Stoughton Friendship League Team Ends Historic Season with Second Place Finish

Sixty-four teams and 950 players began the Friendship League season back in the last week of June, looking to get to the championship contest.

And, after more than 300 games, Stoughton and Braintree American were the last two standing.

The Stoughton Friendship League team () beat Raynham Thursday night to be of the 32-team Foxboro Friendship League, while Braintree American beat Plymouth North to win the 32-team Braintree Friendship League.

The two met Saturday evening at Braintree’s Hollingsworth Park for a game under the lights, with Braintree American withstanding a late Stoughton rally to earn a 5-4 victory and win the Friendship League Title.

The second-place finish in a field of 64 teams capped a historic season for the Stoughton 8-year-olds.

Not only did they win the first in Stoughton history, they became the first team of any age to win a title for a Stoughton Youth Baseball (or former Stoughton Little League) travel team in more than 25 years, according to Vida Gallagher, VP of Summer League baseball for Stoughton Youth Baseball.

Against Braintree Saturday night, Stoughton took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jacob Kaplan scored on an inside-the-park homerun, on a ball hit to leftfield.

But, Braintree responded with four runs in the bottom of the first, building a 4-1 lead.

Stoughton chipped away at the deficit with a run in the top of the fourth. CJ Carpenter scored from third on a hit from Tyler Hobbs.

But, Braintree increased the lead back to three in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Trailing 5-2 in the top of the sixth, the final inning of play, Stoughton fought back and nearly tied the game. Noah Dembrowsky and Kaplan had back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Then, with two outs, Michael Nazzaro hit a triple, scoring Dembrowsky and Kaplan.

However, with the tying run at third, Braintree pitcher Michael Murphy was able to get out of the jam, ending the game, and the comeback effort.

Dembrowsky, Carpenter and Queeney pitched well for Stoughton. The Stoughton team was honored on the field after the game.

Stoughton beat Wellesley to win their division in the Foxboro Friendship League and beat Walpole in the semifinal round of the Foxboro Friendship League playoffs before beating in the finals, earning the right to play the Braintree Friendship League champion.

ROSTER: Mikey Anastos, Stephen Bangs, CJ Carpenter, Zachery DeBerardinis, Noah Dembrowsky, Bobby Genereux, Tyler Hobbs, Jacob Kaplan, Cameron Kast, Eddie Marinilli, Michael Nazzaro, Jake Queeney

MANAGER: Neil Kaplan

COACHES: Steve Anastos, Jeff Carpenter, John Dembrowsky

Take a look at photos from the championship game in the media gallery above. Hats off to all players on the Stoughton team for a fantastic season!