For fans of Old Rochester athletics, there was plenty to cheer about as the 2015-2016 season came towards a close. The Baseball team captured two big wins while Softball ended their season with a win. Some great doubles play helped Girls’ Tennis go undefeated for the week, and there were many impressive performances on display at the D-4 State Track Meet, especially the one given by junior Danny Renwick. Most teams will still compete in various state tournaments with more games to be announced this upcoming week.
Baseball: The Bulldogs were home versus Case on Monday to start the week. Senior Bryant Salkind had a good start, allowing three runs over six innings in an 11-4 win. He also had two hits and scored twice. Junior Will Hopkins had two hits, while fellow juniors Sam Henrie and Kyle Brezinski had two apiece. On Wednesday, the boys traveled down the Cape to play the Bourne Canalmen. Henrie pitched an excellent game, garnering a win off a three-hit, 10-strikeout game in a 3-1 victory. Salkind and Brezinski continued to hit, with both generating a single and a double, while Henrie had an RBI single himself. The Bulldogs were back at home on Friday in a make-up game against rival Fairhaven High. An agonizing game saw Hopkins lose a no-hitter in the top of the final inning. The Bulldogs relinquished a 1-0 lead off some scrappy play by Fairhaven, and ended up losing 3-2. Hopkins still pitched well and wound up surrendering only one hit and two runs (one earned) over six-plus innings of work. Sophomore Mike Kennefick had three hits and a walk. Both Henrie and Hopkins reached base three times, with Hopkins hitting a triple and later scoring thanks to an RBI single from senior captain Hunter Parker.
Softball: The Lady Bulldogs began their week away at Case, playing at Elizabeth S. Brown Elementary. Junior Olivia Labbe and senior Mia Vercellone had two hits apiece, with Vercellone driving in two runs. However, it wasn’t enough as the girls took a 7-5 loss. On Tuesday, the girls faced off with non-conference Bishop Stang, losing 12-4 against a tough competitor. They faced another non-conference opponent on Friday for their season finale, Coyle & Cassidy. Vercellone capped off her career by hitting a two-run home run that wound up as a game-winner. Fellow senior Maddie Lee pushed across three runs with a double, and junior Cassidy Burt earned her first varsity win of the season after pitching three innings in relief. The game wound up as a 10-8 win for the Lady Bulldogs, who finished their first season under coach Don DiBlasio on a high note.
Boys’ Lacrosse: The ‘Dogs lone game this week was at home against non-conference Dartmouth High on Thursday. Freshman Nathaniel King did terrific work in goal, saving 11 shots in the 6-5 victory. Junior Charlie Tirrell and sophomores Corey Lunn and Pat Kiernan all scored two goals in the win. Kiernan also had two assists in the win. The boys will be away at Tri-County Regional Voc. Tech on Wednesday in the first round of the state tournament.
Girls’ Lacrosse: On Monday, the team traveled to Dartmouth to play non-conference Bishop Stang. Five goals from sophomore Ali Hulsebosch were instrumental in the team’s 18-11 win. A few other sophomores contributed in the offense-oriented battle: Maddie Cooney scored four goals with one assist; Maggie Adams had three goals and an assist; and Ava Ciffolillo had two goals an assist. Junior Emily Hiller also scored twice. The Lady ‘Dogs will face Ursuline Academy in the first round of the state tournament at home on Wednesday.
Boys’ Track: The Bulldogs began the week with a meet against Bourne on Monday. Junior Jacob Cafarella had a big day, winning both the 110m hurdles (16.7) and the long jump (19-2.5) in a 72.5-59.5 victory. Other winners included freshman Matt Brogioli in the high jump (5-4), junior Eli Spevack in the triple jump (39-11.5), and sophomore Elijah McAllister in the 100m (11.9). The team’s top athletes were at Norwell High to compete in the D-4 State Meet on Saturday. Junior Danny Renwick had a fantastic day, finishing third in high jump (6-0), second in the 400m hurdles (56.3), and first in the 110m hurdles (15.07). Meanwhile, Brogioli continued his excellent freshman season with a sixth place finish in the long jump (20-5), and sophomore Harry Smith was seventh in the 110m hurdles (15.35). Renwick and Brogioli will compete at the All-State meet on Saturday.
Girls’ Track: The girls started off against Bourne on Monday. By winning 113-12, they became the undefeated SCC champions for the seventh year in a row. Junior Brooke Santos won both the high jump (4-8) and the javelin (74-0). Other winners included freshman Michaela Mattson (400m hurdles, 81.7), sophomore Madisen Martin (shot put, 27-9), senior Lucy Milde (800m, 2:45), and freshman Kristina Hopkins (100m hurdles, 18.7). Leading Lady Bulldog runners competed at Norwell High in the D-4 State Meet on Saturday. The big highlight was an epic 4x800m win (9:51) by a team composed of Martin, sophomore Samantha Ball, junior Avery Nugent, and senior Zoe Smith.
Boys’ Tennis: To start things off, the boys were home against their rival Wareham Vikings on Monday. They rested a few of their regulars and were taken advantage of by Wareham, who beat them 3-2. Both doubles teams won, however. The #1 team was formed by juniors Max Asker and Colin O’Malley, while the #2 team was made up of sophomores Jackson Owens and Ben Snow. They went on the road on Wednesday to play non-conference Pope John Paul II. The ‘Dogs wound up winning 4-1, as juniors Alex Bilodeau and Caleb Jagoda won their singles matches. The doubles teams made up of Asker with freshman Geoffrey Noonan, and junior Josh Lerman with sophomore Jahn Pothier, were each victorious. On Friday, the boys returned home to play the Dartmouth Indians in a doubleheader and won both matches 4-1. Jagoda got a No. 3 Singles win in both matches, as did the team of Lerman/Pothier at 1st Doubles. Noonan was part of both winning 2nd Doubles teams, pairing up with O’Malley in the first game and junior Maxx Wolski in the second. Pasquill and Bilodeau won 2nd Singles in the first and second match, respectively.
Girls’ Tennis: The girls traveled to Wareham High for their first game of the week on Monday. They won an easy match 5-0, winning both the No. 3 Singles and No. 2 Doubles matches by default. Senior Olivia Bellefeuille and freshman Delaney Pothier were the singles winners, while the winning doubles tandem was composed of freshman Delaney Soucy and sophomore Grace Filloramo. On Wednesday, the Lady Bulldogs faced non-conference Pope John Paul II. Senior Morgan Middleton won a key match at 1st Singles to preserve a 3-2 victory. Both Doubles teams also won. The first was made up of junior Emma Collings and Pothier, while the second was made up of juniors Katelyn Bindas and Alexis Parker. They went back on the road on Friday at non-conference Dartmouth, where they played a doubleheader in order to make up a previously postponed match. The Lady Bulldogs won the matches 4-1 and 3-2 respectively, with Middleton winning at No. 1 Singles in both matches. The Doubles teams of Pothier/Collings and Parker/Bindas won in both matches, exhibiting a penchant for clutch performances. In the first match, Bellefeuile was also a winner at No. 2 Singles.
Below are the overall spring team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of May 29.
Baseball: (12-7-0)(12-4-0); Softball: (8-13-0)(6-8-0); Boys’ Track: (8-1-0)(7-1-0); Girls’ Track: (9-0-0)(8-0-0); Boys’ Lacrosse: (10-5-0)(9-1-0); Girls’ Lacrosse: (11-5-0)(6-2-0); Boys’ Tennis: (17-2-0)(13-1-0); Girls’ Tennis: (17-3-0)(12-2-0).