Boston, MA

Baseball/softball year in review: Taunton girls keep winning

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2024

Press Room

Baseball/softball year in review: Taunton girls keep winning

The epicenter for softball excellence in Massachusetts has annually been the southeastern part of the state.

This year proved to be no different as three of the five state champions reside there.

Start with Division 1 state champion Taunton, a program which has richly earned the moniker of dynasty. The Tigers rolled to their fourth straight title, defeating five opponents by a 46-3. Central Catholic was the only team able to stay within five runs of Taunton, losing a 1-0 contest in the state semifinals.

The South Coast Conference has always possessed a proven track record in postseason play and this year was no different once again. Both Dighton-Rehoboth and Case reaped the benefits of day-in and day-out spirited competition during the regular season and cashed in to the tune of state titles.

Dighton-Rehoboth had the reputation as one of the best hitting teams in the state and that continued in the postseason as Falcons averaged more than 10 runs a game. They also showed a flair for the dramatic in the Div. 3 state final as Lucy Latour’s double in the last of the seventh plated Haleigh Kelley with the winning run in a 4-3 triumph over Hudson.

Over in Div. 4, defending champion Case rolled through its first three opponents, outscoring them by a whopping 46-3 margin. The Cardinals, however, proved they were equally adept at winning the close ones as evidenced by a 2-0 win over AMSA and a 1-0 decision over Tyngsboro in the state final.

If pitching is 90 percent of the game in softball, then they surely underestimated Walpole ace Sharlotte Stazinski. The two-time All-Scholastic shut out all five postseason opponents, including back-to-back 1-0 wins in the final two games to claim the school’s first state softball title.

Another team who can lay claim to being a dynasty is Turners Falls. The Western Mass. power became the first MIAA school to win 11 state titles, taking down Georgetown 5-0 in the Div. 5 state final.

One of the best stories of the baseball season was English. The Boston City League power struck a blow for inner-city baseball by becoming the first BCL school in more than four decades to win a state title. They certainly didn’t back into this as they defeated an excellent Georgetown team 7-1 in the Div. 5 state final.

Pitching and defense were the hallmarks of successful title defenses by Oakmont in Div. 3 and Seekonk in Div. 4. Oakmont made a living out of keeping the opponents off the scoreboard as they allowed just two runs in five games. If you think that was impressive, Seekonk did them one better by permitting one opposing run to score in the tournament.

The never-Catholics certainly were not happy when they saw the Final Four dance card in the Div. 1 state baseball tournament and three of the remaining four teams resided in the Catholic Conference (BC High, Xaverian and St. John’s Shrewsbury). As it turned out, BC High was the last team standing as the Eagles defeated Leominster in the semifinal and St. John’s (Shrewsbury) in the championship game to bring the trophy back to Dorchester.

Plymouth North saved its best for last in the Div. 2 state tournament. The Eagles capped off a fantastic season by rolling past top-seeded Walpole 9-2 to give coach Dwayne Follette another state championship.

Parting shot

I know the MIAA constantly loves to float the narrative that they will look at data before making decisions down the road.

One statistic which bears watching is the lack of success teams ranked outside the top 32 achieved this past season. Yes I am fully aware that one of the key reasons why the statewide tournament was eventually passed a few years back was the fact there was a concession made to allow teams who didn’t finish ranked among the top 32, but possessed a record of .500 or better were allowed into the field.

That being said, it’s definitely time to give this more than a cursory look starting with the 2024 softball tournament. A total of 43 teams entered the field seeded lower than 32 and just one emerged victorious — No. 34 Marlborough who defeated No. 31 Oliver Ames 13-5 in a Div. 2 preliminary round contest. The Panthers went on to lose to Tewksbury in the next round by 12 runs.

For those scoring at home, that comes out to a 1-42 record for those schools. Those teams were outscored by a margin of 498-132, certainly not what you would expect from the state tournament,

On the baseball front, things were marginally better as 38 teams entered the postseason seeded lower than 32 with eight wound up victorious. Of the eight who advanced, Belchertown was the only one to win a second game before bowing to Sandwich in the Div. 3 Round of 16.

If this trend continues, it might be a prudent course of action down the road to consider limiting the field to the best 32 teams.

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Boston, MA

Each mile is for her miracle: This Granby mom is running the Boston Marathon with her daughter in mind

Published

10 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Boston Marathon

“With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.”

Brianna Poehler is running the 2026 Boston Marathon.
Brianna Poehler

By Carson Lyle

March 4, 2026 | 6:00 PM

2 minutes to read

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.

Name: Brianna Poehler

City/State: Granby, Mass.

I am running the 2026 Boston Marathon with Miles for Miracles in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. The Boston Marathon is deeply personal to me and my family.

My daughter is a liver transplant survivor, and at just 11 months old, she received a life-saving liver transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital.

What could have been the most devastating chapter of our lives became a story of hope, resilience, and extraordinary care because of the BCH team.

When our daughter was so small and so sick, the doctors, nurses, and staff at Boston Children’s carried us through the unimaginable.

They combined world-class medical expertise with compassion that went far beyond treatment plans and hospital rooms. They cared for our daughter as if she were their own. They supported us as anxious, exhausted parents. They gave us answers when we had questions, and reassurance when we were overwhelmed.

Most importantly, they gave our daughter a second chance at life.

Today, she is thriving because of that gift. Every milestone she reaches is a reminder of the miracle she received and the team that made it possible. Running the Boston Marathon is my way of honoring that gift and saying thank you in the most meaningful way I can.

The marathon is a test of endurance, determination, and heart — qualities I saw in my daughter during her fight and in the Boston Children’s team every single day.

With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.

By running with Miles for Miracles, I hope to raise funds that will support groundbreaking research, life-saving treatments, and compassionate care for children like my daughter. This race is more than 26.2 miles — it is a celebration of survival, gratitude, and hope.

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

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Boston, MA

Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak

Published

22 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak

Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.

The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.

The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.

The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.

Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.

Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).

Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Boston, MA

First Alert: Mix of snow and rain today, then looking ahead to warmer weather

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

First Alert: Mix of snow and rain today, then looking ahead to warmer weather

Today is a First Alert weather day. A system to our south is pushing mix of snow and rain into southern New England through this evening and tonight.

For us here in Greater Boston, expect snow to continue spreading over our area through the afternoon/evening commute. In fact, parts our area could see up to 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation before the sleet and rain move in.

Much of Greater Boston will likely see snow amounts on the lower end. Higher snow amounts are expected toward southern New Hampshire and along and north of outer Route 2. Also, some ice accumulations are possible, up to a tenth of an inch, creating a thin glaze here and there.

Dozens of schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts have already announced early dismissals as a result of the storm.

While this system won’t cripple our area, conditions could still create a mess on the roads during the evening commute through tonight. Be careful while driving. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for parts of our area through early Wednesday morning. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s today. Overnight lows will drop into the low 30s.

We’ll wake up to patchy fog Wednesday morning before the sun returns. High temperatures will be in the upper 40s. We’ll stay in the 40s on Thursday with increasing clouds. But by late Thursday night into Friday, wet weather returns. Some snow could mix with the rain into Friday morning. Highs will be in the upper 30s Friday.