WRENTHAM — The King Philip Regional Warriors held off a late rally from Longmeadow and secured a 5-4 victory Tuesday night to continue their run in the MIAA Division 2 State Tournament.
King Philip struck early, scoring one run in the first inning and adding two more in the second to build a quick 3-0 advantage. After Longmeadow answered with three runs in the bottom of the first, the Warriors regained control with single runs in the third and fourth innings before adding an insurance run in the sixth. That extra run proved crucial as Longmeadow scored once in the seventh but could get no closer.
The Warriors finished with five runs on eight hits. Leadoff hitter Nick Broughton paced the offense, going 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Leo Dowling added a pair of hits and drove in two runs, while Jacoby Cady collected two hits, scored twice, and knocked in a run. Alex Labell contributed an RBI and a sacrifice fly, and Brady Herlin scored a run in the winning effort.
King Philip also received contributions throughout the lineup from Thomas Lutfy, Cooper Sisti, and Collin Hasenfus, who doubled and scored a run.
On the mound, Zack Gebhard earned the victory after working 4.2 innings. The right-hander allowed seven hits and three runs while striking out two. Jacoby Cady was strong in relief, surrendering just one run over the final 2.1 innings while striking out one to record the save.
Longmeadow finished with four runs on 10 hits. J. Walker led the Lancers with two hits and an RBI, while B. Harrington went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. C. Bouchard added a pair of RBIs, and E. Wright contributed a hit and an RBI.
Despite being outhit 10-8, King Philip made the most of its opportunities and played error-free baseball, while Longmeadow committed three errors that proved costly in the one-run contest.
With the win, the Warriors advance to the Division 2 state semifinal, where they will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between Reading Memorial and Plymouth North.
