Stoughton High Baseball Falls to Defending Champs in Tourney, But Future is Bright for Black Knights

With the trailing Plymouth North 3-0, just two outs from elimination in a , Pat Jackman crushed a double to deep left centerfield with one out in the seventh. He advanced to third on a groundout from Will McGrath. Mike Connelly then appeared to single home Jackman, looking as if he had beaten the throw to first, but was instead called out, abruptly ending the team's comeback attempt.

Instead of trailing 3-1 with Connelly at first and the tying run coming to the plate (Pat Raeke), Stoughton's season ended with a 3-0 loss.

Stoughton, the #11 seed in the 12-seed Division 2 South Sectional tournament, traveled to #6 Plymouth North on Friday attempting to upset the defending D2 State Champions. 

Locked in a scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Plymouth North's Joe Kingsbury walked and Brian Christian was hit by a pitch. With two on, Plymouth North pitcher Alex Rozak then hit what proved to be a game-winning three-run home run off Stoughton's Mike Gallagher, accounting for the only runs of the game. 

It was the only blemish for Gallagher in an otherwise sensational effort on the mound. The sophomore scattered three hits over 5 and 2/3 innings of work. 

"Plymouth North knows that they beat a heck of a baseball team today," Stoughton coach Mike Armour said. "Mike [Gallagher] had a little tightness in his back to start the game and just being the competitor he is, he went out and gutted it out and pitched a heck of a game."

"I couldn't be more proud of [the team] and the way they played," Armour added.

Plymouth coach Dwayne Follette said Rozak had only 11 at bats this season prior to Friday's game, but the senior captain came through, with a double and the home run.

"It was about giving a senior a chance, getting a senior in the lineup and it paid off," Follette said. "In a tournament game I figure he'd come up big and boy did he ever."

"They got the big hit before we did and I think it was going to come down to that...got to tip your cap to Plymouth North," Armour said.

On the mound, Rozak allowed nine hits over seven innings, but kept Stoughton off the board. Stoughton had at least one baserunner in every inning and had at least one runner in scoring position in five of the seven innings, but Rozak got out of each jam.

The Black Knights loaded the bases on back-to-back-to-back singles from Jamie Connors, Zach Gibb and Jovani Pires with one out in the top of the second, but Rozak got the next two batters to strikeout, ending the inning. 

Plymouth North threatened in the bottom of the fourth with runners on second and third with one out, but Gallagher retired the next two batters and then tossed a five pitch fifth inning.

"[Gallagher] kept us off balance all day," Follette said. "He threw some 2-0 curveballs, he got us to chase fastballs out of the zone, he pitched really well."

With the win, Plymouth North (14-7) advances to face #3 Dennis-Yarmouth (16-4) on June 4 in the D2 South quarterfinals.

After making the tournament in 2010, Stoughton slipped to 7-13 in 2011, but finished 10-10 this year, including 9-5 down the stretch to return to the postseason. 

The tournament loss marked the final game for Stoughton seniors Connors, Brian Kaplan, Cam Colson, Matt MacDonald, Sean Flaherty and Thomas Berntsen. As a captain this season, Kaplan was "an extension of the coaching staff," Armour said. Connors "blossomed into a stud second baseman," Armour added. 

But, while the team loses a group of key seniors, Stoughton is set to return a talented, experienced core in 2013 - a group of current sophomores and juniors who all earned significant playing time this year - players like Connelly, Jackman, Gallagher, Raeke, McGrath, Gibb, Pires and Mike Dixon.

"Wish [next season] started tomorrow. Can't wait," Armour said. "We'll be back and we'll be a force to be reckoned with next year, I have no doubt."