Stoughton High Softball Stung by Mansfield Hornets

The Mansfield Hornets beat the Stoughton High softball team Friday afternoon in a shortened contest—the slaughter rule was invoked in the fifth inning, ending the game at 17-2.

The game featured the second place team from the Davenport Division (Stoughton) hosting the second place team from the Kelly-Rex Division (Mansfield) in a Hockomock League Crossover game.

Both teams had already , so Friday’s game had no impact on either team’s postseason eligibility. Stoughton enters the tournament with a 10-10 record, and despite the one-sided result against Mansfield, the Black Knights finished the season winning five of their last seven games.

On Friday, Mansfield jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the first four innings.

Brianna Chuisano started off Mansfield's scoring in the first inning when Tricia Hansen brought her in from third on a sacrificial fly. Mansfield struck again in the third when Hansen hit a triple to left field to bring in Chuisano again. Erin Glavin hit a single to bring in Hansen, and Jamie Mall hit a single to bring the score to 4-0.

Mansfield brought in three more runs in the fourth, but Stoughton answered in their half of the inning. Colleen Flaherty started out the inning with a lead-off bunt, and Jordan Angelos drove her in with a double for Stoughton's first run of the game. Pitcher Jess Olans then got on base with a single, followed by Molly Zuk.

Kelsey Moriarty hit a single to being in Olans to cut the score to 7-2, but Mansfield pitcher Hansen halted the Black Knights' momentum with two strikeouts and a pick off on first.

Then Mansfield found their momentum in the fifth and pulled away. They seemed unstoppable, as each player had two at bats. All in all, Mansfield scored ten runs during the inning. Stoughton changed pitchers from Olans to Emily Cramer in the middle of the rally, but it did little to slow the Hornets down.

"Our bats were definitely here," said Hornets coach Jinneane Sperrazza. "I think we had ten runs and ten hits that inning."

Stoughton had one more half inning before the game was called on the slaughter rule, but Hansen struck out all three batters consecutively.

"All I know is that collectively we all had our worst day on the same day and you can't do that against a very good team like Mansfield," said Black Knights coach Janet Sullivan.

"Hopefully we can put this one behind us and enter the tournament strong, because down the stretch this team has played extremely well in the last third of the season. This game was very unusual."