Bridgewater-Raynham softball, baseball both book their spots in Division 1 Round of 16

BRIDGEWATER – It's playoff time, so, as usual, we'll be seeing more of the Bridgewater-Raynham High softball and baseball teams.

The Trojans, who made a habit of clearing first-round hurdles in the old South Sectional tournament system, were at it again Monday in the new statewide format. B-R swept a doubleheader to advance to the Round of 16 in its respective Division 1 state playoffs.

In softball, junior Lily Welch threw an abbreviated 1-hitter with 11 strikeouts as the 14th-seeded Trojans pummeled No. 19 Lexington, 12-0, in a game halted by the mercy rule two batters into the bottom of the fifth inning.

In baseball, junior Luke Barry's brilliant relief effort – 5 innings, 1 run – allowed ninth-seeded B-R to erase an early deficit and knock off No. 24 Framingham, 8-5.

For softball coach Mike Carrozza, who's been at this since 1998 and owns a state title (2014) and four South Sectional crowns, the playoff win was more of the same.

More: WHY I COACH: B-R softball coach Michael Carrozza takes pride in his Brockton roots

For first-year baseball coach Mike Connolly, though, it was a milestone – his first postseason victory with the program.

"It was a good one," Connolly said with a smile. "Absolutely."

More: Mike Connolly's baseball journey comes full circle as he takes over at Bridgewater-Raynham

"He's a great coach," said right fielder Cam Morrison, who had two big run-scoring doubles. "I have nothing but good things (to say) about him. He's a guy that wants to win, and I want to win, too. It's awesome to play with someone who wants to win so badly. It's a great game, but we've got more to get. We're on to the next round."

Speaking of which ... both B-R teams will see familiar faces in the Round of 16.

In softball, B-R (11-10) will play at No. 3 Taunton (17-4) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in a rematch of last year's Division 1 South final. Taunton won that one, 4-0, en route to a state championship. It was the Tigers' 16th straight shutout. They look to be in top form again, having obliterated No. 30 Newton South, 25-0, on Monday.

"Honestly, it would mean a lot for us," senior second baseman Emma Talpey said of the rematch, which wasn't official yet when B-R finished its game, "because we want to definitely get revenge. Last year they played a good game, we played a good game. We really want it this year."

B-R baseball will be in action Wednesday, too, hosting No. 25 Durfee (14-8) at 4 p.m. It will their third matchup of the season; B-R won the first two, by scores of 5-0 and 6-5.

"They are playing some pretty good baseball," Connolly said of the Hilltoppers, who beat No. 40 Lynn Classical, 9-2, in the first round and then upset No. 8 North Andover, 5-2. "The last meeting we had with them, it was a 6-5 game, a nail-biter in the last inning. It'll be a nice matchup with two teams from the same league going at it in the state tournament. It's a good show for the Southeast Conference."

Softball ace tied Lexington in knots

Softball kicked off the doubleheader, and Welch was dealing right from the start, fanning the first six batters she faced and throwing 19 of her first 25 pitches for strikes. She threw 76 pitches overall, 52 for strikes.

"I felt good," she said. "Nothing wrong. Just doing what I can do."

The only hit Welch allowed was Claudia Moehring's well-struck double into the left-field corner leading off the third. Welch was hardly fazed, retiring the final nine Lexington batters after that.

"Phenomenal," Talpey said. "Absolutely phenomenal."

Welch was the hard-luck losing pitcher in the South final last year against Taunton, so she'll be looking for some individual revenge in the rematch, too.

"Very nerve-racking," she recalled of the high-profile 2021 showdown that was played under the lights, "but we held them to four runs. It was a close game."

"She definitely knows how to control her emotions," Talpey said when asked how Welch handles the big stage. "If I were pitching I would not be able to control my emotions like she does. She knows how to play, she knows how to pitch, she knows how to do everything. We are all confident in her."

"She pitched well" against Taunton, Carrozza said. "They had three players going to D1 (colleges), and their pitcher's at Villanova (now). So we had a good showing with them last year. I have total confidence in the kids."

B-R struck for six runs in the first and five more in the second against against Lexington (14-7), which was denied its first playoff win since capturing the 2016 Division 1 North crown. Talpey (3-run triple, 2 runs), Holly Clary (double, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Julia Shearstone (2 RBI, run), Taylor Feist (2 hits, 2 runs) and Emma Flaherty (RBI double, 2 runs) led the offense.

B-R has played a grueling schedule – six games against superpowers Bishop Feehan, King Philip and Greater New Bedford Voke, for example – and the Trojans' 10-10 record coming in doesn't tell the whole story.

"We faced those great teams," Welch said, "so we know what to expect."

Said Carrozza: "I've been keeping a solid (non-league) schedule for almost 20 years-plus. I think the kids play better when they're playing better competition."

Mound depth key for Trojans

B-R baseball has relied on a deep, talented pitching staff this season, led by starters Trent Smith, James Nichols, Mike Logiudice and Barry, plus a bullpen of Brendan Goonan, Caden Bishop and Dylan Cronin. The Trojans have authored 10 shutouts, and although they didn't notch No. 11 on Monday, Barry's relief effort – 3 hits, 7 strikeouts – was a gem.

More: KINGS OF THE HILL: Bridgewater-Raynham baseball boasts pitching talent few can rival

"That was something special," Morrison raved. "He hit his spots. He pitched great. I'm very proud of him."

"He has really good stuff," Connolly said, "and when he's on, we have the best chance to win when he gets out there."

Smith, who got the start, brought a 1.63 ERA into the game, but he left after 2 innings, trailing 4-1, in part due to three Trojans errors. No matter; next man up.

"If one guy doesn't have it – everyone has those days – the next guy picks him right up," Barry said.

"I told three different guys to go get loose in the bullpen because I have a bunch of guys who are ready to go and they can do the job just as well as the guy before them," Connolly said. "We're very fortunate to have depth, especially going into a tournament where you're going to be playing every other day. You don't have to worry about pitch counts because you're pretty deep."

Morrison played a big part in the comeback. He doubled in a run in the first to tie the game at 1-1 and then crushed a 1-1 pitch to the fence in right-center in the second to cap a four-run outburst that put B-R ahead to stay, 5-4.

Eight different players scored runs for the Trojans with Morrison (3-for-4, 3 RBI), Logiudice (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Barry (2-for-2, RBI) doing most of the damage against the Flyers (12-10).

"(Morrison) has been our impact player all year," Connolly said. "Sometimes with these young kids when you put them in a pressure situation they don't have enough experience to perform. But as you saw today, we have a bunch of guys who are ready for the opportunity, and when it presents itself, they jump on it."

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Bridgewater-Raynham softball, baseball teams advance in state playoffs