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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.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
More MLB: Red Sox Legend Backs ‘Worried’ John Henry
What should have been a quiet off-day for the Boston Red Sox has devolved into chaos.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was the subject of a profile article in The Boston Globe that didn’t paint a sunny picture of his tenure, including a tough nugget about his relationship with legend Theo Epstein. But Breslow’s harshest critic of the day was probably the father of one of his ex-players.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins made his second major league appearance on Sunday since being traded from the Red Sox in the deal that brought Willson Contreras to Boston. After Dobbins pitched well and featured his sinker more than expected, his father Lance Dobbins took to social media to excoriate the Red Sox and Breslow.
Lance Dobbins’ latest comments harsher than the first
We covered Lance Dobbins’ initial comments from late Sunday night that seemed to be directed at the Red Sox organization already on Boston Red Sox On SI. But on Monday evening, the elder Dobbins reentered the fray to absolve pitching coach Andrew Bailey of any blame, effectively throwing Breslow under the bus.
When asked if Breslow replacing Chaim Bloom as chief baseball officer led to Hunter throwing less sinkers and fewer four-seam fastballs in the Red Sox organization, Lance responded with this:
Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games! Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys…
— Lance Dobbins (@lpdobbins) June 1, 2026
“Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games!
“Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys always injured (pitchers and position players), it’s not by pure bad luck. Pitchers are having constant issues and hitters are always hurting hands and wrist. It’s not a league wide problem. It has to be fixed or we’ll never win because half of our starters will always be on the IL.”
That last point has to hit home for the Red Sox because star outfielder Roman Anthony (who debuted in the majors a couple of months after Hunter Dobbins) has now had two long-lasting injuries that occurred on swings — an oblique strain in September that ended his season prematurely, and a partially torn finger ligament that has held him out of action since May 4, with no end in sight.
Monday just wasn’t a good day in the public relations department for the Red Sox front office, or for Breslow in particular. But it’s worth noting that Dobbins has only made two appearances in a Cardinals uniform, allowing four earned runs in eight innings, taking a loss and earning a save.
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Scenic Six
Seasonal train rides, Bristol’s historic Fourth of July celebration, Duck Tour discounts, and more.
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Welcome back to Scenic Six.
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. We visited friends in Wells, Maine and then explored nearby Ogunquit (recently named the best beach town in New England by Boston.com readers). Though the weather wasn’t the best, outdoor dining was still hopping and the streets were full of people. It’s always a good vibe in Ogunquit.
This week, I’m writing about two New England towns named among the most welcoming in America, a first-of-its-kind remote terminal for Logan Airport, the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in the nation, Boston Duck Tour discounts, and more.
These New England towns roll out the welcome mat
If you’re looking for a happy getaway, two New England towns were just named on a World Atlas list of 12 of the most welcoming towns in America: Bar Harbor, Maine and Burlington, Vermont. Both are hosting free festivals and other community events this summer, adding even more reasons for a Maine or Vermont escape this season.
Need a ride? Consider a seasonal train
I’m a big fan of train travel because it’s relaxing and stress free. The CapeFlyer between Boston and Cape Cod resumed this past weekend and the Berkshire Flyer between the Berkshires and New York City starts back up on June 12 (with expanded service).
Attend the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in America
Believe it or not, Independence Day is just around the corner and one of the best celebrations in America is in Bristol, R.I., according to USA Today. The publication just named the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration among the best 4th of July celebrations in the nation (fun fact: this will be its 241st year).
Travel tips:
- Logan Airport passengers flying JetBlue and Delta Air Lines can soon skip airport security lines and go straight to their gate by using a first-of-its-kind remote terminal in Framingham, opening June 1.
- Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Weir Farm National Historical Park in Ridgefield, Conn., the only national park dedicated to American painting, on June 14 (Flag Day) by attending the free event Art is Revolutionary. Guests will enjoy live music, plein air demonstrations, open house tours, refreshments, and art making activities.
Deals and steals:
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- Celebrate the 140th anniversary of Basin Harbor Resort & Boat Club in Vergennes, Vermont by booking the Summer Starts Early package, which takes 25% off weekdays and 10% off weekends on three-night stays taking place through June 18.
- Taking a Boston Duck Tour? Save up to $10 per ticket on tours departing before 10 a.m. by using the discount code EARLYDUCK. The discount is valid for online purchases only.
- Traveling by train? Save up to 60% off eight tickets on Amtrak when booking Amtrak Share Fares by using the code V291 on the Amtrak app. A two-day advance purchase is required.
I’ll leave you with this photo I took of the sunrise in Wells, Maine.
Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter.
Whether you’re traveling this week or planning your next escape, enjoy the journey.
— Kristi
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