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Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Bishop Feehan softball marks coach Bill Milot's final playoff run with first trip to Division 1 semifinals
Senior Mylee Ramer struck out 11 in the circle, with senior Caitlyn Deveney and sophomore Olivia Abren each driving in a pair of runs as the fifth-seeded Shamrocks upended No. 4 Attleboro, 7-4, in the Division 1 quarterfinals. 'The final year, it means everything,' said an emotional Milot. Postgame, he handed Ramer the gameball. 'It really just shows you how much he cares about us,' said Ramer. 'We want to be here, but he loves us so much, it keeps us going.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ramer encountered trouble in the first inning, as Hockomock League MVP Lola Ronayne cracked a two-run home run to left center. Ramer re-centered, allowing six hits and a walk overall. Advertisement 'I just had faith that my teammates would pick me up with the bats,' said Ramer, the Catholic Central League MVP. 'We wouldn't be here without Mylee — period,' said Milot. 'The difference between this game and the last game was that our bats lit up.' On May 26, the Blue Bombardiers (18-5) won, 3-2, in a matchup of schools located a mere 2.4 miles apart. This time, the middle of the order came through for the Shamrocks (19-5). Senior Bella Silva, hitting third, plated Boston University-bound Maddie Coupal in the first inning. Abren's double to left-center scored Gwen Camara and Deveney in the third for a lead the Shamrocks would never relinquish. Advertisement Silva scored twice, first on Deveney's two-run single to right field in the fifth inning and again on an error in the sixth. On a sun-drenched day, Feehan's bats and a gritty performance from Ramer supplied Milot with something he's worked for during his 11 years at the helm: hardware. Division 2 State Silver Lake 10, Wakefield 1 — Senior Delaney Moquin fired a 13-strikeout one-hitter as the top-seeded Lakers (19-3) dispatched the No. 16 Warriors (14-6). Division 3 State Dighton-Rehoboth 13, Medway 1 — Behind a seven-strikeout, two-hit complete game and 4-for-4 hitting with four RBIs from Edy Latour, the top-seeded Falcons (21-2) scorched their way to a second-round win over No. 16 Medway (11-11). Emma Horrocks chipped in with a solo home run and Cam Cloonan drove in two. Cam Kerry can be reached at
Boston Globe
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
With an exhaustive sprint, Plymouth South freshman Alexa Lasnicki clears a major hurdle: Division 3 title
'I just wanted to finish and get to the end. I just went as fast as I could,' said Lasnicki. Her title came after a sickness compromised her training schedule. She only started to participate in hurdle events this year, and perhaps most impressively, Lasnicki was one of the youngest athletes competing. Advertisement She's a freshman, but, as Plymouth South girls' coach Jeff Tracey said, she's 'not a normal one.' 'That is her every single day. As a freshman, she's qualified for states in the 100, the 200, the 400, the 400 hurdles, triple jump, long jump. She's just a total beast. You can't coach the kind of competitiveness she has,' Tracey said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up After her victory, Alexa Lasnicki received a hug from senior captain Zoe Wodja. Evan Walsh The 10 points from Lasnicki's come-from-behind victory are among the 23 that Plymouth South earned on Day 1 of the championship. The Panthers trail Billerica (49 points) and Reading (24 points) halfway through the competition. The meet resumes Sunday. Sharon (18 points) dominated the 200 meters, with junior Nina Kyei-Aboagye (24.01) and Linda Jenner (25.23) taking the two top spots. After a successful performance at the Hockomock League championship last week, a one-two performance was the goal, said Sharon coach Thomas Giatrakos. Advertisement 'It felt good,' said Kyei-Aboagye. 'I really trusted my coach, trusted my training. It was nice to see it shine through.' In the boys' meet, Sharon's Josy Brown-Wright registered a personal-best (54.94) to win the 400 hurdles. 'I've been putting in a lot of work and just grinding through. I prepared really well for this. I had confidence, the mentality was there today, and I went out and did what I've been trying to do. The training paid off,' he said. It'll be an uphill battle for the Sharon boys' team, which sits in fifth place with 23 points. Milton (41 points) leads the pack while Westborough, which had six of the top eight pole-vaulters in the competition, is second with 40 points. Sharon's Josy Brown-Wright soared en route to winning the 400-meter hurdles. Evan Walsh Westwood's Maeve Gavin won the 800 meters. Evan Walsh Sharon's Nina Kyei-Aboagye coasted to the win in the 200. Evan Walsh
Boston Globe
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Getting in the swing, Cassius Costabile carries Medfield boys' volleyball past O'Bryant in Division 2
'Usually, I don't have the big confidence to swing all the way through, but I was like, it's playoffs,' Costabile said. 'I just have to swing right through. No matter what, as soon as I got that set, confidence went up, I made sure I swung.' Medfield (14-7) dropped the second set, and struggled to contain Otavio Perks (31 kills) without opposite Elliot Webster, but picked it up after the second set loss. Coach Jerry Shu believes finishing strong will give the team momentum moving forward. Advertisement 'I love these guys,' he said. 'They're a streaky, hot-cold team. When they're on, they're on. So hopefully, you know, when we get that switch, we take a little bit more caffeine and play hard when we go to whoever's next. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Division 1 State Lowell 3, Boston Latin 0 — Vitou Seng (33 assists), Aundre Rivera (11 kills), and Gianni Rodriguez (10 kills, 6 blocks) lifted the No. 14 Red Raiders (19-2) to a first round victory over No. 19 Boston Latin. Ian Mao added eight kills. Milford 3, Chelmsford 1 — Gus Da Silva (23 kills) and Diego Inacio-Santos (15 kills) powered the No. 22 Scarlet Hawks (13-9) to a first-round win at No. 11 Chelmsford (17-4). Advertisement Milford reached the semifinals last season and showed flashes of being a top team this season, but struggled to replicate its power ranking in the first season of the Hockomock League, where it shared the title. 'Chelmsford was a really solid team and it was hard to contain [outside] Ridty Tauch, but libero Mayck Moreira and defensive specialist Jude Moffitt passed really well to keep us in system,' said coach Andrew Mainini. 'We were really well-prepared going into the match and it paid off.' Newton South 3, St. John's Prep 2 — Outsides Yonatan Rotem and Levin Brenner, along with libero Yaroslav Ivanchenko kept the passing game strong for the No. 17 Lions (10-9), which earned a 17-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-20, 15-11 victory at No. 16 St. John's Prep (14-7). South trailed, 8-3, in the fifth, but made the comeback with Auri Suder, Ashish Uhlmann, and Udaii Abu Amara coming up with key blocks late in the match. 'We played an outstanding SJP team today, it really could have gone either way,' said coach Lucas Coffeen. 'The South boys were gritty, coming back from down two sets to one.' Revere 3, Wachusett 0 — Larry Claudio (14 kills, 8 assists) and Chris Choc Chavez (17 assists) propelled the No. 29 Patriots (16-5) to a preliminary victory. Juan Perez and Kawan Diaz added six kills apiece. St. John's (Shrewsbury) 3, Springfield Central 2 — Francis McGonagle dominated with 28 kills, 9 digs, 5 aces, and 2 blocks for the No. 23 Pioneers (10-10) in a 27-29, 28-26, 25-16, 24-26, 15-13 first round victory at No. 10 Springfield Central. Phil Vignaly added 13 kills, 5 digs, and 4 blocks, and Ani Vasudevan (43 assists, 6 blocks, 4 digs, 2 kills, 1 ace) was crucial in the 27-29, 28-26, 25-16, 24-26, 15-13 decision. Advertisement Woburn 3, North Quincy 1 — Marcio Castro recorded 16 kills and five blocks to power the No. 30 Tanners (14-7) to a preliminary win. AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
What the heck is Ecuavoley? Brothers meld Ecuadorian game with boys' volleyball at Milford High.
Part of the Ecuadorian population in Milford, the brothers played with their friends, watched Jorge play with other parents in backyards and at Fino Field, and in the past few years formed their own trio that wins most of its matches. Now a defensive specialist and senior captain, John is a key part of a 8-2 start for the ninth-ranked Scarlet Hawks as they look to be the first champion of the Hockomock League's new boys' volleyball division. 'When both of them made it to the high school, they had a really natural touch on the ball,' said Milford coach Andrew Mainini . 'You could tell they had hundreds, if not thousands, of contacts on a volleyball before getting to ninth grade.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Milford senior captain John Saguay (center) is flanked by his freshman brother Bryan (right) and father Jorge, who introduced them to the game Ecuavoley. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe Advertisement Ecuavoley is John, a volador on the family team, found the Ecuadorian style helped him in the high school game. 'I have to learn how to predict how the ball would go, instead of having someone else worry about it. I have to cover more space,' he said, describing Ecuavoley. 'I learned how to get it better with one hand when I couldn't get it with two.' Advertisement Initially, Jorge (the family team's colocador ) suggested his sons play high school volleyball to improve their Ecuavoley skills. Where a lot of Ecuavoley players will underhand serve with the higher net, John's scholastic experience made him proficient at keeping the ball in with an overhand delivery. He developed a quick launch while maintaining accuracy that gives Milford an advantage. 'If we're looking for someone to serve in a particular seam or to a particular zone of the court, he's a really good option for us because he is really consistent and tactical with it,' Mainini said. 3-set win for — AJ (@aj_traub) It is harder with the Ecuavoley ball, but he makes the adjustment and has a 92 percent service rate. 'For Ecuadorian volleyball, I have to put force into the ball,' John explained. 'In American volleyball, I have to absorb the force.' From weekends playing with friends, to competitive play as a family team, to a the Milford freshman team, Bryan thought the transition would be tougher. John Saguay has helped Milford reach No. 17 in the latest Globe Top 20 poll. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe A servidor for his family, he had not faced the power that hitters bring when the net is lower. His other Ecuavoley skills, such as positioning, helped him counter that difference as a setter. He finds his teammates improve when they try it too. 'It feels unique,' Bryan said. 'I tell them how it's different. Sometimes they're interested in that and want to play. The more we play, the more connected we feel. We learn some of the basic things that help them with American volleyball. 'It helps them react faster. You need to react to move to the ball, especially when it's a slight tap.' Though the brothers are able to lock in when they need to, they mostly keep it fun. Advertisement 'The thing about Bryan is that he's very upbeat. He's a very happy guy,' said senior setter Jason Comisky . 'I could see it in his playing. He plays with a lot of energy the whole time and he's a real leader on the court. The same goes for John.' Jorge has never lost his enjoyment for the sport. If he has a headache, he'll invite his friends to play and it goes away. He watches his sons play whenever he can, even though their matches start at different times, and sometimes he has to leave work early to make it. 'To see them here, having fun, to know they're happy to be at the school playing,' he said, 'That makes me happy.' Coach Andrew Mainini and the Scarlet Hawks knocked off No. 10 Cambridge, 3-2, on Friday for their eighth win. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe Set points ▪ Cambridge is on pace to blow past its 11 wins from last season. The Falcons (8-2) graduated top hitter Henry Bonney (now at Vassar) and libero Tashi Mulug-Labrang , but setter Eric Su is one of just three seniors this year and spreads the offensive touches out. Juniors Brennan Loud and Nate O'Connell have paced the No. 10 Falcons at the net, with four wins over ranked teams. 'They absolutely love playing volleyball,' said Cambridge coach Kelley Leary . 'They have good IQ too. They understand the game and break it down in ways that I can't say I've had in a while. They ask good questions. It's a fun group.' • In the next set of proposed division alignments, a few major Division 2 contenders would be moving up, barring successful appeals. Agawam (10-1), the 2023 champion, is the big name slated to move up. West Springfield (8-2) and Chicopee Comprehensive (7-3) are other significant teams planned to enter D1. Advertisement Chicopee Comp made a run to the quarterfinals as the 22-seed last year with mostly sophomores, and the Colts are showing it was not a fluke. One of their wins is Agawam's only loss. Games to watch Monday, No. 15 Methuen at No. 11 Lowell, 5 p.m. — It took the second matchup between these two to decide the Merrimack Valley champion last season. This is the first Rangers vs. Red Raiders matchup since Methuen won its second MVC title. Monday, No. 5 Lexington at No. 10 Cambridge, 5:45 p.m. — The fifth- and sixth-ranked teams will go head-to-head in a match that could shake up the rankings. Wednesday, No. 20 O'Bryant at No. 16 BC High, 5 p.m. — After winning only five sets in its last five matches, BC High will have to persevere to turn the tide against this top 20 team. Thursday, No. 7 St. John's (Shrewsbury) at No. 8 St. John's Prep, 5 p.m. — The Pioneers won the first rivalry matchup in April. St. John's Prep will look to take for the rematch as the two teams race to the top of the Catholic Conference standings. Correspondent Alexa Podalsky contributed to this story. AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Wednesday's eight high school takeaways include long bombs, transfer portal, and a coach stepping down
1. The milestones Apponequet senior Kenny Wisniewski enjoyed an 11-point afternoon, not unusual for the Lakers' prolific scorer, who also netted his 300th career point while scoring six goals with five assists in a 13-2 win over Somerset Berkley. Advertisement Arlington Catholic's Ryan Constantine notched his 100th point in a 4-point effort in a 9-6 win over Archbishop Williams, Norton's Andrew Strojny recorded his 500th kill in a 3-1 win over Norwood, and Methuen senior captain Kiera Fitzpatrick netted her 200th career goal with four in a 9-8 nonleague setback to Masconomet. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : The Stoughton boys' lacrosse team topped Taunton, 9-3, marking its first Hockomock League victory since 2018 and fourth since joining the league in 2017. 2. Walk-off winners The most dramatic finishes of the day came from Marblehead, Malden, and Lincoln-Sudbury. The Marblehead softball team beat Beverly, 1-0, when Tessa Francis drew a walk and courtesy runner Keliane Salem stole second and third before racing home on a passed ball. Related : Freshman Davante Layne roped a walk-off hit, scoring pinch-runner TJ Lynch , after Malden rallied from down 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Revere, 4-3. Advertisement No. 11 Lincoln-Sudbury walked off Concord-Carlisle, 6-5, on Ben Clarkin's two-run double in the bottom of the seventh. 3. Six stars Cate Larson , Taunton — A senior bound for Georgetown, Larson threw five perfect innings with 11 strikeouts to annihilate Sharon, 24-0. Molly LeBel , Pentucket — After reaching 600 career strikeouts in her last outing, the senior threw five no-hit innings to beat Rockport, 21-0. Related : Jackie Giordano , Brooks — The Andover resident, a senior, tossed a 15-strikeout no-hitter to defeat Governor's, 2-0. Kate McLeish , Archbishop Williams — Stunningly not the only hitter to leave the yard thrice Wednesday, McLeish plated six runs for the Bishops, who blasted six home runs in a 26-5 demolition of Arlington Catholic. Related : Liv Petrillo , King Philip — The senior Providence commit blasted three home runs for King Philip, finishing with six RBIs in a 12-0 win over Milford. Ridty Tauch and Liam Quinn , Chelmsford — Tauch, a sophomore, had 26 kills and 10 digs, while Quinn, a senior, posted a nearly identical line of 25 kills and 10 digs, willing the Lions to a comeback win over Winchester after trailing, 2-0. 4. Going, going, gone If there was a ballpark, there was a ball leaving it Wednesday afternoon. No less than 44 home runs were hit, led by three each from Petrillo and McLeish. Normally, Holliston would lead this section after Sam Schoenberg (6 RBIs), Evan Engel (4 RBIs), and Ben Maiorano (4 RBIs) all blasted two home runs in a 15-2 win over Millis. Related : But they weren't even the same teammates to homer multiple times each. Bishop Feehan's Mylee Ramer (4 RBIs) and Maddie Coupal (3 RBIs) launched two shots apiece, and Gwen Camara sent one out for the Shamrocks. Advertisement Emma Penniman and Jillian Giusto went back-to-back for Triton, Maddie Grant went yard twice for Georgetown, which also got a homer from Ava Fair , and Shane Smith (5 RBIs) launched a pair of blasts for Revere. Related : Taunton's Aniyah Bailey (5 RBIs), Bella Bourque (4 RBIs), and Madison Crowley ripped round-trippers in a five-inning win over Sharon. Teammates Regen Parr and Taylor Putnam homered for Archbishop Williams, while Riley Davis and Lily Fabiano cranked moonshots for North Andover. Also homering Wednesday: Southeastern's Becca Hornung , West Bridgewater's Haylee Krakowski , Oliver Ames's Taylor Marino , Bishop Fenwick's Alyssa Butler , Newton South's Riley Cabrera , East Bridgewater's Riley Egan , Dighton-Rehoboth's Emma Horrocks , Milton's Scott Longo , Apponequet's Kate Suneson , Greater New Bedford's Lily Enos , Central Catholic's Gabrielle Del Gaizo , Tewksbury's Lila Areias , Methuen's Colleen McNamara , St. Mark's Jack DeFusco , and Nobles's Addy Keaveny . 5. Daily lacrosse leaderboard Goals Karina Bosco , Dighton-Rehoboth, 9 Chase Russo , Swampscott, 8 Emily Keefe , Bridgewater-Raynham, 6 Makenzie McDevitt , King Philip, 6 Kenny Wisniewksi , Apponequet, 6 Shannon Balfe , Whitman-Hanson, 5 Abby Bradley , Apponequet, 5 Eamon Haley , South Shore, 5 Ryan Hill , Minuteman, 5 Emelie Jonsson , Barnstable, 5 Shelby Locascio , Barnstable, 5 Clare O'Keefe , Archbishop Williams, 5 Ben Tondorf , South Shore, 5 Avery Valicenti , Archbishop Williams, 5 Points Russo, Swampscott, 11 Wisniewski, Apponequet, 11 Bradley, Apponequet, 10 Bosco, Dighton-Rehoboth, 9 Tondorf, South Shore, 8 Maddie Forbes , Marblehead, 7 Gia Papa , Dighton-Rehoboth, 7 Haley, South Shore, 6 Mario LaRosa , South Shore, 6 McDevitt, King Philip, 6 O'Keefe, Archbishop Williams, 6 Nathan Riley , Pembroke, 6 Sean Rockwood , Stoughton, 6 Jason Rothwell , Swampscott, 6 Valicenti, Archbishop Williams, 6 6. Daily strikeout leaderboard Jackie Giordano , Brooks, 15 Becca Hornung , Southeastern, 15 Advertisement Ryan O'Leary , Foxboreough, 15 Maddie Grant , Georgetown, 14 Jack Reyes , Weymouth, 14 Dom Bellia , Revere, 12 Nicolas Bonasera , Triton, 11 Kiley Hogan , Tyngsborough, 11 Cate Larson , Taunton, 11 Yan Tejada Ruiz , Salem, 11 Cameron Hohmann , Norwell, 10 Julia Walsh , Dedham, 10 7. Commitment corner Central Catholic girls' basketball star Aniela Kwo announced her commitment to Division 2 Southern New Hampshire. The 5-foot-10-inch senior averaged 14.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. I am excited to announce my official commitment to play division 2 basketball at SNHU. I am grateful for all my family members, friends, and coaches who helped me get here! 🙏🏾 — aniela (@anielakwo) Former Bishop Fenwick star Cecilia Kay , a 2024 Globe Player of the Year from Melrose, announced she will transfer from American to Saint Joseph's. The 6-foot-2-inch freshman averaged 11.5 points and 8.9 rebounds while playing 33.2 minutes and starting all 30 games for the Eagles. Former Elite finisher who can do it all and makes everyone around her better — Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) Former New Bedford wide receiver and safety Shahid Barros announced he will enter the transfer portal with one season of eligibility left after four years at South Dakota. The 6-foot-1-inch, 195-pound defensive back has 91 tackles, nine passes deflected, one sack, one forced fumble, and three interceptions in three seasons with the Coyotes. Thank You South Dakota ❤️ — Shahid Barros (@sha_barros) Former Randolph wide receiver Jamarii Robinson , who played at Monroe University at Northern Colorado, has entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining. He last played at UNC in 2023, catching 42 passes for 490 yards and two touchdowns, adding a third score on the ground. I'll be Available in May with 2 years of eligibility remaining. Ready to get back to work. — Jamarii Robinson (@showtime812) West Bridgewater's Abby Matta signed to continue her field hockey career at Worcester State, where she will pursue a degree in nursing. At the same signing ceremony, teammate Ava Harkins committed to play field hockey and study business management at Keene State. Congrats to Abby Matta and Ava Harkins! Abby will be continuing her field hockey career at Worcester State while pursuing a degree in Nursing , and Ava is headed to Keene State to study Business Management. Best of luck to both on their exciting journeys ahead! — WBMSHS Athletics (@WBMSHSAthletics) Bishop Fenwick senior Owen Jackson , who also played boys' soccer in high school, announced his commitment to run track and field at Curry. Advertisement Big congrats to Owen Jackson on his commitment to continue his athletic career in Track & Field 🏃💨 — Bishop Fenwick Boys Soccer (@FenwickBVSoccer) North Andover's Quinn Bennet is headed to Anna Maria to continue her hockey career after posting a 15-18--33 line as a senior, finishing in the top 10 in program history for points. Quinn Bennet went from limited playing time as a frosh to topping our team in points this year (15-18-33) and finished in the top 10 in points for her career. She's not done yet, Quinn is headed to Anna Maria to continue her hockey career while majoring in Elementary Education — HPNA Ice Hockey (@HPNAICEHOCKEY) 8. Coaching carousel After six seasons at the helm at Xaverian, Ryan Sheehan has stepped down as boys' basketball coach to focus more time on his family, which includes a young daughter. 'We would like to thank Ryan for turning our program around and building a culture that is second to none,' the school wrote on social media. The Hawks went 10-11 last season after finishing 17-7 in 2023-24, their best mark under Sheehan, who was 51-63 in six seasons. 'Thank you to all of the players & coaches in our program for their commitment, hard work and coach-ability,' Sheehan wrote on social media. 'I love each and every one of you. I'll be back on the sideline soon.' Thank you to Needed to step down for this: — Ryan Sheehan (@RPShee) 9. Try something new Debuting Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at the Game On Sports and Performance Center in Fitchburg is 360 Hoops, a free event that welcomes basketball players of all ages and skill levels to experience the fast-paced excitement of a new sport. With hoops set up at 7, 8, and 9 feet, and dunking encouraged, fans can take part in a slam dunk and shootout contest with prizes and giveaways. Brendan Kurie can be reached at
