Coach calls opposition coach "Classless" because he keeps starters in to close out a play-off game.

You do not often see this in a newspaper story about a high school game, at least in most of the stories I have read here over my lifetime. Usually even if there are some bad feelings, the writers try to keep it out of the story and keep it more about the kids playing than a coach complaining.

When I arrived at the game, it was 5-1 in the home half of the 3rd inning. Somerworth won it 13-1 in 6 innings. I saw nothing "classless" about the game. I saw one team who was the #1 seed win over the #8 seed.

Check out the write-up in Fosters this morning on the Somersworth-Hopkinton quarter-final baseball game.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110605/GJSPORTS_01/706059898/-1/FOSSPORTS

Hopkinton coach is whining about the top seed keeping their best players in the game after he pulled some of his. I did not see anything or hear anything from the Hopkinton fans that within earshot of where I was standing. Actually one of the HRs that was hit came from a senior who was on the bench and had not appeared in the game up to that point.

From the story:

"Classless guy," Hopkinton coach Dave Chase said of Shanley. "I dumped my bench at 7-1. I put six freshmen in there. He's still running (expletive) up there. Let him run it. He's got 11 seniors. Everybody in the league knows it. We'll come back here and see them next year."

"In the playoffs it's win or go home," Shanley said. "We stress sportsmanship around here. Let him think whatever he wants to think. It's my job to make sure we do things the right way and do what we can to move on to the next round. Everyone's entitled to their opinion."

Hopkinton got crushed by a team trying to win a state title and trying to win via the mercy and shorten the game - as ANY team is looking to do when it come to the post season in a single-elimination tournament. Seems to me we have seen a number of mercy rule wins in both the baseball and the softball play-offs. I wonder how many losing coaches went off like this coach when they were interviewed after the game.

You are in a one & done situation and you NEVER take anything for granted. Somersworth had to comeback from a 4-2 deficit in the 7th inning in their opening round game. According to the article they also had an 8-0 lead to this same Hopkinton team ealier this season and blew that lead. Hopkinton took an 11-8 kead before the hilltoppers rallied and won 12-11 in the final inning. Also factor in that tiny field Somersworth plays in and the game is never really safe. I have watched some games there over the years and have seen many comebacks from leads like 7-1 from both the Hilltoppers and the visiting teams.

I guess it’s a good thing Hopkinton is in D3 does not have to play Portsmouth year in and year out.