Stoughton High Softball Makes Return Trip to Postseason with Win over Sharon

In order for the to qualify for the postseason, the Black Knights needed a win against in the final game of the season Thursday afternoon on the road.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the fifth, Stoughton scored four runs to take control of the game, and then survived a scare in the final inning, the bottom of the seventh, earning a 5-4 win.

Stoughton improves to 8-11, and while the Black Knights finish the regular season below the .500 mark, which automatically qualifies a team for the postseason, they are still state tournament bound, as the second place team in the Hockomock League's Davenport Division.

"It's been a long season. It came down to the last game to make it into the tournament, and the kids came ready to play," Black Knights head coach Janet Sullivan said.

"We were playing a good team in Sharon, and [it was] an emotional day for them. They played a great game. We played a great game. They had a great comeback. A fun high school softball game for people to watch."

Thursday was senior day for the Eagles.

"That was the best game, start to finish, that we've played in a while," said Sharon head coach Deb Parker, whose team finished 2012 at 4-16.

"Despite the fact that we didn't come out on top, it wasn't a bad game to end on."

Sharon took a 1-0 lead in the second, when sophomore Allie Rubinowitz led off with a triple to left, scoring on Emily Howards' single to left.

The Black Knights took the lead, though, in the fifth, scoring four runs off Sharon junior Kelsey Whiting.

Hannah Carpenter walked to open the inning. Katherine Chlus pinch-ran for her, and took second on a passed ball.

Jordan Angelos flied out to left. Michelle Bisbee's double to center scored Chlus, tying the score at 1-1.

Nicole Hayner popped out to second. Megan Flaherty singled, putting runners at the corners for pitcher Emily Cramer. Cramer helped her own cause, with her RBI single scoring Flaherty and Bisbee, putting Stoughton ahead, 3-1. Cramer took second on the play.

Jessica Freitas pinch-ran for Cramer, and took third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.

Stoughton made it 5-1 in the sixth. Angelos' grounder to short scored Kelsey Moriarty from third. Moriarty had led off the inning with a single, took second on a passed ball and third on Payton Pizzano's grounder to pitcher Whiting.

Sharon cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Whiting led off with a triple, and scored on an errant pick-off throw.

Sharon continued the comeback with one out in the seventh. Junior Erica Pais singled to short, scoring on Friedman's triple to center. Friedman scored on sophomore Jenna Kubiak's grounder to second, making it 5-4, Stoughton.

Whiting doubled to left, and took third on Rubinowitz's single, putting runners at the corners. But pitcher Cramer got Howards to fly out to right fielder Bisbee.

Stoughton players then celebrated on the mound, qualifying for the postseason for the .

With the win, softball (and and ) players Chlus and Emma Zuk have qualified for the state tournament in all three sports seasons this school year, the only two athletes at Stoughton High to do so in 2011-2012.