season.

The battery of senior pitcher Sarah Cahill and senior catcher Caty DeMassi is back and should give the Hornets a good foundation on which to build on this season. Seniors Megan Letendre and Kara Bendanillo will hold down the left side of the infield and provide pop in the middle of the lineup, while Mady Bendanillo returns in centerfield to give Mansfield a dynamic defensive player and another strong bat. There is an influx of youth as well with two sophomores and a freshman jumping into varsity and having the chance to contribute right away.

“Our goal is to make it back to the tournament this year and with strong leadership from our captains and our seniors, I think we will have a good shot at it!” said Mansfield coach Lori Letendre.

Milford

2018 Record: 18-3
2018 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Steve DiVitto

The biggest question for Milford is how do the Hawks move on from a group of 10 seniors that won a combined 79 games, four league titles, and the 2017 state championship? Milford has been the team to beat in the Davenport division for six years and a relatively inexperienced group will have to face a season in which the target for every team in the league is squarely on their backs.

Junior Megan Hart is one of the primary options to replace Kelley Reichert in the circle to start the season, with freshman Olivia Morelli showing potential to step in and contribute innings right away. Senior Lucy Creedon can step in at first or in the outfield. Junior April Swain will jump into the outfield along with classmate Taylor Waldrup, while junior Amanda Wenckus can play either position on the left side of the infield and sophomore Carly Ferreira can play either corner infield spot. Sophomore Elise Fauerbach can play behind the plate or in the outfield, while her classmate Natalie Casilli will take an outfield spot. There are a lot of spots to fill this year, but head coach Steve DiVitto is talking about that as an opportunity for a new group of players to step into.

“We understand that lack of experience is something that we will need to combat with, however the bar will continue to be set high!” DiVitto said. “Each year a new page is turned over, and as always the focus is: what’s your legacy going to be? Keeping our awesome team chemistry will be an important part of this season. We’re excited for the challenges of playing in the best league in the state!”

North Attleboro

2018 Record: 16-5
2018 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Bill Wallace

Two seasons ago, North Attleboro was a young team that made a surprise trip to the South semifinal, but this year the Rocketeers will have much higher expectations. North is now the experienced team in the Davenport division and has aspirations of unseating Milford and winning a first league title since 1990 and adding to the league’s recent history of strong tournament performances with another deep run.

Junior pitcher Bella Erti will be one of the league’s top pitchers again this season, after a 15-5 sophomore season in which she struck out 137 batters. She also hit .357. Junior Ashley Cangiano is also back for her third year as a starter and is one of the top catchers in the league. Abby Gallagher returns to the North outfield after hitting .500 last season as a sophomore and senior Olivia Capobianco will be back in centerfield and the middle of the North lineup. Freshman Mandi Hanewich and sophomores Emma Bailey and Belle Clarkin will compete for the third outfield spot after impressive preseasons. Senior Katie Daby is at first, while sophomore Emily Nardelli moves from shortstop to second base. Junior Alex Moulson takes over at short and her classmate Annabelle Hebard will be at third. Emily Bedard and Makenzie Nardelli add to North’s infield depth and Alivia Byrne will give Erti a rest in the circle and is another big bat in the lineup.

“We will need to be more multi-dimensional, as late in the year we couldn’t sustain our offensive start to the season,” said North coach Bill Wallace. “This group really wants to make their mark on the league and they know how much work that is going to take.”

Oliver Ames

2018 Record: 3-17
2018 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Lindsey Allison

Last season was a struggle for the Tigers, with only three wins and head coach Lindsey Allison is hoping that a group of younger players can add to the returning core and make a push to get Oliver Ames back into the state tournament. Allison is confident that the offense will get into the swing of things for the Tigers after scoring only 66 runs last season, second-lowest in the league.

Senior Kayla Georgeu will be back in the circle for OA and in the heart of the lineup. The Tigers will count on sophomore Emma Varella to provide some innings at pitcher, as well as playing in the infield. Senior first baseman Katie Mills is a big bat for the Tigers and junior Katie Abreu can step in at either shortstop or centerfield depending on the game to provide vocal leadership. Sophomore Grace Simone will be behind the plate this season.

“Every spot is open for the taking and there are many young players who are hungry to be on the field,” said Allison. “This group of players seem like a team – not just a group of individuals. They compete with one another for positions, but also support each other. They hold each other accountable and communicate. I am excited to see what hard work can accomplish this season.”

Sharon

2018 Record: 0-20
2018 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Heather Poliferno

It was definitely a rough debut season for Sharon coach Heather Poliferno, but it was also a chance for a number of young players to get experience at the varsity level. This spring, there is renewed enthusiasm with a crop of underclassmen joining the experienced players to give Poliferno and the Eagles confidence for a much better spring.

Freshman Trinity Payne is the player to watch for the Eagles this season as she takes over as the starting pitcher and has already drawn the attention of coaches in the Davenport division. She will be used at a couple of different positions and gives the Eagles versatility in the lineup. Senior Alli Small will be back at shortstop this season, while classmate Jody Goldenberg is back at first, and senior Rebecca Clayman will be the leader of the outfield group. As the program is growing, Sharon is hoping for much different results this season.

“We are very excited for this season!” said Poliferno. “We have many returning players leading our varsity team, as well as the addition of a very talented freshman class. Though we have only had a handful of practices, one of our clear strengths is our desire to be the best on the field.”

Stoughton

2018 Record: 7-13
2018 Finish: Missed Playoffs
Coach: Deb Parker

Stoughton struggled to find a groove in 2018 and ended up missing the playoffs under first-year head coach Deb Parker, who had made the switch from Sharon before last season. This year, the Black Knights bring back starters in key positions and once again have the potential to make a run at a state tournament berth and even challenge for the Davenport title.

Seniors Nikki Coppola (second base) and Jordan Lyons (shortstop) give Stoughton a strong combination up the middle and senior Karly Estremera brings plenty of experience at third base. Sophomore pitcher Nicole Baker will take over full-time in the circle this season and Parker is impressed by the work that she put in during the off-season to get ready. Baker will be throwing to an experienced catcher, as senior Brianna Ferrandiz is back behind the plate for the Black Knights. Junior Lexi Baptista will lead the outfield crew in center and could also be one of Stoughton’s top hitters this season. Freshmen Melody Casna and Sydney Menz will give the Black Knights versatility by playing multiple positions.

“This team has come together so quickly, it is a real tribute to the leadership of our captains,” said Parker. “This team knows what they are playing for this year and we have high expectations going into the season. Softball in the Hockomock League is incredibly competitive but if we continue to work hard, we should have a great season.”

Taunton

2018 Record: 26-2
2018 Finish: Won D1 State Championship
Coach: Dave Lewry

How do you follow up a state championship? For Taunton, it just may be to make a run at a repeat. The Tigers lost the second, third, and fourth hitters in the lineup (including league MVP and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Kya Enos), who combined for 88 RBI, but there is a ton of talent coming back from last season, all of whom contributed at one point or another during Taunton’s run to the title.

It starts in the circle where sophomore Kelsey White will be the starter again this season after going 16-2 as a freshman and pitching every inning during the playoff run (not to mention batting .418). Her sister Alexa will also see time at pitcher, along with freshman Olyvia Mendonca, but will also play most of the season in centerfield. The infield will be a strength for the Tigers, with all four players back. Senior Jaime Brown (batted .469) is back for her fifth year at third base and is one of the top hitters in the league, sophomore Hanna Aldrich (.385 average with four homers and 30 RBI) is in her third year at shortstop and was this site’s Underclassman of the Year in 2018, sophomore McKenzie McAloon returns at second base for her third season, and junior Paige Silvia is back at first. Silvia and junior Riley Murphy are also in the running to replace Enos behind the plate, while junior Abbie McDonough takes over in left and eighth-grader Ava Venturelli could start the season in right.

“While we lost three outstanding players to graduation, I am excited about the potential of this year’s team,” said Taunton coach Dave Lewry. “We have a good nucleus of returning players looking to defend our D1 state championship.”