Spring high school sports are heating up in the Greater Taunton area, and we've got another standout athlete to celebrate! From thrilling softball showdowns to record-breaking lacrosse performances, the past week has been packed with action.
Bridgewater-Raynham softball's Maddie Morelli has been named the Taunton Daily Gazette Girls High School Athlete of the Week for April 27-May 10, earning an impressive 57% of the vote. Morelli's dominant performance on the diamond helped her edge out a talented field of nominees, including Bristol Aggie softball's Autumn Nicholson (36%) and Taunton track and field's Max Cassinelli (4%).
It was a banner week for local sports. Taunton softball delivered a thrilling back-and-forth victory over Attleboro in a key Hockomock Kelley-Rex and MIAA Division 1 clash. Meanwhile, Taunton throwers shined at the Weston Twilight Invitational, taking home top honors. Dighton-Rehoboth lacrosse made history with its biggest-ever win over rivals Somerset Berkley, followed by a first-ever victory against fellow SCC foes Case. Bristol-Plymouth lacrosse also celebrated a milestone as a player reached double-digit goals against Bristol Aggie.
Softball teams across the region continued to impress. Bristol Aggie maintained its Mayflower Small dominance, while Bridgewater-Raynham, Bristol-Plymouth, and Dighton-Rehoboth all notched strong wins. On the track, both Bridgewater-Raynham and Dighton-Rehoboth had winners at the MSTCA Lou Tozzi Twilight Freshman Sophomore Invitational.
Now it's your turn to vote! The polls are open for the next Girls Athlete of the Week (May 4-10) through noon on Sunday, May 17. Check out the standout performances from this week's nominees:
Bailey went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and 5 RBIs against Milford.
Erlichman was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two doubles, a run, and 4 RBIs against Dartmouth.
Benoit crushed it with a 4-for-5 performance, including two home runs, four runs, and 6 RBIs against South Shore Tech.
Arrighi dominated from the circle and the batter's box, tossing five innings with 12 strikeouts while allowing just three unearned runs on three hits. At the plate, she went 4-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI against Dennis-Yarmouth.
Ericson lit up the scoreboard with 10 goals in a single game.
Vote now—one vote per person per hour, and only ballots cast through the poll below will count. To submit scores and stats for future consideration, email cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. Let's celebrate the best of spring sports!