Stoughton Legion Baseball Edged in Two Contests

The Stoughton Legion Post 89 baseball team entered the final week of the regular season, and its last four games, with a 3-10-1 record. Despite winning only three games, a very young Stoughton team, with great rising talent, looks to finish the season strong.

Stoughton began the week with a game at a strong Braintree team, the same team that dominated Stoughton, 15-1, in a contest played at Stoughton, less than two weeks earlier. This time around, Stoughton gave Braintree all that it could handle, before falling 13-10 this past Sunday.

Stoughton jumped out to a quick 5-0 advantage after the first inning before watching the lead disappear over the next three innings, giving up six unearned runs. Stoughton kept bouncing back, but Braintree countered every Stoughton rally with one of its own.

After Braintree scored a pair of runs to take a 13-9 lead into the seventh (last) inning, Stoughton rallied to score a run. Stoughton then brought the tying run to the plate with one out and two runners on the bases. However, the Braintree relievers came in to shut the door and hold on to earn a 13-10 victory.

For Stoughton, Pat Jackman and Eric McPherson paced the 12-hit attack for Stoughton with two hits apiece. Jackman continues to bat over .400 on the season. Stoughton also got solid offensive efforts from Kyle Phillips, Stephen Pike, Mike Connelly and Brett McDonald, all reaching base safely three times.

“We had a big lead and gave it up with our defense and you can’t give a team as talented as Braintree extra chances,” said Stoughton coach Jim Derochea. “Our bats did awake and gave us a chance to win. I’m proud of this team, the way it never gives up and keeps battling, that shows we have a lot of character.”

Stoughton then hosted first place Morrissette (Quincy) on Tuesday night, a team that defeated Stoughton, 10-0, in Quincy, earlier this season. Again Stoughton displayed how much it has improved, but again came out on the short end of 9-7 contest, falling to 3-12-1.

Stoughton fell behind 9-1, allowing four runs in each of the first and third innings and one in the fourth. But, Stoughton got outstanding relief pitching from Will McGrath and Jackman to shut out Morrissette over the final three innings, giving Stoughton a chance to edge closer. Stoughton scored three runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn’t pull it out.

Connolly led the attack, reaching base all four at bats, with two doubles, a single, a walk, driving in three runs and scoring two. Jay DiStefano had a clutch hit, in the seventh inning for two RBI’s. Phillips went two-for-four with two RBI’s and McPherson also added two hits.

“We can play with anyone and we showed that we can give the top teams a good game, but we can’t dig ourselves too deep a hole and expect to win,” said Derochea. “We keep trying and we keep improving and with our record and being down by eight runs it would have been just as easy to quit, but we didn’t and we never have, and we always give our best effort, and that’s all you can ask from your team.”

Stoughton will finish the season with another home game against Morrissette on Thursday (5:50 p.m.) and then play its season finale on Friday night (5:50 p.m.) at Cohasset.