The Norton High softball team traveled to Stoughton hoping to upset the Black Knights on their senior day, but Stoughton entered the game winners of four of its last five, and needing just one win to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament.

 The Black Knights jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, handing Norton a 12-2 loss Tuesday afternoon on the road.

 Stoughton improved to 10-9, while Norton, already eliminated from postseason contention, fell to 7-12. It was Norton’s second loss to Stoughton this year.

 “We have a young team with only three seniors and we were coming off a tough loss that eliminated us from postseason, and we didn’t come to play and Stoughton took advantage of the opportunities that we gave them,” Norton coach Wayne Morse said.

 Stoughton had all 17 players contribute in the victory, led by Colleen Flaherty with four hits and four RBIs. Jordan Angelos had three hits, including a triple, Olans had two hits and two RBIs and Zuk had two hits and two RBIs.

 “[Olans] has learned that she doesn’t need to be overpowering to win games, with the ability that she has to use so many pitches and different speeds to keep the opposing batters off balance,” Janet Sullivan said.

 “Our team was determined and focused to qualify for the state tournament and our resiliency through hard times paid off, and as the season continued we kept getting better, more confident and we started to display it with improved play on the field.”

 Stoughton got on the scoreboard with two quick runs in the first inning. Flaherty and Angelos got things started with singles and scored on an error and a Zuk single. The Black Knights scored four more runs in the second inning, to take a 6-0 lead. Again it was Flaherty and Angelos with singles, and with the help of three Norton errors, two walks and a sacrifice fly by Olans, things began to unravel for Norton and starting pitcher Miranda Donato.

 Norton did cut the deficit to 6-1, scoring in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Ashley Cibotti, but the mini-comeback was short-lived when Stoughton responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.

 Angelos had a triple followed by two walks and two wild pitches and a sacrifice fly that gave the black Knights a commanding, 9-1, advantage.

 Norton got another run in the fifth on a Kathy Remick RBI single, but Olans got out of further trouble.

 Olans had nine strikeouts, no walks and scattered eight hits for the win.

Stoughton got another run in the fifth inning on an Olans RBI single and added two more in the sixth on a two-run double by Flaherty.

Norton (7-12) will complete its season with a Wednesday game at Medfield. Stoughton will end its regular season with a Hockomock League crossover game, at home on Friday, against either Franklin (third place in the Kelley-Rex Division) or Mansfield (second place), depending if Stoughton finishes second or third in the Davenport Division. Stoughton and Sharon are vying for second place.