Tag: Sarah Cullen

Taunton Edges King Philip and Will Play for a Three-Peat

Taunton softball
Hayley Krockta, who drove in the game-winning run, celebrates after scoring Taunton’s second run in a 2-0 state semifinal win over rival KP. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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DARTMOUTH, Mass. – One of the things that has made Taunton a perennial state title contender is its depth. There are no weak links. Even when you shut down the stars, the players that regularly steal the headlines, someone else is there to deliver the big hit or make the big play in the field.

That was on display again Thursday afternoon at UMass Dartmouth. Facing its biggest rival, in a state semifinal, Taunton’s ability to get contributions throughout the lineup proved decisive.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Hayley Krockta and Brooke Aldrich delivered the run-scoring hits, Sam Lincoln continued her stellar season in the circle, and freshman Mia Torres and eighth grader Bella Bourque made timely plays in the field, as Taunton pulled out a 2-0 win against King Philip (23-3) that decided the season series between the Kelley-Rex co-champs and sends Taunton to its third straight state title game.

“All our players are producing,” said Taunton coach Michelle Raposo. “Kids deeper in the lineup have produced a lot for us offensively. It means a lot that these kids, one through nine in the batting order, fight for each other. That’s what makes a team so great, the camaraderie here. I’m just so proud of this team.”

It’s not unusual for this rivalry to extend beyond the league campaign and the regular season. These teams have established themselves as among the most consistent programs in the state and produce teams and games worthy of a state title game, not just a semifinal.

“They’re my favorite game of the year,” said Krockta. “It’s probably the best softball we see in Massachusetts. It’s amazing to play them every year.”

KP coach Kate Fallon Comeau said, “This was a definitely a state title battle. Arguably two of the best teams in the state going head-to-head for the third time this season.”

Freshman McCoy Walsh got off to a shaky start in the top of the first. Having allowed only one run in the postseason so far, Walsh started the game with a strikeout but then walked Bourque and Ava Venturelli. Bourque attempted to steal third and appeared to beat Maddie Paschke’s throw only for Ava Kelley to stay with the eighth grader as she slid just past the bag. It was a big second out and Walsh escaped unscathed on a pop up wide of first.

Lincoln also had a tough start to the game. Sarah Cullen led off by lining a single into left. A one-out walk to Libby Walsh put two on, but Lincoln followed with her first strikeout of the day and then got a grounder to Bourque at third to end the inning.

The pitchers settled in after that first frame, turning the game into the expected low-scoring duel. Walsh fanned a pair of batters in the second and Lincoln struck out one and got a pair of grounders. Walsh was even better in the third, striking out the side. Lincoln got the first batter of the third looking and then induced a pair of grounders to second baseman Mia Fernandes to make it eight straight batters retired.

With one out in the fourth, Venturelli drew her second walk of the game. The Louisville-commit hit a pair of homers in the first meeting between the teams and missed the second, so it was no surprise to see the Warriors pitch carefully to the Taunton slugger.

Kaysie DeMoura, who was the hero with two homers in last year’s state semifinal against Methuen, dropped down a sac bunt, which Walsh showed great agility to field and turn into an out, moving the runner into scoring position with two outs. Krockta delivered. She looped a ball into shallow left that Charlotte Raymond nearly snagged on the slide but it dropped just in front for a hit.

“That’s all I was looking for,” Krockta said about her game-winning hit. “The first at-bat she had been working me in and out, so I wanted to drive that outside [pitch] but when she came on the inside I wanted it and just put the barrel on it as best I could and it thankfully fell in.”

The ball got away from Raymond, allowing Krockta to advance to second. Aldrich followed with a bloop hit of her own, finding space in shallow center. Krockta slid in just ahead of Cullen’s throw for a 2-0 advantage.

Lincoln made quick work of KP in the bottom half of the inning, helped by a nifty backhand stab by Fernandes at second.

“Sam’s really, really, really good,” Krockta said. “I love Sam in the circle, but also it’s the defense behind her. They had to help a lot too, so that’s always good to have. Being up 2-0 we just want to limit their base runners.”

Taunton had an opportunity to put the game away in the fifth. Case transfer Morgan Fitzgerald lined a leadoff single to center. Torres dropped down a perfect sac bunt and reached on a throwing error, which allowed both runners to get into scoring position with no outs. This was the chance to break things open, but Walsh locked in. The rookie struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam and keep KP within two.

Momentum was short-lived, as Lincoln struck out the side in the bottom of the inning. Aldrich smacked a two-out double off the wall in left in the sixth but Walsh came back with a strikeout.

“We gave up two kind of bloop singles and the hardest hit ball of the day didn’t result in anything,” Fallon Comeau said about Walsh. “It’s a tough pill to swallow. She threw a great game, just feel bad that we weren’t able to get any runs to back up that wonderful performance she had.”

Jordan Bennett gave KP life to start the sixth. She beat out an infield hit to leadoff the inning. Liv Petrillo dropped down a sac bunt to move Bennett into scoring position. After a strikeout, Libby Walsh lined a single to center. The throw to the plate forced Bennett to hold and allowed Walsh to advance to second. Not getting a run home was costly, as Lincoln struck out the next batter to keep the shutout.

The Tigers nearly added an insurance run in the seventh. Fitzgerald had her second hit of the game, a single into right, and moved to second on a Torres bunt. Kyleah Plumb also dropped down a bunt and McCoy Walsh hesitated allowing both runners to be safe.

Bourque hit a fly ball out to left, which looked like it might be deep enough to score the run. Raymond threw a dart to home and Fitzgerald’s slide took her past not only the tag, but also the plate. Paschke stayed with the runner and secured the out.

KP needed base runners and Kelley nearly provided one but Torres came flying in and made a nice grab on the sinking liner for the first out. A grounder to Bourque put the Tigers on the brink and Lincoln closed out the game with her 10th strikeout, sending Taunton flying off the bench and on its way back to Amherst for the state title game.

“For the whole season we stuck with the ‘take it one game at a time, one pitch, one inning’ and we just wanted to continue that for the entire season,” Krockta explained. “Ultimately, our goal was to get back to the state final, but we wanted to stay humble and stay with it the entire way.”

Raposo added, “Just because we’ve been there doesn’t mean we don’t want it again. I think we want it more having been there and knowing what it feels like. To be able to go back for a third time in a row is uncommon, so they need to realize that we’ve had a lot of success so far, but we need to produce for one more game.”

Taunton (23-1) will face No. 1 Central Catholic at UMass Amherst’s Sortino Field on Sunday at 12:00.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 06/07/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Division 1
#17 Walpole, 2 @ #1 Franklin, 5 – Final – A four-run fifth inning helped Franklin land a comeback win over an upset-minded Walpole team. The visitors built a two-run lead by scoring once in each the second and third innings, and kept Franklin in check for the first four innings. Eisig Chin reached on an error in the fourth inning to score Ryan Gerety (single), and Henry Digiorgio did the same to bring Jase Lyons (fielder’s choice) home to make it 2-2. An RBI single from Ben Jarosz brought Chin home for the go-ahead run and Luke Sidwell’s squeeze bunt plated Digiorgio to make it 4-2. Chin added a sac fly in the sixth to score Rex Cinelli (single) to add an insurance run for Franklin. Austin Campbell impressed in six innings of work, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out six for the win. Dillon Cashin needed just 10 pitches to retire the side in order in the seventh to get the save. #1 Franklin will host #9 Bridgewater-Raynham on Saturday at 6:00.

#11 Milford, 1 @ #6 St. John’s Shrewsbury, 2 – Final

Division 2
#19 North Attleboro, 3 @ #3 King Philip, 4 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

#15 Mansfield, 6 @ #2 Leominster, 2 – Final – Mansfield jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never trailed to earn an upset of second-seed Leominster on the road. A leadoff double from senior Conner Zukowski followed by an RBI double from junior Jake Maydak set the tone for the Hornets, who jumped out to a lead just two at-bats into the game. Two batters later, junior Matt DeShiro smacked a two-run home run to right and just like that the Hornets had a 3-0 lead. Leominster got on the board with a solo home run in the second but a two-out RBI single from sophomore Luke Rogan brought Drew Urban home to restore the three-run lead. Senior Aiden Jones delivered a huge double in the sixth inning to plate a pair of runs (Wyatt Bolduc, Urban) to extend the lead to 6-1. Leominster got one back in the sixth and had two runners on in the seventh by Maydak finished the complete game by inducing an infield grounder. Maydak struck out three, allowing two runs on six hits and four walks for the win. #15 Mansfield will be on the road against #10 St. Mary’s on a date and time to be announced.








Softball
Division 1
#19 Franklin, 0 @ #3 Taunton, 3 – Final – A three-run fourth inning proved to be plenty of offense for Taunton junior Sam Lincoln, who tossed a complete game shutout to lift the Tigers over league rival Franklin in a playoff showdown. Kaysie Demoura led off the fourth with a single and came home to score after a bunt from Hayley Krockta and an infield error. Brooke Aldrich, who was hit by a pitch, and Morgan Fitzgerald (fielder’s choice) also scored in the inning after a Franklin error. Bella Bourque and Ava Venturelli each had a pair of hits for the Tigers; Lincoln scattered three hits and didn’t issue a walk while striking out 12 batters for the win. Kiera Kotwicki, Katy Liberman, and Dana Stott each had a hit for Franklin. Kotwicki was strong in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) one five hits and no walks; freshman Sophia Sacramone gave up just one unearned run on one hit and one walk, striking out one in three innings. #3 Taunton will host #11 Woburn on Friday night at 7:00.

#10 Attleboro, 4 @ #7 Bishop Feehan, 7 – Final

#15 Chelmsford, 0 @ #2 King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip freshman Ali Gill launched a two-run home run in the first inning and freshman pitcher McCoy Walsh had another stellar showing in the circle as the Warriors blanked Chelmsford. Walsh, who finished with a dozen strikeouts, retired three in a row in strikes after a leadoff walk in the first inning and in the bottom half, senior Sarah Cullen led off with a single and Gill followed with a bomb to right field for an early 2-0 lead. A two-out single from Charlotte Raymond kept the third inning going, Ava Kelley followed with a base hit, and Liv Petrillo drove one up the middle to bring Raymond home to make it 3-0. Chelmsford threatened in the fourth when the fitst three batters reached to load the base with no outs but Walsh induced a grounder to third and Kelley fired home for the force out. After a strikeout, Walsh got another infield grounder for the third out. #2 King Philip will host #7 Bishop Feehan on Friday night at 7:00.

Division 2
#12 Nashoba, 1 @ #5 North Attleboro, 4 – Final – Behind another stellar performance from Kelley Colleran, North advanced to the Div. 2 quarterfinal for the second consecutive year. Colleran struck out 18 and allowed four hits and one run. Just like in the first round, North got off to a quick start at the plate. In the first, Colleran and Maryellen Charette drew walks (Grace Forman running for the catcher). A passed ball moved them both into scoring position and Emma Hanwell doubled to make it 2-0. In the third, Molly Willey singled with two outs and Charette drew another free pass. Hanwell also walked and Lucy Palmer came up with a clutch single to score a pair.




Boys Lacrosse
Division 2
#9 Mansfield, 6 @ #8 Walpole, 14 – Final –In a tough, physical game, the Hornets couldn’t overcome six penalties and fell to the Timberwolves. Freshman Andrew DeGirolamo had a big game offensively with three goals and two assists. Andrew Burnham and freshmen Tommy Vallett and Nico Smith all scored once, with Smith adding a pair of assists. Cody Gordon set up one of the goals. Ryan DeGirolamo finished with 16 saves in the loss.

Girls Lacrosse
Division 1
#10 Concord-Carlisle, 3 @ #7 Franklin, 7 – Final

Boys Tennis
Division 2
#22 Nauset, 0 @ #6 Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon took care of business, dispatching visiting Nauset with a clean sweep — all in straight sets. Sophomore Jacob Slavsky emerged from a hard-fought first singles match with a 7-5, 7-6 (5) win, junior Matthew Lally dominated on his way to a 6-1, 6-0 verdict, and junior Alex Budovalcev rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 victory at third singles. In doubles action, the sophomore tandem of Sava Kassev and Joel Zwicker only dropped a single game in a 6-0, 6-1 win while seniors Hyojae Park and Savir Basil were victorious at second doubles (6-2, 6-2). #6 Sharon will travel to the Winchester Tennis Club on Friday to take on #3 Concord-Carlisle at 4:00.

Girls Tennis
Division 2
#11 North Attleboro, 2 @ #6 Sharon, 3 – Final – In a battle of Hockomock League division champions, it was the Davenport’s Sharon that edged out the Kelley-Rex’s North Attleboro to advance to the Division 2 Round of 8. The Rocketeer won at first and second singles with Lauren Hunt (6-2, 6-1) and Megan Atwood (5-7, 6-4, 17-15) taking wins, but the Eagles got one victory at third singles and swept doubles to win the match. Senior Ale Aguilar picked up a 6-4, 6-1 third singles victory, the team of seniors Abby Vilk and Sophia Oh landed a 6-2, 6-4 first doubles win, and the team of sophomores Jenny Sand and Olivia Landstein secured a 6-1, 6-1 verdict at second doubles.

Division 3
#15 Foxboro, 0 @ #2 Newburyport, 5 – Final

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

Walsh and Defense Carry KP into Sweet Sixteen

King Philip Softball
Freshman McCoy Walsh is congratulated coming off the field. Walsh struck out 15 in her first playoff game, helping KP beat Needham to advance. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


PLAINVILLE, Mass. – King Philip was in a groove at the end of the regular season. Although the final game was an extra innings loss to Bridgewater-Raynham, the Warriors had won the previous 10, including a title-clinching victory over Taunton, with eight shutouts.

It is hard to carry momentum into the playoffs when you’ve been waiting 10 days between games.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

On Tuesday afternoon at the PAL Fields, KP showed more than a little rust at the plate, but got another stellar pitching performance from freshman McCoy Walsh, allowing two hits and one run while striking out 15, and a couple of solid plays in the field to put away No. 31 Needham and advance to the Div. 1 Sweet Sixteen.

“We do some live pitching obviously at practice for BP and stuff and we do soft toss but there is that game situation piece that you are kind of missing,” KP coach Kate Fallon-Comeau admitted. “We did do postseason scrimmages but you don’t know when you’re going to play and you don’t want to schedule too many and it turned out we sat for quite a while.”

While the KP bats may need a game to warm up, Walsh looked ready to go right from the start. She struck out 10 of the first 11 batters that she faced. Needham hit a fly ball to left to start the second and then got its first hit with two outs in the fourth on a single by Kelsey Pittman. Walsh got Maddie Baker to ground out to second to end the inning.

“It was a little frustrating not to be able to get those insurance runs and you’re used to having that little cushion, but I thought McCoy did great in the circle,” Fallon-Comeau said. “She really stepped up for us.”

The Warriors wasted no time getting in front but wasted a chance to break the game open. Sarah Cullen led off with a single to right and stole second. With one out, Cullen came in to score on a base hit to right by Libby Walsh. Charlotte Raymond followed with a single and the two advanced on a pitch in the dirt.

Ava Kelley reached on a fielder’s choice to the third baseman, who tried to draw Walsh off the bag before throwing across the diamond. Amanda Ferreira got a strikeout and a comebacker to get herself out of the jam.

In the second, Taylor Regan’s long fly to right center found the grass and ended up as a leadoff triple. Again, Ferreira was able to bear down with a runner in scoring position, getting a grounder to second and a hard hit liner right at the shortstop. Freshman Ali Gill came through with two outs, singling to left to make sure KP got the run home for a 2-0 lead.

KP continued to get base runners without looking particularly comfortable or dangerous at the plate. Kelley beat out an infield single in the third but was caught stealing. The following inning, Jordan Bennett was aggressive with two outs, turning a hit in shallow left into a double, but a grounder to second ended the inning.

Fallon-Comeau said, “We were just missing it, hitting it right at people. Kudos to the Needham pitcher, she pitched herself a great game today.”

With two outs in the fifth, KP put together a little two-out rally. Raymond dropped a single into right and then Kelley hustled to get an infield hit, but again Ferreira escaped as Liv Petrillo made solid contact but her deep fly to center stayed in the park.

The Warriors weren’t helping out Walsh offensively, but they were flashing the leather. Raymond made a nice running grab in left center to end the fifth, Walsh helped herself with a diving snag of a popped up bunt in front of home plate with a runner on in the sixth, and Gill tracked a long fly ball to just in front of the warning track to end that inning.

KP added an important insurance run in the sixth. Maddie Paschke ripped one past the shortstop for a leadoff hit. With Ava Lanza in as a courtesy runner for the catcher, she moved to second on a bouncer back to the mound. Bennett stung a liner right at the third baseman, whose attempt to double off Lanza ended up in right field.

With a runner at third, Cullen hit a roller up the first base line that wasn’t fielded cleanly and allowed the run to score.

As the rain rolled in and the temperature dropped, Gill made another great grab to start the seventh, snaring a sinking liner to right. The next batter, Baker, turned on a Walsh pitch and crushed it over the fence in left to cut the lead to two.

Fallon-Comeau explained, “I knew that kid could rake, and I thought whatever, 3-0 lead, seventh inning, throw to her because [McCoy’s] going to have to face good hitters like that a lot, and I think she kind of grooved one there for her and she put it well over the foul pole.”

There was no need to be too concerned about Walsh or the lead, as the rookie struck out the next two Needham hitters to close out the win and send KP to the next round.

“Hopefully we’ve dusted the cobwebs off a little bit and we’ll be ready to go tomorrow,” Fallon-Comeau said. “Not much time in between after sitting for so long, but it is what it is. It’s the playoffs, we’re just happy to be here and hopefully we can take care of business.”

King Philip (21-2) will have a quick turnaround, as the Warriors host No. 15 Chelmsford at the PAL Fields on Wednesday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/27/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 4 vs. Melrose, 2 – Final – Attleboro put the finish touches on the regular season with a 4-2 decision over visiting Melrose. Sean O’Hara tossed a complete game for the win, allowing only two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk, striking out four. Cooper Johnson had a big day offensively for the Bombardiers as he went 3-for-3 with an RBI double in the first and scored on a wild pitch in the fifth. Casey Victorio scored two runs for the hosts, Owen Lombardo had a hit and an RBI, and Peter DelPozzo scored one run and had two walks.

Franklin, 4 vs. Natick, 5 – Final – Jase Lyons had another big day at the dish for Franklin but the Panthers suffered their second straight setback after allowing four unearned runs to Natick. Lyons went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Ryan Gerety (run), Ben Jarosz (RBI), and Rex Cinelli also had a hit apiece for Franklin. Alfred Mucciarone was not part of the decision after scattering five hits and four walks, allowing four runs (just one earned) while striking out 10 in 6 innings.

Softball
King Philip, 5 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 6 – Final (8 inn.) – King Philip took the lead in extras on a solo home run from Sarah Cullen but the host Trojans rallied in the bottom half to walk off with win. KP built an early lead as Maddie Paschke drove in two in the top of the first and Ali Gill doubled in a run in the top of the second to make it 3-0. After B-R cut the deficit to one, Libby Walsh scampered home after a fielder’s choice to make it 4-2. B-R tied the game in the sixth and could have taken the lead but Charlotte Raymond saved multiple runs with a terrific sliding catch in left. The Warriors left nine runners on base in the loss.

Canton @ Cardinal Spellman, 10:00AM

Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 8 @ Catholic Memorial, 10 – Final

King Philip Outlasts Taunton To Earn Share Of Division Title

King Philip softball Sarah Cullen
King Philip softball celebrate near home plate after Sarah Cullen’s game-winning hit in the 10th inning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 WRENTHAM, Mass. – Entering Monday night’s marquee matchup between two of the best teams in all of Massachusetts, Taunton had already clinched at least a share of the Kelley-Rex division title.

King Philip wanted its share of the throne, too.

KP senior Sarah Cullen smacked an opposite field line drive to left that found its way to the fence and junior Taylor Regan hustled all the way from first to cross home plate in the bottom of the 10th inning, handing the Warriors a 1-0 walk-off win over the Tigers and a share of the league crown.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Sometimes you just hit a ball, and you just know,” Cullen said. “It could have been anyone on this team though, everyone works so hard. I just happened to be the lucky one to get it done.

“We have all worked so hard for this but we really had to focus on keeping our nerves at a minimum. They are a great team as well. We knew we could do this but we had to carry a lot of energy and confidence into this one.”

The battle between two of the best squads in the state delivered as the game remained scoreless through seven innings, as well as the first two extra innings.

“You couldn’t ask for a better one, it was such a great game,” said King Philip head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau. “We really focus on one at-bat at a time but they were really excited coming off the field each inning, but they were able to really settle in and take it one at-bat at a time in that last inning.

“We knew if we won we’d get a share of the title but it wasn’t the first thing they were focused on. They come into every game and want to win, that’s the mentality they have every time out.”

KP freshman McCoy Walsh escape an early first inning jam and went on to toss one of the best games of her young career, allowing just two hits and three walks, striking out a career-high 17 in 10 scoreless innings of work.

Taunton junior Sam Lincoln was equally impressive, scattering five hits and no walks with 16 strikeouts and no earned runs allowed. Lincoln worked her way out of a couple of jams, including in the 8th inning when she stranded a runner at third after a two-out triple,

“We never want to lose a game but if there’s such thing as a good loss, this is it,” said Taunton head coach Michelle Raposo. “This is a good mental reset for us before the tournament. They wanted it a little more than we did tonight. We didn’t produce offensively through the lineup so we have some things we need to work on but it will prepare us for the postseason.”

The Tigers’ best chance was in the top of the first inning when Kyleah Plumb and Bella Bourque earned back-to-back walks to start the game and Kaysie DeMoura legged out an infield hit on a bunt to load the bases with no outs.

Regan came up with a massive diving catch at first on a bunt attempt for the first out, Walsh induced a grounder back to the circle and got the force out at home, and then picked up her first strikeout to escape unscathed.

“She started off the game with the bases loaded but she just battles, and she battled the entire way,” Fallon-Comeau said. “She has the whole team supporting her. Once she got that strikeout in the first to get out of that jam, I think she settled in and that really propelled her the rest of the game.”

KP’s first threat came in the third when Regan singled to center and took second on a sac bunt from Ava Lanza. Cullen’s first hit of the day put runners on the corners but Lincoln got back-to-back strikeouts to end the frame.

Freshman Ali Gill had a one-out single in the sixth and moved to second when senior Libby Walsh was hit by a pitch but once again Lincoln buckled down, getting a grounder to third for the force and another strikeout to finish the inning.

“We’ve been in that situation a couple of times but they buckle down and can get out of it,” Raposo said. “Whether it’s Sam’s pitching or the relying on our defense…they don’t get nervous and they are very confident defensively. We didn’t have Ava [Venturelli] tonight but our other kids should be able to produce and we just couldn’t string something together.”

“This was two good pitchers going at. Sam pitched a hell of a game and her defense was great. If there was any little error or a mistake, either team is capable to capitalize but there really wasn’t any of that.”

Both teams went quietly in the seventh, sending the game to extras. Taunton’s second hit came on a one-out single from Mia Torres but Walsh responded with consecutive strikeouts to squander the threat.

Gill nearly won the game in the bottom of the 9th when she drilled a shot to right but it hit high off the fence for a triple. Before KP could capitalize, Lincoln got a swinging strikeout to keep the game going.

DeMoura got a hold of one to start the 9th inning with a good hit to center but Cullen tracked back and made a leaping catch at the fence for the out, denying at least a double, potentially more.

“Sarah was like an overdue library book, she was due, she was ready,” Fallon-Comeau said. “She had that great catch in the top of the ninth and I felt really good about her next at-bat. She came back from the tough at-bat before and just ripped that one down the line.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

In the bottom of the 10th, Regan reached after an infield error. Cullen, who had struck out on a check swing in the 8th, laced the first pitch she saw to left for the winning hit.

“Something I really love about this team is that everyone picks each other up really quick,” Cullen said. “After that at-bat [in the 8th], they all picked me up and kept telling me I would get it the next time. When I went up there, I was just ready and had a good feeling about the first strike I saw.”

King Philip softball (15-1 Hockomock, 20-1 overall) finishes the regular season on Saturday with a date against Bridgewater-Raynham on Saturday at 1:00. Taunton (15-1, 18-1) hosts Bishop Feehan on Wednesday at 6:30.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/10/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 7 – Final – Milford mustered up some early offense and senior Evan Cornelius was in control on the mound to help the Hawks land a key win over Kelley-Rex rival Attleboro. A three-run first inning proved to be all the run support Cornelius needed but Milford added on one run in the third, one in the fourth, and two more insurance runs in the sixth. Cornelius tossed six shutout innings, scattering three hits and four walks along with five strikeouts to earn the win; Mason Baldic threw two scoreless innings in relief, allowing only one hit and one walk while fanning five. Offensively, Damien Carter went 2-for-3 with another triple, recording one RBI and three runs. Nick Koch added two hits from the leadoff pot, Sean McGee drove in three runs, and Keith Lee had one RBI the win. Brody McKenna had a single, a walk, and stole two bases for Attleboro.

Sharon, 1 @ Canton, 13 – Final (5 Inn.) – Canton had three big innings offensively, punctuated with a six-run fifth inning to end the contest. Matt Chafin went 2-for-4 (four RBI, three runs, stolen base) including a three-run home run to put an exclamation mark on the win. Hayden Rose (RBI, run) added two doubles, Jack Digirolamo had a single, two RBI, and two runs, and both Matt Hart and Matt Lesser had two RBI in the win. Kyle Redquest had a solid showing on the mound, allowing just one hit on eight hits and one walk. Harry Librot went 2-for-2 for the Eagles while Liam Conway, Palash Raina, Drew Yaffe, Alex Coughlin, and Seth Bonner each had a hit.

Foxboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 8 – Final – Sparked by a two-out home run from Matt DeShiro in the first inning, Mansfield landed a key win over fellow Davenport title contender and rival Foxboro on Wednesday. The Warriors took the momentum early on Sean O’Leary’s solo home run in the top of the first but DeShiro answered in the bottom half, scoring Sam Martin — who had a two-out walk — to take the lead for good. The Hornets extended their lead with four runs in the second and tacked on two more in the fourth after the Warriors got one back in the top half. DeShiro, Conner Zukowski (triple, two RBI, two runs), and Jake Maydak (two doubles, RBI) each had two RBIs in the win while Brian Butler had a single, two walks, a stolen base, and a run scored. Connor Curtis earned the win, scattering five hits and two walks for two runs, striking out eight in 6.1 innings of work; DeShiro got the last two outs, including one strikeout. O’Leary finished 2-for-3, adding a second RBI with a double in the top of the fourth, scoring Ryan LeClair (triple).

King Philip, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin junior lefty Austin Campbell dazzled on the mound, tossing a complete game shutout against a talented King Philip squad. Campbell allowed only three hits — all singles — and issued just one walk while striking out eight in seven scoreless innings. The Panthers provided run support by pushing a pair of runs across the plate in both the third and fourth innings. Senior Ryan Carlucci led off the bottom of the third with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice from Ryan Gerety. A single to right from Jase Lyons opened the scoring, and then Lyons — who stole second — came sprinting home on a single from Eisig Chin. Matt Kelley had a leadoff single for KP in the top of the fourth but was caught stealing by Franklin catcher Tyler Bellan. A one-out single from Ethan DePaolo ignited the Panthers in the fourth as Luke Sidwell reached on an error to put two runners on. DePaolo came home to score on a single from Carlucci and Sidwell scored on a sac fly from Gerety to make it 4-0. Rudy Gately pitched well in the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and one walk, striking out four in six innings.

Taunton, 9 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – In just his third career start, Taunton sophomore Johnny Escobalez tossed a no-hitter as the Tigers bounced back in a big way by blanking North Attleboro. Escobalez retired the side in order in the first, second, third, fifth, and sixth innings; after a pair of walks to start the seventh, the sophomore got back-to-back strikeouts before getting a grounder to second to end it. He quickly worked around a leadoff error in the fourth, erasing a pair on strikes, finishing with 11 for the day. Offensively, Taunton took the lead on a solo home run from Ryan MacDougall in the second and never looked back, plating four more in the third, one more in the fifth, and three in the seventh. Brayden Cali went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI, and two runs, and Sean Murphy added two hits, including a double, with two RBI. Braden Sullivan, Dawson Bryce, and Shawn Cali also had an RBI in the win.

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Andrew Zagami had a strong performance on the mound and Oliver Ames’ offense roared to life in a big win on the road at Stoughton. Zagami scattered five hits and no walks, striking out five in six shutout innings. Offensively, Lucas Riley had a big day at the plate as he went 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. Harrison Fitzpatrick (two runs), Matt Lawson (two RBI, run), and Patrick Finnerty (two runs) each added two hits, Ryan Lemay had a double and two runs scored, Drew Hall added a double, Jack Perron had two RBI, and both David Rodgers and Nick Ferrini drove in a run.








Softball
Milford, 0 @ Attleboro, 13 – Final (5 Inn.) – After being no-hit on Tuesday, Attleboro’s offense rebounded quickly. The Bombardiers pounded out 14 hits to bounce back with a win. Paige Quaglia and Lily Routhier both drove in four runs to lead the Attleboro attack at the plate. Freshman Jenna Callahan allowed only three hits (just one to the outfield) to pick up the shutout in the circle. Attleboro took the lead in the first when Sarah Maher reached on a bunt hit, stole second, reached third on a throwing error, and scored on a passed ball. In the second, Emily Eby led off with a single, stole second and scored on a single by Quaglia. The game was broken open in the third. Lauren Eby singled in a run and Quaglia blasted a homer over the fence in right to plate three more and make it 6-0. Milford got out of the inning on a nice lunging grab by shortstop Olivia Baglione. Attleboro added four more in the fourth. Routhier brought in one with a single, Emily Eby drove in a pair with a single, and Callahan helped her own cause with an RBI groundout. Milford center fielder Sarah Wengal threw out a runner at the plate for an inning-ending double play. In the seventh, leading by 10, Routhier ripped a walk-off, bases loaded double to left center, bringing in all three runs.

Canton, 15 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Chloe Guerschuny (two RBI), Sam Grady (three RBI), and Kailyn Durham (two RBI) led the charge offensively for the Bulldogs with two hits apiece, and Shaelyn Murphy earned the win in the circle with just two hits allowed.

Mansfield, 3 @ Foxboro, 10 – Final – After a scoreless first inning, Foxboro scored in each inning after en route to a 10-3 verdict over visiting Mansfield. Freshman Meghan Kelley went 3-for-4 with a run, sophomore Emma Callahan added two hits, two runs, and an RBI, and junior Fiona Dunn went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored for the Warriors. Sophomore Ava Hill also drove in two runs for Foxboro while freshman Mia Flanagan had a double, an RBI, and two runs. Vittoria Cuscia earned the win in the circle, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk, striking out nine. Jill Koppy went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Hornets while Callie Lake, Molly Kucharski, Avery Lake, and Dani Jameson each had one hit.

Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip senior Liv Ali punctuated a big third inning with a bases-clearing triple and the Warriors rolled to a big win over Franklin, earning a season sweep of the Panthers. Ava Kelley, Maddie Paschke, and senior Ava Lanza (2-for-3, three RBI, run) each drove in a run before Ali ripped a double to center to score three runs in a six-run third inning. Senior Charlotte Raymond had a big day at the dish, launching a first-inning home run to present KP with another early 2-0 lead and added a double as well. Senior Sarah Cullen had a double, an RBI, and a run scored, senior Libby Walsh scored two runs, and senior Charlotte Griffin had a leadoff single in the second, a walk, and scored two runs. McCoy Walsh allowed just one hit and one walk in five shutout innings, striking out nine.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Taunton sophomore Brooke Aldrich led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple to right field and came home to score on a wild pitch two batters later to hand the Tigers a walk-off win after another pitcher’s duel between the two squads. Sam Lincoln dazzled in the circle for the hosts, tossing a no-hitter shutout with only one walk issued, striking out 15. Kelly Colleran was equally impressive for the Rocketeers, holding a dangerous lineup to one run on four hits and no walks, striking out 13. Kyleah Plumb and Bella Bourque had bunt singles in the sixth but Colleran stranded them at second and third with a big strikeout. Kaysie DeMoura also had a single for Taunton.

Stoughton, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first three innings but had to hold off a furious comeback bid from the Black Knights, escaping a bases loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning to earn a key division win. Doubles from Maddie Homer, Devon Morris, and Caitlin Miller helped the Tigers push across three runs in the first inning while a two-run double from Paige Taylor and a two-run home run from Homer highlighted a five-run third for OA, resulting in an 8-0 advantage. Stoughton’s offense came alive in the sixth as Julie Powers, Anna Hobbs, Kerry Driscoll, Leila Alaoui, and Camryn Whitman all had RBIs to score six runs and get Stoughton right back into the game. Alyssa Edwards (walk) scored on a single from Whitman in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to just 8-7, and Caitlin Driscoll reached on a bunt to load the bases with one out. OA pitcher Katie Melendy induced a grounder to Homer at short and she got the force out at home, and then Melendy got a shallow pop up to second for the final out.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 13 – Final

King Philip, 5 @ North Attleboro, 6 – Final – North extracted revenge from the first meeting between the two squads, squeaking out a one-goal victory in a non-league contest. For KP, Noah Minkwitz (assist), Hayden Schmitz (assist), Donovan DeVellis, Tommy Kilroy, and Henry LeClair each scored once, Mason Thompson recorded two assists, and James Boldy made 12 saves in net.

Mansfield, 16 @ Braintree, 4 – Final – Mansfield picked up a big non-league win on Wednesday. Tommy Smith (two assists), Cody Gordon, Nico Smith (one assist), and Andrew Burnham all recorded hat tricks for the Hornets. Tommy Vallett had three assists and Andrew DeGirolamo had one helper. Drew Sacco added two goals and an assist. Nico Smith was 14-of-15 on face-offs to give Mansfield plenty of offensive opportunities and Ryan DeGirolamo made 11 saves.

Milford, 10 vs. Seekonk, 7 – Final – Milford avenged a loss to the Warriors from earlier this season, notching a 10-7 non-league victory on Wednesday afternoon. Jayden Martins had a big day for the Scarlet Hawks as he found the back of the net six times while Jacob Ligor added two assists and freshman Harry Baldic chipped in with a goal.

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 15 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 14 – Final (OT)

Canton, 5 vs. Natick, 15 – Final – Devan Spinale hit a career milestone but the Bulldogs couldn’t keep pace with visiting Natick in a non-league clash. Spinale had two goals and assist, eclipsing the 100-point mark for her career. Emily McCabe added three goals and Ashley Balunas made eight saves in net for Canton.

Milford, 6 @ Norwood, 13 – Final

Sharon @ Ursuline Academy, 4:00

Taunton, 15 @ Stoughton, 10 – Final – Five different Tigers found the back of the net as Taunton went on the road and landed a win over Stoughton. Maddi Szala led the charge with a team-high six goals as well as two assists and Taryn Campbell notched four goals in the win. Cali Melo had a hat trick along with two helpers, Raquel Azevedo had one goal and one assist, and Caroline Vallarelli (goal) and Isabella Leite (assist) each had one point. Mel Jesus made 14 saves for the Tigers. Morgan Groppi (10 draw controls) and Amanda Reid each had three goals to lead Stoughton, Nicole Reid (two goals) and Casey Groppi (two assists) each had two points, and both Hazel McBurney and Sarah Riker scored once for the Black Knights. Jordan Coleman made five saves in net for the hosts.




Boys Tennis
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Attleboro’s Kyle Neuendorf bounced back after dropping the first set to emerge victorious at first singles, highlighting the Bombardiers’ 4-1 win over Milford. Neuendorf rallied for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win while Tyler Rocchio emerged from a tight first set at second singles to land a 7-5, 7-1 win. Attleboro’s first doubles pairing of Luke Hinton and Brady Rosen notched a 6-4, 6-1 win, and Noam Cook and Clay Tyler rolled at second doubles to a 6-0, 6-0 verdict. Milford’s Corey Rattray took a 6-4, 6-4 decision at third singles.

Canton, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon dropped just two games total from its two doubles matches and added two more straight set victories in singles action to take down visiting Canton. Sava Kassev and Rithvik Neti only lost one game in the second set (6-0, 6-1) at first doubles while Joel Zwicker and Savir Basil dropped just one game in the first set (6-1, 6-0) to sweep doubles action. Junior Matthew Lally added a 6-2, 6-2 win at second singles and Alex Budovalcev earned a 6-2, 6-0 win at third singles. Canton junior Max Kupferman was once again on his game, taking a 6-0, 6-4 win at first singles.

Mansfield, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – A clean sweep in singles action highlighted Mansfield’s road win at Foxboro. Neema Khosravani (6-3, 6-2 at first singles), Nikhil Nain (7-5, 6-4), and Iniyan Karruppusami (6-2, 6-2) all won in straight sets in singles action for the Hornets while Mansfield’s first doubles tandem of Josh Weiner and Jacob Weiner landed a 6-2, 7-5 win. Foxboro’s second doubles pairing of Greg Simone and Nathan Cote prevailed in see-saw battle by wining both sets via tiebreaker (7-6 (4), 7-6 (0)).

Franklin, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Franklin won first doubles in three sets, clinched a win at second doubles with a second set tiebreaker, and added one win from singles action to edge out host King Philip. Franklin senior Eric Tomaino and junior Ahan Shetty prevailed in the third set after splitting the first two for a win at first doubles (6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-2) while Aaron Ramaswamy and Andrew Amante closed out a competitive second doubles match in straight sets with a 6-3, 7-6 (8) win. Franklin senior Tyler Fitzpatrick added a key singles win, landing a 6-3, 6-1 win at second singles. KP’s Jacksom Hom won 6-4, 6-1 at first singles and Arjun Kollu added a 6-0, 6-2 win at third single.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Brody Carter emerged with a hard-fought win at first singles and North Attleboro swept doubles action to take a 3-2 decision over a much-improved Taunton squad. Carter prevailed 7-5, 6-2 at first singles, the team of Brody Gaulin and Carson Dameron only lost one game in a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles, and the team of juniors Arnav Raghuvanshi and Aaryan Anjna overcame a one-set deficit at second doubles to clinch the win (3-6, 6-3, 6-2). Taunton’s Martin Frankimet earned a 6-4, 6-1 win at second singles and Heitor Sens landed a 6-4, 6-4 third singles victory.

Stoughton, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Attleboro won in straight sets at first and third singles as well as both doubles matches to return home from Milford with a 4-1 victory. Maddie Fuscaldo notched a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles and Aarna Sodhani dropped just two games in a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles for the Bombardiers. Attleboro’s first doubles team of Zoe Stanley and Kyra Johnson impressed in a 6-1, 6-0 result while the all-sophomore tandem of Julia Leonardo and Katie Lortos added a 6-1, 7-5 win at second doubles for the visitors. Milford senior Kaylee Whitney recorded a 6-1, 7-5 win at second singles.

Sharon, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Sophomore Camila Cutter had an impressive win at first singles for the Bulldogs but Sharon’s depth was on full display as the Eagles returned from Canton with a 4-1 decision. Cutter came out of a back-and-forth first singles battle with a 6-4, 6-4 win. Sharon junior Navya Shukla (6-1, 6-4) and senior Ale Aguilar (6-1, 6-0) took wins at second and third singles, respectively, for the Eagles. The team of seniors Sophia Oh and Abby Vilk won a tiebreaker in the first set before completing the win in the second (7-6 (0), 6-1), and senior Ellie Zhao and junior Akshata Adkoli added a 7-5, 6-1 win at second doubles for Sharon.

Foxboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Mansfield won two of three singles matches and both doubles matches to avenge an earlier loss to the Warriors and secure its first victory of the season. Claire Copp won 7-5, 6-1 at second singles and Caroline Guravauge took third singles 6-2, 6-0. The second doubles team of Rachel Goldman and Anushka Srivastava swept second doubles without dropping a game. The first doubles match went three sets. Savannah Corey and Jillian Hanley took the first set 6-3, but Foxboro’s Katelynn Dineen and Emily Stow rallied to win the second 6-1. The Hornets got the point with a 10-4 tiebreaker win in the third. Foxboro’s Hailey Kornbluth continued her dominant season at first singles, winning 6-0, 6-0.

King Philip, 2 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin swept both doubles matches and one key win in singles action to secure a close 3-2 win over visiting King Philip. Sophomores Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen continued their impressive campaign at first doubles for the Panthers, notching a 6-0, 6-3 win, and Franklin’s second doubles team of senior Allison Bagley and junior Ava Davies prevailed in a tight match 6-4, 6-4. Junior Brooke Taylor was impressive in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at third singles for the hosts. KP’s Ahunna James dropped just one game in a convincing 6-0, 6-1 first singles win and junior Shea Mellman added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames overcame one-set deficits at both second and third singles to finish off the sweep of Stoughton. Hannah Farber continued to roll at first singles for the Tigers, who were playing their third match in as many days. Farber notched a 6-0, 6-2 win, Olivia Querzoli bounced back from dropping the first set to win in a super tiebreak (4-6, 7-5, 10-5), and Stella Zachos did the same at third singles after dropping a tiebreaker in the first set (6-7 (3), 7-5, 10-8). OA’s first doubles team of Ava Barth and Emily Beaulieu dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 victory while Marina Mierzwinski and Ella Mierzwinski teamed up to take a 6-0, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 1 @ Norwood, 3 – Final
Milford, 0 @ St. John’s Prep, 3 – Final

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/09/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Softball
Canton, 8 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Taunton, 9 – Final

King Philip, 2 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip’s offense was kept in check but freshman McCoy Walsh tossed her first career no-hitter to held the Warriors edge out Attleboro. The Warriors pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the first inning and that was all Walsh needed, recording 12 strikeouts and five walks in a complete game shutout. Senior Sarah Cullen drew a leadoff walk, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball, and scampered home on a wild pitch to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. Freshman Ali Gill singled, stole both second and third, and came in to score on an RBI ground out by Charlotte Raymond to extend the lead to 2-0. Walsh worked around a one-out walk in the first, induced an inning ending double play in the second, retired the side in order in the third, stranded a runner at second after a walk in the fourth, escaped a two-walk fifth without any damage, and retired the side in order in the sixth. The Bombardiers threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting two base runners on a pair of errors but got a grounder to short for the final out. Lily Routhier pitched well for Attleboro, scattering five hits and one walk, allowing two runs with four strikeouts in a complete game.

Girls Lacrosse
Oliver Ames, 21 @ Milddleboro, 11 – Final

Boys Tennis
Milford, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin took a pair of wins from both singles and doubles, all in straight sets, to secure a 4-1 win over visiting Milford. Junior Jay Gorgas took a 6-3, 6-2 win at first singles and senior Tyler Fitzpatrick added a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles for the Panthers. The team of Eric Tomaino and Ahan Shetty added a 6-2, 6-1 win at first doubles for Franklin, and the Panthers’ second doubles team of Andrew Amante and Pritam Sompally finished victorious at 6-0, 6-4. Milford sophomore Corey Rattray dropped only one game in a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles.

Girls Tennis
King Philip, 5 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 – Final

Taunton, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this match – Taunton swept both doubles matches and added two more victories from singles action to return home from Easton with a 4-1 win over Oliver Ames. The junior tandem of Janelle Garcia and Courtney Martin emerged from a hard-fought battle at first doubles with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win while Taunton’s second doubles team of juniors Caroline Pietnik and Sam Parett earned a 6-0, 6-3 win. Junior Ava Alves added a 6-2, 7-5 win at second singles and junior Morgan Smith earned a 6-3, 6-2 verdict at third singles. OA sophomore Hannah Farber battled to a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles.

Franklin, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Franklin swept singles action and added a straight-set victory at second doubles to pick up a win over Milford on the road. Izzy Trull (6-0, 6-3), Chloe Essam (3-6, 6-2, 6-1), and Brooke Taylor (6-2, 6-1) were all victorious in singles action for the Panthers, and the second doubles team of Shriya Rajesh and Tanvi Shah earned a 6-2, 6-1 win for Franklin. Milford’s first doubles tandem of Ava Merrill and Lily Bogonis emerged from a tight battle with a 7-5, 7-5 win.

Mansfield, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Canton swept the doubles matches and won two of the three singles to earn it second straight victory. Camile Cutter (6-3, 6-2) and freshman Charlotte Powers (6-2, 6-2) won at first and third singles respectively. The doubles teams of Kelli Woodworth and Grace Powers (6-4, 6-2) and Panayiota Michaelidis and Liv McCloskey (6-4, 6-4) followed suit with straight set wins. At second singles, Mansfield’s Claire Copp prevailed in three sets against Olivia Durham to pick up the lone point for the Hornets. After Copp won the first set 7-5, Durham came back to win the second by the same score. Copp would win the third-set tiebreaker 10-6 to get the point.

Boys Outdoor Track
Taunton, 51 @ Attleboro, 85 – Final

Oliver Ames, 94 @ Canton, 42 – Final – For Canton, Mo Arugollu was a double-winner in the long jump and the triple jump and added a second place finish in the 400M. Ruairi Ritson added a win in the discus (104′), freshman JJ Faulk nabbed second in both the 100M (11.2) and the long jump (18’4″), and Canton’s 4×400 relay team (Ritson, Arugollu, Dan Krasylnykov, and Dan Glemaud) ran a season-best time of 3:46 to win.

Foxboro @ Sharon, 5:30

North Attleboro @ Franklin, 3:45

Milford @ King Philip, 3:45

Stoughton, 49 @ Mansfield, 87 – Final – Mansfield’s Nate Kablik and Myles Brown went first and second in a pair of events and the Hornets swept four other events to take down visiting Stoughton. Kablik won both the 100M (10.9) and the 200M (23.2) with Brown finishing second in both for key points. Evan Rawlings anchored a sweep in the 400M followed by teammates Jack Reed and Tino Marrese, John Sylvain won the 1 Mile in 4:56.8 with Sam Taylor and Sean Higgins rounding out the top three, Talon Johnson crossed first in the 800M (2:02) and Marco Geminiani and Troy Penney took second and third, respectively, and Colby Quersher’s time of 11:01 was good for first in the 2 Mile; Shaddy Makram and Ben Cain completed the sweep for the Hornets. Ayden Agbasi added a win in the discus (107’8.5″) and the Hornets took first in both the 4×100 (Jack Reed, Matt Breitenstein, Sirius Li, Nolan Clarke – 44.9) and the 4×400 relay (Kyle Dickinson, Tommy Giudicianni, Geminiani, Johnson – 3:38.5).

Girls Outdoor Track
Taunton, 70 @ Attleboro, 66 – Final

Oliver Ames, 70 @ Canton, 66 – Final – Canton’s 4×400 relay team (Alyssa Wong, Brianna Rosebrugh, Chloe Duibosson, Lianna Camille) clocked a season-best time of 4:21.9 to take first, Katie Oliver was a triple winner by taking the top spot in the long jump (17’1″), the triple jump (34’9″), the 100M hurdles (17.0), Emma Massih was a double-winner in the shot put (32’3″) and the discus (89’11”), and Luran Slotnick set a new PR with a javelin toss of 91’9″.

Foxboro @ Sharon, 5:30

North Attleboro @ Franklin, 3:45

Milford @ King Philip, 3:45

Stoughton, 46 @ Mansfield, 90 – Final – Anna Moore and Abby Scott each won a pair of races and the Hornets swept both the triple jump and the long jump on their way to a victory over Stoughton. Moore took first in both the 1 Mile and the 2 Mile races, and Scott added a pair of close wins in the 100M and the 200M; freshman Gwen Pare grabbed third in the 1 Mile, and senior Carmella Simonelli was second in the 2 Mile for the Hornets. In the triple jump, Frankie Spagna set a new PR with a winning leap of 37’3.5″ and Elsie Roberts also set a new PR (33’0″) for second place. Chloe Guthrie (16’0) anchored a sweep in the long jump, Katie Garrahy (90’10”) and Lily Roche (PR, 75’11) went 1-2 in the discus, Norah Puleo (2:31) and Taylor Palinski took first and third, respectively, in the 800M, Sydney DiVasta ran a divisional qualifying time and set a new PR for second in the 400M, and Celia Botelho took third with a new PR in the javelin (85’0″). Mansfield’s 4×100 relay team (Liv Barry, Meg Driscoll, Danni Cuzzi, Gurthie) clocked in at 50.8 for the win.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/05/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
King Philip, 5 vs. Braintree, 7 – Final – King Philip scored four straight runs between the third, fourth, and fifth innings to take the lead but Braintree came back with three runs in the last two innings to get the win. Max Robison (RBI), Brendan Sencaj (RBI, run), Drew Herlin (RBI), Tommy Martorano (RBI, run), and Cam Hasenfus each had two hits for the Warriors.

Mansfield, 1 @ Walpole, 2 – Final – Mansfield took the lead in the top of the fifth but Walpole answered with a run of its own in the bottom half, and walked off with the win with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh. Matt DeShiro went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Hornets, Connor Curtis added two hits including a triple and scored a run, and Sam Martin and Jake Maydak each had a hit. Brian Butler pitched well in the start for the Hornets, allowing one unearned run on three hits and one walk in 4.1 innings; Curtis allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk, striking out three in 2.1 innings.

Milford, 8 vs. Hopedale, 3 – Final

North Attleboro, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Dillon Harding dazzled on the mound to lead the Rocketeers to a shutout win over Foxboro. Harding was dominant in a complete game shutout, allowing just one hit (a leadoff single that was erased on a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat) and only one walk (with two outs in the fifth), striking out five for the win. North got on the board with a run in the first (Nate Kelly RBI single), added two more in the second (a two-run double from Jordan Paradis), and two more in the fifth (Derek Maceda RBI, Harding stealing home) to make it 5-0.

Softball
Foxboro, 3 @ King Philip, 8 – Final – King Philip senior Libby Walsh smacked a pair of home runs to help the Warriors rally past an upset minded Foxboro squad. KP took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first off a two-run double from Charlotte Raymond but Foxboro plated a pair in the top of the third to pull even. After back-to-back singles from Emma Callahan and Natalia Leach, freshman Meghan Kelley beat out the throw for an infield single and both runs scored to make it 2-2. In the top of the fourth, Foxboro freshman Mia Flanagan drilled a leadfoff home run to hand the Warriors a 3-2 lead. The lead lasted until the bottom of the fifth when KP’s offense roared to life. Sarah Cullen was hit by a pitch and Ali Gill reached on an error, setting the stage for Walsh’s three-run bomb to left to make it 5-3. Maddie Paschke added an RBI single in the same inning, and in the bottom of the sixth Walsh connected for another home run to make it 8-3. McCoy Walsh earned the win in relief, tossing four scoreless innings without giving up a hit, walking one with six strikeouts.

Oliver Ames, 1 vs. Walpole, 13 – Final (6 inn.)

Boys Lacrosse
Milford vs. Hudson, 5:00

North Attleboro, 6 @ Sharon, 10 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.

Taunton, 13 vs. New Bedford, 2 – Final – Taunton senior Tommy Selfridge recorded five points and nine different Tigers found the back of the net in a rout of visiting New Bedford. Selfridge had three goals and two assists to lead the charge and seniors Connor McGrath and Thomas Murphy each added two goals apiece. Ethan Fitzsimmons, Colton Scheralis, and Jacob Leonard helped stymie the New Bedford offense, and Oren Cullins made five saves in the win.

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 10 vs. Hingham, 6 – Final – Paige Curran had a big night offensively and Cate Noone hit a milestone in Foxboro’s non-league win over visiting Hingham. Curran had five goals and one assist and Noone added one goal and one assist, hitting the 100-point milestone in the process. Val Beigel added a hat trick and two helpers, Mya Waryas had one goal and one assist, and Mary Collins notched one helper. Audrey Campbell made 10 saves in the win.

Milford, 16 @ Hudson, 9 – Final – Milford earned its second win in as many days, knocking off non-league foe Hudson on the road. Carly Haley returned to the lineup and gave the Scarlet Hawks a big boost with four goals and one assist, hitting the 100-point milestone in the process. Junior Erin Michelson also had a big day with six points, netting two goals and four assists and Emily Croteau scored a hat trick with two assists. Yazmin Martinez and TJ Downing added two goals and one assist apiece, Jordan Douglas also had three points with one goal and two assists, Alexa Landry notched two points (one goal and one assist) and Kiara Ortiz netted her first career goal in the win. Caitlyn Bangert made seven saves in the win.

Sharon @ North Attleboro, 5:30

Stoughton, 2 @ Waltham, 16 – Final

Taunton @ New Bedford, 4:00

Boys Tennis
Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Milton, 2 – Final

Canton @ King Philip, 3:45

Foxboro, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro senior Brody Gaulin emerged from a well-played first singles match with a three-set victory, clinching the win for the Rocketeers over the visiting Warriors. After splitting the first two sets, Gaulin won the third set in a tiebreaker (6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2)). Sophomore Darren Liang notched a 6-3, 6-3 win at second singles, and the team of Brody Gaulin and Carson Dameron prevailed 7-6 (4), 6-1 at first doubles. Foxboro sophomore Luca Meyer only lost one game in another impressive result (6-1, 6-0) at third singles, and the team of Nathan Cote and Greg Simone won 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.

Sharon @ Stoughton, 3:45

Girls Tennis
King Philip, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final
North Attleboro, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 4:45
Taunton, 3 @ Quincy, 0 – Final

Venturelli Goes Deep Twice to Power Taunton Past KP

Taunton Softball
Taunton senior Ava Venturelli heads home after her first inning homer that turned out to be the game-winning hit in a 3-1 victory against KP. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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TAUNTON, Mass. – King Philip and Taunton have split the last eight Kelley-Rex titles, with the Warriors winning five and the Tigers winning four (they shared the crown in 2014). Over that same period, Taunton has won three state titles (in the past four seasons) and the Warriors took home one (in 2016). Coming into Wednesday night’s showdown at Jack Tripp Field, the teams were a combined 19-0 this season and had outscored opponents by a combined 227 runs.

It was no surprise that the first meeting of the season between two of the state’s preeminent programs would come down to the final inning with the result still in doubt.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Trailing by three runs, KP loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and got the tying run to second base, but Taunton pulled out a 3-1 win behind solid defense, a strong outing from pitcher Sam Lincoln, and a pair of long home runs from Ava Ventruelli.

“The kids came energized, ready to play,” said first-year Taunton coach Michelle Raposo. “When they’re up, they play well as a team, they pick each other up. Today was a true, entire team overall win. Defensively, offensively, I think they all did great.”

She added, “It was a big win for us, especially against a great, competitive, never-ending KP team that doesn’t give up very easily.”

KP was down 3-0 heading to the seventh and had only one hit in the game and no runners past first, but the Warriors continued to work long at bats and put the ball in play against the Taunton ace. After Liv Petrillo’s sharp grounder down the first base line was knocked down and gathered by Hayley Krockta for the first out, Ava Kelley ripped a single up the middle to bring the visiting bench to life.

Charlotte Raymond followed by driving a double to right center and Taylor Regan took an inside pitch off the elbow to load the bases. For the first time in the game, and first time in several weeks, Lincoln needed to make big pitches in tight games. Maddie Paschke grounded one to short and Brooke Aldrich’s throw was a little high, but Krockta leaped to pull it in, landing on the bag for the second out.

With two outs and the tying run in scoring position, Lincoln came through with several big pitches to record her ninth strikeout and seal the win.

Raposo said, “We buckled down. We need to be in these game situations. Bases loaded, let’s see what we can do. Let’s make sure that our defense is solid and we can come out of these innings. I love how they pick each other up.”

The Tigers wasted no time taking the lead. Kyleah Plumb drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first. Eighth grader Bella Bourque ripped a double that one-hopped the fence in right. Freshman Ali Gill got to the ball quickly and fired a strike to third base to get Plumb for the first out. Momentum was short-lived however, as Venturelli promptly deposited a pitch well past the fence in center to make it 2-0.

Freshman starter McCoy Walsh could’ve let the game slip away against a deep, talented lineup that had scored 129 runs coming into Wednesday. Instead, she settled down, allowing only two more hits (one an infield single) over the next five innings and striking out 10 total.

“Taunton just has a formidable lineup,” KP coach Kate Fallon-Comeau explained. “They’re one through nine and there are probably three on the bench who can come in anytime and hit. I think she settled in nicely as the game went on. She gained momentum as the game went on, she gained confidence.”

Unfortunately for Walsh, the only other Taunton hit was another homer for Venturelli. Bourque started the third with a sinking liner that Sarah Cullen hauled in with a nice sliding grab. Venturelli stepped up and, on a pitch that seemed well out of the zone, crushed a solo shot high up into the trees beyond the left field fence for a three-run advantage.

Fallon-Comeau said, “I don’t think we handled Venturelli’s first at bat, as far as pitch sequence goes, but I got to hand it to that kid because she can hit. I mean, even if we called a pitch four feet over her head she still hit it out.”

Lincoln was making that lead hold up. She struck out the side in the second. Paschke, who reached base all three times, singled to start the third but courtesy runner Olivia Ali was caught stealing by catcher Kaysie DeMoura (and a nice tag by Aldrich). Lincoln ended the inning with a strikeout and a foul pop to DeMoura right in front of the Taunton dugout.

KP wasn’t able to put together any type of rally. Petrillo got hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth but a groundout ended the inning. After Paschke reached on an error with two outs in the fifth, Lincoln got the strikeout to end the threat. Taunton’s defense was also making every play. Bourque charged a bunt and Mia Fernandes made back-to-back plays to set KP down in order in the sixth.

Walsh was only getting stronger as the game went on. She struck out Venturelli to start the sixth on a close call on the outside edge. After DeMoura drew a walk, reached second on a passed ball, and stole third, Walsh struck out a pair to get out of the jam and keep it a three-run game.

Although the Warriors couldn’t complete the comeback in the seventh, Fallon-Comeau was proud of her team’s resiliency.

“I just love it,” she explained. “I wish every game was tight, 3-1, 3-2, 4-3, tight game where you’re going up against a solid pitcher, one through nine in the lineup, it’s softball. It’s just nice to have these games. The kids need this competition.”

Raposo was similarly impressed by the level of play that the KP rivalry brought out of her team. She said, “Any time we play KP it’s a great game and, at the end of the day, when the score is on our side it’s a great win. This is one of our biggest competitions of the year, but the kids are just taking it one game at a time. We’re focusing on the little things we need to work on.”

Taunton (10-0) will travel to another D1 title contender, Bishop Feehan, on Saturday morning. King Philip (10-1) will host Foxboro on Friday afternoon.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

King Philip Cashes In With Small Ball Against North Attleboro

King Philip softball Libby Walsh Charlotte Raymond
King Philip senior Libby Walsh (left) celebrates with classmate Charlotte Raymond after scoring in the eighth inning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. — The King Philip softball team entered Thursday’s showdown with division rival North Attleboro as one of the best offensive teams in the state, but Rocketeer senior pitcher Kelly Colleran stifled the Warriors for seven innings.

Good defense and a strong outing from King Philip freshman pitcher McCoy Walsh (13 strikeouts) kept the hosts off the board too, and after seven innings the teams were deadlocked in a scoreless game that had just one hit — an infield single from North’s Maryellen Charette.

That’s when KP head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau elected to switch up their offensive strategy. The Warriors bunted in five straight at-bats and capitalized on some head’s up base running to score three times to take the first lead of the game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We hit so many foul balls just straight back so we were just missing, and our bats have been really hot so we wanted to give them a chance at swinging,” Fallon-Comeau said. “We got into that eighth inning and I knew we needed to try something different. Sarah [Cullen] put down that beautiful bunt and beat it out, and we were off from there. We have speed and the personnel to do it, and we were able to take advantage of a couple of pitches to advance and from there it was bunt and steal because it was working.”

After few theatrics throughout the first seven innings, the eighth inning provided even more drama in the bottom half. Colleran led off with a triple and sophomore Arianna McDavitt and freshman Molly Willey drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with no outs. Walsh came through with consecutive strikeouts — one looking, one swinging — and then got a fly ball to Cullen in center to leave them loaded and close out the win.

“We always seem to make things interesting at the end,” Fallon-Comeau said. “We had two conferences, one with me and one with Maddie [Paschke], just to try and refocus her. We just needed her to pitch the game she had been pitching all game long. She’s just a freshman so this was her first big game being in a moment like that. She did a great job today and closing it out.”

North had two hits in the game and also had eight walks but couldn’t get a run across against the Warriors.

“The hard part in the eighth, we had the bases loaded but because we were chasing three runs, there’s only so much you can do,” said North Attleboro head coach Bill Wallace. “I give McCoy a lot of credit, she battled in that eighth inning. I’m thrilled with where we are as a team to be honest. Our younger kids are coming along, and everyone is pulling for one another, and this was a good game to showcase it. I think they are a little ticked off, which is a good thing, but they aren’t down.”

Senior Sarah Cullen dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line and raced down the line for KP’s first hit of the game; before North could get back in position, Cullen sprinted to second to get into scoring position. Freshman Ali Gill also bunted on the first pitch and a throwing error allowed Cullen to scamper home and Gill to take second.

A wild pitch allowed Gill to advance to third and KP’s bunt trend continued as senior Libby Walsh laid one down the first base line and Gill slid into home before the throw. Walsh stole second, took third on a passed ball, and came flying home when sophomore Liv Petrillo pushed a bunt past the charging infield to make it 3-0. A stolen base and a sac bunt from Charlotte Raymond put Petrillo at third but Colleran (15 strikeouts) got a pop-up to second to strand the runner there.

Before the extra inning excitement, the potential play of the game came in the sixth inning. Colleran led off with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt from McDavitt. A walk to Willey preceded the first hit of the game off the bat of Charette, a dribbler to third, and North had the bases loaded with one out. Walsh got a grounder to second that Petrillo fielded cleanly and fired home, getting the force out. Junior catcher Maddie Paschke didn’t hesitate and quickly gunned one to first to get the double play.

“We practice defense as much as we practice hitting, and as much situational stuff that we can,” Fallon-Comeau said. “We’re trying to figure out what we want to do before we actually get into them. We wanted to get that run at the plate and with Maddie’s arm, we knew she was going to make that play at first. I was not surprised she was ready for that moment.”

Both Colleran and Walsh handled business throughout the early innings. Colleran got four strikeouts in the first inning (the third batter reached after a dropped third strike), and had 1-2-3 innings in the second and fourth, striking out a pair in each. Walsh worked around a leadoff error in the first and then struck out the side in the second.

KP’s Taylor Regan was hit by a pitch to lead off the third and moved to second on a sacrifice from Ava Lanza, but Colleran got two straight outs to strand the runner there. A two-out walk got a runner on for North in the bottom half but Paschke threw the runner out trying to steal second to end the inning.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Warriors threatened in the sixth when Cullen and Gill had consecutive one-out walks but a nice play at third from Willey got the force for the second and then an infield pop-up ended the inning.

“Molly at third base had a great game, and there was nothing she could do on that last bunt,” Wallace said. “That’s where the KP poise comes in, they can push a bunt down the first down line, they push a bunt past the charging infield. I give KP credit and I’m really happy with how our team battled.”

King Philip (7-0 Hockomock, 10-0 overall) returns home on Tuesday to host Canton. North Attleboro (5-2, 6-3) will host Foxboro on the same day.