Nine-Run Stoughton Fourth Costs Sharon Softball

Trailing visiting Sharon 2-0, the Stoughton High School varsity softball team rallied for nine runs in the fourth inning toward a 10-5 win Wednesday.

The Black Knights' inning started with small ball—a walk and back-to-back bunt singles—and ended with Megan Flaherty crushing a grand slam home run to deep right center field.

The runs gave Stoughton a seven-run lead.

All nine runs were scored before Sharon recorded the first out in the bottom of the fourth. All nine Stoughton batters scored.

"Their pitcher [Kelsey Whiting] did a nice job. She kept us scoreless for a number of innings and so we went to small ball and we put down two consecutive bunts that went for singles. That kind of broke it open," Stoughton head coach Janet Sullivan said.

"Then we started hitting away and had hit after hit after hit."

Then Flaherty stepped up, still with no outs in the inning and the bases loaded. Stoughton had a 5-2 lead.

The junior captain then hit a drive deep to right center field scoring Jordan Angelos, Michelle Bisbee and Nicole Hayner. Flaherty rounded third and crossed the plate, beating the throw and completing the inside-the-park grand slam.

"That was a shot," Sullivan said of Flaherty’s home run.

“There was no doubt I was sending her [home] from the second she left the [batter’s] box.

"Megan Flaherty coming up with the bases loaded is not the kid you want at the dish with the bases loaded and she showed us why we don't want that," Sharon coach Deb Parker said.

Sharon got out of the fourth inning and except for one additional run in the sixth, kept Stoughton off the board.

"[Kelsey Whiting has] been consistent for us," Parker said.

"All year she works her tail off. I can't ask much more of her than I'm already getting. We fell apart a little bit defensively and we can’t do that when she's working as hard as she is. We have to support her."

Down 10-2 heading into the final inning, Sharon scored three times in the top of the seventh (Allie Friedman, Jenna Kubiak and Whitney crossed the plate). But the comeback came up short.

Dani Fine and Friedman scored Sharon’s runs in the top of the third to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead at the time.

Both teams play on Friday. Sharon hosts North Attleboro at 3:45 p.m., while Stoughton travels to Canton at 3:30 p.m.