Stoughton High Softball Outslugs Canton

The Stoughton High softball team started the second half of its season with a crucial 11-6 victory over Hockomock League and Davenport Division (small schools)  rival Canton, on Friday afternoon. It was the first home win for the Black Knights this season in four games.

Stoughton now improves its overall record to 4-6, 3-5 in the league and 2-2 in the division. Canton now falls to 1-8 overall, 0-6 in the league and 0-4 in the division.

“This was a big win for us, after losing several close games,” Stoughton coach Janet Sullivan said. “It was a total team effort with all 16 players contributing.”

The Black Knights were without senior captain, catcher and team leader Molly Zuk, who is representing Stoughton High School at the DECA International competition. Sophomores Bailey Olsen and Maggie Widberg both filled the huge void behind the plate.

Stoughton began the scoring with five unearned runs in the second inning, all after two outs and with the help of four Canton errors.

Kelsey Moriarty, a junior, had a great game, going four-for-four with five RBI’s. Moriarty had an RBI double that scored senior Megan Guerard, who reached on an error. Moriarty then came around and scored on an error. Sophomores Jordan Angelos and Meghan Flaherty then connected on back-to-back triples to give the Black Knights a 5-0 lead.

In the third inning, Stoughton added two more runs. Senior pitcher Jess Olans led off the inning helping her own cause with a single, Guerard followed with a double, and both scored on a Moriarty single.

The Black Knights then scored three more runs in the fourth inning on singles by Angelos, senior Nicole Beauregard, Olans and Moriarty, which gave Stoughton what seemed to be a commanding 10-0 lead.

“We had too many mistakes with our errors and you can’t give a team like Stoughton that many chances,” Canton coach Ed Amico said.

Canton would fight back however, cutting the deficit to 10-6, scoring three runs each in both the fifth and sixth innings. The bats of the Bulldogs finally awoke after scoring only eight runs in their first eight games, being shutout in five.

Olivia Murphy, a junior and the leadoff hitter, started the fifth inning with a triple. Murphy had three hits in the game. She scored on sophomore Julia Murphy’s single. Senior pitcher Olivia Kenyon connected on an RBI double and scored on a junior Cady Kelly’s single.

Senior Devin McKay had an infield single to start the sixth inning rally for the Bulldogs. Julia Murphy had a two-RBI double and also had three hits in the contest. Canton added another run on a Stoughton error to cut the lead to four runs, 10-6.

“We showed a lot of character coming back like we did and we finally got our bats going, which we have had the potential to do all season,” Amico said. “There is still a lot of the season remaining and we need to stay positive and take the hitting from this game and continue to build upon it. We have been in a position to win games, but our offense needs to get going like we did against Stoughton.”

Stoughton got an added insurance run in the sixth inning on a Moriarty RBI single. Olans then finished with a very strong seventh inning, notching the only 1-2-3 inning of the game, getting two strikeouts and a foul pop out to the catcher to end the game and preserve the victory.

Olans had seven strikeouts, walked only one and was very tough when needed, stranding nine Canton runners on base.

“We let Canton back into the game and with their strong hitting. Things could of unraveled for us, but we settled down nicely and held on and that was a good sign for us,” Sullivan said.

Stoughton now prepares for a tough upcoming week with three games in five days, starting Monday, at home, against first place and defending State Champion King Philip. That game will be followed by a home game against Attleboro and a road game at North Attleboro. Stoughton has beaten and lost to earlier this season.

Canton will attempt to turn its season around with a home game on Monday against Attleboro.