Sixth sense: St. John's (Shrewsbury) baseball erupts for 11-run sixth inning, avenging title-game loss to BC High
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At separate points in the 49-minute bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers (17-5) had five, then seven runners reach base in a row. Owen Miller, Jackson Lucarelli, Gabe Terlato, and Secrist all reached twice in the frame.
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'You don't draw it up like that, for sure,' St. John's coach Casey Cummins said. 'I would've liked the 11-spot in the first inning maybe, nerves-wise. I can't say enough about the toughness this team showed.'
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The Eagles (12-10) pounced early with an RBI single from Tommy O'Donnell in the first, then three runs in the second capped by Sam Bushley's RBI double.
But the Pioneers rallied with a four-run second, sending 10 batters to the plate to tie it — a number that looked quaint by the day's end.
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After the Eagles scored in three straight innings, the Pioneers needed to respond. They worked five walks, knocked six hits, and two of the outs in the sixth inning were productive sacrifice flies.
'When we're down in innings, I tell them to be a little bit more patient,' Cummins said. 'Let's not help them out. We need baserunners, and at that point we took advantage of our eye, our zone, and made it hurt when it counted.
'I probably had a sick feeling in my stomach for 11 months,' Secrist said. 'It's still not gone, but just great to beat them.'
The Pioneers will host No. 10 St. John's Prep (14-8) in the quarterfinal, at a date and time TBD.
St. John's Prep 5, Wachusett 2 —
Will Shaheen grabbed the win for the No. 10 Eagles (14-8) against No. 26 Wachusett (11-11), fanning six, while James Willett picked up the save with a strikeout. Tyler Spear led Prep's offense with two hits, three RBIs, and a run, Willett scored twice, and Connor Durney tallied a hit and an RBI
Division 2 State
Mansfield 4, Woburn 0 —
Junior Jack Peabody twirled 11 strikeouts in a complete-game effort, surrendering four hits and two walks as the No. 5 Hornets (14-9) buzzed into the quarterfinals over No. 21 Woburn (13-9). Darrian Sanders powered Mansfield with three hits, including a triple.
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Plymouth North 3, Billerica 0 —
Junior Liam Pearson recorded three strikeouts and allowed five hits and two walks in a complete-game effort for the top-seeded Eagles (18-4) in their second-round win over No. 17 Billerica (11-11). Matthew Nardone and Jake Novak had a hit and an RBI each.
Reading 2, Hopkinton 0 —
Grady Ventura tossed a flawless game, going seven innings, striking out seven, and giving up only one walk and one hit as the No. 2 Rockets (19-3) advanced to the quarterfinals over No. 15 Hopkinton (15-8).
Somerset Berkley 7, Melrose 4 —
Luke Thornton manufactured a game-high three hits, singling in the first, third, and sixth innings, and Kyle Sherman Jr., Hayden Teasdale, Alex Crook, and Liam Meehan all picked up RBIs in the second-round win for the No. 6 Raiders (16-6) against No. 22 Melrose (13-9).
Division 3 State
Bishop Stang 4, Hanover 3 —
The No. 5 Spartans (15-5) got on the board early after Matt Burt singled to center and Nolan Donaldson grounded into a fielder's choice, each scoring a run. Brock Winslow extended Stang's lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second, and Burt earned the win, going five inning with three strikeouts, a walk, six hits allowed, and two earned runs in the second-round defeat of No. 12 Hanover (13-7).
Foxborough 5, Falmouth 2 —
Senior righthander Nolan Gordon hurled three strikeouts and relinquished six hits and one earned run as the No. 3 Warriors (15-8) made it to the quarterfinals over No. 14 Falmouth (13-7). Henry Griffin led the offense with two hits, a run, an RBI and a walk, and Gordon added a hit.
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Sandwich 8, Gloucester 2 —
Joe Coughlan's nine-strikeout day and Ty Creighton's two hits and four RBIs propelled the No. 7 Blue Knights (17-5) to the quarterfinals over No. 10 Gloucester (20-2). James Niemiec and Coughlan each recorded two hits and an RBI.
Mike Puzzanghera can be reached at
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Sydney Brown: Brown may have tenure on his side, but the ever-blunt Fangio consistently brings up that the bulk of Brown's defensive snaps were in 2023 (335), not 2024 (79). Of course, that's because Brown suffered an ACL tear in the regular-season finale as a rookie. He didn't return to practice until October, and he made his debut in Week 7 against the Giants. By then, Gardner-Johnson, one of Philly's high-profile free agency signings, had solidified himself as the starter, and Tristin McCollum's nearly two years of development made him a difficult backup to immediately supplant. Brown found a role on special teams. Brown is a uniquely tenacious and determined player. Former defensive coordinator Sean Desai may not have been as successful as Fangio, but Brown's 99-yard pick-six as a rookie against the Arizona Cardinals originated within a system that used similar principles. (Desai spent four seasons working for Fangio.) Brown draws enough motivation from his personal story. Could Mukuba's arrival light a productive fire? 3. Tristin McCollum: When a reporter asked Fangio to comment on the position battle between Mukuba and Brown, Fangio was quick to add that 'Tristin's in that, too.' McCollum has been working with the second-team defense in OTAs, often playing in tandem with Mukuba, Brown and Andre Sam. McCollum, a former undrafted free agent the Eagles signed in 2022, worked his way up from the practice squad to play in 14 games during the 2024 season with two starts. He was twice targeted for touchdowns last season, according to NextGen Stats, and his command of Fangio's system still needs to be refined. But that Fangio felt it important to remind people that McCollum is in the mix shouldn't be ignored. Who starts while Nakobe Dean recovers? Advertisement 1. Jihaad Campbell: Fangio said Tuesday that Dean 'won't be back any time soon.' The defense's Mike linebacker is still recovering from a torn patellar tendon sustained in the NFC wild-card round; a league source said Dean could miss the start of the 2025 season while recovering. It may seem a strange choice to project Campbell as the Week 1 starter, given Campbell has yet to return from labrum surgery. But the Eagles are pointedly invested in the development of Campbell, a top-10 player on the Eagles' draft board. Fangio, who cut his teeth as the linebackers coach with the Dome Patrol Saints, said he's personally taking Campbell to the side to do individual drills 'that's suited to what he can do right now.' There's little question Campbell has the talent to see the field quickly. If he has a long enough runway in training camp, it's not hard to see the No. 31 overall pick winning the backup job — and, if Dean's absence is prolonged, staying there. 2. Jeremiah Trotter Jr.: The 2024 fifth-round pick essentially has a summer's head start to keep Campbell at bay. He was an effective member on Philly's special teams as a rookie. Upon Dean's injury, Fangio initially considered fielding Oren Burks and Trotter Jr. in a rotation. (Such an arrangement would've been unusual for Fangio, who rarely rotates his linebackers if he can help it.) Burks performed well and started through Super Bowl LIX. It seemed Trotter would be elevated to the backup role when Burks signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. Then the Eagles drafted Campbell. Still, it's easy to see how Trotter starts in Week 1. Fangio didn't rush Cooper DeJean onto the field in 2024. DeJean, who missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, didn't start at nickel until Week 6. 3. Smael Mondon Jr.: OTAs is a poor setting to observe linebackers. There's no tackling. There's hardly any contact between linebackers and blockers. Any evaluation of Mondon at this point is insufficient. His 6-3, 230-pound frame invites attention during individual drills. Roseman clearly has a deep regard for Georgia defenders. Mondon is entering the phase Trotter did a year ago. It'd be unfair at this point to expect anything more. Who replaces the snaps Milton Williams left behind? 1. Moro Ojomo: Williams is leaving behind a sizable hole in Philadelphia's defensive interior. He fulfilled his 47.85 percent snap share in 2024 in a versatile role in which he lined up in multiple alignments across the front. Fangio deployed Ojomo, a seventh-round pick in 2023, in similar fashion at a lower rate (37.1 percent snap share). Both viewings of OTAs revealed that Ojomo is Williams' successor. That Ojomo is in position to start marks for a considerable success story for someone who was 11 picks away from not being drafted at all. There's, of course, a financial factor to consider. If Ojomo indeed solidifies his spot with the first-team defense, the Eagles will have replaced Williams with someone who won't be larger than a $1.2 million cap hit in either of the next two seasons. 2. Ty Robinson: The key here is Robinson's inside-outside versatility. It may be soon true that Robinson has the most range of anyone on the Eagles d-line other than Jalen Carter. Robinson also may be a rookie, but Byron Young hasn't played since 2023, and Gabe Hall has yet to make his NFL debut since the Eagles signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2024. There's plenty to like about Robinson's tape at Nebraska. He works well with his hands to get off blocks, make tackles and force fumbles. He was also a consistent problem against Ohio State last year. His consistent play with a high dose of snaps should also endear him to Fangio. Robinson, 24, is a mature prospect who'll have to hold his own against NFL competition after establishing himself in six collegiate seasons. 3. Thomas Booker: Booker was fairly productive in 2024 (18 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss) for playing 15.9 percent of the defense's snaps. His size profile (6-3, 301) affords a different skillset than Williams (6-3, 290) or Robinson (6-5, 288) — especially on slots in between the guards. Booker's half-sacks against the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys underline how he's capable of creating pressure from the interior. Will it be consistent enough and frequent enough to secure more snaps in 2025? (Top photo of Tyler Steen: Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)
