WORCESTER -- Taunton didn't appear to have the horses to beat Franklin entering the MIAA Tournament championship game at Polar Park.
Franklin had the state's best pitcher on the mound in Alfred Mucciarone, a 2-0 regular-season record against its Hockomock League foe, and the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
Nonetheless, Taunton did what it has done in two straight postseasons, overcoming all adversity in its path to a methodical win. The 7-2 Taunton victory clinched a repeat D1 state championship for the Tigers, who have now gone 10-0 in the last two MIAA state tournaments.
Of those 10 wins, two have come against Franklin in the championship game. Similar to last year, Taunton did not have a D1 commit on the mound to match up with Franklin's championship game starter. This year, Johnny Escobalez was the hero on the mound for Taunton, pitching a complete game while allowing one earned run on five hits.
