AMHERST— As they were trekking out west Sunday morning, Taunton assistant coach Mike Fox asked freshman catcher Aniyah Bailey if she was nervous about playing in the Division 1 title game against Hockomock Kelley-Rex rivals King Philip.
“Nope,” Bailey said. “It’s just another business trip.”
Just like they have all spring, the No. 3 Tigers (25-0, 16-0 Hockomock League) took care of business, beating the No. 21 Warriors 5-0 at Sortino Field to secure the program’s fourth straight state title and ninth overall.
“It’s an indescribable feeling,” Taunton coach Michelle Raposo said. “We talk about it all of the time that we didn’t think it was going to be possible. Going up against KP, we knew that the only way they would beat us is if we beat ourselves, so we had to play our game.”
The game marked the third showdown between the two Hockomock Kelley-Rex foes this spring and their first-ever matchup in the Division 1 title game, with the Warriors having won all three of their previous appearances. With the win, the Tigers move past Bishop Fenwick for the second most MIAA softball titles, two behind Turners Falls, who won their 11th title in the Division 5 game Saturday.