Hingham High Baseball Captures Division 2 South Title

A couple of big Hingham hits, some uncharacteristic Stoughton errors and a few too many runners left on base cost the sixth-seeded Black Knights baseball team in their attempt to upset fourth-seeded Hingham Sunday afternoon in the Division 2 South Sectional baseball final. 

Despite a late Stoughton rally, the Harbormen ended up holding on for the 7-4 win  at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, home of the Brockton Rox.

Hingham (19-6) advances to play Division 2 North champion Masconomet in a Division 2 state semifinal game, scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m. Meanwhile, Stoughton ends the season at 16-8.

After Stoughton went down in order in the top of the first (the only time Stoughton did not score in the first inning of a game this postseason), Hingham scored three runs in the bottom of the first. 

Stoughton starter Mike Gallagher made quick work of the first two Hingham batters, but Edmund Bowler then walked, Evan Flannagan reached on a seeing-eye single and Austin Irvin got a favorable bounce on an infield hit, and suddenly the bases were loaded. 

Hingham pitcher John Carlson then helped his own cause, crushing a triple to left centerfield, clearing the bases.

In the top of the second, Gallagher singled and later scored on a McGrath ground out to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Stoughton ended the inning stranding two runners.  

In the top of the third, Jovani Pires hit a one-out solo home run down the left field line, just over the 320-foot wall, making it a 3-2 game. Mike Connelly, Gallagher and Pat Raeke all reached to load the bases but Carlson again got out of the jam.  

Stoughton stranded Pat Jackman on second in the top of the fourth, with a total of six base runners left on from the second through fourth innings. 

Three Stoughton errors in the bottom of the fourth helped Hingham plate four runs, with Zach Silva, Cody Clifford, Luke Ferris and Stephan White all coming around to score, as the Harbormen opened up a 7-2 lead. 

The Black Knights got two runs back in the top of the sixth off Carlson, with a Pires double scoring Jake Gibb and Jackman, making it 7-4.

Gallagher kept Hingham off the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, giving Stoughton one last chance for a comeback, but Carlson retired Stoughton in order in the top of the seventh, to cement the Hingham win.

Carlson got Kaleb Ballou to strikeout to end the game. The Hingham players ran on the field to celebrate, gathering around Carlson, who earned the complete game victory.   

The winner of the Hingham/Masconomet game will play the winner of the Auburn/Greenfield game for the Division 2 state title.