2 days ago
Addie Willett and Delaney Moquin send Silver Lake softball to Division 2 championship with clutch performances
Delaney Moquin was her usual self in the circle, working a shutout with 15 strikeouts. Even in an atypical first-inning jam, with two on and nobody out, the Fairfield commit responded with three strikeouts.
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'It hasn't set in yet, but it's definitely going to be hard to go to bed tonight,' Moquin said. 'We're ready for it. I work better under pressure, so when there's a little bit of pressure on me I use that to my advantage.'
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It will be a pitching matchup for the ages in the D2 championship game, as Moquin and the Lakers take on Gatorade Player of the Year Alyx Rossi and third-seeded Bedford (21-3).
Division 1 state
Wachusett 5, Lincoln-Sudbury 1 —
Does momentum exist? Sure felt like it.
With two on, one out and trailing by a run in the sixth inning, Lincoln-Sudbury had a prime opportunity to push at least a run across. Kelsey Blanchette flared a line drive back up the middle. Wachusett senior shortstop Ella Snyder's instincts kicked in, darting to snag the ball and tag second base, ending the inning in a flash.
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In the bottom of the sixth, Wachusett plated three runs, cutting off the Warriors' hopes of a comeback.
Thanks to a game-changing sixth inning, No. 2 Wachusett bested No. 6 Lincoln-Sudbury (18-6) in the semifinals at Worcester State. The Mountaineers (22-2) will play in their first title game since 2021 against four-time defending champion, top-ranked Taunton (24-0) Saturday at Worcester State at a time to be announced.
Lincoln Sudbury's Eliana Krasnow (2) was doubled up at second by Wachusett shortstop Ella Snyder during a key play in the sixth inning.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo
'Everyone's on their toes for anything,' said Snyder, who is committed to Worcester State. 'The bat hits the ball and you're jumping.'
Senior pitcher Shayna Bakun, who will play at Westfield State, was in control the entire way. She allowed six hits and a walk with five strikeouts.
'We really focused on the outside, hitting the corners, and giving them something that they could put the bat on but not really be successful with — and it worked,' said Bakun.
Wachusett first baseman Isobel Connor and shortstop Ella Snyder embrace earning a spot in the Division 1 championship game.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo
The Mountaineers scored two in the first, with sophomore Cassie Wilkins and senior Tiegan Walsh crossing home on a fielder's choice and an ensuing error. McKenzie Caron, a Stonehill-bound senior, started off the sixth with a double. Caron and Bakun scored via an error before Snyder plated Giana Johanson, a Salem State commit, with a single to right field.
'I knew it was a matter of time,' said first-year Wachusett coach Kathryn Putnam. 'We were making contact with the ball, one through nine in the lineup. We just had to put the pieces together. They seriously feed off of each other with momentum. They fight and they fight and they fight. No one does it better than them.'
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Blanchette, headed to UMass Amherst, blasted a solo home run in the top of the second for the Warriors' lone run. She allowed four hits and a walk, striking out three in the loss.
Division 3 state
Dighton-Rehoboth 4, Nipmuc 0 —
It wasn't easy, but the repeat bid is still alive for Dighton-Rehoboth.
The top-seeded Falcons battled to a 4-0 victory over fifth-seeded Nipmuc in the Division 3 semifinals behind a stellar outing from sophomore ace Edy Latour, who tossed an eight-strikeout shutout at UMass Dartmouth.
'This group knew what it would take to get [back],' said D-R coach Katie Holmes. 'Had to rebuild a little bit, but they came out, and I'm just so proud of them for getting there.'
After striking out four of the first five Nipmuc batters, Latour drove in game's first run with a second-inning single. Isabella Moss's RBI double added some insurance in the fifth, and the Falcons (23-2) held it down on defense, not committing an error against Nipmuc (21-3).
'I definitely get nervous a bit, but I'm a little more used to it after last year,' Latour said. 'I felt way more confident coming into this game. I feel like I still do what I do, it's the same thing, but just my confidence [has improved].'
The reigning champs have one last hurdle to cap off a dream season: 10th-seededSouth Coast rival Greater New Bedford (18-8) in the state championship. The Falcons won both regular-season matchups, 4-0 on April 28 and 15-1 on May 10.
Division 4 state
Joseph Case 13, Hampshire Regional 0
— Lila Alvarez led off the game with a single. Two batters later, Bre Fontes brought her home with a single up the middle.
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That's all the run support that Alvarez needed. But the Cardinals sophomore received plenty more to aid her dominance.
Alvarez hurled a one-hitter, striking out 10 and walking two as fourth-seeded Joseph Case knocked out top-seeded Hampshire (22-2) for the third-straight year, this time a 13-0 drubbing in the Division 4 semifinals at Worcester State.
Coach Shannon Silva and the Cardinals had plenty to celebrate as they took care of business against Hampshire.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo
The Cardinals (18-6) will face No. 6 Tyngsborough (20-4) in a rematch of last year's title game on Saturday at a time and venue to be announced.
Alvarez carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, spinning her screwball and curveball all across the plate.
'She's nasty,' said Fontes, a senior catcher. 'She's a great pitcher and I have the absolute pleasure of being behind the plate for her. It's amazing. I've never seen somebody do it like her.'
Joseph Case coach Shannon Silva described her pitcher as 'phenomenal.'
'She's just a gamer,' said Silva. 'When she's on the big stage, she does rise up.'
'Those games give me the highest adrenaline and I like to compete,' echoed Alvarez.
Hampshire first baseman Teagan Charles felt the emotion of her season coming to a close.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo
In four consecutive frames, the Cardinals scored at least one run with two outs. Alvarez reached base five times, scoring thrice. Fontes tallied four RBIs on three singles. Senior captain Skye Dupre and sophomore Olivia Williams each supplied three runs and an RBI. Fellow senior captain Ella Preston recorded two RBIs and two runs. The Cardinals only struck out once.
Division 5 State
Greenfield 7, Hopedale 0 —
MacKenzie Paulin finished with 18 strikeouts to send the second-seeded Green Wave (18-6) to the state title game where they'll face the defending champion and top-seeded Turners Falls (20-4), a rematch of the 2023 final that saw Greenfield raise the banner. Greenfield scored five runs in the first inning at Westfield State to stake Paulin to a comfortable lead.
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Cam Kerry reported from Worcester and Ethan Kagno contributed.
Joe Eachus can be reached at
