No denying four-time defending Division 1 champion Taunton softball a trip back to state final

Boston Globe

a day ago

Taunton's Gracie Oliveira (17) lines up a pivotal sacrifice bunt against Bishop Feehan.
Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe
'It's a lot of pressure, but at the same time, we have to thrive under that pressure,' said Hebert.
Senior captain Cate Larson dazzled with 11 strikeouts, yielding four hits in a complete-game effort.
'The determination and grit that they have for each other, they just pick each other up,' said Taunton coach Michelle Raposo. 'What's great about it is there is not just one kid that does it, they all do it collectively.'
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Senior captain Mylee Ramer was stellar for Feehan (19-6), fanning three in a complete-game effort.
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'This is the first time that Bishop Feehan has made it to the final four,' said Ramer. 'I'm just really happy we made it here and we gave them a game. That's for sure.'
It was also the finale for longtime Bill Milot, who returned this season to coach this senior group.
'A lot of people talked to me and said 'it's nine seniors you gotta come back,'' said Milot.
'I said nine seniors? I don't want to come back to deal with nine seniors,' he laughed. 'But I felt as though I owed the nine seniors to come back and do this one more time.'
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'They're the reigning champs, but we felt as though a game's a game. It's one game. We had to come in and do our best, and we did. We played the best game of our lives to be honest with you.'
With a glance from the umpire, Taunton's Ashlyn Hebert (22) celebrates after her key double.
Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe
Bishop Feehan pitcher Mylee Ramer (3) and infielder Maddie Coupal (5) confer during the fourth inning of the Division 1 semifinal.
Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe
Division 2 State
Bedford 3, Hopkinton 1
— Between the second and the sixth innings, Bedford sent 13 batters to the plate. Each one returned to the dugout without reaching base.
Then Becca Sobol singled, igniting a chain reaction.
The next hitter, Alyx Rossi, singled. Then Lexie Masters clobbered a two-run double off the left-field fence. Two batters later, Addi Poulter ripped an RBI double into the gap, flexing on second base as she screamed.
The three-run sixth was all Rossi, the southpaw ace, needed in the semifinal win at Worcester State, propelling the third-seeded Bucs (21-1) to their first state final since 1990.
'There's always a chain reaction,' said Masters. 'Every time. We build off of each other so much. I just felt so relieved.'
Masters wanted to lay off the riseball, which resulted in several strikeouts. Once she saw a pitch down, she got her hands through the zone quickly and barreled it.
'We knew it was going to come, we thought it was going to come,' said Bedford coach Dennis Walsh. 'Then it got to the right part of the order and they all performed.'
The Boston College-bound Rossi was sensational in a 90-pitch effort, striking out 15 and yielding one hit, a leadoff home run to sophomore pitcher Addy Walls.
After a painstaking 1-0 defeat in the semifinals last year, Bedford has taken it a step further.
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'These parents have seen all of us grow up and taught us how to play softball,' said Rossi. 'From that, we all just feed off of each other to the fullest extent. After last year, we decided to leave our failures where they lie and push each other up.'
Division 4 State
Tyngsborough 4, Uxbridge 0
— On the 11-player Tyngsborough roster, there are no seniors. There is no junior varsity team. No problem.
Junior ace Kiley Hogan hurled a three-hitter, striking out six as the sixth-seeded Tigers (20-4) returned to the state final with the shutout of No. 2 Uxbridge in a semifinal at Worcester State. Tyngsborough will take on the winner of Thursday's Hampshire/Joseph Case matchup.
'They want it and they fight,' said Tyngsborough coach April Leonard. 'They're such a close-knit team. I'm so proud of them. I'm almost speechless because I'm so proud.'
Pitching to seventh-grader Devyn Amico (converted to catcher this season), Hogan was not afraid of contact and let her defense do the talking.
'Pitching-wise, I always love to mix in my changeup to keep them off balance,' said Hogan, who is committed to Boston University.
Sophomore Hailey McMahon, hitting ninth in the order, plated sophomore Carly Smith with a single to right field after sophomore Sydney Haslam scored on a wild pitch in the second inning.
Amico had an RBI single in the sixth and freshman Arianna Arsenault's sac fly brought home Hogan in the seventh.
It was a gritty offensive effort to scratch across four runs against UMass-Amherst commit Erin O'Day, who hurled a 20-strikeout no-hitter last game. O'Day struck out 14 and allowed four hits and eight walks for the Spartans (22-2).
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Division 5 State
Turners Falls 8, Georgetown 7 (8 inn.).
— The top-seeded Thunder (20-4) trailed, 6-0, entering the fifth inning, but erupted for seven unanswered runs heading to the seventh.
However, Georgetown sophomore catcher Elizabeth Barbarick answered with a solo blast over the left-field fence at UMass Lowell to force extras. But the fourth-seeded Royals (20-4) went down 1-2-3 in the eighth and following two walks, Turners Falls senior Marilyn Abaruato drilled a run-scoring single for the win.
'They came in about the third inning, and I said, 'Look, we're (the) No. 1 (seed) for a reason, guys,' said Turners Falls 46-year coach Gary Mullins. 'Let's just play a game and chip away and get something accomplished.''
The Thunder will play the winner of Thursday's Greenfield/Hopedale semifinal in the final. Turners Falls swept Greenfield in the regular season.
Cam Kerry reported from Worcester State, and Jake Seymour from Lowell.
Lenny Rowe can be reached at