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Taunton dumps SJS, back to state title game

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

Ryan MacDougall once again found a way to save his best for last.MacDougall laced a tie-breaking three-run triple in the fourth to give the Tigers their first lead while Brady Morin fired 4.1 key innings of relief as Taunton earned a spot in the Div. 1 state title game in an 10-6 win over No. 6 St John’s Shrewsbury on Tuesday night at Holy Cross.The defending champion Tigers (20-4) will make their third state final appearance in four years.“Our guys just enjoy playing the game,” Taunton coach Blair Bourque said. “I don’t think anyone plays these games to win state championships. We play for our teammates, ourselves, our family, and our community. I’ve just incredibly proud of what these guys have accomplished so far.”St. John’s held a tenuous 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third, but a MacDougall’s two-out RBI single to center evened the score.One inning later, the Dayton signee who lifted Taunton to the state championship a year ago with a tie-breaking home run in the final ve...

Column: Can the Chicago Cubs awaken from a bad dream, or is this the new normal?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

The mystery ailment to Seiya Suzuki remained a secret Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, though the Chicago Cubs right fielder was back in the starting lineup for the rain-delayed game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.“My body feels really good,” Suzuki said through an interpreter. “These past couple days I’ve just been dreaming. … I’ve been having those dreams of getting bullied. But I feel like I’m back.”That also sounded like a perfect explanation for what has been ailing the Cubs, who returned from a 4-6 West Coast trip nine games under .500 after starting the season 12-7.Maybe it all has been just a bad dream, and the Cubs suddenly will wake up against the division-leading Pirates, whom they play six times in their next nine games in home-and-away series.The Cubs have been pushed around since their hot start, posting a .347 winning percentage (16-30) and threatening to fall into sellers at the trade deadline for the third straight seas...

Injury issues continue to sideline Chicago Bears WR Chase Claypool plus 3 other things we learned at minicamp

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

Rain pushed the Chicago Bears inside the Walter Payton Center for their first day of minicamp Tuesday in Lake Forest. The team is wrapping up its offseason program with two more practices scheduled Wednesday and Thursday. As head coach Matt Eberflus continues shaping his team in advance of training camp, here are four things we learned Tuesday at Halas Hall.1. Receiver Chase Claypool is dealing with “a few things” health-wise that are preventing him from practicing, Eberflus said.Yes, you read that correctly. “A few things.” As in plural. Claypool has been off the practice field the past three weeks with what was originally described as an unspecified soft-tissue injury. Now, per Eberflus, there is more than one thing to keep an eye on. And Claypool’s missed practice time is significant as he tries to take a big leap forward in his first full season with the Bears, develop/ing timing and building rapport with quarterback Justin Fields.“Training ca...

Speedy Notre Dame Academy runs past East Longmeadow, 22-6

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

WALPOLE — To truly have a shot at beating Notre Dame Academy of Hingham’s girls lacrosse team, you have to prove that you can run with the Cougars, who possess uncommon team speed.For the first half of Tuesday’s Division 2 state semifinal, heavy underdog East Longmeadow did just that, and were within shouting distance.But after that, East Longmeadow found out what everyone who has played NDA already knows: running with the Cougars for 50 minutes is a different story.NDA pulled away with a dominant second half in a 22-6 rout that was on running clock for most of the second half. The Cougars are now 24-0 and advance to the state final, where they hope to repeat as D2 state champs.East Longmeadow’s season ends at 18-4.“Absolutely, I think, especially this team, I think that was why it was a tougher first half for us,” said NDA’s Emma Connerty, who scored four goals. “They kept up. They were keeping up. That threw us off, because we like our fas...

Westwood scores late to earn thrilling 10-9 victory over Franklin

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

WALPOLE — What Westwood coach Margot Spatola would not have given for a single draw control in the final moments of Tuesday’s Division 1 state semifinal against Franklin.Luckily, her scintillating senior captain, Lil Hancock, had what her coach was looking for.Hancock’s ground ball win off the final draw of the game helped the Wolverines seal a 10-9 win, to allow them the opportunity to play for a possible third girls lacrosse state title in a row.Westwood improves to 22-3, while Franklin ends its season at 20-4.When asked if she noticed who made that play, Spatola said, “I have no clue,” but acknowledged its importance.“We needed that,” Spatola said. “It was about time.”Hancock scored two goals in a balanced Westwood attack. Caroline Nozzolillo, Emilie DeMaio, and Charlotte DeMaio also scored twice, and Kella McGrail and Ava Connaughton each added a goal.Westwood goalie Riley Harrington made 10 saves and was terrific in the first half...

St. John’s Prep rolls to a 14-5 victory over Hingham

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

WESTON – With each passing evening this week, William Sawyer started to have a greater hunch that he would be given an increased role when St. John’s Prep took the field Tuesday for the Final Four.What the senior attackman didn’t truly realize, however, was that he was on the verge of turning a career performance. Sawyer went on to register a game-high four goals, as the top-seeded Eagles clinched their third straight trip to the Div. 1 boys lacrosse championship with a convincing 14-5 rout of No. 5 Hingham at Weston High School.“I didn’t get told, but I had a feeling I would play,” Sawyer said afterward. “I felt good coming into the game, and everything went well today.”These two historic programs had already engaged in one barn-burner this spring on May 27, with St. John’s Prep (21-1) closing its regular season with a thrilling 12-9 win. Most envisioned a similar battle in the semifinals. For the first seven minutes, it certainly appeared that it would pan out as such. Harla...

Mets Notebook: Pete Alonso’s wrist injury progressing ahead of schedule

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

Pete Alonso is progressing ahead of schedule.The Mets’ first baseman was taking ground balls at Citi Field on Tuesday ahead of the team’s first game of the Subway Series. Alonso was hit on the left wrist with a pitch last week in Atlanta and went on the 10-day injured list with a contusion and a sprain. The league’s home run leader with 22 long balls is expected to be out for three to four weeks, but it sounds like he might be ahead of schedule.“He’s progressing well. He’s starting to do some things,” manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday at Citi Field before the Mets hosted the Yankees. “We all know when he’s eligible [to come off the injured list]. We’ll see if we get there.”Showalter said he doesn’t want to “handicap” it when it comes to looking at a date for his return. But it goes without saying that getting the team’s best hitter back would be a boon for a struggling club. The Mets rank tow...

Div. 1 softball: Central Catholic holds off Peabody

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

LOWELL — It was pretty ugly at times for Central Catholic on Tuesday in the Div. 1 softball semifinals against No. 5 Peabody. But with one swing of an unlikely hero’s bat, the ugliness turned to beauty.No. 9 batter Bella Boyer rocked River View Field with a two-run homer in the fifth inning that gave the top-seeded Raiders a lead it never relinquished in a 4-2 win over the Tanners.Central (23-1) advances to face either Taunton or King Philip at UMass Amherst this weekend for a state title.“I’m just happy that I could get a hit like that for the team,” Boyer said.One of those people not truly surprised that Boyer came up huge was Central coach Stacy Ciccolo.“We have a lot of faith in Bella,” Ciccolo said. “We like having her in that spot so we can turn the order around.”The Raiders were fortunate to be in a 2-2 tie as they left nine on base over the first four innings against Peabody’s Abby Bettencourt. Central also committed three errors and saw Logan Lomasney and Bettencourt homer ...

Defense dominates, Bailey Zappe sees reps increase and more Patriots Day 2 minicamp takeaways

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots offense will be a slow burn.Progress is the message and focus as they rebuild from the rubble of last season. Mac Jones has dusted himself enough off to believe Bill O’Brien’s system can and should inspire hope, if not belief, for the 2023 season. Life will be different in Foxboro when the Patriots have the ball.But when they don’t? When Bill Belichick’s defense prowls the field, sneering and hunting from sideline to sideline? Forget hope.It’s time to convert already.Early signs are the next Patriots defense will be fast, deep and multiple. Violent, vicious and deceptive. This unit forced Jones and Bailey Zappe to pump the ball and hang in the pocket repeatedly during team drills this spring, including Tuesday’s minicamp practice.Jones tossed two picks, while thumping safeties, freak man-cover cornerbacks and pass-rushers took turns flashing all across the field. Defense dominated every 11-on-11 period to the point players b...

Connecticut’s David Pastore leads Massachusetts Open after two rounds

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:13 GMT

David Pastore of Stamford, Conn., will take a two-shot lead into Wednesday’s third and final round of the 113th Massachusetts Open Championship.Pastore fired rounds of 68 and 66 to reach 10-under at TPC Boston in Norton. In second place was amateur John Broderick. Broderick, playing out of Dedham Country & Polo Club, has been consistent, carding rounds of 68 and 68.One shot back of Broderick in a four-way tie for third place at 7-under were Kyle Gallo of Berlin, Conn. (70-67), Brad Adamonis of Ponte Vedra, Fla. (68-69), Mike Van Sickle of Wexford, Pa. (71-66) and Nicholas Pandelena of Atkinson, N.H. (68-69).The inaugural event was won in 1905 when the legendary Donald Ross was the winner at Vesper Country Club in Tyngsboro.