High School Sports Playoffs Heat Up with Big Wins and Record Breaks

High school sports playoffs got very exciting this week in Massachusetts. Many student athletes broke personal records while their teams tried to win state championships. Girls' lacrosse and tennis tournaments started with some big surprises on Tuesday. Baseball and softball tournament brackets will come out on Wednesday.

Shannon Balfe made history for her school team this week. The Whitman-Hanson senior became the first player in her school's history to score 200 career goals. She scored seven goals in her team's 16-10 loss to Shepherd Hill in the playoffs. Even though her team lost, Balfe now has 203 goals and 17 assists in her four-year high school career.

Many other players also reached special goals this week. Bridgewater-Raynham senior Ainsley Yates made her 400th career save as a goalie. Northbridge senior Elly Schofer scored her 250th career point during her game. Several other players from different schools scored their 100th career goals too.

Some big upsets happened in the girls' lacrosse playoffs on Tuesday. The biggest surprise was when Lunenburg beat Mashpee 20-8 in the first round. Mashpee was ranked 14th in the state, making them the highest-ranked team to lose so far. Three players from Lunenberg worked together to score 18 goals in the big win.

Shawsheen had an amazing day by winning two different state championships. Their baseball team beat Greater Lowell 2-1 to win their fourth State Vocational Large School title. Their boys' lacrosse team also won their fourth championship in a row by beating Tri-County 17-2. Shawsheen's lacrosse team is now 18-0 and has not lost a single game this whole season.