Once once more, Taunton is the rule of the roost.
For the third time in 4 years Taunton captured the Div. 1 state championship because it rolled previous BC High, St. John’s Shrewsbury, and Hockomock Kelley-Rex league rival Franklin to seize the title.
The Tigers are simply the fourth Div. 1 staff since 1990 to win three state titles becoming a member of New Bedford, BC High, and Xaverian.
While Taunton received the crown, Methuen stole lots of hearts and minds because the No. 21 seeded Rangers defeated No. 12 Andover, No. 5 Xaverian, and No. 4 Central Catholic to succeed in the state semifinals. Matt Pappalardo asserted himself as one of many state’s finest.
Brendan Morrissey’s Milton crew received their second straight title, once more defeating King Philip within the season finale. Owen McHugh and Scott Longo shaped one of many premier 1-2 combos within the state whereas Tommy Mitchell offered key aid within the postseason.
Whitman-Hanson confirmed it could be primed for competition for the foreseeable future. The younger Panthers received the Patriot League Keenan crown whereas additionally reaching the state semifinals.
Mansfield pulled off one of many match’s extra notable upsets because the No. 15 Hornets defeated state championship contender Leominster on the street within the Round of 16.
Medfield noticed a Div. 3 state title slip by means of the cracks by the hands of Oakmont because the Spartans overcame a seventh-inning deficit to win in further innings. Oakmont’s run to the title can’t be overstated because the Spartans defeated Tantasqua, Taconic, and the aforementioned Warriors.
Bishop Stang notably obtained revenge on Foxboro from a season in the past with Aiden Cardoza twirling a gem to steer the Spartans previous Foxboro to succeed in the state semifinals.
Div. 4 had a pair of state semifinal video games to recollect as Abington defeated Northbridge in 14 innings earlier than Seekonk knocked off beforehand unbeaten Boston English.
It was fairly the match for South Coast Conference most useful participant Tyler Kropis, who completed off the run with a 12-strikeout efficiency to steer the Warriors to their first state title.
Bourne completed a memorable season with a state championship. The Canalmen survived a slugfest with Hopkin’s Academy to seize the crown.
Worth noting: At a time when many are clamoring for a return of the Div. 1A Super Eight Tournament, all 10 state finalists hailed from public colleges.
On the softball entrance, Taunton proved as soon as once more that it has no peer. The Tigers defended their Div. 1 state title in dominant style, profitable all 5 postseason video games by a whopping 36-2. They have been capable of avenge their solely common season loss within the semifinals, beating King Philip, 2-0.
What gave the impression to be a straightforward championship sport win for Burlington was an epic battle as Tewksbury rallied with 5 runs within the seventh to tie the rating, solely to look at because the Red Devils scored within the eighth to take residence the Div. 2 title, 10-9. There wasn’t as a lot drama within the Div. 3 state last as Middleboro introduced its bats and cruised to a 15-3 win over Norton.
It was one other banner for the southeastern a part of the state, which has lengthy prided itself as a softball hotbed. Case was yet one more staff from the world to win a championship, dealing with Hampshire 7-2 to go away with the Div. 4 title. Greenfield dealt with conventional energy Turners Falls 10-2 to win the Div. 5 championship.
Three gripes
1. The MIAA had a golden alternative within the state semifinals to convey giant crowds out to the sport when a matchup aligned between Whitman-Hanson and Milton. Instead of placing the matchup at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton — a venue the affiliation had accessible — the staff’s have been despatched to Fraser Field in Lynn to play. Even extra astounding was the truth that initially the MIAA baseball match committee elected to place St. Mary’s on its residence discipline within the state semifinals. The means to make use of Polar Park for the state finals was a superb achievement by the MIAA, however the match must do a a lot better job of choosing websites for groups to keep away from deserved criticism.
2. On a handful of instances this 12 months, pitch rely infractions rose to the forefront when the 2 groups had a discrepancy on the quantity of pitches thrown by respective starters. Umpires have by no means had a task in conserving pitch counts between the 2 sides however it could be time they do. Since the National High School Federation’s affect precipitated the MIAA to undertake a pitch rely rule, the 2 coaches on both sides have been accountable for calculating pitch counts with differential therapy going to the house staff. It’s time umpires and officers take management of the scenario to make sure groups don’t manipulate numbers to permit starters to last more.
3. The MIAA wants to include a “win minimum” as a way to qualify for the state match. While the transfer to an influence ranking system that includes energy of schedule has been acclaimed, it’s essential that the groups earn their spot within the postseason with success on the sector. A 40-percent profitable proportion looks as if a possible compromise between the old-fashioned format of 50-percent qualification and the brand new college of thought.
Source: www.bostonherald.com