The Northbridge Rams secured a first-round playoff victory Sunday by defeating the No. 23–ranked Rockland Bulldogs, 7–3. Northbridge entered the postseason at 11 – 7, while Rockland finished 7 – 11 against a challenging schedule. From the opening inning, Northbridge’s offense was in sync: they scored two runs early, then added two more in both the fourth and fifth innings. Rockland managed three runs in the sixth, but Northbridge’s lineup kept pressure on throughout, consistently putting runners in scoring position and taking advantage of mistakes. On the mound, Northbridge’s starter mixed off-speed pitches and located fastballs to limit hard contact, allowing the bullpen to work through the late innings without surrendering any additional runs. At the plate, multiple Rams contributors recorded key hits with runners in scoring position, and aggressive baserunning forced Rockland’s defense into errors. With this win, Northbridge (12 – 7) advances to face East Bridgewater (12 – 8) in the second round. East Bridgewater, seeded No. 7, will travel to Northbridge (No. 10) at a site and date to be announced later this week. Both teams rely on timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and reliable bullpens, setting up a closely contested matchup where the team that capitalizes on scoring opportunities and makes key defensive plays will likely advance.
