On the tourney trail

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Thursday's state tournament action:

Alexa Ebert, Westborough girls' tennis: Netted a match-clinching 6-1, 6-0 victory at second singles to power the Rangers past Westborough in the Division 1 Central final.

Zach Pepper-Cunningham and Idan Levy, Newton North boys' volleyball: Pepper-Cunningam, the team's lone senior, and Levy, a junior, registered nine kills apiece as the Tigers rallied for the 14-25, 25-15, 12-25, 25-22, 15-12 state semifinal win over Agawam at Hudson High. North (14-6) will play Bay State Conference rival Natick (20-1) in Saturday's state final at Hudson (4 p.m.).

WHAT'S ON TAP?
A look at today's top tournament games:

* Seven area lacrosse squads will be vying for sectional crowns, including a sensational matchup between defending state champ Framingham (22-0) and fellow unbeaten Lincoln-Sudbury in the Division 1 North girls' final at Framingham's Bowditch Field (5 p.m.).

* The other girls' matchups -- Division 1 South: King Philip at Westwood; Division 2 North: Weston at Winchester; Division 2 South: Hopkinton at Duxbury.

* Boys' matchups -- Division 2 North: Wayland vs. Concord-Carlisle (at Waltham); Division 2 South:
Wellesley at Medfield.

* On the baseball diamond, top-seeded and once-beaten Lincoln-Sudbury takes on St. John's Prep in a Division 1 North semifinal at Lowell's Alumni Field (6:30 p.m.). The Warriors used eight pitchers in Wednesday's wild 12-10 comeback win against Andover.

* On the tennis courts, the Hopkinton girls shoot for their first sectional crown, playing Ursuline Academy in the Division 2 South final at Medway High.

* The Newton South girls host Concord-Carlisle in a Division 1 North semifinal.

-- Craig Larson