ESPN

MILFORD, Mass. – The gloves flying through the air and the mass celebration at home plate after the final out was made, confirmed what everyone outside the foul lines already knew – this was more than just a standard regular season Hockomock League game.

“That probably, in my career, is the team’s best regular season win. Did that ooze tournament atmosphere or what?” asked an excited North Attleborough head coach Bill Wallace after the final pitch.

North Attleborough (7-2) pushed home one run in the top of the 10th inning, only the second run allowed by Milford (10-1) in 11 games this season, and the Rocketeers threw out runners at the plate twice in extra innings to pull off a 1-0 upset over the defending Division 1 state champions. The Rocketeers’ victory ended the Scarlet Hawks win streak at 35 games going back to 2011.

“It was just a great game,” said Wallace. “That kid [Shannon Smith] is a darn good pitcher over there, but luckily I have a darn good pitcher over here too.”

With the game scoreless heading into extra innings, the International Tiebreak Rule was used, which begins the inning with a runner on second. It was the first time that either team had managed to get a runner past first base.

In the top of the tenth, Colleran dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Marissa Gifford to third. Senior catcher Meghan Wynn then smacked a grounder on a 1-2 pitch that third baseman Caroline Fairbanks knocked down with a diving stop, but Fairbanks was not able to get the throw home in time to prevent Gifford, who was running on contact, from scoring.

“I knew that in order to pull out the win that I had to be smart and make contact,” said Wynn about the last at-bat with the go-ahead run just 60 feet from home. “I know that she’s going to pitch smart and not give me anything to hit. I just have to watch the ball all the way to the bat.”

Milford had the heart of the order coming up in the bottom of the tenth and Smith, Milford’s University of Kentucky-bound senior, drew a walk to put the winning run on base with no outs. Fairbanks followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position. On the next pitch, Rachel Levine hit a hard grounder off Colleran’s glove to shortstop Jill Costello, who bobbled the ball but was still able to throw out Sam Bonvino at the plate.

Colleran, who seemed especially fired up for this game, then struck out Taylor LeBrun to close out the victory and set off the celebrations at home plate.

“It feels great; I’m so excited right now,” said Colleran, who struck out eight while allowing only two hits. “They’re a really great team, so I just knew that I had to move the ball around and fool them because I know that every kid on that team can put it over the fence.”

The game had a playoff atmosphere from the first pitch and the Hawks starter was her usual dominant self. Smith, who recorded her 1,000th career strikeout last week, started the game by striking out two batters in three of the first four innings. She finished with 17 for the game and allowed only one hit in the defeat.

After 35 consecutive wins, Milford head coach Brian Macchi was philosophical about the team’s first loss since the 2011 state semifinal against Amherst and its first loss as a Hockomock League team.

“It was two great teams going at it and in my opinion the two best pitchers and it showed. Shannon pitched great, Meg pitched great and it was fun to be a part of,” Macchi said.

He continued, “It’s been a while since we’ve lost a game and come back to work the next day. For me as a coach, you lose to a caliber team like North, we can learn from this and come back tomorrow and go to work. It’s definitely a learning experience for us and we’ll turn this into a positive.”

While Colleran was excellent in the circle, North also made several plays to get out of potential scoring situations. After a single by Smith in the first inning, North first baseman Jackie Del Bonis snared a line drive by Fairbanks to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth Costello picked a hard grounder by Bonvino to prevent the heart of the order from coming up. In the bottom of the eighth, second baseman Gifford made a perfect throw home to prevent the winning run from scoring.

Following North’s shocking loss to Attleboro last Thursday, Wallace was thrilled to see his team bounce back with a total team effort and to pull the biggest upset of the softball season.

“Wins and losses in April aren’t as important as wins and losses in June, but from a team standpoint, I think now they believe, you know what, we’re with the Milfords and the [King Philips],” said Wallace.

“We were all really bummed out,” said Colleran about the team’s attitude after the loss to the Bombardiers. “I think this is huge, especially a game when we think we are underdogs. It could kick start us and boost us through the rest of the season.”

Macchi was thrilled about the playoff atmosphere surrounding the game and noted that Division 1 South is going to be a stacked sectional from top to bottom. He is hoping that this loss will add motivation for the Hawks to keep improving.

“Today was a great test and something that we can build on,” Macchi explained. “I am looking forward to practice tomorrow with these girls and seeing how hungry they are.”

AGAWAM, Mass. -- There are many adjectives you could attach to Reilly Weiners: fierce and competitor are a few that quickly come to mind.

A senior catcher at Agawam High School, Weiners is considered by many to be the best at her position in the state, let alone New England.

The Brownies are a perennial state softball power and Weiners is a big reason why. Last year, she batted .531 with 32 RBI in 77 plate appearances, helping guide Agawam to the Division 1 Western Mass. title before falling in the state semifinal to pitcher extraordinaire Shannon Smith and the Milford Scarlet Hawks, who went on to capture the state crown.

Weiners says the bitter taste of that defeat still remains and will only disperse should the Brownies get back to the state championship round and a possible rematch with Milford.

“I think talent-wise we are a better team than we were last year,” said Weiners. “We were thrilled to win Western Mass. last year because that is always one of our goals. But we want to go beyond that. I’d love to get back to the states and face Shannon Smith again. As a team we think about it all the time and it is definitely something that drives us.”

With Weiners orchestrating the leadership among this club, a second meeting with the Scarlet Hawks (albeit it would be in the state final this year now that Milford has now moved to Eastern Mass.) remains a possibility. Presently sitting at 4-3, the Brownies still have some work to do in the hotly-contested Valley League.

Few catchers are able to master their position the way Wieners has. Not only is she exceptional defensively, whether it be blocking balls in the dirt or throwing out would-be base runners, but also has the high IQ to control a game. Earning the trust of her head coach Kathy Georgina, Wieners has been handed the responsibility to be the coach on the field. Quite often you will find her moving her defensive mates around the infield in preparation against a particular opposing batter or lining up players up on cutoffs and relays. Offensively, she is a natural contact hitter with power.

“She really is amazing,” said Georgina, now in her 11th season at the helm, and a star in her own right at Springfield College. “I’ve known Reilly since kindergarten and watching her throw a ball as a first-grader in my physical education classes, I knew then she would be a good one someday. She is very sound technically. It is a blessing for me to have a player like her on this team. She knows the game inside and out and is one of the best high school players I have ever seen. It is also a luxury to have a catcher who can run the team on the field the way she does.”

Of all the things Wieners has accomplished on the field, perhaps the biggest, and most-difficult, one took place off of it. Admitting she was not pleased with her physical stature a year ago, Weiners was determined to do something about it. Her struggles with obesity, she believed, was limiting her abilities as an athlete. Once the high school season was over last June, Weiners adopted a daily ritual of distance running, weight lifting, cardio-vascular drills and maintaining a healthy diet. The end result was her shedding more than 80 pounds over the fall and winter.

“I felt good hitting last season but I just didn’t feel I was able to give 100 percent of my physical self everyday,” Weiners said. “After last season I started to work out hard every day. I think what I have done and still doing is only going to make me better. I am one who wants to get better at something each and every day. I feel like I have proven to myself and those who had doubted me wrong. I feed off of that every single day.”

Weiners admits she wasn’t proud in having difficulty taking part in team conditioning drills. On numerous occasions she was unable to finish jogging laps or run wind sprints, often finding herself short of breath. Realizing she would be going into her senior year as a team captain and leader, Wieners knew her lifestyle and eating habits had to change immediately. Now, with the excess weight gone, Weiners says she feels like a completely different person.

“I go out now and lead both physically and mentally and it feels great,” she said. “I feel I get a lot more out of the practices now than I ever did before. I can do all the conditioning drills without any problems. I feel a lot better about myself. I enjoy being out here playing and having fun instead of struggling just trying to get through it like I did in the past. [My weight] really held me back. Now I am a lot more excited to come out here every day and show that I have been working very hard with my conditioning and it is starting to pay off for me.”

From a softball perspective, because she is such an imposing force at the plate, Georgina says some opposing teams have already decided to pitch around her, which, in turn, has limited her production at the plate up to this point. Teams seem complacent to put her on base rather than feel her wrath with the bat. But sooner or later teams will have to pitch to her and take their chances.

With five new faces on the Brownies roster this season, Weiners, along with the other returning players, are making a point to remind all of them what the Brownies mission is for this year.

“We relay a message to them all the time about the hunger all of us returning players have to get back [to the state tournament],” she said. “We want to make sure they understand that. It sucked losing 13-0 to Milford last year and we want to be the team that beats them this year. We have great team bonding sessions here and we talk about that goal all the time.”

While Weiners has been nothing short of spectacular during her time at Agawam, freshman pitcher Allison Wheeler has also begun to open up some eyes. Sporting a blazing fastball, to go along with a baffling change-up and curve, Wheeler says having a veteran player the likes of Weiners as her battery mate has made her transition to the varsity level much smoother.

“I feel so comfortable pitching to Rielly,” Wheeler said. “As a freshman playing on varsity, I am so lucky to have a catcher like her behind the plate. She has helped me out in so many ways and keeps me calm when I get into tight situations. I feel it is a real honor for me to be pitching to her. Our relationship is very good and I think it will only get stronger moving forward. She is the best catcher that has ever caught for me and probably will be the best that I will ever pitch to.”

There is no arguing the fact that Wieners is a Division 1 college talent. Enough so that she was heavily recruited by a number of quality programs, including national powers Tennessee and UMass-Amherst. An honors student, Wieners has remained true in her beliefs that academics holds a higher importance than softball. That being said, she has committed to attend and play for Wesleyan University next season, majoring in English/Journalism.

“Reilly has made it clear from the beginning that she wanted to go to a college that had her major and also had a solid academic reputation,” Georgina said. “She didn’t want to somewhere to just play softball. Wesleyan had everything she was looking for and I think is a perfect fit for her.”

Weiners is the latest in a line of outstanding catchers who have played here. In the early 2000s, Teresa Bonavita was a much-heralded backstop who went on to star at AIC and later Temple University. Amy Mantha followed Bonavita and carved her own notch at Agawam before moving on to a successful career at Post University. Says Wieners, both left an indelible mark at Agawam and to her personally. Having grown up watching Bonavita and Mantha only heightened her desire to follow admirably in their footsteps. Another inspiration came from her father, Don. Also a catcher in baseball, Weiners says she would watch her father play in a local 30-and-older league and quickly noticed the style in which he played and started taking mental notes.

“You could say playing catcher is sort of in my blood,” laughs Weiners. “I used to watch his games and he was very assertive behind the plate. He would take control of a game as catcher and I guess I picked up that trait from him.”

Weiners says her biggest fan is her mother, Dion Berte, who regularly attends Agawam’s games, cheering both her daughter and the Brownies on.

“My mother is truly amazing,” Weiners said with a smile. “She doesn’t know a lot about the game but is here all the time rooting us on. To be totally honest I don’t think I would have been able to do any of this without her and her support. She is so awesome.”

And in turn, Agawam would not be in the position it is in without her.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Heading into the match-up between North Attleborough and King Philip, there was some talk that this might finally be the year that the Rocketeers take the Hockomock League title from the Warriors. Following Wednesday afternoon’s game, it is clear that there is still some work to be done to catch KP.

The Warriors scored four runs in the first three innings and got an impressive pitching performance from senior Anna O’Neill (nine strikeouts) to beat North 6-1 and take an early first step towards another Kelley-Rex division title.

“Obviously, that’s a good team and anytime you play a good team, you want to come out on top,” said King Philip’s first-year head coach Norm Beauchemin. “It was an important game for us because you want to be on top of the league. You don’t want to be chasing someone; you want them to be chasing you.”

The Warriors took the lead on the first batter of the second inning. O’Neill, who drove in a pair of runs in addition to her dominating work in the circle, crushed a 2-2 pitch deep over the fence in straightaway center.

KP broke the game open in the very next inning.

Clean-up hitter Renee Poirier plated Breanna Shaffer with an infield single to make it 2-0. O’Neill followed that with a sacrifice fly on a hard hit line drive to right that brought home Tori Constantin. Casey Hutnyan followed with a single to right that brought home Poirier to make it 4-0.

It was a big inning for the Warriors, but the hardest hit ball off Rocketeers starter Meg Colleran was the line drive out by O’Neill. After the inning ended, North Attleborough head coach Bill Wallace brought his team together and told them that reaching the next level means making those types of plays.

Four runs was enough for O’Neill, who allowed only three base runners (two of them on walks) through the first five innings. Although North started to have better at bats in the later innings, Beauchemin was nonchalant about the effort of his senior.

He explained, “Anna was on. She threw the ball well. If they put the ball in play, hopefully we make the plays.”

The Warriors added a pair of runs with two outs in the sixth inning. Shannon Jones lined a base hit to right that tipped off the webbing of North first baseman Allison Paquin’s glove. That was followed by a triple down the leftfield line by pinch-hitter Christa Wagner. Wagner scored on a single by Shaffer to make it 6-0.

With six runs against North, KP has scored 30 runs in the three wins that followed its shutout loss to Milford. Beauchemin credited the Warriors’ success to a more disciplined approach at the plate.

“We were undisciplined that day and the girls know it,” he remarked. “These girls swing the bat well. They actually like to see pitchers like this, top pitchers; it makes for a more interesting game. Everybody’s level of play goes up.”

North got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Leadoff hitter Rose Mooney beat out a grounder to third and two batters later advanced to third on a single by Colleran. She came home to score on a grounder up the middle by catcher Meghan Wynn that was bobbled by KP shortstop Ashley Hession but right to Constantin to get the force at second.

Despite the loss, Wallace was proud of how his team battled. North were without middle of the order hitter Jackie Del Bonis, who injured her ankle playing field hockey, and played freshman Mycala Moody at third base for the first time. Also, Colleran made the start despite battling illness.

“We probably had seven or eight 3-2 counts, Marissa Gifford had an 11 or 12-pitch at-bat her first time up, so I thought that was good today,” Wallace remarked. “Those are two of the best pitchers in the league and I thought both teams did a good job with their plate approach.”

He added, “Just a lot of stuff fell in today. Tip your hat to them and move on.”

Both teams step outside the Hockomock League in their next games. King Philip will host Shrewsbury on Friday, while North Attleborough travels to Durfee on Saturday.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its recipients in each sport for its Coach of the Year awards. Each coach will be recognized at the third annual MIAA Coach of the Year/Student-­Athlete of the Month banquet on Wednesday, May 29.

Below are the winners:

Chris Gould, Amherst - Boys' Outdoor Track
Robert L'Homme, Bishop Feehan - Girls' Cross Country
Thomas Rivet, Chicopee - Boys Soccer
Donald Savi, Dedham - Girls Soccer
Chris Sweet, Duxbury - Boys Lacrosse
Friend Weiler, Duxbury - Girls Ice Hockey
Kirk Fredericks, LincolnSudbury - Baseball
Alyssa Schatzel, Masconomet - Girls Volleyball
Brenda Sullivan, Maynard - Field Hockey
Michael Kirby, Narragansett - Softball
Robert Ryan, New Bedford - Boys Tennis
Wayne Griffin, North Attleborough - Wrestling
Paul Worth, North Shore Tech - Football
Jose Rocha, Peabody - Boys' Cross Country
Shawn Thornton, Pope John XXIII - Girls Basketball
Jeff Nelson, Reading - Boys' Golf
Mark Pierce, St. Bernard's - Boys Basketball

GRAFTON, Mass. -- The events which took place last June at Rockwood Field in Worcester are scrapbook material now. After 10 months of celebration, pats on the back and congratulatory messages, the Grafton High softball team is back at work.

What is different this year than in years past is the Indians return as defending Division 2 state champions. But if you ask any of the returning players about last season’s magical run, they are quick to point out that was last year and this is this year.

What Grafton accomplished a year ago was historical and undaunting. The Indians were considered a strong program, according to those who follow this game closely, but not one who was expected to vie for a Central Mass. crown let alone a state championship. But this team refused to buy into the banter. From the opening game of last season, Grafton ran amuck through Central Mass., winning its first 19 games. A setback against St. Peter-Marian did little in changing the course of the Indians prolific ride. They rolled through the Central Mass. postseason tournament, bumped off Western Mass. champ Hampshire Regional in the state semifinal, before slipping past Abington to secure a state crown.

“There is no way I will ever forget the experiences of last year,” said junior pitcher Kendal Roy, a key component to last season’s success after going 18-1 inside the circle, sporting an 0.72 ERA and recording 176 strikeouts. “That was the best time ever. But it’s 2013 now and 2012 is over. It’s a new season. We have some new girls added this year and lost a couple from last year’s team. What we did last year doesn’t matter anymore. We need to come out this year and redeem ourselves and show we are still the same team.

"We are young and even if we don’t win we know will live another day and move on. I think that’s the way to view all of this.”

Starting on varsity as a freshman, Roy, who was selected to last year’s ESPN Boston MIAA softball All-State Team, carried an overall record of 43-5 into the 2013 season. It's unfathomable what that mark could be once she graduates next year. Roy has become one of the premier hurlers in the state and should carry that torch through the next two years.

“We know we have one of the best pitchers in Central Mass.," 14-year head coach John Gemme said. “In most cases, once we get a lead you start feeling a little more comfortable with Kendal [Roy] on the mound. She never gets rattled and she never thinks she is better than anyone else on this team. I know in a lot of cases where someone gets most of the accolades and it gives them a big head but that has never been the case with Kendal.”

When asked about her own personal accomplishments, Roy is quick to defer the spotlight on to herself, instead choosing to talk about team achievement. That is one of the reasons why the chemistry among this group has remained so positive. Everyone on this team gets along with one another and there is not a shred of animosity to be found. To a player, the Indians play as one complete unit. Their mission and purpose approaching each season never changes.

“One thing about this team is we have very few who take the winters off, put the glove away and don’t see it again until now,” said assistant coach Mike Roy, Kendal's father. “That’s why we are where we are. The majority of these girls are constantly working on their game throughout the winter months because they want to get better.”

You will often hear music blaring from a boom box inside their dugout, as part of the Indians' pre-game routine. During games, team members huddle in unison to sing songs and shout out various chants of support. In essence, you would be hard-pressed to find another program more loose, upbeat and relaxed as this one.

“As long as we are doing what we are supposed to be doing out on the field I don’t think it’s a problem for us to have some fun while we do it,” said Tara FaFord, a senior third baseman who will play at the University of Bridgeport next season.

It's no secret that teams will be gunning for the Indians this year, although Grafton is already off to a 5-0 start. That is the scenario most teams face in their attempts to defend a title.

But Grafton offers up a simple response: bring it on.

“We know everyone we play is going to bring their best game at us,” senior catcher and Bryant University commit Ali Page said. “Every team we play is going to look at us like it is their Super Bowl. Last year, we were very methodical in how we did things and took a game-by-game approach. I feel we need to continue to do that again this year in order to remain successful.”

One thing that doesn't get brought up is the added pressure of trying to win back-to-back crowns. Talk of a repeat is never uttered. At least not yet. Gemme says he prefers to play out the regular season first and see what happens from there.

“Last year these girls showed up everyday trying to get better at something,” he said. “This year we are approaching it the same way. As a coach you ask yourself what do I need to do to make us get better because everyone else you play against is going to try and knock us off. Those teams are going to continue to work to get better and we need to do the same thing.”

Only one time last season did Grafton not play to its capability. What a late season defeat to St. Peter-Marian, a team that finished with 11 losses and failed to qualify for the postseason, did was only spoil an opportunity for a perfect season and, in turn, serve as a wake up call.

“Getting that taste in your mouth of losing was something we hadn’t experienced all year,” FaFord said. “We sort of forgot how to lose so after losing that game we all agreed that we never wanted to feel that way again.”

Added Roy, “The St. Peter-Marian loss was probably the best thing that could’ve happened to us. We were so high about being 19-0 heading into that game and to be taken out by a team that didn’t even make the districts proved that we are human and we can lose a softball game if we fail to show up and play.”

GRAFTON, Mass. -- During the top of the sixth inning, and her team locked in a tight-fisted 1-1 duel against Division 1 foe Holy Name, Grafton ace pitcher Kendal Roy began to sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” from inside her dugout. Her teammates quickly caught on and followed her lead. Suddenly a chorus of this famous song resonated all over Nelson Field.

This is the demeanor of the Indians. They play relaxed, are never uptight and have a great time playing the game they love. This off-beat conduct certainly has paid dividends for Grafton in the past. Last year, they won the Division 2 state championship boosted by the same mannerisms. On Wednesday, this personality helped carry them again as the Indians erupted for seven runs in the sixth to claim an 8-5 victory over the Naps.

“To us a 1-1 game is definitely different than losing 1-0,” said Roy, who allowed six hits while striking out nine which gives her 59 for the season. “When we tied it, 1-1, we all looked at it as if it was a 0-0 game. Once we tied it we knew we were doing fine.”

Holy Name hurler Kelsey Saucier (7 hits, 9 walks, 8 Ks) was in control early, holding the Indians to a single run through five innings. But things unraveled quickly for her in the decisive inning. The junior had lost command of her blazing fastball, as many pitches were starting to finish high above the strike zone.

Saucier opened the inning by plunking Tara FaFord, walking Michelle Goulet and allowing Marissa Ruggiero to reach safely on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. With the pressure on, Saucier threw a belt-high fastball to Tess Fitzmaurice, who roped a three-run triple to center making the score 4-1. Makayla Ritzie followed by lining a double to left scoring Fitzmaurice. Ritzie would later score on a fielder’s choice putting the Indians ahead 6-1. Two more Saucier walks resulted in two more runs on RBI singles from Roy and FaFord.

“It’s the beginning of the season and we’re not quite in shape yet,” Naps coach Aimee Lee said. “I think that was a main factor today and once they started getting hits we started getting that feeling of being defeated.”

That feeling didn’t resonate for to long. Holy Name (2-1) made a valiant comeback attempt in the bottom of the sixth. A pair of Grafton errors led to two runs making it an 8-3 contest. The Naps closed to within three run following RBI by Heather Drummond and Deanna DiPilato.

But Roy bore down from there allowing no further damage.

“I owe this entire game to my team,” added Roy, her team now 5-0. “We got some huge hits when we needed them and it really boosted our confidence and energy. These are the types of games that push us to be as good as we can be. Holy Name is a great team and we knew going in it would be a great game. These are the games that make us a better team.”

The Naps grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening frame when Ana Biney (3 hits) scored from second on a two-out single by Saucier. Holy Name had a couple of opportunities to add to its total in the early going but a couple of web gems from center fielder Kate Cardoza kept it a one run game.

Grafton eventually tied things in the fifth. Ritzie, the No. 9 hitter, led off with a single, stole second and took third on a pass ball. The junior came home moments later on a Saucier wild pitch.

“Everything seemed to come together for us in that sixth inning,” Grafton coach John Gemme said. “But even before that Kate [Cardoza] made some great plays in center field for us which, if she hadn’t, could’ve changed the complexion of this game [Ritzie] has been working really hard at getting her swing more compact and today it showed with her getting a couple of hits. For Tess [Fitzmaurice], getting that triple was huge. It was her first hit of the year and came at a good time. She has been working very hard on her hitting and it certainly paid off today.”

STARTING ROTATION
Megan Colleran, Jr., North Attleborough
Anna O'Neill, Sr., King Philip
Lauren Ramirez, Sr., Dracut
Kendal Roy, Jr., Grafton
Shannon Smith, Sr., Milford

STARTING NINE
Tori Constantin, Sr. 2B, King Philip
Stephanie Cornish, Sr. 3B, Abington
Alexis DeBrosse, Sr. SS, New Bedford
Caroline Fairbanks, Sr. 3B, Milford
Nicole Lundstrom, Sr. C, Dighton-Rehoboth
Bella Picard, Sr. SS, Blackstone Valley Tech
Madi Shaw, Jr. SS, Bridgewater-Raynham
Dakota Smith-Porter, Sr., P/SS, Turners Falls
Reilly Weiners, Sr. C, Agawam

WATCH LIST
Olivia Antczak, Soph. P, Central Catholic
Allie Colleran, Jr. SS/OF, Concord-Carlisle
Megan Cook, Jr. P, Bellingham
Haley Currie, Sr. 3B, Burlington
Sara Dawson, Soph. P, Bridgewater-Raynham
Kaleigh Finigan, Sr. 3B, St. Mary's (Lynn)
Bridget Furlong, Sr. 2B, Malden
Courtney Girouard, Jr. P, Fairhaven
Galen Kerr, Sr. P, Concord-Carlisle
Taylor LeBrun, Soph. C, Milford
Rachel Levine, Sr. CF, Milford
Michaela Mazure, Soph. INF, Burlington
Shannon McLaughlin, Jr. P, Tewksbury
Paige Mulry, Jr. C, Boston Latin
MacKenzie Navarro, Jr. 1B, Taunton
Alicia Reid, Sr. CF, Abington
Kelsey Saucier, Jr. P, Holy Name
Rachael Smith, Jr. P, Winchester
Lauren Tuiskula, Sr. P, Leicester
Jurnee Ware, Sr. P, Hudson

MILFORD, Mass. – The representing winners of the last three Division 1 state softball championships faced off Thursday. And, while most teams are feeling their way through the early season, a duel between Milford and King Philip always enlists a certain amount of intensity.

Reigning ESPN Boston Miss Softball award winner Shannon Smith looked near mid-season form in the circle for the Scarlet Hawks with 14 strikeouts in a complete-game, one-hitter in a 3-0 win over their new Hockomock League rival.

“You just look at this first week and playing a team like Taunton and then King Philip here, you know you were going have a test, big time,” Milford head coach Brian Macchi said. “We knew we were going to have an early indication of where we stand.

Milford (2-0, 2-0 Hockomock) churned out nine hits against Warriors starter Anna O’Neill and took an early lead in the second. Elizabeth Stallone drove in Caroline Fairbanks with a two-out single.

The Scarlet Hawks continued to produce with two outs in the fifth, when they pushed across a couple of insurance runs. Smith shot an opposite field single to the gap, scoring Sam Bonvino for a two-run cushion before Rachel Levine smacked a single to left, scoring Jenny Levine, who was running for Smith.

“In a game like this, you’re looking at one-to-nothing, as it could be the decider,” Macchi said. “But tacking on two runs … you just have that much more confidence as the game goes on.”

“She battled and found a way to get us another run, which was important.”

“She’s realizing that it’s her senior year and this is her last go-round. She’s relishing the opportunity to really leave on high note.”

“It’s a nice welcome to the league. It’ll be nice to see how the rivalries develop through time.”

WELCOME TO THE SHOW
With the addition of Milford and Taunton into the Hockomock League this year, both the Kelley-Rex and Davenport divisions have turned into an effective softball super conference.

While the defending champion Scarlet Hawks make their move from the Central sectional into the South, Macchi and his team realize how perilous the move could prove. They need look no further than their Thursday opponent, the owners of back-to-back state titles in 2010 and ’11.

The Warriors (1-1) have a new look this season, with an entirely new battery. O’Neill (10 strikeouts) takes over in the circle for Meghan Rico (George Washington) while junior Jordan Schaffer slides in behind the plate, taking over for another two-time ESPN Boston All-State selection in Olivia Godin (UMass-Amherst). KP also has a new head coach, as longtime Case bench boss Norm Beauchemin takes over for Jim Leonard.

And while the Warriors might be a team in (relative) transition, the Milford hurler still knew what the game represented.

“It means a lot to us,” Smith said. “It gives us confidence heading into the season just because it’s so early on and we’ve only played one other game. It shows us the potential we have. If we can beat a team like that this early, think of where we could be at the end of the year.”

As far as debuts go, you can't get much better than former King Philip ace and Wrentham native Meghan Rico.

In 2010, after a late-season injury to their star pitcher, then-sophomore Rico took over the reigns of the staff and led the Warriors to the first of back-to-back state titles.

Yeterday in Buies Creek, N.C., at the Hampton Inn Invitational on the campus of Campbell University, Rico tossed a no-hitter in her freshman debut for George Washington University. Rico walked four and struck out six, as the Colonials mercy-ruled Seton Hall, 8-0, in five innings.

She is the first GW rookie to throw a no-hitter, and is just the third pitcher in program history to achieve the feat.

Rico earned ESPNBoston.com's inaugural Miss Softball honor, awarded to the state's top overall player, in 2011 as a junior. That year, she led the Warriors to the second straight MIAA Division 1 state title, 21-0 with a minuscule ERA of 0.15. She allowed just 29 hits over 144 innings thrown with 313 strikeouts, 24 walks, two perfect games and just three earned runs. Last spring, she went 17-3 on the mound, striking out 274 in 142 innings thrown while surrendering just 10 earned runs all season.

Leicester softball senior pitcher Lauren Tuiskula has given a verbal commitment to Amherst College.

The left-hander led the Wolverines to back-to-back Division 2 Central title game appearances and winning a sectional crown in 2011.

Last year, Tuiskula registered an ERA of 0.93 while batting .610 at the plate. In 2011, she tallied an 1.00 ERA with a batting average of .524.

King Philip softball head coach Jim Leonard told ESPN Boston Thursday that he's stepping down from his post.

Leonard, who works in the special education department at KP, cited his family's importance and being able to spend more time with his children as the deciding factors.

The Warriors won back-to-back state Division 1 championships in 2010 and 2011 during Leonard's 10-season tenure on the bench. KP also claimed the last six consecutive Hockomock League titles and accumulated a record of 149-17 under Leonard.

Last Friday, principals from the Northeastern Conference member schools voted to allow Saugus High to leave the conference, effective for the 2013-14 schools year, for the Cape Ann League.

Saugus High athletic director first confirmed the news Friday afternoon with a post on the Saugus Athletics Twitter account. The Sachems will become the 13th member of the league, essentially taking the place of North Andover, which left the CAL this year for the Merrimack Valley Conference.

Nelson issued a statement to the Boston-area media this afternoon candidly explaining the rationale:

I am pleased to announce that Saugus High School is the newest member of the Cape Ann League. This past Friday the Northeastern Conference principals voted to allow Saugus High School to leave the conference effective next fall. The Cape Ann League had already approved this move a week prior. Principal Joe Diorio and I both believe that being a member of the Cape Ann League is the best situation for our student-athletes and we are excited to start this endeavor.

Though we highly respect the Northeastern Conference, we feel the Cape Ann League is better suited for Saugus High School. The two major reasons for this historic decision are simple: size and competitiveness. As of today, SHS has 699 students and the average size of the schools in the CAL is 678 students; as opposed to the NEC, where the average size school is over 1200. SHS is a Division 3 school and 10 of the 12 schools in the CAL are Division 3; as opposed to the NEC, where 9 of the 12 schools are either Division 1 or Division 2. Based on this fact, SHS has not experienced a great deal of success during the regular season. In fact, SHS has won only 2 NEC Championships (lacrosse 2008 & softball 2011) over the past six years. Though the CAL is also a highly competitive conference, we believe SHS will experience more in-season success based on the parity of the league and the size of all the schools in the conference.

Over the past year I have been in constant conversations with my coaches regarding this possible move and I have been getting their feedback on the pros and cons for their individual programs. As the Athletic Director, it is my job, and my responsibility to do what is best for all the athletes in my program and not to focus on just one team. With this said, and to the contrary of what many believe, this move to the CAL is not a decision based solely on football, but rather a decision on what is best for our overall athletic program.

I have heard comments that this move is based around football; which although this move will help our football program, it is not the driving force. Again, this decision is based on what we believe is best for all our student-athletes! I understand there are issues for some programs based on their strong tradition, such as hockey, and I completely respect these concerns and the tradition. I have given my word to my coaches that we will continue to play such NEC schools that have strong traditions in specific sports; such as Winthrop, Beverly, and Danvers in hockey.

I also understand the concerns that there is more travel involved in playing in the CAL, which is true; but it is not as bad as one would think. Many of the CAL schools are directly located off of I95 and one would be able to get to these schools in the same time frame as many of the NEC schools. Yes, the distance is further,but the time to get there is equivalent.

Overall, I am very grateful to the NEC, the CAL, the Saugus School Committee, and the MIAA for allowing this opportunity for our student-athletes. I believe this change will have a positive influence on our athletic program, on the town and, most importantly it will be beneficial for the student-athletes at Saugus High School.

North Attleborough junior pitcher Megan Colleran has committed to UMass-Amhherst, her father Dennis tells us today.

Colleran was an ESPN Boston second-team All-State selection last year while leading the Red Rocketeers to a Division 1 South sectional semifinal appearance.

In her sophomore season, Colleran posted an 18-5 record with an 1.07 ERA. She racked up 203 strikeouts in 151 innings pitched with eight shutouts. At the plate, Colleran hit .410 with three home runs and 20 RBI.

Bridgewater-Raynham junior All-State shortstop Madi Shaw gave her verbal commitment to Fordham University during the weekend.

The two-year starter powered the Trojans to their first-ever Division 1 South sectional crown. Shaw hit .471 with eight home runs and 34 RBI for the Old Colony League champions last year.

“It’s a great academic school, and I just feel in love with the campus,” Shaw told ESPN Boston. “The coaches and the girls were great, too.

“The whole process has been exhilarating. I’m just so happy that I found the best school for me.”

Blackstone Valley Tech senior shortstop Bella Picard sure has accomplished a lot in her three-year softball career. The former soccer standout was forced to trade the pitch in for the diamond going into high school due to injury problems. But Picard, an Upton resident who signed her National Letter of Intent to St. Joseph’s last week, has been a quick study.

In her junior year, Picard led the nation in batting average, hitting at an .877 clip (57 hits in 65 at-bats) for the Beavers during the regular season.

Next year, Picard will become the first-ever Blackstone Valley athlete to play a Division 1 sport.

We caught up with Picard following her signing for this Q-and-A:

Q: You are still a relative newcomer to softball. What took you so long?

A: “The only reason I didn’t want to play softball [growing up] was because I thought everything was done underhand. I thought if I was playing shortstop that I have to huck it underhanded over to first base. It’s pretty embarrassing, right? But it worked out. I wouldn’t have ever picked up a bat if not for my dad.”

Q: How were you able to pick up the sport so quickly and have such success?

A: “Ralph Raymond, my summer coach, he’s taught me so much about the game – not even how to swing a bat, but the mental game. He knows more about the game than anyone. My high school coach, Denise Medaglia, she got me set up with Max Preps and setting me up to get [my batting average] out there.”

Q: Was there a time when you started to believe that you’d be able to play at the next level?

A: “I think sophomore year was the year I started getting out there, I went to some clinics in California, but I didn’t even really know how to swing a bat yet. I think a lot of them found me because of that. The University of Florida coach [Tim Walton] called to congratulate me on the season I had. Then Fordham, Syracuse, Boston University, all of them found out. But, if it wasn’t for my high school coach, that never would’ve happened.”

Q: What does it mean to you to be the first-ever from Blackstone Valley to sign?

A: “It’s great, I just found out on Signing Day, my athletic director [Michele Denise] said that she’d looked through the records and I definitely was the first one to go D-1 from the school.”

Q: Do you believe the perception exists that athletes from vocational schools are not viewed in the same regard as other high school athletes?

A: “That just drove me. Seeing things in the paper every day about Nipmuc and Milford and all their big accomplishments, I just thought why not BVT. It’s such a good school, and just because we don’t always get the best athletes, that doesn’t mean that we can’t play. That definitely drove me.”

Q: After a nearly perfect season last year at the plate, what do you hope to accomplish in your senior season?

A: “I just want to take home districts. We’re so overdue it’s not even funny. The last couple of years, the way our seasons have gone, it’s always been something, but it’s got to happen. I don’t care about my stats, personally, I just want our team to get there.”