Tag: Tommy McLeish

King Philip Falls Short In Final Against Top Seed Milton

King Philip Baseball
King Philip senior Tommy Martorano reacts after driving in the opening run of the D2 state final against Milton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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WORCESTER, Mass. – It was like déjà vu. For the second season in a row, King Philip was able to push through the gauntlet of the Div. 2 tournament, winning its last three games by two runs or fewer, and reached the state title game. But, standing in the way of a trophy was top seed Milton.

A new season and a new venue, but the result was the same.

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The defending state champion Wildcats scored three times in the third inning and tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth to pull out a 6-2 victory at Polar Park.

“I thought we were pretty locked in,” KP coach Jeff Plympton, Jr. explained. “We were excited to be back and to play in a venue like this is awesome. The guys were super pumped.

“It didn’t go our way. We’re playing one of the better teams in our division….it happens. I’m super proud of these guys.”

Although KP was disappointed to be leaving with runners up medals for the second year in a row, to be able to reach the final stage in back-to-back seasons is an impressive accomplishment in its own right.

“Absolutely, it’s not an easy thing,” Plympton, Jr. said. “I think that the schedule that we play, playing in the Hockomock League, helps us get back. Moving up to Div. 1 next year isn’t an easy thing, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

KP got off to a great start. Max Robison led off the game by ripping a single up the middle against Milton ace Owen McHugh, who responded by striking out the next two batters. With two down, Drew Herlin lined a single to center. Tommy Martorano followed by knocking a base hit into left and bringing in the game’s opening run.

Milton tried to answer right back in the bottom half of the inning. McHugh drew a leadoff walk against KP starter Rudy Gately and stole second. Brendan Sencaj made a nice play to cut off a bouncer between third and short. After a fly ball to center that moved McHugh to third, Gately closed out the first with a strikeout.

Gately started the second with a single to right and, after another McHugh strikeout, Cam Hasenfus reached on an error. McHugh didn’t allow the Warriors to build additional momentum by striking out a pair and ending the threat.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Ryan Kelly beat out an infield single that went off the glove of Robison’s dive at first. Tommy McLeish ended any rally by making a nice diving grab on a sinking liner at short.

Matthew Kelley had a single in the third, but KP weren’t able to get anything going against McHugh. In the bottom half, Milton grabbed control of the final.

Harrison Hinckle, MIlton’s No. 9 hitter, started things by ripping a double into left center. McHugh followed with a single and then stole second. Jimmy Fallon walked to load the bases and Scott Longo drew a free pass to tie the game. A grounder to McLeish got the runner at second, but a throwing error would allow two runners to come home.

Gately got a grounder and a strikeout to limit the damage, but Milton led 3-1. He then reached on an error in the fourth, but was caught in a rundown trying to take third on a grounder to short. Milton went around the horn on a double play to end the inning.

Things looked comfortable in the bottom of the fourth after two quick outs, but the Wildcats rallied. Hinckle again got things going with a single and then stole second. McHugh turned on an 0-2 pitch and pushed the lead to 4-1.

Robison got a leadoff walk in the fifth, but McHugh ripped off three straight strikeouts. Martorano took over on the hill for the Warriors. A one-out error put a runner in scoring position, but he bounced back with a couple of strikeouts.

KP kept battling and had an opportunity to get into the game in the sixth. With one out, Aidan Astorino drew a walk. Gately reached for the third time, dropping a single into shallow left. McLeish went the other way, knocking a hit between first and second to score Astorino. A wild pitch allowed McLeish to put the tying run at second.

McHugh struck out his 11th batter of the night to put the Wildcats on the edge of escaping the jam. With Robison coming up, Milton turned to lefty Tommy Mitchell out of the pen. A 2-2 pitch got away from catcher Jack Finnegan and Gately tried to take advantage. Although Gately got a good jump, Finnegan pounced quickly and made a perfect toss to Mitchell to get the out at the plate.

Plympton, Jr. said, “It’s tough to get runs and we were at the heart of our lineup and I trust Rudy to make decisions. I support him on that. I thought he got a decent jump and they made a great play. We’re looking to get runs and I can’t fault him for being aggressive.”

The Warriors were only down two, but momentum was fully with Milton. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Jack Sullivan singled to right and stole second. After Hinckle drew a walk to reach base for the third time, a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Milton continued to make those situations count. Following a strikeout, Fallon lined a single to left to score one.

Fallon appeared to slip while taking his lead with the intention of drawing a throw over. Once Martorano went to first, Hinckle broke for the plate. The throw home got away allowing the second run to score, but Leo Dowling was able to recover and throw out Fallon, who attempted to go first to third on the play.

Mitchell sealed the win for Milton. He got a groundout and a pair of strikeouts before being surrounded by his teammates on the mound, celebrating a second consecutive state title.

“McHugh is an awesome pitcher and Mitchell coming in is like us bringing in Martorano, so we knew they had velocity and I was happy how we responded in that first inning putting a run up,” Plympton, Jr. said. “We went a little flat there and were threatening there at the end but just couldn’t get the hit that we needed.”

King Philip finished the year at 17-8.

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King Philip Squeezes Out Extra Innings Win Over North

King Philip Baseball
Rudy Gately’s 11th inning squeeze bunt plated the game-winning run and lifted King Philip to a dramatic win over rival North Attleboro. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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WRENTHAM, Mass. – When the game started, there was some concern about smoke and rain, but three hours and 11 innings later, light was starting to become an issue at Lombard Field. Wednesday afternoon’s Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen matchup between league rivals North Attleboro and King Philip turned into a marathon.

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In the bottom of the 11th, KP was at the plate with its fifth chance to walk off with the win. For the third time in those five innings, KP had the bases loaded and the winning run just 90 feet away. KP coach Jeff Plympton, Jr. decided it was the perfect opportunity to try something different.

With one out, Rudy Gately surprised the North defense by squaring around and pushing a bunt towards the second baseman. The safety squeeze made it just past the mound, North had no play at the plate, and the Warriors celebrated a 4-3 victory and a return to the D2 quarterfinal.

Plympton, Jr. said, “I thought we had a few too many mental errors to win that game and, you know, our pitching kept us in it and gave us that opportunity to finish it off. Rudy is an excellent bunter and I knew that he’d get it down and that he’d get it down far enough that he’d get in.”

Asked what he was looking for in that at-bat, Gately replied, “Just bunting there, a little safety squeeze, just get it in play so we can score. That’s all I needed to do. Struggling at the plate, I think half my hits are bunts right now, so stick with it.”

North Attleboro (8-14) came into the playoffs as the No. 19 seed and went on the road to upset No. 14 Duxbury in the first round. Head coach Mike Hart was proud of the way his team battled one of the favorites for the state title and a team had already beaten the Rocketeers twice this season.

“The last two weeks of practice have been phenomenal,” Hart explained. “KP’s a great team, we knew they were going to fight, and we were ready for it. This caliber of kids is fantastic. Seeing it all come together over the last two games, over the last two weeks of practice, it’s been a fun time.”

Way back in the top of the first, it was North that jumped in front. With two outs, Derek Maceda drew a walk. He stole second and then stole third as well, with the throw getting away into left field to allow him to come home and make it 1-0.

The lead was short-lived. In the bottom half, Matthew Kelley beat out a two-out, infield single to short. Drew Herlin singled to center and the ball was misplayed, allowing Kelley to come all the way around from first and tie things up. Jordan Paradis would make a nice grab on a long fly by Aiden Astorino to end the inning.

In the third, Paradis led off with a single and, with one out, Maceda lined a single to center. He would steal second to put two in scoring position. Cam Hasenfus threw a nasty fastball on the corner to strike out fellow sophomore Gio Martello and then got a high chopper to Brendan Sencaj at third to escape the jam.

KP grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Sencaj drew a one-out walk and Kelley crushed a ball that one-hopped the right field fence for a run-scoring triple. Herlin came through with his second hit of the day to bring in Kelley. Dillon Harding gave up a double to Tommy Martorano but Martello made an excellent play on a ball that tipped off Harding’s glove and then the pitcher got a comebacker to end the threat.

It stayed 3-1 until the fifth inning. Paradis led off with a walk and stole second. Hasenfus got a strikeout for the first out, but Maceda smashed a ball over the fence in right for a game-tying homer that sent the North bench (and Hart in the third-base coach’s box) leaping towards the plate in jubilation.

After Martello singled and stole second, sophomore Nate Pennini came in for KP and got a grounder to second and a strikeout to keep the game tied.

The home team’s first chance to win it came in the seventh. Sencaj singled and Kelley followed with a grounder, but North couldn’t get the force at second. After a grounder moved the runners up, Martorano was intentionally walked to load the bases. Martello had another nice play, cutting down the potential winning run at the plate and a bouncer to short ended the inning.

KP had another golden opportunity to win it in the eighth. With two outs, Max Robison hustled to beat out an infield hit. Sencaj lined a double just inside the line in right, putting two in scoring position. Again North intentionally loaded the bases, this time giving Kelley the free pass, and Maceda came in to relieve Harding (7-2/3 innings, two earned runs).

Maceda got Herlin to fly out to left and the game continued on.

“Dillon and Derek have been our horses on the mound,” said Hart. “It was getting close, Dillon’s pitch count was getting up, but there was nobody we were going to put there in that spot. He puts the team on his back, he’s so mentally tough, the situation is never too big for him.”

Both teams had base runners in the ninth, but Leo Dowling threw out Chris Hanewich trying to steal second and Maceda got a strikeout after Gately’s infield single.

North’s best chance to go in front came in the 10th. Pennini walked Harding and Maceda to start the inning, but Sencaj handled a tough grounder and got the lead runner at third for the first out. Pennini (5-2/3 innings, no runs, seven strikeouts) then bore down, striking out the next two hitters to get out of the inning without any damage.

Maceda allowed a leadoff walk in the bottom half, but Nate Kelly threw out Tommy McLeish stealing second. It was the second runner Kelly threw out in extra innings. Martorano came in to pitch the top of the 11th and set North down in order, with a little help from Dowling who made a couple of excellent plays on popped up bunts around the plate.

“Two sophomores, Hasenfus and Pennini, got us the majority of the innings and having Martorano back being able to come in and chuck, he throws hard and got us that last inning that we needed,” said Plympton, Jr.

As the light was starting to dim and there was concern creeping in about how much more baseball could be played on Wednesday, Kelley sparked the Warriors with another infield single. Hanewich made a great running grab on a Herlin ball in the gap, hanging onto it despite a nasty collision with Paradis. Martorano added another infield hit and Astorino was intentionally walked to load the bases.

That brought up Gately with the chance to be a hero. It wasn’t a blast to the gap that would decide the game, but a well-executed bunt, put in just the right spot.

“It’s always hard playing a rivalry team three times in a year,” Gately said. “No matter what the records are, it can always go both ways.” He continued, “It was definitely a long game. We haven’t played a game that long all year. It’s difficult to stay in it, especially all the ups and downs, but we stayed focused in at the end to get the win.”

“We’ve been in tight games, but there’s nothing like this throughout the season,” Plympton, Jr. said. “It’s good to show to the team that we can win these type of games and it’s only going to get harder down the stretch trying to make a good run.”

King Philip (15-7) will host No. 6 Westwood on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 with a spot in the D2 Final Four on the line.

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King Philip Rolls Past Agawam Into Round of 16

King Philip baseball Matt Kelley
King Philip senior Matt Kelley celebrates with teammates after scoring a run in the first inning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 WRENTHAM, Mass. — Having not played an actual game in two weeks, it was fair to wonder if the King Philip baseball team would show any signs of rust in its playoff opener against Agawam.

The third-seeded Warriors quickly erased that notion with some early offense and cruised to a comfortable 12-1 win over the 35th-seeded Brownies in a Division 2 Round of 32 clash at Lombard Field.

KP pushed across three runs in the first inning, created a big lead with five more runs in the second, and reached double digits with a pair in the third.

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Meanwhile, senior ace Rudy Gately worked around some early threats from Agawam, stranding runners at second and third in the first inning with one out, and then again in the second inning after allowing back-to-back hits to lead off. Gately earned the win, striking out six with four hits and one walk allowed in three innings.

“Having two weeks, we really tried to stay fresh at practice,” said King Philip head coach Jeff Plympton. “We brought some past guys in and had our own guys throw live, so I was happy with how the bats responded today. I think that was one of the better hitting performances we’ve had this year. It was good to get all those guys, all those arms in, and get them an inning.”

KP’s big lead allowed Plympton to get Gately out with under 65 pitches thrown. It also set the stage for four KP relievers to get an inning in relief: sophomore Nate Pennini struck out one and had one walk, junior Tommy McLeish was charged with an unearned run and had one strikeout, junior TJ Ahern only needed six pitches to get through a quick sixth inning, and junior Ian Knott struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning. Freshman Leo Dowling caught all seven innings for KP.

“We have depth, and we were throwing them in practice but it’s better to get them in live game situations,” Plympton said. “To be able to get Rudy out of this one, you know if we go on a run here, having him at 60 pitches in the first game is fantastic.”

Junior Max Robison set the table with a leadoff walk and senior Matt Kelley dropped a one-out single into shallow center to put a second runner on. Senior Tommy Martorano sliced an opposite field double that just fell fair for a two-run double to get the Warriors on the board. Sophomore Aiden Astorino followed with a dribbler that got by the pitcher, and Martorano scampered all the way home to make it 3-0.

A leadoff double from McLeish started things for KP in the second inning, and sophomore Cameron Hasenfus (walk) and Robison (singled) both reached to load the bases.

Senior Brendan Sencaj had a bloop single drop into shallow left to bring McLeish in but Hasenfus was tagged out at third after having to wait halfway. Kelley lined an RBI double for another run and sophomore Drew Herlin smashed a monster double to right to score two more. After advancing on a passed ball, Herlin scored on Martorano’s sac fly to center to make it 8-0 after just two innings.

“We have a good lineup, and some games it would flash and some games it wouldn’t but today, it all clicked together and it’s infectious,” Plympton said. “I think that playoff run last year really helps, and the familiarity of being in this situation. They are a confident bunch. We had a really good practice yesterday, probably the best of the season, which is good because of the long break since our last game.”

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Gately worked around a one-out double in the third, getting his sixth strikeout to end the inning. KP kept the momentum going in the bottom half when Hasenfus brought Gately (walk) home with a sac fly, and Robison’s RBI ground out plated McLeish (single) to make it 10-0.

Pennini recorded an RBI with an infield single that scored Martorano in the fourth inning, and Ahern reached on an error that allowed Herlin (walk) to come home to make it 12-1.

King Philip baseball (14-7) will meet a familiar foe in the Round of 16 as the Warriors will host Hockomock rival North Attleboro (8-13) on Wednesday at 3:45. The 19th-seeded Rocketeers upset #14 Duxbury, 2-1, on Monday.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/08/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 5 @ Attleboro, 9 – Final – Attleboro’s offense kicked into gear early in the game, scoring three in the first, two in the second, three in the third, and one more in the fourth, to bounce back with a win over Canton. Matt Harvie had a big day at the dish, with three hits, a run scored, and three RBI. Brody McKenna also drove in three and had a triple, while Peter Delpozzo had two hits (including a triple), scored twice, and drove in one. Cooper Johnson drove in a pair and Joey Castro scored a pair for the Bombardiers. Jonny Pagano picked up the win, throwing five shutout innings with three strikeouts. Canton rallied late, scoring once in the sixth and four times in the seventh, but could only cut the lead to four. Kyle Redquest and Nick Gillis each drove in one and Matt Chafin (two walks and a hit-by-pitch) reached base three times and scored twice.

Foxboro, 2 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Foxboro sophomore Tommy Watts had his best start of the season and the Warriors pushed two runs across in the top of the sixth to earn an upset win on the road over the Tigers. Watts only allowed one hit and four walks, resulting in one unearned run in the fifth inning. He also struck out a pair in five innings of work. Sean O’Leary came in in the bottom of the sixth and allowed just one hit, striking out two in two scoreless innings for the save. Jared Spencer reached and advanced to third on an error to lead off the fifth and scored the first run of the game after Jesse Chaves brought him home on a fielder’s choice. Sophomore Mike Marcucella gunned a runner out at third and Watts got a fly ball to end the inning, and Foxboro cashed in on its momentum in the top half of the sixth. Tyler Prescott led off with a base hit and moved to third on a single from O’Leary. Louis Carangelo followed with an RBI bunt single and Ben Angelini smacked a single to center and the Warriors grabbed a 2-1 lead.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Senior Ryan Gerety led off the bottom of the first inning and the Panthers never looked back in a “Senior Night” victory over the visiting Black Knights. Gerety finished 3-for-3, adding a double, a walk, and two runs while senior Jase Lyons added two hits, two runs, and an RBI in the win. Senior Derek Terlwilling went 2-for-2 with an RBI, senior Luke Sidwell had a hit and a run scored, senior Koen Bonetti added an RBI and a run scored, and senior Evan Cournoyer had a single in the win. Junior Henry Digiorgio went 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a run scored. Junior Matt Miller earned the win, tossing four scoreless innings, scattering three hits and a walk, striking out five. Seniors Zach Ramaswamy, Dillon Cashin, and Eisig Chin combined for three innings in relief and five strikeouts. Hunter Malkin went 2-for-3 for Stoughton while Sean Farley tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out two.

Mansfield, 9 @ King Philip, 7 – Final – Brendan Sencaj’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning put the Warriors ahead with just three outs left but Mansfield rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to stun KP. The teams went back-and-forth all game, tied 3-3 after three, KP up 5-3 after four, and then tied again 6-6 after five after the Hornets plated three runs in the inning; Sencaj led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer to make it 7-6. Mansfield loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh as Wyatt Bolduc singled and Drew Urban and Connor Curtis drew back-to-back walks. Aiden Jones brought Bolduc home with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-7. In just his second game back from injury, Mansfield senior Connor Zukowski recorded his first hit of the season to bring in two runs and hand the Hornets a 9-7 lead. KP got the tying run on base after Tommy McLeish (two hits, two runs, one RBI) led off with a single, and Sencaj (three hits, two RBI, run) had a two-out single, bringing the winning run to the plate but Matt DeShiro (2IP, 1ER, 5H,) induced a ground ball for the final out. Jake Maydak had a team-high three hits for the Hornets while Sam Martin (two RBI, run), DeShiro (home run, three RBI, run), and Bolduc each had a pair of hits. Aiden Astorino went 3-for-4 with two runs for the Warriors, and Matt Kelley (RBI, run) and Tommy Martorano (run) added two hits for KP.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Milford, 11 – Final – Milford scored in every inning except the third, and Anthony LaPierre had another strong outing on the mound to help the Hawks land a crossover win over the visiting Tigers. Keith Lee (RBI) and Joey McGee (RBI, two runs) each had a pair of hits while seven other Hawks recorded one hit: Nick Koch (RBI, two runs), Damien Carter (triple, three runs), Evan Cornelius (RBI, run), Sean McGee (RBI, run), Ian Carter (run), and Brady Butler (run). LaPierre allowed two runs (one earned) while scattering six hits and two walks, striking out seven in six innings to get the win while Tyler Caldon tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Ryan Lemay and Jack Perron each had an RBI for OA.

Sharon, 1 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda shined on the mound and the Rocketeers came through with some late insurance offense to land a 7-1 victory over Sharon. Maceda gave up just a pair of hits (an RBI single in the second, and a one-out single in the third) and five walks for one run, striking out eight in six innings; Gio Martello struck out the side in the top of the seventh for a scoreless inning of relief. Offensively, Dillon Harding went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Jordan Paradis (run), Nate Kelly (two RBI), Ayden Delaney (RBI), Adam Racine (RBI), and Chris Hanewich, each had a hit. Cole Arundale and Soham Kulkarni (RBI) each had a hit for the Eagles; Zach Loomis tossed a scoreless inning in relief for the Eagles.








Softball
Attleboro @ Canton, 6:00

Taunton, 24 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton eighth-grader Bella Bourque went 4-for-5 and connected for her first career home run to lead the Tigers to a big win. Bourque also had a pair of doubles and a pair of triples in a terrific showing, driving in five runs and scoring four times. Sophomore Brooke Aldrich added a double and three RBI in the win. Sophomore Cate Larson picked up the win, striking out eight in five scoreless innings.

Franklin, 10 @ Stoughton, 6 – Final – The Panthers overcame a four-run deficit as its offense roared to life late to earn a key win over Stoughton. The Black Knights pushed five runs across the plate in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1 but Franklin answered with six runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to secure a win on the road. Carly Johnson-Pellegri went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored and Sarah Boozang went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, and three runs to lead the way offensively. Reece Allen chipped in with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI in the win. Freshman Sophia Sacramone came in and just the door for the Panthers, tossing two scoreless innings in relief with no hits or walks allowed and five strikeouts. Jill Powers (run), Anna Hobbs (two hits, two runs), and Alyssa Edwards each had two RBI for the Black Knights while Julia Monaghan had two hits and a run scored.

King Philip, 15 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip pounded out 14 hits and did most of its damage between the third, fourth, and fifth innings in a win on the road at Mansfield. Libby Walsh went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs to lead the way while Charlotte Griffin (RBI, run), Maddie Paschke (RBI, run), and Taylor Regan (RBI) each had two hits. Freshman Ali Gill added a home run in the win. Jordan Bennett earned the win in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks, fanning 11 batters in five innings of work. Molly Kucharski had a triple and scored on an RBI from Jill Koppy, and Liv Madeira came home to score on a squeeze from Molly Crowley.

Milford, 14 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Milford came out of the gate swinging, plating five runs in the first and six more in the second on its way to a win on the road at Oliver Ames. Junior Camille Bonina had a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored; the junior launched a three-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI double in the second. Maeve Driscoll (one run) and Jianna Fernandes (RBI, three runs) each had two hits for the Hawks. Maddie Homer (RBI, run) and Katie Melendy (RBI, run) each had two hits for the Tigers while Caitlin Miller recorded two RBI.

North Attleboro, 13 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (5 Inn.) – Kelly Colleran was perfect through five innings, retiring 12 of the 15 batters she faced by strikeout, as North earned its second consecutive shutout. Colleran also added two hits and two runs scored. Arianna McDavitt, Grace Forman, and Maddie Bailey also had two hits apiece. Forman scored three times and Bailey drove in three. Julia Forman also had a hit and three runs scored, and Emma Hanwell and Maryellen Charette both had hits and RBI. Grace Simmons had a hit and scored a run for North.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ King Philip, 14 – Final – King Philip had four players register five or more points and James Boldy was once again solid in net as the Warriors knocked off visiting Attleboro. Donovan DeVellis’ eight points (six goals, two assists) highlighted KP’s attack while Noah Minkwitz (five goals, one assist) had six points, and both Mason Thompson (two goals, three assists) and Tommy Kilroy (five assists) had five points. Hayden Schmitz scored once, Cullen McCarthy chipped in with one helper, and Boldy finished with 13 saves and one assist in the win.

Canton, 11 @ Sharon, 9 – Final – Canton erased an early deficit to take the lead by halftime and held on throughout the second half to snap a brief two-game skid with a key 11-9 win over Davenport division rival Sharon. The Eagles led 3-2 after the first quarter but the Bulldogs bounced back in the second to stake a 7-5 advantage by the break. Michael Thomas (four goals), Jeff Chaput (four goals), and Brendan Tourgee (three goals) led the way offensively for the visitors and Pat Drury made 10 saves in net in the win.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – Final – Franklin exploded for 13 goals in the second quarter and never looked back in a win over visiting Foxboro. The Panthers held a 2-0 lead after the first quarter but caught fire in the second and staked a 15-1 lead by halftime. Luke Davis scored all five of his goals in the first half and finished with eight points, Tyler Sacchetti (three assists) and Ravin Chaudhury (one assist) each netted a hat trick, and Jayden Consigli finished with one goal and three helpers. Conor Noone, Jon Sacchetti, and Tony Sulham each scored once for Foxboro.

Mansfield, 13 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Mansfield’s defensive group came through with a solid performance to hold OA to just five goals and maintain the Hornets’ lead at the top of the Davenport division. Nolan Bordieri, Thomas Gormley, Ben Hoopis, Liam Barry, and James DeGirolamo all had strong games for the Mansfield D. The attack was balanced for the Hornets with Tommy Smith (two assists) and Drew Sacco (one assist) each scoring hat tricks. Freshman Andrew DeGirolamo had six points (two goals and four assists), while classmate Tommy Vallett and senior Grady Sullivan each scored twice. Cody Gordon added a goal and Nico Smith had three assists and a strong game on face-offs. Ryan DeGirolamo had 14 saves in the win.

Taunton, 3 @ Milford, 15 – Final – Milford dominated the second half to pull away from visiting Taunton for a 15-3 win. The Tigers kept it close in the first half and trailing just 6-3 at the break but it was all Scarlet Hawks in the second half. Jacob Ligor and Eric Farrell led the way for the hosts with five goals apiece.




Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 16 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine goals by halftime and pitched a second half shutout in a win on the road. Emily Campbell made three saves for the shutout while Lauren Obara had a terrific game defensively, grabbing five ground balls. Makenzie McDevitt had seven points to lead the way, Nikki McDonald recorded five points, and Alyssa Legere, Sammy Cloutier, Abby MacDonald, and Kelly Holmes all added three points in the win. Addison Papagolos scored for the Bombardiers on an assist from Makenah Stokes.

Sharon, 5 @ Canton, 17 – Final – Buoyed by nine different goal scorers, Canton rolled to a big win at home over Davenport division foe Sharon. Emily McCabe led the charge offensively for the Bulldogs, finding the back of the net five times along with two assists. Sally Hoban and Nora Giannacopoulos each had a hat trick in the win, Devan Spinale chipped in with a pair of goals and Ashley Balunas made seven saves in net. Sharon freshman goalie Emily Coenen made eight saves, including her 100th of the season.

Franklin, 16 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Ava Adams scored four times and Caitlyn Zajac made nine saves to help the Hornets pull out the division win. Lola Varricchione scored a hat trick, while Ella Palanza and Brooke Butler each scored twice and dished out an assist. Rose Maher and Stella Moore each had a goal and an assist, Tessa Johnson found the back of the net once, and Keira Fitzpatrick dished out one helper for the Hornets.

Milford, 12 @ Taunton, 6 – Final – Locked in a one-goal game at halftime, Milford dominated the second half to record its third straight road win with a 12-6 decision over Taunton. A back-and-forth first half saw the Scarlet Hawks take a tight 5-4 advantage into halftime but the visitors went on to score five consecutive goals to start the second half and never looked back. Sophomore TJ Downing netted a career-high five goals to lead the charge offensively for Milford while Carley Haley added three goals and three assists, Emily Croteau chipped in with a hat trick and two assists, and Erin Michelson finished with three points (one goal, two assists). Alexa Landry, Jordan Douglas, and Yas Martinez each added an assist while Caitlyn Bangert turned away six shots in the second half. Raquel Azevedo paced Taunton with a hat trick, and Caroline Vallarelli, Talia O’Leary, and Maddi Szala (three assists) each had one goal. Mel Jesus had a big game in net with 21 saves.

Stoughton, 11 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – For Stoughton, Morgan Groppi led the charge with nine goals and two draw controls. Amanda Reid (four draw controls) and Casey Groppi (three draw controls) each added a goal for the Black Knights, Nicole Reid had one assist and three draw controls, and Jordan Coleman made three saves in net.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Behind a pair of straight-set victories in doubles action and one in singles play, Attleboro returned home from Canton with a 3-2 decision. Tyler Rocchio only lost one game in an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles for the Bombardiers. The first doubles team of Brady Rosen and Luke Hinton secured a 6-4, 6-4 win while Clay Tyler and Noam Cook earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles for Attleboro. Canton junior Max Kupferman earned yet another impressive win at first singles (6-1, 6-1) while Justin Ngan prevailed in a tough third singles match (7-6 (1), 6-2).

Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro took super tiebreaker wins at second singles and first doubles to complete a 5-0 sweep at home over visiting Taunton. Raj Jetty (6-0, 6-1), Luca Meyer, (4-6, 6-0, 12-10), and Ryan Fossella (6-2, 6-1) earned the singles sweep for the Warriors while the teams of Hajji Glover and Evan Paluzzi (2-6, 6-4, 11-9) and Vizruth Chavalam and Greg Simone (6-2, 6-1) won at first and second doubles, respectively.

Franklin, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final

King Philip, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield took two wins from singles and prevailed in three sets at first doubles to edge visiting King Philip, 3-2. Neema Khosravani only dropped two games in a 6-1, 6-1 victory at first singles while Nikhil Nain rallied from a one-set deficit to take a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles for the Hornets. The team of Jacob Weiner and Josh Weiner emerged victorious in a well-played, tight contest at first doubles (6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-3) to clinch the win. KP picked up wins from Arjun Kollu at third singles (6-1, 6-4) and the team of Leo Manning and Ashrith Epuri (5-7, 6-4, 6-3).

Milford, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final

North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon took all five matches in straight sets, defending home court against the visiting Rocketeers. Junior Matthew Lally shined at second singles, winning in straight sets without dropping a game (6-0, 6-0) while sophomores Jacob Slavsky (7-5, 6-0) and Alex Budovalcev (6-1, 6-3) took wins at first and third singles, respectively. The Eagles also swept doubles action with the first doubles team of Sava Kassev and Hyojae Park taking a 7-5, 6-1 win, and the second doubles pairing of Kevin Li and Joel Zwicker landing a 6-0, 6-1 decision.

Girls Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Canton’s Camila Cutter and Olivia Durham both overcame one-set deficits and emerged victorious in three sets to help the Bulldogs grab a close win on the road at Attleboro. Cutter dropped the first set 1-6 but rallied back to win two in a row to get the first singles victory (1-6, 6-3, 6-0) while Durham dropped the first set in a tiebreaker but bounced back to win two in a row (6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1) at second singles. Canton’s first win came from the first doubles tandem of Kelli Woodworth and Grace Powers (6-2, 6-2). Attleboro’s Aarna Sodhani secured a 6-1, 7-5 win at third singles and the Bombardiers all-sophomore second doubles team of Julia Leonardo and Katie Lortos took a 7-6 (4), 6-1 win decision.

Foxboro, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Foxboro’s Hailey Kornbluth rolled at first singles and the Warriors swept doubles action to take a 3-2 verdict over host Taunton. Kornbluth didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at first singles, the first doubles team of Audrey Paolino and Analise Tia emerged in a three-set thriller (6-4, 4-6, 6-3), and Sydney Lebow and Katelyn Dineen rallied from a one-set deficit for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win at second doubles. Taunton juniors Ava Alves (6-4, 6-1) and Morgan Smith (6-1, 7-5) took wins at second and third singles, respectively.

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin won in straight sets at third singles and first doubles and took two more wins in three sets to secure a win over the visiting Black Knight. Brooke Taylor didn’t lose a game in the first set and went on to win 6-0, 6-4 at third singles, and the sophomore tandem of Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen didn’t drop a single game in a 6-0, 6-0 blanking at first doubles. Junior Chloe Essam overcame a one-set deficit at second singles to earn a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win while seniors Allison Bagley and Kelsey Maguire emerged from the second doubles match with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win. Stoughton junior Ally Lada added another impressive win, taking a 6-4, 7-5 win at first singles.

Mansfield, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – KP won at first and second singles and swept the doubles to earn its third straight victory and remain in the hunt for the league title. Ahunna James (6-1, 6-0) and Shea Mellman (6-0, 6-0) made quick work of the first two singles matches, dropping just one game between them. Carlie Burns and Priya Riar took the win at first doubles 6-4, 7-6, while Lauren Casper and Jaelyn Dang took second doubles 6-4, 6-4. Jillian Hanley grabbed the lone point for the Hornets with a 6-0, 7-6 win at third singles.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Hannah Farber and Stella Zachos each won in singles action and the Tigers swept both doubles matches in a road win at Milford. Farber only dropped two games in a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles and Zachos added a 6-3, 6-0 win at third singles for OA. The team of Ava Barth and Emily Beaulieu prevailed in a competitive first doubles match (6-4, 6-3), and OA’s second doubles pairing of Marina Mierzwinski and Ella Mierzwinski overcame a tiebreaker loss in the first set for a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 10-7 win. Milford’s Kaylee Whitney rallied for a 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 win at second singles.

Sharon, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – In a great battle from all five matches, Sharon edged out North Attleboro on the road with a 3-2 verdict. The Eagles swept doubles with Abby Vilk and Jenny Sand taking a 7-6, 6-0 win at first doubles and the team of Sophia Oh and Olivia Landstein securing a 6-4, 7-5 victory at second doubles. Navya Shukla earned Sharon’s lone singles win, emerging with a 7-5, 6-4 win in a competitive second singles match. North Attleboro junior Lauren Hunt bounced back from dropping the first set to take first singles in a super tiebreaker (6-7 (5), 6-1, 10-8) and Grace Noreck picked up a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at third singles for North.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Bellingham, 6:00

Milford @ Nipmuc, 5:00

Taunton, 1 @ North Quincy, 3 – Final – Taunton kept the match alive with a win in the third set but dropped a close fourth set to fall 3-1 on the road at North Quincy (22-25, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25). Matt Freitas continued to play well at the net (16 kills, two aces) while Bradley Hylander was once again strong defensively for the Tigers with 15 digs. Daniel Freitas notched 19 assists, Ty Ekstrom had 12 assists, Antonios Dimakis chipped in with five kills and five blocks, and Al Morisseau added three kills and six blocks for Taunton.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/19/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ Needham, 7 – Final

Franklin, 9 @ Catholic Memorial, 2 – Final – Franklin senior Tyler Bellan provided an early spark offensively and classmate Alfred Mucciarone had another double-digit strikeout performance on the mound as the Panthers picked up an impressive 9-2 win at Catholic Memorial. Bellan belted a two-out three-run home run in the top of the first inning to give Franklin a lead that it never relinquished. Franklin went on to push across five runs in the fourth inning to pull away from the Knights for good. Eisig Chin (run), Henry Digiorgio (two RBI, two runs), Rex Cinelli, and Ethan DePaolo (run) each had a pair of hits in the win while Ben Jarosz knocked in three runs. Mucciarone allowed one run on four hits and no walks in six innings, striking out 11 batters for the win.

King Philip, 4 @ Walpole, 3 – Final – Freshman Leo Dowling drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs to bring Max Robison home for the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning and junior Tommy McLeish slammed the door shut for the save in the seventh as the Warriors secured a key win on the road. After falling behind by a run, the Warriors struck for three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead. Robison led off the fifth with a single and eventually came home to score on an error, and Aiden Astorino drove in a run with a one-out single to make it 2-1. Rudy Gately reached on an error, McLeish was intentionally walked to load the bases and freshman Johnny Prater drew a bases-loaded walk to give KP a 3-1 advantage. After the Timberwolves scored twice to tie the game, KP jumped back ahead in the top of the sixth. Robison had a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice from Matt Kelley, and after walks to Brendan Sencaj and Astorino, Dowling walked to bring in a run. Nate Pennini earned the win for KP, allowing three runs on six hits and no walks, striking out three in five innings of work. TJ Ahern threw a scoreless sixth inning with one strikeout while McLeish struck out one in the seventh for the save.

Mansfield, 3 vs. St. John’s Prep, 2 – Final (9 inn.) – Mansfield tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and then walked it off in the bottom of the ninth to cap a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over visiting St. John’s Prep. The Hornets took the lead originally in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Aidan Jones but Prep plated a pair in the fourth and kept that lead all the way to the final inning. Junior Dylan Saraceno had a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice from Jones. Connor Curtis roped a double to left to bring the tying run in. Curtis had a one-out single in the ninth, stole second, and came in to score on Matt DeShiro’s double to right to win the game. Jake Maydak had a strong start for Mansfield, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out 10 in seven innings. Brian Butler tossed two scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit while striking out two.

Milford, 9 @ Oxford, 1 – Final – Milford’s offense erupted for nine runs on its way to a big win over Oxford, the program’s second win in as many days. Damien Carter had a pair of hits and scored a team-high three runs while Evan Cornelius had two hits, one RBI, and a run scored. Cam DelPrete cleared the bases with a three-run double for the Hawks in the top of the seventh inning. Anthony LaPierre earned the win on the mound, allowing just one run on four hits and four walks, recording 12 strikeouts in a complete game effort.

Oliver Ames, 6 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 5 – Final – Harrison Fitzpatrick celebrated his birthday by helping Oliver Ames celebrate a win over Dighton-Rehoboth in a non-league clash on Wednesday. Fitzpatrick had a hat and scored a couple of runs for the Tigers while Patrick Finnerty had a deep triple — through the tree in center field at Frothingham — and scored a run while Jack Perron had the go-ahead RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning. Andrew Zagami was terrific in relief for OA, earning the win after tossing 4.2 innings.

Sharon, 2 @ Brookline, 8 – Final – Seth Bonner had a big day offensively but the Eagles fell on the road against Brookline. Bonner had two hits including a double, notching and RBI and scoring a run for the Eagles. Luke Meixel pitched well in relief, allowing one run on four hits and one walk, striking out three in 2.2 innings out of the pen.

Softball
Franklin, 0 @ Abington, 5 – Final

Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro vs. Dartmouth, 12:00

Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro @ Dartmouth, 5:30

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/14/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Milford, 9 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Milford raced out to a four-run lead over the first three innings and then put the game away with a big five-run sixth inning to pick up a win on the road at Canton. Damien Carter (RBI double, two runs) and Mason Baldic (run) each had a pair of hits to lead the Hawks’ offense, which scored twice in the first and then once each in the second (Sean McGee RBI walk) and once more in the third. Canton cut the deficit down to one on an RBI single from Matt Lesser and a two-run single from Kyle Redquest, but the Hawks rallied for five runs in the sixth. Evan Corenlius had an RBI single, Carter scored on a passed ball, and McGee had a two-run single. Carter got the win on the mound, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks, striking out nine in five innings. Ian Carter came in and tossed two scoreless innings with just three walks issued, striking out five.

King Philip, 8 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Coming off a shutout loss earlier in the week, King Philip’s offense had a bounce back performance with an 8-2 win over Foxboro. After two scoreless innings from both teams, King Philip scored in each of the final five innings, and never trailed in the game. Rudy Gately was one of three Warriors with a pair if hits, driving in four runs on the day. Matt Kelley (two runs, RBI) and freshman Leo Dowling also had two hits. Tommy Martorano drove in a pair of runs while Tommy McLeish had a solo home run in the fourth to make it 3-0, KP sophomore Cameron Hasenfus had a strong outing on the mound, allowing two runs (one earned) one three hits and a pair of walks, striking out seven in a complete game effort. Ben Angelini had an RBI triple and Ryan O’Leary brought in a run for Foxboro on a sac fly.

Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Buoyed by a big second inning offensively and another stellar pitching performance, Franklin secured an 8-0 win over Sharon. Matt Miller allowed just one hit in three shutout innings, striking out a pair for the win. Zach Ramaswamy (1IP), Jake Shaughnessy (2IP, 5K), and Dillon Cashin (1IP, 1K) didn’t allow a hit in relief for the Panthers. Ryan Gerety scored in the first inning and then smacked a two-run double to highlight Franklin’s six-run second inning. Jase Lyons, Eisig Chin, Mike Davide, Ryan Carlucci, and Luke Sidwell also had an RBI in the win.

Taunton, 14 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final – Mansfield put Taunton on upset alert by scoring four runs in the fifth inning to take a one-run lead but the Tigers struck back for eight runs in the top of the sixth to secure the win on the road. Dawson Bryce, Dwayne Burgo, and Andrew Cali each had an RBI early on as the Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first two innings, but a three-run double from Connor Curtis in the bottom of the fourth brought the Hornets right back in it. Shawn Cali got one back from Taunton in the top of the fifth but the Hornets went to work in the bottom half. Sam Martin and Jake Maydak each hit an RBI double and two runs came in to score after a single from Kyle Marnikovic, putting Mansfield ahead 7-6. Burgo ignited Taunton’s comeback with a leadoff double and scored on a single from Brayden Cali. Ryan MacDougall (RBI single), Bryce (error), Shawn Cali (RBI single), Sean Murphy (walk), Burgo (two-run single), and Brayden Cali all brought runs in for the Tigers. Peter Moor earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings of work while Bryce closed things out with a scoreless inning.

North Attleboro, 10 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – North Attleboro pushed across four runs in the top of the first and never trailed in a 10-4 win on the road at Stoughton. Nate Kelly stayed hot with an RBI single to plate Jordan Paradis (leadoff single), Gio Martello laced a one-out, two-run single to center, and Reed Collins had a two-out RBI single to hand the Rocketeers an early 4-0 lead. North added two runs in the third (Martello RBI single, Collins RBI groundout), the eighth (Collins two-run single), and the seventh (Derek Maceda two-out, two-run single). Ayden Delaney earned the win for North Attleboro, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks, striking our a pair in three innings. Maceda tossed four innings in relief, surrendering just one unearned run on three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Stoughton’s Jeriel Cuello went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Liam Dunn pitched well in relief for the Black Knights with just two hits and a walk resulting in two unearned runs in 2.2 innings.








Softball
Canton, 2 @ Milford, 14 – Final (6 Inn.) – Milford had a dozen hits as a team and scored nine runs in the opening two innings to earn its second win in the last three games. Freshman Katelyn Kearnan sparked the Hawks from the eight-hole, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI. Cae Pellegrini, Maeve Williams, and Jianna Fernandes (two doubles) each had a pair of hits for Milford and combined to drive in five. Olivia and Ava Baglione (two runs) and Maeve Driscoll each had hits as well. Driscoll earned the win in the circle, going the distance allowing six hits and one earned run and striking out seven. Chloe Guernschuny was 2-for-3 for Canton. Anna Lehan drove in one and Laura Valkanas had a double.

Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 12 – Final (5 Inn.) – Franklin broke the game open in the fourth inning to earn the five-inning win. For Sharon, Manasa Josyula struck out two over three innings, while Ally Foulsham struck out two in the fourth.

Mansfield, 2 @ Taunton, 14 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton used a pair of big innings to score a big win against visiting Mansfield on Friday afternoon. The Tigers scored once in the second but did the majority of their damage in the third inning (six runs) and the seventh inning (seven runs). Kaysie DeMoura (two RBI, two runs) and Sam Lincoln (double, RBI) each had two hits while Bella Bourque drove in three runs to lead the Tigers’ offense. DeMoura, Hayley Krockta, and Taylah DeCosta each drove in a pair of runs in the win. Lincoln was the winner in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and one walk, striking out six. Mansfield had a good start as they took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Molly Kucharski singled and scored on a sac bunt and error by Reilley Slaney, who then came home to score later in the inning on a bunt from Allie Koppy.

Stoughton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Kelly Colleran threw just 80 pitches and faced only one more than the minimum, striking out 16 to earn the shutout. She also had a pair of homers and drove in half of North’s runs. Maryellen Charette had a big game behind the plate, calling a great game and throwing out a base stealer early in the game. Arianna McDavitt had a three-run double in the fourth inning and Molly Willey and Emma Hanwell each had two hits for the Rocketeers. Emily Tucker scored a pair of runs and Grace Simmons scored once.




Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 10 vs. Hanover, 6 – Final – The teams went into halftime tied 4-4, but Canton outscored Hanover 6-2 in the second half to pull out the non-league win. Ethan Keleher led the Bulldogs with four goals. Jeffrey Chaput added three tallies and Michael Thomas had a pair of goals. Pat Drury had a big game in goal, making 15 saves in the win.

Franklin, 13 @ Acton-Boxboro, 11 – Final – On the road, against one of the top teams in the state, Franklin rallied in the fourth quarter to pull out an impressive win. Trailing 10-8 after three, the Panthers outscored A-B 5-1, including a run in the final two minutes, to secure the win. Luke Davis scored five goals and dished out an assist to lead Franklin’s attack. Jayden Consigli had a hat trick of goals and a hat trick of assists and Tyler Sacchetti had three scores and a helper. Drew Hansen scored twice for the Panthers. Justin Alexander dominated face offs, winning 22-of-25 and Michael Galvin made six saves.

King Philip, 7 vs. Hopkinton, 6 – Final (OT) – James Boldy had another strong performance in net and Henry LeClair was dominant at the face-off ‘X’ to lead the Warriors to an overtime win over Hopkinton. Boldy made 12 saves in the win while LeClair, who had one goal, won 11 of 13 faceoffs. Donovan DeVellis and Mason Thompson each scored a pair of goals and had two assists to lead KP’s offense while Justin Kosh (two assists) and Cullen McCarthy (assist) each scored once.

Milford @ Seekonk, 4:15

North Attleboro, 11 vs. Bishop Feehan, 14 – Final

Sharon, 17 @ Cardinal Spellman, 5 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Canton, 13 @ Braintree, 14 – Final – Emily McCabe had six goals and four assists, but Braintree was able to edge Canton in a tough, non-league battle. Ella Yeaton, Nora Giannacopoulos, and Shannon McGrann each scored twice for the Bulldogs.

Franklin, 10 vs. Westwood, 14 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the state, Franklin and Westwood were tied 6-6 at halftime, but the visiting Wolverines went on a late run to pull out a back-and-forth game. Lindsay Atkinson sparked Franklin’s attack with four goals and Katie Peterson added a hat trick. Jamie Tanner secured five draw controls and Julia Flynn put in a strong overall performance on both ends of the field.

Sharon, 3 vs. Ursuline Academy, 17 – Final

Stoughton, 3 vs. Dedham, 8 – Final – Morgan Groppi, Amanda Reid, and Hazel McBurney each scored once for the Black Knights. Groppi also had a pair of draw controls and Jordan Coleman made 11 saves for Stoughton.




Boys Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – After falling behind by three games in the second set, Canton’s second doubles team of Drew Garrett and Jon Sithivong rallied to win three straight games and then the tiebreaker to clinch the game and secure a 3-2 win for Canton. Garrett and Sithivong finished with a 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) win while Max Kupferman and Bharat Ramanathan won in straight sets at first and second singles, respectively.

Foxboro, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Foxboro bounced back after a couple of tough losses by earning a sweep of KP. Haji Glover (6-0, 6-1) and Raj Jetty (6-2, 6-2) won their singles matches in straight sets to put the visitors in charge. Greg Simone and Viz Chavalan also won in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) at first doubles. The other two matches both went to three sets. Foxboro’s second doubles team of Ryan Fossella and Evan Paluzzi edged Leo Manning and Brent Schneider 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. At third singles, Luca Meyer pulled out a three-set win over Arjun Kollu.

Sharon, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – Sharon swept Franklin to stay level with Mansfield atop the Davenport division standings. The Eagles were especially impressive in doubles, as the teams of Sava Kassev and Rithvik Neti and Kevin Li and Joel Zwicker dropped only one game combined. Jacob Slavsky (6-2, 6-1), Matthew Lally (6-2, 6-4), and Alex Budovalcev (6-1, 7-6 (4)) also won in straight sets.

Stoughton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North won its second straight match to stay on top in the Kelley-Rex. The Rocketeers got straight set wins at all three singles matches. Brody Carter (6-3, 6-2), Darren Liang (6-0, 6-1), and Caleb Cheney (6-1, 6-4) each picked up points for the hosts. Stoughton got a point at first doubles. Anthony Maylock and Aadil Vihad won 7-6, 6-4 to avoid the sweep. North got its fourth point at second doubles. Arnav Raghuvanshi and Aaryan Anjna won 6-1, 7-5.

Girls Tennis
Franklin, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sharon swept singles and got a point at second doubles to earn the crossover win against Franklin. Judy Song won 6-2, 6-1 at first singles, Navya Shukla won 6-1, 6-2 at second singles, and Ale Aguilar won 6-2, 6-3 at third singles to earn the Eagles the points that they needed. Olivia Landstein and Jenny Sand secured a fourth point with a 6-1, 6-4 win. The first doubles team of Brooke Daniels and Sydney Tolonen made sure the Panthers avoided the sweep by winning 6-3, 7-6.

North Attleboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – North won both of its doubles matches to extend its win streak to five games to start the season. Audrey Noreck and Liz Silva won 6-4, 6-2 at first doubles and Jayla Stone and Grace Manning added a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles. Grace Noreck also won in straight sets at second singles to improve North’s record to 5-0. Ally Lada won two tiebreakers, both 7-5, to earn the 7-6, 7-6 win at first singles and Stoughton also got a point at third singles with Dhruvi Patel winning 6-3, 6-2.

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

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Taunton players celebrate after beating Franklin to win the D1 state title. Both teams bring back strong teams and are contenders to win the state championship again this spring. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2022 Record: 5-15
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Steve Dunlea
Attleboro returns a strong core from last year and will be aiming to make some noise in one of the toughest divisions in the state. The Bombardiers had three one-run losses last year and two more in extra innings, and despite their record, just missed out on the state tournament. A big reason for that is the challenges they face throughout the season as the Kelley-Rex division last year featured both Division 1 state finalists (Franklin and Taunton), the Division 2 state finalist (KP), plus Mansfield, who reached the Division 2 final four.

The Bombardiers boast a lot of returning players up and down the lineup, and on the mound as well. Although it’s a young rotation, Attleboro has some talented arms that picked up some invaluable experience a year ago. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Dunlea (3-3, 2.74) will anchor the rotation a year removed from striking out 23 batters in 23 innings of work as a freshman. Junior Jonny Pagano is another righty that gained key experience last year and senior Sean O’Hara will be a veteran presence in the rotation. Senior Owen Lombardo, juniors Matt Harvie, Braxton Levin, Tyson Forte, and freshman Ryan Landry are all in the mix to get some innings in relief.

Offense will be an area that Attleboro will look to improve on as they go against some of the best pitchers in the area. Senior Danny Johnson is in his third year as a varsity starter and will lead a talented outfielder group that features Harvie and classmate Brody McKenna. Seniors Casey Victorio and Ran Martin, along with junior Jackson Huntington, will look to provide an offensive punch as well. Senior captains Peter Delpozzo and Cooper Johnson (0.364 average last year) are back in the fold and will lead by example both offensively and defensively for head coach Steve Dunlea. Pagano, junior Andrew Gorman, and sophomore Jacob Bettencourt are all battling for time in the infield as well. Aiden Hochwarter resumes his role as the starting catcher for the Bombardiers.

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

“I am very excited about this year’s team,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have excellent leadership in our three captains. Our pitching and defense will continue to be a strength for us. We also have a great mix of returning starters and new players on offense. These guys are well aware that we play in arguably the toughest division in Massachusetts and you have to be ready to compete every day.”

Canton

2022 Record: 9-12
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32
Coach: David Walsh
Canton has a new head coach in David Walsh but the goals remain the same as the Bulldogs will be aiming to return to the state tournament again this year. With a talented core back in the fold from last year’s team, not only will the Bulldogs be in the mix to make the playoffs, they could contend for the Davenport division title.

The lineup will feature a lot of familiar faces from last year that is anchored by a seasoned senior class. Shortstop Matt Chafin is among the best players in the league and is committed to play at the next level at Brandies. He will be joined in the lineup by Jack Digirolamo, one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. Digirolamo led the team in average last season with a 0.446 batting average (29 hits), which was good for fourth in the entire league while Chafin finished at 0.350 with 16 runs scored. Senior Hayden Rose (Framingham State) is another familiar name that will play a lot of innings for the Bulldogs, coming off a season in which he hit 0.328 with a team-high 17 RBI.

Rose will anchor a pitching staff that will need to fill some holes this year. Rose was among the league leaders in terms of innings pitched last year, coming in second in the regular season in the Hock with 43.2 innings of working. He posted a 4-4 record with a 2.89 ERA, striking out 28. Andrew Butler and Zach Peters combined for over 50 innings last year but with both players graduated, there will be an opportunity for new faces to step up for Walsh. While the Bulldogs get the rotation set, Walsh is preaching fundamentals and having the team pride themselves on good defense.

“This will be a fundamentally sound group who is gritty, tough, and are not afraid of the everyday grind,” Walsh said. “We will rely on our pitchers to throw strikes, defense to be routine, and situationally hit. If we are able to do all three in each game we will be very competitive.”

Foxboro

2022 Record: 16-8
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Final Four
Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro was one of the feel-good stories last season as the Warriors made a dramatic tournament run to the state semifinals before falling to eventual state champ Austin Prep. While the Warriors are strictly focusing on the road ahead, last season set a new standard for Foxboro.

There is a lot of optimism that the Warriors can pick up where they left off because they have almost their entire roster back for 2023. Last year’s squad had a lot of young and inexperienced players that matured quickly throughout the year. Foxboro won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year as they start the season as a serious contender for the Davenport division title. On the mound, Foxboro has six players back that tossed varsity innings including their top three: senior Sean O’Leary (UMass Lowell), senior Mat Sullivan, and sophomore Nolan Gordon. Senior Alex Stern and sophomores Danny Jacobs and Tommy Watts are also back in the fold and the Warriors have added junior Pradyu Gubbala and sophomore Ryan O’Leary to the mix. Ryan LeClair, a veteran in the group, could also see time on the mound this year.

Sophomore Mike Marcucella returns behind the dish after earning the starting role as a freshman last year. LeClair (Stonehill) returns to shortstop and is one of the best defensive players in the region and he’s complemented by Sean O’Leary, who will play third when he isn’t pitching. On the right side, junior Tyler Prescott will man second base and he will also be counted upon to set the table for the offense out of the leadoff spot. Ryan O’Leary will take over at first base this season. Stern, Sullivan, and Watts will add infield depth when not on the mound.

The outfield will also have a lot of familiar faces with veteran Louis Carangelo back in left field after a breakout junior season. Carangelo was one of the most consistent offensive players in the Hock, hitting 0.333 with 16 RBI. Sophomore Ben Angelini has had a strong preseason so far and will patrol center for the Warriors while junior Shane Henri will be in right field. Senior Kenny Mello was a solid contributor for Foxboro last year but will miss the season with an injury. Freshman Aidan Stow and Gordon will provide outfield depth.

“Despite last season’s success, this season provides new opportunities and challenges for our ballclub,” said Foxboro head coach Derek Suess. “We will be battle-tested, with an always difficult Hockomock League schedule, and a strong non-league slate as well. We need to compete each day, at a championship-level standard, to give ourselves the best opportunity to reach the goals we have set for the season. Our leadership and culture have never been stronger.”







2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Franklin

2022 Record: 23-4
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Final (Kelley-Rex champion)
Coach: Zach Brown
Although Franklin has won three straight Kelley-Rex division titles, there is still plenty of motivation for these Panthers.

The Panthers are coming off a tough one-run loss in the Division 1 state championship to rival Taunton, but with a strong core returning it looks like Franklin will once again be among the top powerhouses in the state this year. One obvious strength will be the offense with five players back in the lineup from last year’s squad. Not only is it an experienced group (multiple players entering their third year starting), but it’s an incredibly talented one that features senior Ryan Gerety (Northeastern), senior Jase Lyons, senior Eisig Chin (Stonehill), senior Ben Jarosz, and junior Henry Digiorgio (Northeastern). Gerety and Chin will return to their spots in the outfield while Lyons (1B), Jarosz (3B), and Digiorgio (SS) are all back in the infield. Seniors Tyler Bellan, Luke Sidwell, and Ethan DePaolo also provide some experienced depth and newcomers Rex Cinelli, Ryan Carlucci, and Koen Bonetti will all try to contribute for head coach Zach Brown.

Pitching will be another strength with senior righty Alfred Mucciarone (UMass Lowell) back after going 5-1 during the regular season last year, posting a 2.33 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 42 innings. His experience gives the Panthers an ace to rely on as they navigate a difficult schedule. Junior lefty Austin Campbell could be the next breakout star for Franklin after some impressive outings last year, and juniors Jake Shaughnessy (LHP) and Matt Miller (RHP) fill out a strong core of pitchers. Both Chin and Lyons will also be in the mix while senior newcomers Dillon Cashin and Zach Ramaswamy are prepared to come on in relief when needed.

“We are returning a strong senior class and veteran core,” Brown said. “We are excited about how hard this group has been preparing for the upcoming season. The seniors have provided great leadership during the preseason and scrimmages.”

King Philip

2022 Record: 16-9
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final
Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
King Philip is another squad that is coming off a tremendous season (a trend among most Hock teams) as they reached the Division 2 state championship, falling to Milton. The Warriors are also following another trend in the league as they have the majority of their lineup back in the mix this season as they look to challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title in a loaded field.

The Warriors have a strong pitching staff in the league, highlighted by senior Rudy Gately. Gately has been KP’s ace for the past two seasons and will resume that role again this year. During the regular season, he tossed 39 innings and struck out 37, posting a 3.41 ERA. He will be joined by lefty Tommy Martorano, who missed virtually all of last year with an injury. Junior Tommy McLeish emerged as a reliable option in relief last year, striking out 22 batters in 20.2 innings and he should be in line for an expanded role this year.

Offensively the Warriors will have a big void with the graduation of Shawn Legere, one of the best hitters in the state. But head coach Jeff Plympton Jr. has plenty of options to work with, including senior Brendan Sencaj, who is coming off a terrific season in which he hit 0.371 with 15 RBI and 21 runs scored. Gately, a middle infielder, is a strong two-way player that hit 0.344 last year with 16 RBI and senior Matt Kelley is a great all-around player that will make the switch to center field this season, and another weapon in the lineup. Junior Max Robison is coming off a breakout campaign (0.359 average) and is one of the best defensive first basemen in the Hock.

“We are excited to be bringing back a great core of guys from our team last year,” Plympton Jr. said. “We’re hoping to build off of our success last season and continue to build a winning culture. We will have a lot of new arms in the rotation and a few very good returning arms from last year.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Mansfield

2022 Record: 17-8
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four
Coach: Chris Hall
Mansfield lost some key contributors from a sizable graduating senior class that led the Hornets to the Division 2 Final Four a year ago, but the cupboard is far from empty for head coach Chris Hall.

The most experience back on the team comes on the offensive end with some key bats back in the lineup. Senior captains Sam Martin and Conner Zukowski look to man the left side of the infield while returning starters Matt DeShiro and Jake Maydak — both juniors — will hold down the right side. Zukowski had a great season at the dish, hitting 0.344 during the regular season with 15 runs scored while DeShiro had a breakout sophomore campaign, leading the Hornets in batting average with a 0.373 average and a team-high 25 hits, driving in 13 runs as well. Defensive wiz and captain Aidan Jones returns as the starting catcher for the squad.

There is a lot of competition in the outfield right now including junior Brian Butler, another returner from last year. Seniors Kyle Marnikovic and Will Lund are also in the mix along with juniors Wyatt Bolduc, Connor Curtis, Drew Urban, Dylan Saraceno, Anthony Saraiva, and Joey MacIntyre. Juniors Matt Tryon and Derek McGrath are versatile pieces that will bring some power to the lineup.

Mansfield lost its top three starters from a year ago in Jimmy Gilleran, Aaron Blinn, and Anthony Sacchetti, who combined to pitch over 100 innings during the regular season. Hall will turn to junior Connor Curtis, who didn’t allow an earned run in 16 innings of work in the regular season last year, recording three saves with 19 strikeouts. Maydak is also in the mix for an expanded role on the staff along with juniors Yuv Sakhalkar and Ryan Jeans, and sophomore Luke Rogan. Senior Nate Thibault will chip in as a reliever.

“Most teams who play in the Hockomock League have a chance to make a run at a state championship due to the competition you face every single game in the regular season,” Hall said. “I believe the makeup of our roster puts us in that conversation this year. This year’s team is a tight-knit, cohesive group that battles with one another at practice. They thrive off competition and work together to do whatever they can to best benefit the program. We are excited for the season and look forward to the challenges presented to us.”




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Milford

2022 Record: 7-13
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Alex Dion
Similar to Attleboro, the Scarlet Hawks were a victim of playing in a division that had three teams reach a state championship game and another reach the final four. With another year of experience, Milford will look to challenge those top teams and make a push for the postseason.

The roster features a lot of familiar names that are either in their third or second year in the lineup and head coach Alex Dion is hoping that experience will lead to competing with some of the state’s best teams. The pitching staff starts with three-year starter and right-handed pitcher Evan Cornelius. A top two-way play and multi-sport athlete, Cornelius leads by example both on and off the field for the Scarlet Hawks. He went 4-2 last year with a 2.31 ERA, ranking among the league leader with 48 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work. Junior righty Damien Carter is also in his third year while senior Tyler Caldon and junior Anthony LaPierre logged a lot of work on the mound a year ago and return as starters this year. Senior Mason Baldic and sophomore Ian Carter are both in the mix for innings this year as well.

While pitching looks to be a strength for Milford this year, the Hawks will rely on a lot of the same names to deliver offensively as well. Cornelius will man first base when he isn’t on the mound and is a reliable offensive option. Damien Carter, junior Sean McGee, and freshman Joey McGee are options in the infield alongside Cornelius while Ian Carter, Baldic, and sophomore Nick Koch are in line for opportunities in the outfield. Junior Keith Lee is back behind the dish as taking on that role a season ago and junior Nate Scudo can be effective in a variety of positions. Seniors Brady Butler, Tony Fontes, Jacob Gove, Guy Saintyl, and Cam DelPrete will provide key depth while junior Victor Martinez will look to provide some pop in the lineup.

“Looking forward to competing in this great league again this spring,” said Milford head coach Alex Dion. “We have a number of guys that have been together for three years now. I have seen strong leadership from veterans early on, a group of guys that are competitive on the mound, and some athletes that are eager to learn and compete at a high level.”

North Attleboro

2022 Record: 18-6
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four (Davenport champion)
Coach: Mike Hart
The Hockomock League had so much success during last season’s tournament that the Rocketeers’ accomplishments almost get lost in the shuffle. North Attleboro went 13-3 in league play last year and reached the D2 final four, picking up wins over D1 state finalists Franklin and D2 state finalists KP in the process. Now the Rocketeers join a loaded Kelley-Rex division along with those two squads, defending state champs Taunton, and two improved squads in Attleboro and Milford.

That means North Attleboro has its work cut out for them as they not only try to navigate a difficult schedule but has a lot of holes to fill in the lineup after graduating nearly a dozen seniors from last year’s 18-win squad. Head coach Mike Hart has done a terrific job since taking over the helm of the program and he will be leaning on the handful of returners he does have to lead the way this year. Hart has a dozen more seniors this year led by veterans Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis. Maceda will patrol center field, Harding is at shortstop, and Paradis is a seasoned pitcher that had 18 strikeouts in 17 innings of regular season work. Maceda will also get some innings on the mound along with classmates Ayden Delaney Peter Santoro, junior Parker Abrantes, and sophomore Gio Martello, and Harding will be a go-to option to close games out.

Martello was a late-season call up to the varsity squad and made an impression in his short stint with the squad. He will complete the middle of the infield at second base and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. Seniors Jack Munley, Mark Vogel, Delaney, and sophomore Bryce Kiser are also in the mix for spots in the infield. Along with Maceda and Paradis, seniors Kyle Conroy and Reed Collins, along with junior Chris Hanewich, will cycle throughout the outfield. Junior Nate Kelly and senior Harrison Gagne are competing for time behind the dish. Hart expects the defense to be a strength of this year’s squad.

“We are looking forward to a season of growth,” Hart said. “We have many quality players new to varsity baseball who are looking to take the next step in their development and continue the success we have been privileged to have over the last few seasons. Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis are three capable and proven players in all three phases of the game. We will look to our pitching staff to lead us. Our team has committed to getting better each and every day. We are excited to get out and compete!”




2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Oliver Ames

2022 Record: 11-11
2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Joe Abarr
After graduating one of the largest senior classes in the league, there is plenty of opportunity to go around for Oliver Ames and head coach Joe Abarr this season. After an up-and-down year that included a playoff win, the Tigers will be looking to challenge the likes of Foxboro and Mansfield in the division title race.

With a lot of pieces departed from last year’s lineup, Abarr will start the season leaning heavily on the handful of returning pieces that played key roles last year. Senior captain Patrick Finnerty will be a major part of the defense and offense this year, as the Bentley University commit will patrol the center field and anchor the offense. On the mound, the Tigers will turn to senior captain Andrew Zagami to lead a relatively young staff that will include juniors Ian Kelley and Lucas Riley, both returners from last year’s team.

Abarr noted that there is a lot of competition in the squad right now as they battle for spots in the lineup, and he’s hoping the first few weeks will allow for a consistent lineup to emerge. Senior Nathan Luke, another returner from last year’s roster, will play the corners in the outfield at Frothingham Park this year.

“Many players have been stepping up in early practices and inter-squads and will be counted on early in the season,” Abarr said. “If we consistently stay after hitters and throw strikes we will be a competitive club. We have the potential to hit well, but the Hock’s pitching will be top-notch again based on some of the stellar returners around the league.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Sharon

2022 Record: 3-17
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The Eagles will have to replace some of the production lost from the 10 seniors that graduated from last year’s squad, but Sharon has some key pieces in key spots and will look to continue to improve.

One strength the Eagles will have early on is the return of almost all of its pitching staff back from last year, plus the addition of some more talented arms to create some strong depth at the position. Junior captain Luke Meixel was among the league leaders in innings pitched last season and will anchor this year’s staff. He had 33 strikeouts in 38 innings of work as a sophomore year and the Eagles are looking for him to take a big step this year. Senior Alex Coughlin will pair with Meixel to create a formidable 1-2 punch, and the Eagles will also get pitching contributions from Cole Arundale and Zach Loomis.

Senior Palash Raina is a captain alongside Meixel and Coughlin, and he will be a staple in Sharon’s lineup this season. He battled through an injury almost all of last season but is ready for a breakout final year on the diamond as he patrols center field. Head coach Andrew Poliferno believes there is a lot of depth — and internal competition — in the lineup, and that should improve production at the plate. Sophomore Drew Yaffe got his feet wet at the varsity level last season and will be looking to turn that experience into more production this year. Junior Liam Conway is back behind the dish after a strong defensive year in 2022.

“I’m really excited to see what this group of players accomplishes this season,” Poliferno said. “We have a large group of players on varsity and in the greater SHS baseball program who are hungry to compete and win games. My expectations for this team are high and that is a direct reflection of the level of talent and work ethic our players have exhibited since day one.”

2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Stoughton

2022 Record: 3-15
2022 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Kevin Carty
Although the Black Knights lost a lot of production from its eight-member senior class that graduated last Spring, there is a lot of opportunity for new faces to work their way into the lineup for Stoughton head coach Kevin Carty.

There are some key pieces back in the mix this season after getting some valuable experience a year ago. Carty will lean on senior captains Sean Farley and Joe Rush to lead the way, with Farley both patrolling center field and pitching while Rush will play first base when he isn’t on the mound, and potentially some time behind the dish at catcher. There is also a strong contingent of players looking to build off of last year, including seniors Jeriel Cuello, who will play in the infield, and outfielder/pitchers James McCarthy and Liam Dunn, and Andrew Beder, who can play both in the infield and outfield, as well as on the mound.

Juniors Hunter Malkin, Ryan Summers, and Dom Belle all factored into the lineup for the Black Knights a year ago as sophomores and are in line for bigger roles this year. Malkin will pitch and play at first, Belle can play at both corners of the infield, and Summers will see time behind the dish at catcher.

“So far I could not be more impressed with the hard work and attitude from all of our players in the program, especially the new players on the roster,” Carty said. “I am very excited to work with these guys on a daily basis and can’t wait to see them improve throughout the season.”

Taunton

2022 Record: 22-3
2022 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship
Coach: Blair Bourque
The defending Division 1 state champions enter this season with a massive target on their back, but Taunton has the majority of its talented lineup back in the mix and is ready to take on all challengers, including a very competitive and skilled Hockomock League.

Athleticism, competitiveness, and experience will all be strengths for this year’s Taunton squad which has a lot of familiar faces in it including last year’s league MVP Ryan MacDougall, who had the game-winning home run in the state final against rival Franklin. The left side of the infield might possess the best duo in the state in seniors Braden Sullivan, a UMass commit with a strong bat that plays third base, and Dawson Bryce, a slick-fielding shortstop with consistent offensive production that is also going to play at the D1 level at Merrimack. That trio makes up the heart of the lineup for the Tigers and will make life difficult for opposing pitchers. Junior Brayden Cali, who started at second in the championship game, will be another key piece offensively for Taunton.

MacDougall also led the Tigers in innings pitched during the regular season, and classmate Shawn Cali was right there with him, posting a 4-2 record with a 1.60 ERA, striking out 27 in 35 innings of work. That gives Taunton a strong 1-2 punch in its rotation, but there’s also room for opportunity with the graduation of Evan Cali, who went 3-0 in the regular season and started the state championship game.

“The majority of our guys are multi-sport athletes who love to compete,” said Taunton head coach Blair Bourque. “And since many of our starters from last season are returning, they know the challenges of playing in arguably the most competitive league in the state as well as how to manage playing in the high-stress environment that is the post-season. Taunton has never been in a position with such high expectations so as a coach, I’m excited to see how my kids respond. This is a close-knit group and even with all the talent, they have great camaraderie.”

Laplante Powers King Philip Past Hingham

King Philip boys basketball Will Laplante
King Philip senior Will Laplante, who scored a career-high 32 points, splits a pair of Hingham players for a layup in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan@HockomockSports.com
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 WRENTHAM, Mass. — The King Philip boys basketball team had to anxiously wait four days to find out if their 10-12 campaign was good enough to earn a spot in the state tournament.

The Warriors ended up earning the 31st seed in the Division 1 state tournament, and senior Will Laplante was not going to let that opportunity go to waste.

Laplante had an incredible second half, pouring in 28 of his career-high 32 points including the go-ahead three-pointer with two minutes to go — only the Warriors’ second lead of the entire game — and King Philip emerged with a 73-67 win over #34 Hingham.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The win was KP’s first postseason victory since 2012, a decision over Whitman-Hanson powered by Jake Layman.

“For us to see our name in that bracket, we felt like we were given an opportunity, and we had to do something with it,” Laplante said. “We had a couple of tough losses in the last two weeks, and we were close to not making it in so getting this chance, we knew we had to take advantage of it.

“I really wanted to slow it down, just needed to calm down and let the game come to me. After getting the two fouls in the first, I was trying to help my teammates more and try and get some offensive rebounds. And the second half, it was just go time. If it was going to happen, it had to happen then. We talked in the locker room about this was it, this was our season, and we came together and got it done. It was nice to see that one go in. I really thank coach because he drew up a play for me at the start of the second half and that really brought me back into it. I hit that one three, and I felt it right there.”

The senior guard was limited to just four points in the opening half, hitting just one shot from the field, and missed a good stretch after picking up his second foul in the first quarter. Despite a rough shooting performance in the first half, head coach Dave DeStefano went right back to Laplante early in the third quarter and the rest was history.

“Over the last week, Will has realized he doesn’t want this season to end and he’s going to do whatever it takes to keep going, and he proved that tonight,” DeStefano said. “He had some really good looks in the first half but once those first couple of shots fell in the second half, he really got it going. He looked more comfortable and the game started to slow down for him.

“[In the first half] he was taking good shots, he was playing with composure so I’m going to let him go because he’s a basketball player. He knows there will be ups and downs, and it’s a game of runs, and Will did a great job tonight responding. He finished really strong for us.”

He hit four shots in a row inside the first four minutes of the second half, including three straight threes and a strong take to the rim that handed KP its first lead of the game at 43-42.

The lead only lasted a minute as Hingham’s 1,000-point scorer Liam McBride (21 points, five rebounds) hit a tough runner to put the Harbormen back in front. He combined with Chase Mello (23 points) to spark a 9-0 run for the visitors and KP’s small lead was quickly back to a deficit.

Hingham led for the first six minutes of the final quarter, coming up with an answer each time KP made a move. Laplante drained an early triple but Hingham’s Charlie Matthews converted a putback and McBride finished down low as the lead stretched back to seven, 59-52, with less than five minutes to go.

Senior Tommy Martorano (20 points) got out in transition for a layup, Laplante converted a traditional three-point play and then had a steal and assist to classmate Grant Kinney (four rebounds, five assists, and a strong defensive performance) to finally get level again at 59-59, but Mello was fouled seconds later and his free throws with 3:20 put Hingham back ahead.

Martorano once again got out in transition, this time using a nice spin move to finish with his favored left hand before two more free throws from Mello kept the advantage with Hingham.

Laplante promptly responded with another triple to put KP ahead 64-63 with two minutes to go and the Warriors did not trail the rest of the way.

Junior Tommy McLeish hauled in one of his seven boards off a miss and Laplante, who went 11-for-15 at the line, hit two free throws to extend the lead to 66-63.

Sophomore Tommy Kilroy (11 points, eight rebounds, three assists) came up with a key block on a baseline jumper with under a minute to go, and McLeish was able to battle for a key defensive board off of a Hingham free throw miss. Martorano, Laplante, and Kilroy combined to go 7-for-8 from the line in the final moments to secure the win.

After going down 59-52, KP did not allow Hingham another field goal the rest of the way as the Harbormen got their final eight points over the final five minutes all from the free throw line.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It was all about getting stops, especially in the tournament,” DeStefano said. “You need to get stops and it started on the defensive end for us. I’m not saying we played great defensively but in the fourth quarter, when we needed to dig in they did a good job of getting stops.”

“With our backs against the wall, our defense really got us back into it,” Laplante said. “We had a couple of score-stop-scores and just getting those stops in the fourth quarter really helped us.”

The Warriors struggled to get going from the three-point line out of the gates, going just 1-for-10 from distance over the first eight minutes, but only trailed 17-12. Kilroy dropped in two threes in the second quarter, Martorano added five points, and sophomores Jack Assini (six points) and Brandon Nicastro combined for six in the quarter to keep the Warriors close, 34-30, at halftime.

King Philip boys basketball (11-12) advances to the Division 1 Round of the 32 and will travel to play #2 Lawrence (20-2) on Thursday at 6:30.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/20/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 44 @ Durfee, 58 – Final – Attleboro only trailed by four at halftime but the Bombardiers couldn’t quite get the offense in gear as the Hilltoppers pulled away in the second half. Jaiden Outland led the visitors with eight points while sophomore Dante Monestime and freshman Connor Houle each had seven points.

Canton, 47 vs. Wakefield, 48 – Final – Canton tightened up defensively to build a lead going into the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs’ offense went cold and a late three from Wakefield proved to be the difference. Canton trailed after one quarter, rallied to to it by halftime, and then held the visitors to just six points in the third to stake a 38-29 lead going into the fourth. Junior Lucas Massih sank four three-pointers for the Bulldogs, including three in the third to finish with a team-high 12 points. Jeremiah Predin and Kareem Porter each had 11 points for the shorthanded Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 56 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 33 – Final – Foxboro exploded for 40 points in the first half and used suffocating defense to deny Dighton-Rehoboth in the first round of the Warrior Classic. Senior Alex Penders scored eight of his 12 points in the opening quarter and both Ryan LeClair and Sam Golub had five points as the Warriors staked an 18-3 lead after eight minutes. Ryan Kelley hit two threes and had eight of his team-high 13 points in the second while Ryan Cotter drained three triples and had 11 of his points in the second to give Foxboro a 40-10 lead at halftime.

King Philip, 64 vs. Hanover, 72 – Final – King Philip had a great start with 26 points in the first quarter but Hanover rallied to take the lead going into the fourth and finished off the win. Five different Warriors contributed to the strong start as Will Laplante had 11 of his 20 points in the fame, Tommy McLeish hit two three-poitners, and Grant Kinney, Tommy Martorano, and Tommy Kilroy all had field goals as KP staked a 26-20 lead. Martorano, McLeish, and Laplante all had a three in the second as the lead settled at 42-37 at halftime. Hanover used a strong third quarter to take the lead and then scored 21 points in the fourth to finish it off. Kinney and McLeish each added 10 points while Martorano had nine points.

Mansfield, 71 vs. Hingham, 55 – Final – Hingham battled back to make it a game at halftime but Mansfield dominated the third quarter and never looked back in a big win over the visiting Harbormen. Mansfield opened the second quarter on 9-2 run to build a double-digit lead but Hingham closed the half out strong to get within 33-24. An 11-3 surge to start the second half restored Mansfield’s big lead and the Hornets rattled off a 10-3 run right after. The Hornets had seven players score in the pivotal third quarter as Caden Colby (12 points, five rebounds, four assists) drilled a pair of threes, Chris Hill (nine points, nine rebounds, two steals) added five points, JT Veiking (15 points) had four points, Davon Sanders and Eddie McCoy (12 points, five rebound, three assists) each had a three, and Brandon Jackman and Trevor Foley (10 points, seven rebounds, two steals) each had two points.

Milford vs. Hampden Charter West – Milford wins via forfeit.

North Attleboro, 49 @ Weymouth, 58 – Final – North Attleboro got off to another strong start with a 22-point first quarter and had a double-digit lead on playoff-bound Weymouth but the host Wildcats clawed their way back into the game and won the fourth quarter to win the game. Senior Givany Carney hit a trio of threes and led the Rocketeers with a team-high 17 points while sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski hit four three-pointers on his way to a career-high 16 points.

Sharon, 84 vs. Walpole, 62 – Final – Sharon junior Jacob McLoughlin caught fire early as he sank four three-pointers in the opening quarter and Matt Baur (19 points) and Tyler Goodman (10 points) each added one more as the Eagles staked a 21-15 lead after the first. The first was a sign of things to come as the Eagles continued to find success on the offensive end, claiming a 39-29 lead at halftime. McLoughlin got it going in the third with 10 more on his way to a career-high 29 points. Dante James and Goodman each had a pair if buckets while Nate Katznelson scored five of his 13 points to keep Sharon ahead, 64-45, going into the fourth.








Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 62 vs. Durfee, 31 – Final – Attleboro lost the first meeting with the Hilltoppers by 20, but put together a complete performance at home on Monday and doubled up Durfee. The visitors led 10-9 after one and Attleboro went into the locker room up just 23-18, but the Bombardiers outscored the visitors 39-13 in the second half to earn the big win over another D1 playoff contender. Kayla Goldrick and Vanessa Ellis each scored 17 points to lead the hosts. Goldrick scored nine in the first half and then eight during the big third quarter run. Ellis scored six in the second and seven more in the third to put Attleboro well in front. Liy Routhier added 14 points, including 13 in the second half. Avery James chipped in with seven points.

Canton, 18 @ Westwood, 49 – Final

Foxboro, 56 vs. Tewksbury, 36 – Final – Foxboro put in a strong defensive performance and pulled away late to advance to the final of the Warrior Classic. Addie Ruter led the way for the Warriors with 18 points, while Camryn Collins and Kailey Sullivan finished with 15 points apiece. Foxboro will face Brookline in the regular season finale on Tuesday afternoon.

Mansfield, 57 vs. Westford Academy, 41 – Final – Abby Wager scored 30 points for the second time in the last week and the Hornets held Westford to just 16 points in the second half to book a place in the final of the Roundball Classic. Wager was on fire from the opening tip, burying a pair of threes and scoring 14 points in the first to lead Mansfield to a 21-14 advantage. She added another five points in the second and Hallie Popat drilled a three to make it 35-25 going into the locker room. The visitors would cut one point off the lead in the third, as Mansfield was held to just eight points, including five from Wager and another three from Popat. The Hornets would double up Westford in the fourth (14-7) to seal the win. Wager scored six more to cap off her night and Ella Palanza added all five of her points in the fourth. Bridget Hanley added seven point for the Hornets, who will face Bridgewater-Raynham (which is in the top 10 in the D1 power rankings) on Wednesday.

King Philip, 48 vs. Quincy, 62 – Final – KP closed the gap to just three points heading to the fourth quarter, but Quincy would outscore the Warriors 22-11 in the final frame to secure a win in the Norwell Invitational. Emily Sawyer would lead KP with 16 points, including 10 in the second half. Jackie Bonner and Kaelyn Clancy each knocked down three from beyond the arc. Bonner finished with 12 points overall and Clancy had nine, including six points in KP’s third quarter rally. Maddie Paschke added six in the loss. KP will face Newton North in the consolation round on Wednesday.

Oliver Ames, 58 vs. Malden Catholic, 41 – Final – With a big fourth quarter to break the game open, OA clinched the title at the Spartan Classic. The Tigers led 14-10 after one and extended the lead to seven at the break. The third quarter was even, but then OA exploded for 19 points in the final eight minutes to put the game out of reach against one of the top 10 teams in the D4 power rankings. Katherine Farley scored six points, Kaydance Derba had five, and Maeve Horsman added four in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. Farley would finish with a career-high 13, including nine in the second half. Avery Gamble added a dozen points and Kamryn Derba and Horsman each finished with nine. Maddie Homer scored eight and Kaydance Derba seven in the victory. OA heads into the state tournament having won six of its final eight games.

Boys Hockey
Franklin, 5 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 4 – Final (OT) – After going back-and-forth for three periods, Franklin’s Logan Marchand deposited a quick wrist shot on a breakaway bid in overtime to hand the Panthers an impressive 5-4 win over St. John’s Shrewsbury, who was ranked #10 in Division 1 in the latest rankings. Anthony Lampasona scored less than a minute into the second to tie the game 1-1, and then scored again on the power play for a 2-1 lead. After SJS tied it, Ben Paterson redirected a shot from Liam O’Rielly to go back in front. The Pioneers regained the lead just over six minutes into the third but this time it was Carter Balducci that found the equalizer at 7:18 of the third.

King Philip, 5 vs. Mansfield, 4 – Final (OT)

North Attleboro, 1 @ Walpole, 7 – Final

Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Westwood, 4 – Final

Taunton, 1 @ Somerset Berkley, 6 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Algonquin, 1 – Final
King Philip, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/17/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 45 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda poured in 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter and North Attleboro scored 19 in the frame to cut the deficit to single digits, but Attleboro kept the visitors at bay in the fourth to secure the win. The Bombardiers built a 29-15 lead at halftime but Maceda helped orchestrate a comeback attempt, hitting a three at the buzzer to pull the Rocketeers within 43-34 going into the fourth. Attleboro senior Justin Hanrahan opened the fourth with five straight points — two free throws and a traditional three-point play — to restore the Bombardiers’ double-digit advantage and they held it the rest of the way. Jaiden Outland had a team-high 12 points, Hanrahan added 10 points, and Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points. Sophomore Chase Frisoli added 14 points for the Rocketeers.

Canton, 39 @ Mansfield, 61 – Final – Mansfield and Canton were level after the first eight minutes but the Hornets went on to outscore the visitors in each of the final three quarters to run away with a 61-39 win over the Bulldogs, clinching the Davenport division title outright. After going back-and-forth, the teams were tied 14-14 after one but Mansfield had a big second quarter with JT Veiking (18 points, 5 rebounds) sinking a pair of threes and Eddie McCoy (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) adding a triple of his own to push the lead to 32-20 at half. Chris Hill added 10 points for the Hornets. Caden Mirliani had a team-high 12 points for Canton.

Foxboro, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 31 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Foxboro set the tone early with its defensive effort and had a consistent performance on the offensive end to win its final league game of the year, pulling into a tie in third place of the Davenport division with Canton. The Warriors limited OA to just six points in each of the first three quarters with disciplined defense and good rebounding. Foxboro senior Alex Penders dominated on both ends with a game-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and four assists to lead the way for the Warriors. Rayna Kelley added nine points and four rebounds. Sophomore Cole Craffey led OA with eight points and four rebounds.

Franklin, 63 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Franklin clicked into gear in the third quarter and then pulled away for good in the fourth against a resilient Milford squad. The Hawks had a one-point lead after the first but Franklin had six players contribute to the scoring in the second and went 9-for-10 from the line in the period to stake a 27-23 halftime lead. Hansy Jacques had his best game of the year for the Panthers as the junior erupted for nine of his career-high 16 points in the third quarter and senior Geino Scaringello hit a pair of threes as Franklin extended its lead to 45-34 going into the fourth. Franklin junior Sean O’Leary finished the game strong, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth, going 7-for-10 from the line overall in the game. Milford sophomore Andrew Rivera had a team-high 13 points and eight rebounds, senior Wyatt Zagami added 11 points, and sophomore Luca Testa finished with 10 points for the Hawks.

King Philip, 57 @ Taunton, 71 – Final – It was a tale of two halves as Taunton flipped the script on visiting King Philip by erasing a double-digit deficit at the break and running away with a 71-56 win. Grant Kinney, Tommy McLeish, Tommy Kilroy, and Trevor Clyde each connected for a three in an 18-point third quarter that saw the Warriors surge ahead 33-23 at halftime. Taunton freshman Jakari Innocent flipped a switch in the second half as he scored 20 of his career-high 22 points after the break, including 11 in the third quarter to jumpstart the Tigers’ offense. Junior Troy Santos added six in the frame and had 17 of his 22 points in the second half. Al Morisseau added 10 points and Chris Volcy chipped in with nine points for Taunton, which scored 21 points in the third and 27 points in the fourth quarter, going 13-for-19 from the line. Tommy Martorano and Kilroy each had 11 points for KP while Brandon Nicastro finished with 10 points.

Sharon, 75 @ Stoughton, 73 – Final (OT) – Sharon erased a four-point deficit with under 20 seconds to go to force overtime and then outlasted the Black Knights in the four-minute extra period to secure the win on the road over an upset-minded Stoughton squad. Jayden Costa-Haywood (20 points) sank a pair of free throws to push Stoughton’s lead to 67-63 but a foul sent Matt Baur (22 points) to the line, and his two free throws cut the deficit in half with 17 seconds to go. The Eagles were able to trap with the press and pick off a pass, which led to a floater from Baur taking a kind bounce and in with two seconds left to make it 67-67. Baur opened the overtime with a triple and Jacob McLoughlin (17 points) added a free throw to push the lead to four. After Stoughton got it back to three off a free throw from Jarred Daughtry, McLoughlin had a traditional three-point play with two minutes to go to make it 74-68. Costa-Haywood answered on the other end with a three-point play of his own to cut the deficit in half. Daughtry hit two more to make it a one-point game at 74-73 with 43.1 seconds to play, and Stoughton had a shot in the air to take the lead but it was off the mark and a Tyler Goodman free throw with 1.5 seconds left iced it. Nate Katznelson added 12 points for the Eagles. Matt Greenspoon scored 16 points for Stoughton while Obi Dike added 11 points and Anthony Alessi chipped in with 10 points.








Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 65 @ North Attleboro, 36 – Final – The Bombardiers scored 20-plus points in the first and third quarters to pull away for a big bounce back win. Eight players got on the score sheet for Attleboro in the win. It was a quick start for the visitors, as Kayla Goldrick and Avery James each scored six points and Lily Routhier added four in a 20-11 quarter. Ava McKeon tried to keep North in the game with seven of her team-high 15 in the opening quarter. Attleboro scored 14 in the second, while holding North to just six. Vanessa Ellis was held scoreless for the first half, but she got things going with nine points in the third and then added another eight in the fourth to finish with a game-high 17. The Rocketeers tried battle back in the fourth with 17 points as a team, including six more from McKeon and all five of Ella McLaughlin’s points in the game. Goldrick would finish with 12 points, Routhier would have nine, and James scored eight. Sam Sweeney added 10 points for the Rocketeers.

Mansfield, 47 @ Canton, 33 – Final – Mansfield put in a strong defensive performance to secure a home win in the Hockomock finale. The Hornets didn’t allow Canton to reach double digits in the first three quarters and opened up an 18-point lead. The visitors jumped out to a 16-9 lead after one and doubled up Canton 12-6 in the second to make it a double-digit game at halftime. Abby Wager, Kara Santos, and Hallie Popat combined for 19 points in the first half. Wager would go on to score eight of Mansfield’s 10 points in the third and the Hornets held Canton to just five to break the game open. The Bulldogs had their best offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 11 points, including four from Erin Beatty and Emily McCabe’s second three of the night. Wager led all scorers with 14, while Santos finished with 10 and Popat added eight. Fatima Sidibay was Canton’s top scorer with seven points, while Beatty and McCabe each totaled six.

Oliver Ames, 52 @ Foxboro, 58 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Milford, 24 @ Franklin, 58 – Final – Franklin had 13 different scorers, none with more than eight points, to close out the league campaign with a big win. The Panthers held Milford to just nine points in the first half, going into the locker room with a 24-point lead. Katie Peterson scored all eight of her points in the first quarter, as the Panthers scored 24 in the opening eight minutes. The Hawks would play even in the third, as Brooke Ferreira scored eight of Milford’s 10 points. She finished with a dozen on the night. Franklin’s depth was too much. The Panthers got contributions up and down the roster. Norah MacCallum scored seven, while Elle Bonacci and Kyra McSweeney each chipped in with six. Aliza Syed had five points for the Hawks, all in the first quarter.

Taunton, 38 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – Emily Sawyer exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter and had a career-high 34 points, powering KP to a bounce back win in the final home game of the regular season. Jackie Bonner chipped in with 14 points and four threes for the Warriors. KP grabbed the lead in the first, as Sawyer and Maddie Paschke each scored four and Bonner knocked down her first triple. The Warriors extended the lead to 25-18 at halftime, as Sawyer and Bonner had all 11 of KP’s points in the second. Cali Melo kept the Tigers close with 10 of her team-high 16 in the opening half. Sawyer and Bonner had all of KP’s points in the third quarter as well, combining for 14 to add another six points to the lead. In the fourth, the Warriors continued to feed Sawyer in the post and the 6-foot-3 center, and league’s leading scorer, had 16 of KP’s 17 points to put the game out of reach. Paschke added her fifth point of the night in the fourth. Taryn Campbell added seven points and eighth grader Raya Horton chipped in with six for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 56 @ Sharon, 59 – Final – Rachael Hager nailed the game-winning three, one of several big plays she made down the stretch, to lift the Eagles to a sweep of the season series. Hager finished with 16 points. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a game-high 26 points for Sharon. Kirsten McKay was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15 points and grabbed four boards. Raina Tat continued her run of double-digit games, scoring 12 points, while Leah McCarty had eight points and four rebounds and Katrina Varnum scored seven and grabbed a dozen boards.

Boys Hockey
Taunton, 6 @ Everett/Revere, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 vs. Norwood, 1 – Final – Ellie Bohane scored the game-winner with 40 seconds left in regulation to earn the Bulldogs a big win against another Div. 2 title contender. Audrey Koen scored Canton’s first goal before Bohane popped up with the late winner to extend the Bulldogs’ unbeaten streak to 11 games (7-0-4).