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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.

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.”

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Putnam, on the heels of winning its first-ever boys’ Division 1 Western Mass. championship, continued its historic season with a 52-39 win over Central Mass. champ Milford in the state semifinal at the DCU Center in Worcester on Wednesday night.

Putnam (23-1) did the way its done it all year, with rebounding and defense. The Beavers outrebounded the Scarlet Hawks 36-16, 16-7 on the offensive glass and forced 18 turnovers, earning a trip to the state final to play Mansfield on Saturday.

The Beavers held a one-point advantage over Milford (20-4) in the third quarter. Putnam up the defensive intensity and rallied off 10 straight points to head into the fourth quarter with a 42-31 lead. Putnam had switched from its typical man-to-man defense to a 1-3-1, which slowed down the Milford offense, which had scored the first six points off the half to take a one-point advantage.

“It kind of confused them for a while,” Putnam head coach William Shepard said. “It took away their energy. When we went into the zone, they got a little stagnant and didn’t really know what to do. Then they started to settle for jump shots.”

Milford hung tough and cut the lead to six several times in the fourth quarter, off threes from Aaron Anniballi and Christopher Brown. Putnam countered by pushing the tempo. David Murrell hit a free throw after getting fouled, Jonathan Garcia came away with a breakaway lay-in and Kayjuan Bynum turned pressure into a transition layup, upping the lead to 11 with under a minute to go.

“That team; the quickness, you can’t match that,” Anniballi said. “You can’t practice for that.”

“We played teams that quick, but we haven’t played teams that quick with that kind of chemistry.” added Mike Tiltlebaum. “We’ve played good teams where we’d break them a part. Mentally we’re tough. That chemistry and their quickness got us in the end."

Putnam led early in the game, 20-9, but when Garcia went to the bench with his second foul, the Scarlet Hawks went on an 11-0 run and used a 2-3 zone to limit the Beaver offense, yet the Beavers regrouped and entered intermission with a 27-22 lead.

Putnam was led by Dizel Wright’s 17 points and 12 rebounds (eight offensive). Bynum added 15 and 13 while Murrell and Garcia added nine each. All Milford players were held to single digits with David Mercier lead the Scarlet Hawks with nine points.

Putnam's size is irrelevant: Putnam went up against the heralded front line of Kamari Robinson and Chris Baldwin in the Western Mass. final and out worked Springfield Central’s duo to take down its city rival.

No one who played for Putnam on Tuesday night stood more than 6-foot-3. Milford started 6-foot-7 David Mercier and 6-foot-5 Michael Tracy. From the start of the game Putnam was the aggressive on the glass and it showed when 5-foot-10 Dizel Wright hauled in 12 rebounds (eight offensive).

Bynum led the team with 13 boards, but seven of Wright’s first eight rebounds were offensive and helped the Beavers head into the locker room with a five-point edge.

“I like to control the ball and see where the ball is going,” Wright said. “I try to pace myself. Timing is key.”

The Beavers defense on the perimeter has continued to be great and when they went to a 1-3-1 zone in the third quarter it stopped Milford from scoring while Putnam scored 10 unanswered.

“Their 1-3-1 zone is really good, and they’re really quick to the ball,” Anniballi said. “They leak out too so you have to be prepared for that. The zone hit us hard.”

Milford’s best offensive success of the night came when Jonathan Garcia picked up his second foul under a minute to go in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Milford went on an 11-0 run, but when Garcia came back on the floor he blocked shots on consecutive plays, deflected multiple passes and steals.

“Jonathan is one of our mainstays defensively,” Shepard said. “Something’s a little different when Jon Jon isn’t in the game.”

Milford’s season comes to an end: Like Putnam, Milford was a hard working team, overlooked for the majority of the season and often picked against during the postseason. As the clock hit triple zeros and the handshakes were finished senior captain Mike Titlebaum led the team over to the fan section where for minutes after the game hugs and thank yous were exchanged after an incredible season.

“They are one of my favorite groups,” Milford head coach Steve Manguso said. “They’re good friends, there’s good chemistry, good leadership. They’ve been a blast. It’s been a great experience.”

Like Putnam, Milford came off an emotional win on Sunday at WPI, dethroning five-time Central Mass. champion, St. John’s Shrewsbury 56-54.

“Our first reaction is obviously sad,” Anniballi said. “We look back at all the things we did in the tournament, throughout the whole season, and throughout of all high school; it’s unreal.”

Titlebaum referred to watching Milford lose to St. John’s in the 2007 sectional final, sparking a dream all of them had to return the favor to the Pioneers if they ever had the chance.

“We lost, but the dream came true,” said Titlebaum. “It was awesome.”

Following the three captains shared the media room with Putnam players David Murrell, Kayjuan Bynum and head coach Will Shepard. They stopped their interviews to wish them luck and congratulate them as they walked out the door.

“I wish we were going to practice tomorrow,” said Manguso. “But there aren’t too many teams practicing right now.”

Other scores from Worcester: For the second consecutive year, Western Mass. swept Central Mass. in the boys’ state semifinals. Tuesday night Smith Academy beat Littleton 72-56 in the D3 semifinal, followed by South Hadley topped St. Bernard’s 63-48 in the D2 semifinal.

EASTERN MASS. FINALS

Boys

D1: Mansfield (24-2) vs. Central Catholic (21-5)
Brendan Hall: Whatever the fourth-quarter lead is, you might as well double it. Both squads are terrific finishing teams. Still, it’s hard for me to go against The Illuminati. Pick: Mansfield
Chris Bradley: The way Central Catholic is playing defensively, they can’t be beaten by anybody in the state. Tyler Nelson is on another level from pretty much any guard in the state in terms of playmaking, while his backcourt mate Lucas Hammel is great on-ball defender. Pick: Central Catholic

D2: Brighton (19-6) vs. Scituate (21-3)
Hall: Last month I said that whoever came out of the D2 North tournament would be battle-tested enough to run the table. Brighton came back stronger than ever after last season’s disappointment, and they are playing as well as any right now. Malik James has been playing his way into Super Team consideration at this current clip. Pick: Brighton
Bradley: Brighton’s toughest tests of the Division 2 tournament have passed—the Bengals beat Melrose and North Andover, two of the best teams in the state. A great season by Scituate, but I can’t see any of the teams left in the Division 2 field hanging with Brighton. Pick: Brighton

D3: Danvers (22-2) vs. Martha’s Vineyard (18-5)
Hall: Save a bad weekend at the Comcast Tournament, Falcons have survived every test given to them this season. With the Vineyard, there is always the element of the great unknown. We know the Vineyarders can run, but so can the Falcons. Pick: Danvers
Bradley: What a run by the Vineyard, beating Wareham in the D3 South final. That being said, Danvers has proven that they are hands-down the best team in the state. Expect a few treys each from Nick McKenna, Nick Bates, and Vinny Clifford. Pick: Danvers

Lynnfield (16-7) vs. Bishop Connolly (18-6)
Hall: Pulling for Scott Barboza’s alma mater to get some hardware here. Pick: Connolly
Bradley: Connolly has a slew of quick, athletic guards who can score and put a lot of pressure on opposing teams defensively. I foresee Lynnfield struggling with that pressure. Pick: Bishop Connolly

Girls

D1: Braintree (24-2) vs. Central Catholic (20-5)
Hall: Defense wins championships, and the Wamps have one of the best defensive players around in Bay State Conference MVP Bridget Herlihy. Four of the Wamps’ five starters are sophomores or younger, including Herlihy, yet this is one of the tallest lineups in the state. Gonna be fun to watch this crew the next few years. Pick: Braintree.
Bradley: Make it another sweep for Central Catholic boys and girls in the state semifinals. I’m calling upset here, expect a huge game from Casey McLaughlin. Pick: Central Catholic

D2: Reading (23-0) vs. Medfield (24-2)
Hall: Would be cool to see one of the state’s finest athletes Jen Narlee bring home a state title in two sports this calendar year, but you don’t get to 48 straight wins without some role players stepping up. Rockets’ workhorse Olivia Healy will get hers, but the hero will once again be someone else. Pick: Reading
Bradley: Well, I don’t have the guts to pick against an Olivia Healy-led team. Anybody who does--feel free to raise your hand. Pick: Reading

D3: Archbishop Williams (21-5) vs. Pentucket (24-1)
Hall: Does this qualify as an upset if I go with Pentucket? Sachems have been quietly waiting in the grass all season long. Monday night, they will strike with a first-round haymaker. Pick: Pentucket
Bradley: A great run by Archbishop Williams here in the final stretch of the season. I know this has been a highly-anticipated matchup all year, but I’m going to pick what some may call the “upset” and go with Pentucket, but expect an absolute thriller Pick: Pentucket

D4: Fenway (14-7) vs. Greater New Bedford (20-4)
Hall: Tajanay Veiga-Lee was the hero last year against this same GNB squad, but I like the Bears getting their revenge Monday night. Pick: Greater New Bedford
Bradley: Fenway's girls are battle-tested and on quite a roll right now, as they've won seven games in a row. Pick: Fenway

***

CENTRAL/WEST FINALS

Boys

D1: Springfield Putnam (22-1) vs. Milford (20-3)
Hall: I love the way Putnam plays so inspired, and their whipping of Springfield Central in Saturday's D1 West Final might be the Beavers' high water mark of the season. Look for big games out of KayJuan Bynum and David Murrell. Pick: Putnam
Bradley: Putnam has more talent and more speed than Milford, but during their tournament run the Hawks have displayed the type of toughness and poise that it takes to go to the state finals. Milford doesn’t have a go-to guy, but they have a team full of kids who aren’t afraid to take the big shot-which is why they’ll beat Putnam and give Central a run for their money in the state finals. Pick: Milford

D2: St. Bernard's (19-4) vs. South Hadley (16-7)
Hall: Bernardians made it this far last year, only to meet a disappointing end. They're back again, and more determined. Pick: St. Bernard's
Bradley: The Bernardians will have a significant size advantage, as well as one of the better scorers in Division 2 in John Crawley. Count on St. Bernard’s to punch their ticket into the D2 state finals. Pick: St. Bernard's

D3: Smith Academy (21-3) vs. Littleton (24-1)
Hall: Here's a team we missed the boat on. Smith took the D3 field by storm, and from what I understand they're a loaded bunch. I like their chances in this one. Pick: Smith Academy
Bradley: Littleton hasn't lost a game since December, thanks mainly to a high-scoring attack and exceptional play from senior guard Chris Murray. They certainly weren't the favorite in a tough D3 Central field, but they made it out alive. Pick: Littleton

Girls

D1: Holy Name (22-2) vs. Chicopee (16-7)
Hall: Junior center and Providence commit Brianna Frias is a monster on the boards, and my pick for Defensive Player of the Year. Long-time Naps coach Barry Finneron has his best shot at a state title in a while. Pick: Holy Name
Bradley: Holy Name is on quite the run and couldn’t be any higher emotionally after absolutely blowing out Wachusett in the D1 Central final. Sophomore Gigi Gunther is a future star. Pick: Holy Name

D2: Nashoba (21-2) vs. Hoosac Valley (19-5)
Hall: Going with strength of schedule in this one, and the Chieftains delivered powerhouse Tyngsborough its first-ever loss within Central Mass. to get to this stage. Pick: Nashoba
Bradley: All five of Nashoba’s starters could be considered go-to scorers, they’ve had such an even scoring attack all year. Their balance offensively is going to give Hoosac plenty of problems. Pick: Nashoba

D3: Lee (18-5) vs. University Park (23-1)
Hall: Death, taxes, and the Lee Wildcats on the DCU Center floor competing for a state title. Pick: Lee
Bradley: Lee is clicking at the right time, beating favored power Sabis in the Western Mass. Division 3 finals. Not only that, Stephanie Young has shown several times this year that she can break 20 or 25 on any given night. Pick: Lee

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Joe Atkinson greeted reporters with a look that was one part ecstatic, one part exhausted.

"I'm dead," the Milford senior laughed. "I hurt my ankle [in the third quarter], but I can't even feel it right now. All adrenaline."

When you're down 18 with the season on the line, before a sweeling crowd in a cauldron like the Harrington Auditorium on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, you tend to go beyond the threshold. Atkinson understood as much, and was just about drained as he went up to contest a three-point attempt by Wachusett's Zack Berman with 44 seconds to go.

Atkinson (11 points) got all ball, and then put in the breakaway layup, for a 45-41 lead. The Scarlet Hawks held on 46-44 to move on to next Sunday's Division 1 Central Final, against St. John's of Shrewsbury, but boy was the outcome hanging by a thread.

"I went crazy. I just knew they were going to shoot it because they had two big men out, so I just went for it," Atkinson said of the block. "After that block, I just got a rush. I felt amazing, it was awesome."

Said Milford head coach Steve Manguso, "Atkinson was unbelievable. That block he made on Berman, making steal after steal, it was an incredible performance."

Michael Tracy came up with a steal for the Hawks with 25 seconds to go, but the ball quickly went the other way after David Mercier (17 points) was called for an offensive foul. The Mountaineers took advantage, with a tip-in from senior forward Alex Cooper (16 points, 10 rebounds) with 12 seconds to go.

Wachusett immediately fouled on the ensuing inbound, putting Atkinson at the line for two. He made the front end, and after he mised the second Cooper smartly tossed the ball off a Milford player out of bounds.

From there, up 46-43, the Hawks decided to foul, putting Berman at the line with five seconds to go. He made the first, and intentionally missed the second, but an ensuing scrum let the ball drift into Milford's end as time expired.

"We had a feeling they were going to foul us up three," Wachusett coach Tom Gibbons said. "So we were hoping Berman could get it and shoot it, and they fouled us right away. Five seconds is a little too short on time in order to have him make the second, so we had him miss and we [hoped to] tip it out fora three actually. But we tipped it too hard -- it's a hard play, but that's what we were trying to do, tip it out and we've got two 3-point shooters right on the line."

Milford trailed by as much as 18 in the third quarter (34-16), and Wachusett's Jesse Maresca hit his stride early. The senior guard had more points in the first half (15) than the entire Milford team, which trailed 27-14 going into the break.

Some schematic adjustments at halftime gave the Hawks some breathing room to work with. A switch in their zone press helped, going from a 2-2-1 to a 2-1-2, matching up out of it and trapping along the sidelines.

The Hawks were also more efficient on the boards, getting great help-side rotation to seal underneath. The Hawks outrebounded the Mountaineers 13-8 in the second half, and held them to 35 percent from the field (7-for-20).

"It was a tale of two halves, I'm real proud of my kids that's for sure," Manguso said. "It was an unbelievable game."

MILFORD, Mass. -– With the new No. 1 team in the state in Mansfield visiting, the No. 23 Milford Hawks (14-2) looked to deliver a knockout punch in the first round.

They landed a shot, but it wasn’t enough to keep Mansfield down, as the Hawks’ first quarter lead turned into a 76-52 loss at the hands of the No. 1 Hornets (16-1).

Milford went toe-to-toe with Mansfield in the first quarter, evening coming away with a 23-22 lead. But as Milford slowed, Mansfield continued to roll, pulling out the 24-point win.

“We’re getting everyone’s best,” Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan said. “It was a great atmosphere. I said to my guys when they called their first timeout at 13-13, ‘They just threw their biggest punch, and we’re still tied.’”

Milford jumped out to an early lead, and extended it to as much as six. Mansfield bounced back to take the lead midway through the quarter, but a free throw at the end of the quarter gave the Hawks the lead.

“They just came out firing,” Mansfield sophomore Brendan Hill said. “I was real proud of my team, we bounced right back. We took their punch and delivered one back.”

After an exciting first quarter, the Hornets stepped up big defensively, only allowing four Milford points in the second quarter on just one field goal and two free throws.

“I think at some level the game fatigue starts to kick in and the adrenaline level starts to come down,” Vaughan said on the contrasting quarters. “It wasn’t as much of an adjustment as it was just executing the game plan a little better.”

Hill and junior Rocky DeAndrade both finished with a team-high 17 points for the Hornets, while Milford senior David Mercier was the only Hawk in double-figures at 21.

DeAndrade and Hill both found success offensively in the third quarter, when Mansfield turned a 11-point halftime lead into a 16-point difference to start the fourth quarter. DeAndrade had nine in the third.

“They started to press us so that started to open up gaps for us,” DeAndrade said. “I was getting deny defense so I started playing the middle.”

As it has been for this season, Mansfield has received strong play from not only the starters, but from their deep bench. Senior Greg Romanko had 13 points, sophomore Ryan Boulter had 12, junior Kevin Conner had 9 and sophomore Michael Boen had 8.

Conner, who didn’t practice yesterday because his knee was bothering him, added a big spark including a first half dunk, and four second-half offensive boards that kept Mansfield’s lead in safe distance.

“He got two [offensive rebounds] off free throws which is unusual and got the big dunk,” Vaughan said. “Defensively, he was outstanding. I was very happy with his play tonight.”

Milford’s Michael Tracy had eight points, while Michael Titlebaum finished with seven.

Both teams will be back in play on Friday in key Hockomock divisional games as Milford hosts Oliver Ames and Mansfield will host No. 20 Taunton.

A WORTHY REMATCH
Mansfield will now look to continue their winning ways on Friday with a visit from the Taunton Tigers. When these two teams met in the beginning of January, the Hornets edged out a 68-62 win. Now Taunton will be looking for revenge and Vaughan expects another great game.

“I say this with Taunton playing a really good game the first time, but I actually expect a better game out of them,” he said. “I’m excited and I’m happy to be at home. They’re backs are against the wall and they pretty much have to win to stay in [Hockomock] contention.”

In the win last time, Hill had 24 points while DeAndrade had 16. Hill expects the same effort from Taunton this time around.

“A lot of energy,” Hill said on what he’s expecting. “They are fast and quick. I think we handled it really well last time. Hopefully we can get out to a bigger lead and open things up a bit.”

1-0 AS NUMBER ONE
Mansfield was ranked as the top team in the state for the first time this season in the latest ESPNBoston.com Top 25 poll that came out this week, but Hill didn’t feel any added pressure with the new number next to the team’s name.

“It doesn’t get to our team’s heads at all,” Hill said. “We just want to go out and win, we’ll beat anyone we play. We don’t get big heads or anything like that. We just want to go out and win.”

When Vaughan saw they were ranked as the best in the state, it brought back a familiar feeling.

“I got the feeling that I got the first time, in my fourth year, when Mansfield showed up in the Top 25,” he said. “It’s not something you can say often for a team for a suburban town in southeastern Massachusetts that you can be number one.”

But Vaughan noted how often the top teams have fallen in the NCAA this season, and hopes his team can use that as a guideline going forward.

“It puts a bigger bulls-eye on our back,” Vaughan said. “At the end of the day, our guys are realistic. We had goal number one of making the tournament. We had goal number two of winning the Hock. Number three is winning games in the tournament. If we can do those things, our goals are accomplished regardless of the additional accolades.”

Taunton High students Bobby Ambrose and Matthew McDonald submit this video tonight of Milford High boys' basketball manager Earl Wilson nailing this tricky halfcourt shot.

Wilson is a Milford resident and 2008 graduate of Keefe Tech who helps manage the Scarlet Hawks' basketball team. At each home and away game, Wilson performs this routine at halftime, to the delight of the fans. Apparently, this is not the first time he's nailed such a shot, either.

Some thoughts and observations from the first week of MIAA basketball in 2013:

Guardians on a roll –- again: Just when you thought St. Peter-Marian was done, ready to be written off as a one-year wonder, the Guardians come out swinging again. Sunday’s 54-49 upset of Catholic Memorial wasn’t glamorous, but it’s the program’s biggest win since trouncing Charlestown 61-46 some 12 months ago.

(That game, for those unfamiliar, ended up leading Charlestown coach Edson Cardoso to scrap their man-to-man defense altogether. The result was a Division 1 North title)

The Guardians have snuck under the radar for the first half of the 2012-13 season, and for good reason. After graduating stars Steve Flynn, Tre Watson, Brian Foley or ESPN Boston All-Stater Matt Mobley, there were questions abound in the talent department. Make no mistake, there’s no superstars in this year’s squad, but it’s a unit head coach Marcus Watson is very satisfied with, led by a senior-laden starting five of Tim Berry, Kevin Riley, Jaylen Ashton, Terrence Watson and Anthony Manzello.

“We’re fine with that, we don’t want to be ranked,” Watson said. “We just go out and battle. You look at us one-on-one, there’s not one kid you look at and say, ‘He’s a stud’. Yet if you look at us collectively they all do their job, they take charges, they box out. We’ve got absolutely no outside interference this year.”

CM figured to be rusty out of the gates, but caught fire in its 7-0 start with the emergence of sophomore shooting guard Giulien Smith (26 points per game). Not only did the Guardians keep him a non-factor, holding him to four points, but they mirrored the Knights’ vaunted 2-2-1 press with some of their own wrinkles added in, giving some man and diamond-and-one variants as well.

It’s a faster pace, a higher intensity of playing style, but it’s one Watson feels his team is conditioned for after a rigorous offseason. Players went through some dynamic strength training over the offseason, among the highlights in typical sessions: one-legged box drills; wrapping 45-pound plates in towels and pushing them the length of the floor; suicides on hills; wheelbarrow runs the length of the court, ending with pushups; all of it sprinkled over with deadlifts, calf raises, pull-downs, and two-mile runs.

The Guardians come into our poll this week at No. 25, its first appearance since the final 2011-12 poll, but tonight’s litmus test against rival St. John’s of Shrewsbury will give us a better measurement of where they’re at right now. The progress of underclassmen such as Connor Brown, Mike Boateng, George Anan and freshman Makai Ashton-Langford will be key, but they have shown great strides this first half of the season.

“We’re not even close to peaking, hopefully we just want to get better,” Marcus Watson said. “The kids believe in each other. They’ve never been a problem as a team, they all know their role. You can see them getting on each other, they all know what they’re supposed to be doing. We call them our ‘Fab Five’ -– not one of them is a stud, but they all do their job.”

Nobody’s yawning at Division 3: Interesting comments from Pentucket coach John McNamara following the Sachems’ 59-39 defeat of Billerica last Wednesday, saying flatly “We get tired of hearing we’re a D3 school. We can play with anybody. D3’s can play with anybody, there’s a lot of good teams.”

If that’s truly the whisper going around Eastern Mass., then it’s a circumventing one. With the Sachems’ win over the Indians, that will put three D3 squads in the top five of ESPNBoston.com’s girls basketball poll: Archbishop Williams (3), St. Mary’s of Lynn (4) and the aforementioned Sachems (5). Say what you want about the dominance of Braintree in D1 and Reading in D2 – and at the end of the day, D1 has the most depth – but the teams atop D3 can hang with anyone. I don’t think that’s an axiom.

Pentucket has a slew of quality shooters this year, but as usual it’s defense that’s the calling card. It starts with 6-foot senior Tess Nogueira, whom McNamara feels is underrated for her talents. It’s plausible to see why – she doesn’t fit into a natural position on the floor, and doesn’t always light up the scoreboard – but suffice it to say she’s one of the state’s better defenders.

“She’s a unique player for a six-footer,” McNamara said. “She’s not a natural post player, but she can do anything. She can defend the point if we want her to, but unfortunately we don’t have any other bigs. If we press, we put her at the top of the press [and] she’s long and lanky and quick, with great habits.”

In the Sachems’ 2-2-1 and diamond-and-one press looks, it’s often Nogueira that comes flying up the floor to trap. With her length, and he tenaciousness, she can create some havoc out there.

“We have had her cover point guards, if we have other matchups we think we can survive, we’ll put her our front, or if we do a zone press we’ll put her at the point,” McNamara said. “She’s got good instincts, she’s long, lanky, makes good decisions on doubling and when not to double.

“She’s one of what I think the most unsung players in the state, because she doesn’t score 20 points a game. She does a lot of other things.”

Miscellaneous: One of the more interesting stats has be Hockomock League newcomer Milford. Off to a 7-0 start, the Scarlet Hawks sit atop the Davenport division and lead the league in team scoring at 70 points per game. Yet not one player sits in the top five in league scoring average. ... We’ve mentioned New Mission, Brighton, Wakefield and North Andover as heavyweight favorites in Division 2 North. Perhaps we’ve found a sleeper in Lynn Classical, which sits at 4-5 overall but with a two-point Everett loss, overtime St. John’s Prep loss, and a win over Lynn English on its resume. Keep an eye on the Brown brothers, senior Jalen and junior Jordan.

In the final regular season MIAA boys' soccer Top 20 poll, Masconomet holds on to the No. 1 spot.

The Chieftains will enter the tournament on a 15-game winning streak as it looks to defend its D1 North title. The other favorites in D1 are No. 2 Needham in the South and No. 3 Ludlow out West, but there will be a lot of teams that can challenge for the title this season and the South sectional looks particularly difficult to call as the regular season wraps up.

Defending D2 state champion No. 11 Groton-Dunstable moves up two spots as they continued a 14-game unbeaten run. Oliver Ames moves up four spots as well after an impressive win over Milford clinched the Davenport division title for the Tiger. Hingham drops out of the Top 20 after losing out on the Keenan division title to Silver Lake, which took its spot in the rankings and jumped into the No. 17 spot.

Two central teams, Algonquin and Marlborough, round out the rankings after losing a couple of games down the stretch, but expect both to challenge for the D1 sectional title with No. 10 Worcester North.

Several of the teams that just missed out on a spot in the rankings should also be considered threats in the tournament, including Franklin (D1 South), Bedford (D2 North), and Medway (D2 South).

Milford resident Paul Seaver sends along information regarding the first annual Paul "Wally" Seaver Invitational, a 16-team basketball tournament named for his father and in support of his ongoing fight with ALS.

Wally spent over 20 years coaching basketball at both the high school and youth levels in Milford, Wellesley, and Franklin. In February of 2011, he was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The 16-team, two-day tournament is comprised of high school squads and will take place at both Milford High School and Milford Middle School East on July 21-22.

Proceeds from the event go towards the fight against ALS. Below are the pool play groupings ancd schedule for the tournament:

Group A (all games at Milford High School):
Milford
Hopedale
Rocky Hill (Conn.)
Dedham

Group B (all games at Middle School East):
Wellesley
Sutton
Ashland
Lunenburg

Group C (all games at Milford High School):
Franklin
Uxbridge
Framingham
Mount St. Charles (R.I.)

Group D (all games at Middle School East):
Wachusett
Canton
Brookline
Blackstone-Millville

Saturday, July 21:
8 a.m.: Franklin vs. Uxbridge (Milford High School)
8 a.m.: Sutton vs. Ashland (Middle School East)
9 a.m.: Milford vs. Dedham (Milford High School)
9 a.m.: Wellesley vs. Lunenburg (Middle School East)
10 a.m.: Rocky Hill vs. Hopedale (Milford High School)
10 a.m.: BMR vs. Wachusett (Middle School East)
11 a.m.: Franklin vs. Framingham (Milford High School)
11 a.m.: Lunenburg vs. Ashland (Middle School East)
Noon: Rocky Hill vs. Dedham (Milford High School)
Noon: Canton vs. Brookline (Middle School East)
1 p.m.: Framingham vs. Mount St. Charles (Milford High School)
1 p.m.: Wellesley vs. Sutton (Middle School East)
2 p.m.: Milford vs. Hopedale (Milford High School)
2 p.m.: Wachusett vs. Canton (Middle School East)
3 p.m.: Uxbridge vs. Mount St. Charles (Milford High School)
3 p.m.: Brookline vs. BMR (Middle School East)

Sunday, July 22:
8 a.m.: Franklin vs. Mount St. Charles (Milford High School)
8 a.m.: Wellesley vs. Ashland (Middle School East)
9 a.m.: Framingham vs. Uxbridge (Milford High School)
9 a.m.: BMR vs. Canton (Middle School East)
10 a.m.: Milford vs. Rocky Hill (Milford High School)
10 a.m.: Wachusett vs. Brookline (Middle School East)
11 a.m.: Hopedale vs. Dedham (Milford High School)
11 a.m.: Lunenburg vs. Sutton (Middle School East)


Semifinal Round (must win Group to advance to round):
12:30 p.m.: Group A Champion vs. Group C Champion (Milford High School)
12:30 p.m.: Group B Champion vs. Group D Champion (Middle School East)

Championship Round:
2:15PM: Winner of Group A/Group C vs. Winner of Group B/Group D

After claiming its first MIAA Division 1 state championship, Milford softball worked its way into the final ESPNHS Powerade FAB 50 rankings for the season.

The Scarlet Hawks, who completed a perfect 25-0 season behind ESPN Boston Miss Softball Shannon Smith, finished the season ranked No. 47.

Here's what the rankings crew had to say:

"Junior pitcher Shannon Smith, who has committed to Kentucky, struck out 22 batters last weekend when the Scarlet Hawks edged Malden (Mass.) 1-0 in nine innings to win the Division I state title. Smith was the team's batting leader as well, but the game-winning RBI single in the final came from freshman Taylor LeBrun."

Starting Rotation – First Team
Kiara Amos, Sr., Malden
The Providence College signee led the Golden Tornadoes to their first-ever state finals appearance after claiming the Eastern Mass. title. Amos went 15-1 for Malden, notching 195 strikeouts in 105 innings thrown all while boasting a 0.47 ERA. The right-hander set another first for Malden’s program as its first-ever Div. 1 college scholarship player.

Meghan Rico, Sr., King Philip
Rico concluded her high school career as one of the most decorated players in the state, a winner of two state championships and last year’s ESPN Boston Miss Softball. The George Washington signee went 17-3 for the Warriors this season, striking out 274 in 142 innings thrown while surrendering just 10 earned runs all season.

Sarah Ropiak, Sr., Acton-Boxborough
Headed to Brown University next year, Ropiak was a three-time Dual County League All-Star and earned MVP honors in the large division this season. The right-hander posted an ERA of 0.69 while leading the Colonials to a Division 1 North final appearance.

Kendal Roy, Soph., Grafton
The second-year sensation lifted the Indians to their first-ever state championship with a win over Abington in the Div. 2 final. Roy went 18-1 with an ERA of 0.72 in 126 innings thrown with 176 strikeouts while allowing just 11 walks.

Shannon Smith, Jr., Milford
The University of Kentucky commit was near unhittable this season while leading the Scarlet Hawks to an undefeated season and the Division 1 state title. This year’s ESPN Boston Miss Softball Award recipient was also named Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year for the second time (2010, ’12) in her career.

Starting Nine – First team
Katie Caruso, Sr. SS, Newton North
Caruso won the Bay State Conference’s triple crown, leading the league in batting average (.662), home runs (10) and RBI (47) while also clubbing a conference-best 51 hits. The Bay State MVP was also a standout on the Tigers’ hockey team. The four-year starter will continue her playing career next year at Southern New Hampshire University.

Lexi Gifford, Sr. SS, Natick
While Caruso may have been named Bay State Conference MVP, Gifford has been the league’s most valuable lead-off hitter during the last four years. The UConn signee hit at a .615 clip while driving in 33 runs for the Red & Blue this season. Gifford was also a true three-sport athlete at Natick, as a four-year letter-winner in soccer, basketball and softball.

Bri Chiusano, Sr. CF, Mansfield
One of the most feared lead-off hitters in the state and a superb slap hitter, the Hockomock League All-Star showed off her power as well with four home runs this season. The Coastal Carolina signee finished second in the Hock in hitting with a .521 batting average.

Olivia Godin, Sr. C, King Philip
The UMass-Amherst signee was a four-year starter for the Warriors, helping guide the program to back-to-back state titles in 2010-11. The backstop hit .299 this season with three home runs and 18 RBI.
Alexis DeBrosse, Jr. SS, New Bedford
Already a three-time New Bedford Standard-Times Player of the Year award winner, the three-time Big Three All-Star hit .521 for the Whalers this season. The three-sport athlete also hit five home runs with 26 RBI and a slugging percentage of 1.099.

Julie LeClair, Sr. 3B, Coyle-Cassidy
Comprising one half of the state’s best left side of the infield, along with shortstop Patty Borges, the St. Anselm signee led the Warriors to the EAC crown with a league-best .527 average. The three-sport athlete also clubbed a league-leading five home runs along with 32 RBI.

Bella Picard, Jr. SS, Blackstone Valley Tech
The nation’s leading hitter resided in Upton this year with the Beavers’ shortstop hitting an astounding .877 (57-for 65). The converted soccer player also tied for the state lead in home runs with 10 while driving in 43 runs.
Madi Shaw, Soph. SS, Bridgewater-Raynham
The second-year shortstop 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.

Reilly Weiners, Jr. C, Agawam
Weiners helped lead the Brownies to the Division 1 West sectional title this season. The backstop led all Div. 1 players in Western Mass. with 35 RBI while knocking out 38 hits on the season, including three home runs.

Bullpen – second team
Megan Colleran, Soph., North Attleborough
Megan Cook, Soph., Bellingham
Mackenzie Coopinger, Sr., Lynn Classical
Audrey Dolloff, Sr., Bridgewater-Raynham
Courtney Girouard, Soph., Fairhaven
Trish Hansen, Sr., Mansfield
Shelby Higgins, Sr., Lowell
Kelly Norton, Sr., Abington
Shannon Orton, Sr., Case
Lauren Ramirez, Jr., Dracut
Jurnee Ware, Sr., Hudson

Bench – second team
Patty Borges, Sr. SS, Coyle-Cassidy
Tori Constantin, Jr. 2B, King Philip
Caroline Fairbanks, Jr. 3B, Milford
Courtney Hoban, Sr. OF, Boston Latin
Emily Hoffman, Sr. C, Malden
Nicole Lundstrom, Jr. C, Dighton-Rehoboth
Michaela Mazure, Fr. INF, Burlington
Kelsey Perron-Sovik, Sr. CF, Fairhaven
Christina Raso, Sr. SS, Burlington
Dakota Smith-Porter, Jr. P/SS, Turners Falls

COACH OF THE YEAR
John Furlong, Malden

ESPNBoston.com and its high school section announced today that Shannon Smith, junior pitcher for the Milford Scarlet Hawks, is the recipient of its second annual “Miss Softball” award, presented annually to the top player in Massachusetts.

The Miss Softball Award winner was chosen by a panel of experts made up of ESPNBoston.com staff, correspondents and state softball coaches. Smith will be presented with the award at a later date.

“In softball, it all comes down to pitching and Shannon Smith was by the far the most dominant and feared pitcher in the circle this year,” said ESPN Boston High Schools co-editor Scott Barboza, who coordinates the site’s softball coverage. “Her stuff was nearly unhittable all year and paved the way for Milford’s state championship run.”

Smith went 24-0 with a miniscule ERA of 0.08. She allowed just 29 hits over 167 innings thrown with 359 strikeouts and 29 walks. The University of Kentucky commit allowed only six runs all season, two of which were earned. Smith also threw four shutouts in the postseason on the Scarlet Hawks’ drive to the Division 1 state championship and an undefeated 25-0 record.

At the plate, Smith hit at a .460 clip with nine home runs and 40 RBI.

Smith was also named Massachusetts softball Gatorade Player of the Year earlier this month, marking the second time the Milford ace claimed the award. Smith first won the award for her freshman campaign.

“Not only did Smith have a great year pitching, her offensive numbers alone would have garnered consideration for our Miss Softball award,” Barboza said. “She’s the true definition of double threat.”

WORCESTER, Mass. -- With ace hurlers Shannon Smith and Kiara Amos looking they were ready to pitch deep into the night, the quest became about looking up and down the bench and trying to figure out who would finally produce the big hit at the right moment.

Milford's Taylor LeBrun dug in for her turn in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a runner at second and the freshman delivered, lining a single up the middle that scored Caroline Fairbanks with the game's lone run as the Scarlet Hawks capped off a perfect season by capturing the school's first Div. 1 state championship with a 1-0 victory over Malden.

"All year we've been extra motivated, the whole year we wanted to leave a mark," Smith said. "We wanted to be the first softball state champions in Milford High School history, we wanted to win the league, we wanted to win the Central title, we wanted to win all these things to finish our run in the Mid-Wach A League before we move onto a new league next year. We just wanted to really make an impact this year and we definitely did."

University of Kentucky commit Smith was dominant through nine innings, allowing just one hit and a hit batter while fanning 22. Amos, who will play for Providence College, scattered seven hits while striking out 10 and pitching her way out of trouble several times.

Fairbanks led off the Scarlet Hawks (25-0) half of the ninth with a single, then advanced to second with two outs behind her. Up stepped LeBrun, who promptly ripped a single straight through the middle of the infield and into center. Fairbanks hustled all the way around and slid across the plate just ahead of a good throw from center for the winning run.

"My hat's off to that team, they're a great team but tonight we found a way to scrap and get one," exclaimed Milford coach Brian Macchi. "And that's what we needed to win this game was to get one. Taylor LeBrun getting it done, only a freshman but playing beyond her years, getting a big hit there. She got the big hit earlier in the year when we played King Philip too so this girl has come up with some big hits for us this year and hopefully its bigger and better things to come from her as she gets older."

PITCHERS' DUEL
Milford had runners in scoring position in three different innings, but none posed a bigger threat to Amos than the fourth. Three straight singles by Samantha Bonvino, Smith and Fairbanks loaded the bases with no outs. A failed squeeze attempt led to Bonvino being cut down at home, then Amos bore down and struck out the final two hitters to escape the jam.

"That was a big out. We had a couple of balls mishandled and they ended up loading the bases," Malden coach John Furlong admitted. "I wasn't sure if he was going to try a squeeze with bases loaded because of the force but once they did, we had the play and everyone rotated like they were supposed to. Then Kiara again stepped up and punched out two big hitters like she had to, just like she did the last couple of nights when she had to. I expect that out of her. You get nervous but not too nervous because she's in such total control of the game. She's phenomenal. There will never be anybody like her come through our city, probably even our league, probably ever again."

Meanwhile, Smith was proving to be untouchable. The junior was named the Gatorade Player of the Year two weeks ago and she showed why on the biggest stage. Smith struck out the first three hitters she faced and set down the side on strikes five of her nine innings. She also fanned ten straight from the fifth inning through the eighth and set down the final 16 batters she faced.

Amos managed the lone hit for the Golden Tornadoes (24-2), reaching with a second-inning single. She took second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessalynne Brown but Smith blew away the next two hitters to strand her. Amos reached again with two outs in the fourth when she was hit by a Smith fastball, but the junior left her there once again with another big strikeout.

"It was tough. They had some good swings and they have some good sticks," Smith praised. "They adjusted, they tried to hit my curveball by pushing their hands out so I adjusted too. So it was just a game of back and forth adjustments, battling the whole time. They battled, I battled, so that's pretty much what it was."

Added Macchi about Smith, "She wanted this. She's wanted this from the last out last year when we lost in the state semifinal game. She's wanted this from when we lost in the state final game two years ago. She puts the work in and she deserves this and she definitely is prepared for any situation she's in. She definitely did an unbelievable job for us tonight and she's a huge reason why we were able to win this game tonight."

A GREAT RIDE FOR THE TORNADOES
Just getting to this point had been a wild and crazy adventure for Malden. Saturday marked the team's third straight extra innings affair and the Tornadoes can take solace in the fact that they put together the greatest season in school history.

Along the way, the city noticed and jumped on board with support at a level that made Furlong harken back to his younger days.

"People in Malden were asking today what it was going to be like," Furlong said. "I said it's going to be a 1-0 or 2-1 game because both pitchers are so dominant. Shannon made some unbelievable pitches when she needed to and Kiara did the same when she needed to. We had some situations where they had runners in scoring position and she made some big pitches. We just didn't get the bat on the ball tonight. She didn't make any mistakes where she threw the ball down the middle or anything. Everything was on the outside or inside. That's why she's going to Kentucky and that's why Kiara is going to Providence. If you didn't come tonight, you missed a good game."

"It's been a wild trip," he added. "The city of Malden has been outrageous with banners...it's made me so proud because I grew up in Malden and it's like when I was a kid. Everyone was out beeping horns and posters and stuff like that. It was good for the girls and great for the city."