Oates hits walk-off homer, lifts Xaverian in thriller
In a Div. 1 baseball firstround contest, Michael Oates cranked a threerun, walk-off homer, lifting fifth-seeded Xaverian (14-7) to a 5-3 win over No. 26 Algonquin.
Chris Costello earned his 100th career coaching win as No. 17 Walpole (13-8) defeated No. 16 Wachusett, 3-1. … Jack Ritchie scattered four hits in a complete-game effort as No. 9 Bridgewater-Raynham (174) beat No. 24 Bishop Feehan, 3-1. … Mason Lombard turned in six innings of shutout work, allowing three singles while racking up nine strikeouts as No. 7 BC High (13-8) punched its ticket to the Round of 16 with a 5-0 victory over No. 26 Barnstable.
In the first round of the Div. 2 tournament, Evan Yakavonis fired five innings of shutout ball for the win, surrendering just three hits while striking out eight to guide No. 5 Whitman-Hanson (17-4) to an 11-0 blanking of No. 28 Burlington. … Jacob Shirley tossed a onehitter as No. 11 Masconomet (16-5) defeated No. 22 Woburn, 2-0. … D.C. Brown fanned nine, while allowing two hits as No. 9 Plymouth North (16-7) defeated 24th-seeded Billerica. 8-0. Connor Mackenzie and Mark McKay each had inside-the-park home runs to pace the Eagles.
Boys lacrosse
In the Div. 1 round of 32, Tyler Sacchetti finished with three goals and dished out three assists, as No. 4 Franklin (18-1) erupted for 13 first quarter goals en route to coasting to a 20-0 shutout of No. 21 Methuen.
Eamon Centrella (six goals, assist) turned in a fantastic performance offensively, as top-seeded Reading (18-1) rolled onto the next round of the Div. 2 tournament with a convincing 20-4 win over No. 32 Plymouth North.
Girls lacrosse
In the first round of the Div. 1 tournament, Ryann Cobban scored four times to lead all scorers in an 18-4 win for sixth-seeded Sandwich (16-4) over No. 27 AMSA (13-7). … Cameron Doyle (seven points) and Megan Doyle (14 draw controls, six points) provided a spark offensively, helping Weymouth (15-6) advance to the Round of 16 with a 17-3 victory over No. 22 Peabody (13-6).
In a Div. 4 first round contest, Carolyn Bailey and Ella Stein each registered three goals and an assist in a 17-2 win for topranked Ipswich (16-1) over No. 32 Belchertown (8-10).
Sara MacLeod scored six goals as No. 15 Billerica (811) defeated No. 18 Canton 14-5 in a Div. 2 first-round contest.
Softball
Ana Tsonis notched two hits, four RBI and two runs scored for No. 10 Greater New Bedford (14-9) in a 13-1 win over No. 23 Tantasqua (10-11), in a Div. 3 first-round contest. … Camryn Cloonan went 3-for-3 with a home run, five RBI and four runs scored as No. 2 Dighton-Rehoboth (17-4) defeated No. 34 BristolPlymouth, 21-2.
In a Div. 4 first-round bout, Shelby Parr fired a no-hitter, tallying 14 strikeouts as third-seeded Archbishop Williams (18-5) moved onward with a 2-0 shutout of No. 28 Blackstone-Milville.
Boys soccer
Whitman-Hanson announced the hiring of Nate Almeida as its new boys soccer coach. Almeida played center back at Whitman-Hanson from 2011-14. During his three years on the varsity, the team went from winning only two games in 2012 to making the postseason tournament for the first time in several years in 2014.
During his senior year, Almeida was a captain, defensive MVP, team MVP, and selected to represent Whitman-Hanson in the Patriot League All-Star game. Almeida has served as an assistant coach at Whitman-Hanson and has also been active within Whitman Youth Soccer, where he was a player, referee, and board member over the years.
“What I am most excited for is the ability to help the players within the program grow and develop,” Almeida said. “Soccer has taught me countless life lessons through the coaches and mentors I have met, and I hope to have that same impact on the players coming through the program today and into the future.”