CHS baseball team scores 2 big wins

By Mike Berger
Citizen Staff

Sound pitching, good hitting and solid defense contributed to two big wins and a heartbreaking extra-inning loss for the CHS baseball team last week. The team is now 4-7 overall, 3-7 in the Hockomock League.

Canton had two complete-game wins from Rob McCarty and Chris Sullo in 7-2 and 3-1 victories over Mansfield and Stoughton. Devin O’Gorman, John McNeice, Mike Correia and Mike Cahill were all strong at the plate.

“It was probably our best week in baseball in three years,” said CHS head coach Tom Healy, who recorded his 300th win as a coach in the Mansfield game. “We hope to keep it going. The extra week we spent over the spring vacation working on hitting is starting to pay off. It’s nice to see some life at the plate.”

In the Mansfield win, McCarty scattered eight hits over seven innings while walking one batter and striking out one  in a very strong pitching performance. McNeice knocked in three runs with a two-run double and a sacrifice fly. O’Gorman, Cahill and Dan Pendergast each had two hits and scored several runs.

The offense had one of its best days of the season with seven runs and nine hits. The team also had a sound day defensively, with good plays by Pendergast in centerfield and Cahill at third base.

The Bulldogs lost a 7-6 heartbreaker to Foxboro in the eighth inning in a game that had several lead changes. Joey Wilkinson started for Canton and went three and a third innings, giving up four runs on five hits and walking three batters. O’Gorman came on in relief and pitched well, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out four in almost five innings. Canton had taken a lead in the top of the eighth inning, but a walk-off homerun sealed the victory for the Warriors.

Healy was particularly pleased with the team’s clutch hitting, as the Bulldogs came back from many deficits to tie the game. O’Gorman had two hits and two runs scored, and Cahill, Correia, and Charlie Beshwaty each had two hits as the Bulldogs collected 11 hits. (Click here for full article)

Softball team not firing on all cylinders

By Jay Turner
Citizen Staff

A frustrating season continued last week for the CHS varsity softball team, as the girls played well, but not well enough to win, losing three more games to fall to 1-10 overall.

Although the scores in all three games were relatively close, the Bulldogs seemed to continue a trend where they perform well in at least one area — whether it be pitching, hitting or fielding — but struggle in another.

On Friday, the problem was fielding, as the team allowed 10 runs in the first three innings against Stoughton before settling down and shutting out the Black Knights throughout the remainder of the game. Canton did manage to cut at the deficit and for most of the second half played like the better team, but Stoughton ultimately prevailed, 10-3.

In spite of the Bulldogs’ shaky start, freshman Olivia Kenyon had an outstanding day both on the mound and at the plate. The only ninth-grader on the varsity squad, Kenyon gave up just five hits while striking out seven, and finished with three hits herself, including a two-run homer.   

Claire Grogan had the team’s other RBI, driving home a run in the bottom of the second with a triple.

Commenting on the Bulldogs’ fielding woes after the game, head coach Danielle McNamara noted that, “the girls are having some trouble in the field the first few innings.”

“If we can hold our opponents from scoring runs early, we can possibly win some more games in the next two weeks,” she said.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs hosted a one-win Foxborough team in a game that had originally been scheduled for Monday; and despite getting four runs off hits from Brianna Whelan, Brianna Trabucco, and Allie Jones, they were handed their ninth loss of the season, 8-4. (Click here for article)

Boys' lax team beats Nashua, NH team

By Connor Erickson
Citizen Staff

In the last two weeks the Canton High School boys’ lacrosse team went 1-4, making its overall record 3-7. The Bulldogs beat Nashua High School South last Saturday, but lost all of their league contests.

Despite falling to the Mansfield Hornets 11-8, there were some bright points for Canton. Sophomore Kyle Leavitt scored three goals and added an assist, Malcolm Lloyd scored two goals, and Vytas Stuopis had a solid game in net, making 17 saves.

The Bulldogs traveled to Nashua, New Hampshire last Saturday and it was worth the trip, as they beat Nashua High School South 11-6. “The entire team played well in this game,” noted coach Bill Bendell.

Mike Vozella led the offensive attack for Canton, scoring three times and adding an assist.

Senior Chris Malloy had two assists and netted one goal of his own. Many other Bulldogs got their name on the score sheet as well. Lloyd, Leavitt, Alex Vinciguerra, Ray Bass, Rob Rizzitano, Josh Sarnowitz, and Joey Griffiths all finished with at least one point.

Bendell noted that Mukas Neidhardt, Peter Desisto, Chris Thomas, Dan McGrath, and David Mansfield “all played well defensively.”

Michael Mitcheroney, Will Bigwood, Andrew Kelliher, Nick Gallagher, Matt Draper and TJ Lennon contributed to the win, and Stuopis had another great game in net with 15 saves.

The Bulldogs could not keep the momentum going, however, when they returned to Hockomock League action, losing a close game to Oliver Ames and falling to league powerhouse Franklin.

The hosting OA Tigers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, which made it tough for Canton to get back in the game. (Click here for article)

Girls' tennis nets 3 big wins

By Connor Erickson
Citizen Staff

The CHS girls’ tennis team has been rolling, winning its last three matches and improving its record to 5-4. In the past week, the Bulldogs went from two games under .500 to one game over .500. The team got little rest, as the games were played on three consecutive days.

The winning streak began last Monday with a 3-2 victory away against league rival Mansfield. Four of the five matches had already been played when the match was suspended due to rain and the score was tied 2-2 when play resumed. The sophomore first doubles duo of Carol Berman and Kendall Sceviour and the second doubles team of Tammy Nghiem and Kristen Coco “won easily,” according to head coach Shelia Conneely.

Senior Katie Slusarz lost at first singles and junior Rachel Voke lost at second singles. The match was decided by senior Kelly Winter at third. After dropping her first set, 6-7 (4-7), Winter stormed back to convincingly win the next two sets, 6-2, 6-2, and secured the match for the Bulldogs in the process.             

Canton played a make-up game the next day at home against Foxboro and bested the Warriors 3-2. In a performance Conneely called a “thrashing,” Winter dispensed of her opponent in two quick sets, winning 6-0, 6-0. Both Canton doubles teams played very well again and won without any trouble. Berman and Sceviour won 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles, and Nghiem and Coco won 6-0, 6-3.

Conneely said she was impressed with the performance of her entire team, not just the winners. “Although Katie [Slusarz] and Rachel [Voke] lost their matches, they both captured their first sets before losing in three,” she noted. Slusarz had set scores of 6-4, 2-6, 3-6 and Voke’s scores were 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Canton breezed past Stoughton on Friday with a 4-1 victory in its third match in three days. Conneely noted Voke’s victory at second singles as being “especially sweet because she had lost to the same Stoughton second singles earlier in the season in a heartbreaking, three-set match.” Voke made quick work of her opponent in two sets (6-4, 6-0). (Click here for article)