TAUNTON — It was a day of celebration in Taunton, each throughout pregame and postgame. Senior Day festivities preceded a Hockomock League baseball matchup in opposition to No. 10 Milford, and a 9-2 victory for the No. 2 Tigers is how the day ended.
“In the past I’ve had the mindset that Senior Day was a distraction,” Tigers coach Blair Bourque mentioned. “Lately I’ve embraced it and they reward you with a great game. We played really well, and I am proud of them.”
While the runs finally got here for the defending Division 1 state champion Tigers (14-4), it took just a few innings. Milford pitcher Evan Cornelius was in a position to stave Taunton off over the primary few innings, however the hitters did decide up on some tendencies.
“Early on, he was pounding me with sliders,” Taunton senior Braden Sullivan mentioned. “I was able to sit back and drive it and do my job to get on base.”
Jack Cali was spectacular for the Tigers as effectively, conserving Milford off the board for almost all of his 3.2 innings outing.
It was Sullivan who broke by first for Taunton when he smacked a double that drove in Caden Lindskog within the backside of the third. The Scarlet Hawks would reply within the subsequent half of the inning, as Sean McGee knocked in Joey McGee with a single earlier than a Joe Butler double introduced Sean McGee throughout house plate.
Facing a 2-1 deficit, the Tigers pounced when Lindskog drove in AJ Lewis and Dwayne Burgo within the backside of the fourth and by no means appeared again. They put up three runs within the fifth and sixth, finally cruising to the seven-run win.
Senior catcher Ryan MacDougall was an enormous catalyst, as he smacked a double and finally scored within the fifth earlier than a sixth-inning triple and RBI put the sport out of attain. He credited his success to a latest shift in his strategy on the plate.
“The past few games I’ve been hitting a lot better, and I’ve been straight reacting,” MacDougall mentioned. “That’s pretty much what I did today, and I hit the ball well.”
Junior Brady Morin took the victory for the Tigers, tossing 2.1 innings in aid, permitting 4 hits and one earned run, and incomes a strikeout. Seniors Charlie Rabel and David DaSilva accounted for the ultimate three outs, with the latter notching a ultimate strikeout off a depraved curveball.
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Bourque mentioned. “We’re looking to finish strong.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com