Two the hard way

 After Needham dismantled Foxboro in a home-and-home series, outscoring Post 93 by a combined 20-4 score, the local nine’s post-season hopes to grab a top-seed looked helpless.

 I began my trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this spring with three good friends, departing from Attleboro accompanied by good conversation and music (Steely Dan, Beatles, Moody Blues), ready to see and in some instances, relive history.

After having to rush his warm-up routine, Mansfield's Joe Swindells wasn't sure what kind of night he would have for the Foxboro Legion team last Thursday. Swindells quickly went through his pre-game tosses and then used a pulley cord to stretch his arm out.

Before leaving Mansfield High School last month, then Athletic Director Margaret Conaty explained her departure as an opportunity to serve her hometown community of Hingham.

The Mansfield Green Machine U-14 girls softball team beat Ashland 3-2 in the finals to become State Champions in the B Division, which features players from the same town, similar to a high school team.

Mansfield coach Brian Clemmey was hoping his team would make the playoffs, despite the fact that he considered this a rebuilding year.

After seven years at the helm of a strong hockey program, head coach Mike McGrath is stepping away from the bench to take over the Athletic Director’s position at Randolph High School.

  After a vigorous search to fill the vacated Athletic Directors’ spot at Mansfield High School, Patrick T. Burns has emerged victorious and will take over as the head of Hornets’ athletics. The move was confirmed by the UMass Boston Athletic Department in an e-mail to the News Monday night.

Although the Foxboro Legion team split its four games going into the Fourth of July break, the local nine still was in a good position to advance to the District 6 Tournament. Post 93 currently sits in fourth place in the West with 18 points thanks to an 8-5-2 record.

Varsity baseball coach Tim Graham exhausted his coaching methods in attempting solve his team’s hitting woes. He tried to hit-and-run, bunting for hits as well as to move runners along, and keep runners in motion to distract the opposing pitcher, but all to no avail.

 Post 93 was able to hang tough on the road as the local nine put a hurting on Medfield 15-4 and then edged out Norwood under the lights in a 7-6 come-from-behind win. Mansfield natives Joey Swindells and Bryan Saffelle both pitched gems for Foxboro as the Post inched closer to Walpole.

 The Mansfield boys and girls tennis teams seemed to mirror one another this season for the most part. Both Hornet squads finished the regular season with 11-7 records and in the middle of the Hockomock League. In the state tournament the boys were shutout 5-0 in the first round by Framingham, while the girls were also ousted 5-0 by Barnstable in the second round after taking out North Attleboro, 3-2, in the opening round.

The first throw of the spring for senior Mike McPherson was a record-breaking heave against Canton. His last throw of the season stamped the league all-star’s elite status.