Lexington's Kiki Saveriano has verbally committed to the University of Connecticut. You can check out the flame-throwing ace's All-Scholastic bio below:

Pitcher, Jr.

Kiki Saveriano, Lexington

With a no-hitter in the state title game, Saveriano put the exclamation point on a brilliant season. She had 200 strikeouts and a 0.74 ERA and was named the Middlesex League MVP. She also hit .484 with 5 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homers, and 28 RBIs.

Here's the schedule for the 2008 Agganis All-Star Classics:

• Awards ceremony -- Sun. July 13, 10 a.m. -- Fraser Field, Lynn
• 11th Softball Classic -- Sun. July 13, noon -- Fraser Field
• 14th Baseball Classic -- Sun. July 13, 2 p.m. -- Fraser Field
• 4th Women’s Basketball -- Mon. July 14, 6 p.m. -- Lynn English
• 4th Men’s Basketball -- Mon. July 14, 7:30 p.m. -- Lynn English
• 13th Men’s Soccer -- Tues. July 15, 5:30 p.m. -- Manning Field, Lynn
• 13th Women’s Soccer -- Tue. July 15, 7:30 p.m. -- Manning Field
• 48th Football Classic -- Wed July 16, 7 p.m. -- Manning Field

After the jump you'll find all the rosters that we've been provided for the event.

On Tuesday's edition of Globe 10.0, Bob Ryan and Chris Gasper talked about the road to recovery for former Peabody baseball standout Jeff Allison. Check out the video below for their thoughts on his recent success as he tries again to pursue his professional baseball career:

There's plenty in the Globe archives about Allison, including this series from 2004, which includes some other headlines from recent years at the bottom of that page.

Allison earned midseason All-Star honors in the Florida State League this spring.

Durgin (Handout Photo)

Well the St. Mary's football opener on Sept. 11 against Lynn Classical just got a whole lot more interesting.

Less than three months after stepping down as head football coach at Classical, Matt Durgin accepted the head coaching position crosstown at St. Mary's Tuesday.

“I am probably just as surprised as anyone that this happened at this point,” Durgin said. “I was certainly not looking for another job so soon. When (Athletic Director) Jeff (Newhall) spoke to me, my first reaction was I wouldn’t do it, but he convinced me to think it over.”

Durgin, who stepped down to take time away from coaching and spend more time with his daughters, evidently had a change of heart before accepting the position.

“This is a perfect situation for me,” Durgin said. “I have one daughter (Molly) in the eighth grade at St. Mary’s and another (Mattie) who will be in the seventh grade next year. The football coach really needs to spend a lot of time at the school in the offseason. I can do that, and watch my daughters’ games and practices at the same time. I feel extremely fortunate to have that opportunity and I know I would have regretted not taking advantage of it.”

Follow the jump to check out the full press release from St. Mary's, along with a bio on Durgin.

All this week we're bringing you video highlights from the Globe's 2008 All-Scholastic Award banquet that was held Sunday afternoon at the Quincy Marriott. The event featured New England Patriots tight end Ben Watson as the keynote speaker, while former Athletes of the Year Brian Morrissey of Winchester and Meredith Frank of Westwood were the student speakers.

You'll find the links to all three speeches at the bottom of this entry. In the video embedded below, you'll find our 2007-08 highlight reel that aired at the start of the ceremony. Congrats to all of this year's All-Scholastics.

We'll have much more video throughout the week. Here's the tentative plan:

• Monday: Ben Watson's speech
• Tuesday: Brian Morrissey's speech
• Wednesday: Meredith Frank's speech
• Thursday: 2007-08 highlight reel
• Friday: Athlete of the Year presentations

All this week we're bringing you video highlights from the Globe's 2008 All-Scholastic Award banquet that was held Sunday afternoon at the Quincy Marriott. The event featured New England Patriots tight end Ben Watson as the keynote speaker, while former Athletes of the Year Brian Morrissey of Winchester and Meredith Frank of Westwood were the student speakers.

Check out the video below to see Frank's speech.

We'll have much more video throughout the week. Here's the tentative plan:

• Monday: Ben Watson's speech
• Tuesday: Brian Morrissey's speech
• Wednesday: Meredith Frank's speech
• Thursday: Athlete of the Year presentations
• Friday: More highlights from this year's banquet

For those of you who attended the event, we hope you had as much fun as we did. We'll also try to post the season highlight video that ran on the big screens at the start of Sunday's program.

Our friends over at LaxPower.com unveiled their final national poll for the 2008 girls' lacrosse season.

Westwood -- the Division 1 state champion and No. 1 on our final girls' lacrosse poll of 2008 -- earned spot No. 15 on the national poll with a 24-0-1 mark. The Wolverines, whose lone blemish was a midseason tie with the same Framingham squad it topped in the Eastern Mass. finals, were the highest ranking Massachusetts team.

The Flyers landed at No. 43 on the final national poll.

Prep squads Nobles (39) , Brooks (68), and Thayer (93) were all part of the top 100.

Western Mass. power Longmeadow, which fell to Westwood twice, including in the state championship game, checked in at No. 96.

Other local public schools cracking the top 200 included Winchester (124), Wellesley (126), Lincoln-Sudbury (140), and Needham (181).

Check out this entry from Monday to see how the local boys' squads fared nationally. Check out this entry to see the Globe's final Top 20 polls for the 2008 season.

All this week we're bringing you video highlights from the Globe's 2008 All-Scholastic Award banquet that was held Sunday afternoon at the Quincy Marriott. The event featured New England Patriots tight end Ben Watson as the keynote speaker, while former Athletes of the Year Brian Morrissey of Winchester and Meredith Frank of Westwood were the student speakers.

Check out the video below to see Morrissey's speech.

We'll have much more video throughout the week. Here's the tentative plan:

• Monday: Ben Watson's speech
• Tuesday: Brian Morrissey's speech
• Wednesday: Meredith Frank's speech
• Thursday: Athlete of the Year presentations
• Friday: More highlights from this year's banquet

For those of you who attended the event, we hope you had as much fun as we did. We'll also try to post the season highlight video that ran on the big screens at the start of Sunday's program.

We're rolling out our final boys' and girls' lacrosse Top 20s of the 2008 season today. Check out both the boys' lacrosse and girls' lacrosse rankings below:

BOYS

1.	Duxbury			22-2	1
2.	Billerica		17-5	7
3.	St. John's Prep		18-3	3
4.	Medfield		21-4	2
5.	Walpole			21-1	4
6.	Xaverian		16-6	5
7.	Andover			14-6	6
8.	Scituate		16-6	15
9.	Reading			18-4	12
10.	Lexington		15-5	19
11.	Marshfield		16-6	-
12.	Winchester		16-6	-
13.	Needham			16-7	16
14.	Cohasset		13-5	20
15.	Dover-Sherborn		15-6	14
16.	North Andover		17-5	11
17.	Barnstable		17-4	13
18.	King Philip		20-2	17
19.	Arlington		16-4	-
20.	Lowell			14-7	10

Some quick thoughts: We're not sure you can really argue with the top 10 squads (though I'm sure we'll get some feedback). Billerica earned that No. 2 spot with its late-season play and by taking Duxbury to the wire in the championship game. St. John's Prep topped Medfield in overtime late in the regular season and that helped sort those two squads out. Some might argue that Scituate is a bit too high, but we think the Sailors earned a lofty spot with their late-season surge. All the teams in the back end of the top 20 really had their ups and downs during the season. Marshfield overcame some injuries to surge late, but we would have liked to have seen them against some other top competition. Some will argue that King Philip is too low, but that comes down to strength of schedule. We considered a pack of teams for No. 20, including BC High and Waltham, but we'll give Lowell the nod considering that, of the Raiders' seven losses, three came against Top 10 squads and two came out of state. Lowell also smacked Reading during the regular season.

GIRLS

1.	Westwood	24-0-1	1
2.	Framingham	22-2-1	3
3.	Wellesley	18-1-1	2
4.	Lincoln-Sudbury	21-2-0	4
5.	Needham		19-4-1	7
6.	Winchester	20-1-2	5
7.	King Philip	17-3-0	6
8.	Andover		17-6-0	8
9.	Acton-Boxboro	18-3-1	9
10.	Norwell		16-9-0	19
11.	North Andover	20-2-1	11
12.	Reading		14-5-2	14
13.	Lexington	18-4-0	15
14.	Duxbury		14-5-2	12
15.	Masconomet	14-4-0	13
16.	Weston		13-7-0	--
17.	Hingham		13-6-0	20
18.	Georgetown	13-6-0	--
19.	Sandwich	20-1-1	16
20.	Notre Dame	15-4-1	18

Some quick thoughts: We can hear the groans in Wellesley already. Yes, the Raiders defeated Framingham in a head-to-head battle back on April 7. But that was more than two months ago. If the teams met again later in the season, we believe the Flyers likely would have returned the favor. From what we saw, Westwood and Framingham were simply a cut above. Division 1, as a whole, however, was absolutely loaded and we reflected that in the top 5. Winchester, King Philip, and Andover sorted themselves out from regular-season play. Georgetown was tough to figure out. The Royals stormed to the Division 2 North final, but had also endured some questionable losses during the regular season, like a 13-8 defeat at the hands of a Manchester Essex squad that finished 6-8.

Our friends at LaxPower.com released their boys' lacrosse season-ending national rankings and Duxbury is the only local public squad to land in the top 50 as the Dragons -- ranked No. 1 in the Globe's final top 20 poll -- check in at No. 39.

Deerfield Prep is tops among Massachusetts schools, landing at No. 21 after a 15-1 campaign (their lone loss being a one-goal tilt with Avon Old Farms of Connecticut, which ranked at No. 227). The Governor's Academy landed at No. 37.

Western Mass. public power Longmeadow, which fell to Duxbury in the regular season, but rebounded to win the Division 2 state title (topping Medfield in the finals) checked in at No. 42.

You'd have to hop down to No. 147 to find the next Massachusetts public entry in St. John's Prep. Other local publics in the top 200: Walpole (152), Billerica (163), Xaverian (167), and Medfield (178).

We'll have our final Top 20 for the boys' and girls' lacrosse seasons posted shortly.

All this week we'll be posting video highlights from the 2008 Globe All-Scholastics awards banquet, which featured New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson as the keynote speaker.

Watson mixed plenty of humor into his speech that encouraged the student-athletes to enjoy the journey throughout their high school and college careers. Below, check out a highlight reel from Watson's speech, which includes his thoughts on tracking down Champ Bailey during the 2005 playoffs, comments on Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, and a light moment after the speech in which Globe High School Sports Editor Bob Holmes draws the ire of the crowd with a jab at the 2007 Patriots.

For the full, 16-minute version of Watson's introduction and speech, click HERE.

We'll have much more video throughout the week. Here's the tentative plan:

• Monday: Ben Watson's speech
• Tuesday: Brian Morrissey's speech
• Wednesday: Meredith Frank's speech
• Thursday: Athlete of the Year presentations
• Friday: More highlights from this year's banquet

For those of you who attended the event, we hope you had as much fun as we did. We'll also try to post the season highlight video that ran on the big screens at the start of Sunday's program.

Today, the Boston Globe unveiled our 2008 Spring All-Scholastics. Hop over and explore the section as we toast those athletes who remained focus during a time when thoughts drifted to pool parties, beaches, and lazy summer days.

A reminder to all of our All-Scholastics that today is also our year-end banquet at the Quincy Marriott. All athletes should have received their invitation to attend today's event, which includes New England Patriots tight end Ben Watson as a featured speaker.

I'll be on hand capturing video from the festivities and we'll post that starting tomorrow and running through next week. So even as high school sports slip into hibernation for the summer, stick with us for more coverage.

Plus, football season is only approximately 55 days away. We'll be back out at double sessions before you know it, so enjoy that time at the beach while you can.

Our final Top 20 polls for the 2008 baseball and softball seasons have been posted.

You can read our top 20 recap, or just check out the final polls for baseball and softball. (Hint: Two undefeated teams sit perfectly atop our final rankings).

We'll check back with final top 20 polls for boys' and girls' lacrosse Monday.

For those pining for one more boys' lacrosse game, get yourselves down to Reebok Field in Canton for the Senior North-South All-Star Game at 5 p.m.

South coach Rick Peterson -- Marshfield's leading man -- reports the teams will be comprised of seniors from the All-American list, along with Eastern Mass. All-Stars who were voted to compete in the game.

Click HERE to check out the list of All-Americans for the 2008 season. Be sure to also visit our 2008 Spring All-Scholastics to read more on the athletes that will comprise much of the talent at the North-South battle.

How good are these teams? The South triumvirate of goalies features Garrett Akie of Dover-Sherborn, David Barton of BC High, and Max Vaikus of Hingham. It'd be a wonder anyone scored except for the star power that litters the midfield and attack for both squads. Should be a phenomenal night of lacrosse.

The Central Mass. All-Stars defeated the Western Mass. All-Stars, 15-14, in the eighth annual Shrine Chowder Bowl All-Star Classic, Friday at Springfield College's Amos Alonzo Stagg Field.

For the Central squad, Marlboro quarterback Josh Carter (2 of 6 passing, 30 yards; 8 carries, 60 yards, 1 TD) and Millbury defensive lineman Connor Devlin were named Offensive and Defensive MVPs, respectively. Other significant performances include Shrewsbury quarterback Jawad Yatim (8 of 11, 57 yards, 1 TD), Worcester Burncoat tight end Dan Burke (4 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD) and Fitchburg running back Jonny Gomez (15 carries, 57 yards).

For the West, East Longmeadow running back Chris Setian (8 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD) picked up the Offensive MVP honors, while Springfield Central linebacker George Hargrove was named defensive MVP. Longmeadow quarterback Pat Donnelly was also nine of 13 passing for 86 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Western All-Stars scored on their first two drives to take a 14-0 lead after seven minutes, but Central stormed back to score 15 unanswered points in a span of less than 90 seconds late in the third quarter.

First, Yatim capped a 12-play, 95-yard, six-minute drive with an 11-yard scoring strike to Burke. The snap on the point-after field goal try was botched, but Carter managed to run it into the near right corner for a successful try. The ensuing kickoff was misfielded, and Oakmont's Cody Brown dove on the ball at the West 14. Three plays later, Carter ran a three-yard naked boot around the right side, and St. John's Pat Lowe kicked the extra point, for the 15-14 score with 1:08 left in the quarter.

Central has now won five straight in the series, and is 6-1-1 all-time.

Charlestown's Omar Aden, Bromfield's Emily Jones, and Ashland's Nicole D'Argento have earned Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors for their respective sports.

Aden won for boy's track, Jones for girls' track, and D'Argento for softball. They join Acton-Boxboro's Scott Weismann as those honored for the 2008 spring season.

Here's a bit on each athlete from the press releases distributed by the Gatorade folks:

Omar Aden

The senior distance runner won the mile at the MIAA All-State Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 4:13.83, which ranked as the nation's No. 7 scholastic performance in 2008 at the time of his selection and helped the Townies to the state championship. An Indoor Track All-Scholastic selection as named by The Boston Globe, Aden, who placed fourth in the mile at the National Indoor Scholastic Championships, captured second place in the 1,600-meter run at the New England Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 4:13.19.

Emily Jones

The junior distance runner ran the 2-mile race at the Central Region Meet in 10:27.03, the fastest time in the nation at the time of her selection. A week later, Jones ran the 2-mile in 10:33.30 to win the All-State Meet with the fourth-fastest time in the nation. Also the 2007-08 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Jones ran the mile race in 4:59.15 this spring, which ranked as the nation's No. 22 performance in the mile this spring at the time of her selection, and she placed second in the 3,000 meters at the Penn Relays Carnival.

Nicole D'Argento

The junior pitcher started 22-0 with a 0.28 ERA and 288 strikeouts in 147.2 innings this season, leading the Clockers to a 26-0 record entering the Division 2 state semifinals scheduled for June 11. A returning All-Scholastic selection as named by The Boston Globe, D'Argento had produced a .605 batting average, 35 RBI, 33 runs scored and six home runs at the time of her selection. The two-time Tri-Valley League Player of the Year, she concluded her sophomore season of 2007 with a 9-0 record and a 0.00 ERA.

Can't get enough football? Head to Waltham this Friday. The 30th Shriners Football Classic, the annual North-versus-South all-star clash, will be played at Bentley at 7 p.m.

All proceeds from the game, which usually draws 5,000-6,000 fans, will benefit Shriners hospitals. Players must be graduating seniors nominated by their school. The final rosters are chosen by the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association.

“It's a great honor to be selected by the Shriners organization to coach the team,” said Brockton head coach Peter Columbo, who will coach the South squad. “Every kid is an all-star. It's a great group of kids who are gonna play in the game.”

Tickets are $10 and are available at the gate. For advance tickets, contact Aleppo Shriners at 978-657-4202, ext 20.

The game king is Stephen Cullinane and the game queen is Carrie Holmstrom. To read more about Holmstrom's story, click here or visit her website.

We'll have more in the Globe later this week. For now, here are the updated game rosters.

UPDATE: Now includes full coaching staffs

North

# - Player, school

5 - Nate Adames, Greater Lawrence
7 - Chris Cleary, Winchester
10 - Tim Rich, Chelmsford
11 - Jesse Sparks, Cambridge
12 - Tim Morrison, Billerica
14 - Mike Pierce, Andover
20 - Ernie Mello, Wilmington
21 - Andrew Fulford, Gloucester
22 - Dan McLaughlin, Woburn
24 - Nate Masterson, Hamilton Wenham
25 - Pat Noone, Nobles
30 - Greg Pierce, Beverly
31 - Ian Viera, Thayer
32 - Isaac Johnson, Everett
33 - Kenny Mangie, Billerica
34 - Chris Lane, Lawrence Academy
35 - Mark Hogan, Lincoln-Sudbury
41 - Mike Leavitt, Central Catholic
42 - Brian Alessandro, Pope John
43 - Stephen Aborn, Milton Academy
44 - Nico Papas, BB&N
45 - Nick Desjardins, Arlington Catholic
50 - Joe Cerrone, Wayland
51 - Herman Brito, Wayland
52 - Matt Evans, Thayer
53 - Craig Richardson, Malden Catholic
54 - Pat McGrath, Everett
55 - Sean Morris, Melrose
61 - Robert Hamilton, Winthrop
62 - Mike Mavropoulos, Reading
63 - Jerard Warren, Cambridge
64 - Brian Palangi, Swampscott
65 - Antonio Johnson, Lynn Classical
66 - Walter McCarthy, Milton Academy
70 - Teddy Reed, Masconomet
71 - Dan Fox, Tyngsborough
72 - Tim Lee, Stoneham
73 - John Riley, Wakefield
74 - Pat Lahey, Brooks
75 - Nick Halloran, BB&N
76 - Elike Kumahia, Nobles
80 - Quivari Jackson, Lynn Classical
81 - Brandon Wade, Georgetown
82 - Sean McGahan, Rivers
83 - Anthony Enderle, Gloucester
84 - Mark Dwyer, Woburn
85 - Chris Smart, Chelmsford
86 - Derek Lowe, Tewksbury
87 - Bobby Tarr, Bishop Fenwick

Head coach
Dave Woods, Bishop Fenwick
Assistant coaches
Peter Flynn, Billerica
Matt Bouchard, Georgetown
John Fiore, Reading
Darren Sullivan, Rivers
Joe Gaff, Malden Catholic
Trainers
Nicole Creonte, Katie McFarlane

South

# - Player, school
5 - Paul Asack, Xaverian
7 - Mark Gilson, Mansfield
10 - Tyrone Figueroa, East Boston
11 - Tim Mogan, Foxborough
12 - Tyler Dow, Franklin
14 - Derrick Duquette, Plymouth South
20 - Elijah Harris, North Attleboro
21 - Jo Jo Jamiel, Dennis-Yarmouth
22 - Matt Edwards, Holliston
23 - Joe Jeudy, Stoughton
24 - Nick Montalto, Dennis-Yarmouth
25 - Ed Asaley, Newton North
30 - Keegan Grabhorn, Plymouth North
31 - Darren Thellen, Brockton
32 - Mitch McClune, BC High
33 - Kariym Azeez, Brighton
34 - Nick Schwieger, Bishop Feehan
35 - Matt Bellomo, Holliston
41 - Julian Colarusso, Catholic Memorial
43 - Brad Poirier, Marshfield
44 - Brett Wyman, Bridgewater-Raynham
45 - Peter Bobseine, Duxbury
50 - Tom Duffy, BC High
51 - Paul Freeman, Xaverian
52 - Ryan Andrew, Dartmouth
53 - Mike Abany, Mansfield
54 - Mike Welch, Medfield
55 - Mike Ridge, BC High
61 - Billy Goodale, Mansfield
62 - Rich McCann, Hingham
63 - Kevin Broderick, Plymouth North
65 - David Garfield, Marshfield
66 - Chris Paine, Bishop Feehan
70 - Josh Previte, Brockton
71 - Jake Cuneo, Cohassett
72 - Alex Sharp, Bridgewater-Raynham
73 - Chris Howard, Seekonk
74 - Andrew Jameson, Brockton
75 - Brian Woollard, Foxborough
76 - Kyle Crowley, Norwood
80 - Josh Paulson, Martha's Vineyard
81 - Vaughn Askew, Brockton
82 - Alex Cuomo, Scituate
83 - Jason Dellorco, Franklin
84 - Kameel Lashley, Brighton
85 - Chris Constantine, Hingham
86 - Chris Hanoian, Seekonk

Head coach
Peter Colombo, Brockton
Assistant coaches
Dan Buron, Bridgewater-Raynham
Don Herman, Martha's Vineyard
Dave Maimaron, Duxbury
Timo Philip, Brighton
Brad Sidwell, Franklin
Trainer
Teresa Petty

By Chris Estrada, Globe Correspondent

WORCESTER – Small ball brought the biggest prize for the Lexington softball team tonight at Rockwood Field.

With runners at the corners and one out, Gardner pitcher Elyssa Boris got a third strike on Minuteman batter Amanda McKenna only to see it dropped. McKenna ran to first base to force a throw there, which enabled Beth Rutila to dash home and score. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Kiki Saveriano put the finishing touches on a 16-strikeout no-hitter by striking out the side to give Lexington their first state championship since 1976 with a 1-0 victory over the Wildcats.

“Beth had a great jump and took off right when she should have,” said Lexington coach Frank Pagliuca. “That’s a credit to them and that’s the little things that we’ve been doing up to this point. It’s a great win.”

Pagliuca was also elated for his pitcher’s performance, which he called “unbelievable.”

“[She] proved tonight that she, as I’ve said before, is one of the best pitchers in the state,” he said. “That’s a credit to her demeanor…She got behind on one of the hitters late in the game, I believe 3-0, and she battled back, and that’s her mentality this year. She has really matured to be one of those pitchers.”

Saveriano expected to win the game, but she had no idea that she’d be able to perform at such a high level on perhaps the biggest night of her high school career.

“I expected the team to win it obviously, because we’ve really deserved it this year, but, you know, I only had 16 strikeouts and the team got the other ones,” the happy pitcher said as she clutched the MIAA Div. 1 championship trophy.

“In the beginning of our season, not even the postseason, our team had a hard time coming back in these situations. We’ve definitely learned since the postseason started.”

The Minutemen left the bases loaded in the top of the second, then left five more through the first six innings. But everything came together in the seventh.

Rutila led off the top half of the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from left fielder Callie Tingley. Sarah Heingartner then laid another bunt just outside of the batter’s box that managed to stay on the fair side of the first baseline.

Heingartner took second on the first pitch to McKenna, who fouled off twice before having her dropped third strike – and then tearing off toward first. Gardner catcher Jocelyn Goodale fired to first baseman Nikki Boris to get McKenna out, but Nikki’s throw back to Goodale was too late as Rutila beat the tag.

“Coach told me to run and I ran, pretty much,” Rutila said. “We went over that in practice yesterday because there was a dropped third strike and in those situations, [Saveriano] didn’t go in for the [at-bat]. I didn’t see her go in, so I went.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s – I don’t know. It hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

As for Wildcats coach Howie Klash, he remained stoic after a second straight defeat for his club in the Div. 1 finals and called his players “fabulous people.” He also had high praise for Saveriano.

“We ran into a tough pitcher today,” he said. “She was real tough, probably the best high school pitcher I’ve seen in all my years of coaching. She was real tough today, there’s no doubt about that.

“[The strikeout play] is tough, but that’s part of the game. A finish like that happens.”

So did Lexington’s ability to stay focused in a tight spot. For Pagliuca, it was another affirmation of that fact.

“We’ve had grinders all the way through and as I’ve said to you before, we know how to play in those situations,” he said. “We didn’t panic, we knew that we would get another opportunity, and we took advantage of that.

“I’m just so proud of them from where they’ve come to where they are now, especially the two seniors [McKenna and Tingley] on our team. For them to go through that, it’s just a great way to end their career."
-----------------
Lexington (24-2) ... 000 000 1 - 1 5 0
Gardner (20-5)...... 000 000 0 - 0 0 0
Lex: Kiki Saveriano and Alyssa Zahka. Gard: Elyssa Boris and Jocelyn Goodale.
WP -- Saveriano. LP -- Boris.
----------------
Notes

Saveriano threw 93 pitches with 65 going for strikes; her highest number of pitches in an inning was 23 in the fourth inning (two strikeouts, a grounder, and a walk). She allowed another walk in the fifth...Gardner's Nikki Berube was called out twice for bunting with two strikes in the count, once in the first inning and again to close the bottom of the sixth...Boris threw 99 pitches with 64 for strikes. Her highest number of pitches in the inning was 24 in the first, as she escaped a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout of Rutila...No Gardner player was able to reach second base for the whole game.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL – Scott Warwick hit the inside corner to catch Westfield pinch hitter Tim Lorenz looking, and the BC High Eagles had their first state championship since 2001 after beating Westfield, 7-1.

The win ended an impressive late season run for BC High. After finding themselves in last place at the beginning of the season, the Eagles turned on the afterburners. They finished the regular season at 16-4 and had three walk off wins in the state tournament.

“The makeup of this team is why we’re standing here now,” BC High head coach Norm Walsh said after the game as his players celebrated with the championship trophy. “It’s great, and really no surprise, that they finished they way they did. They were determined.”

Warwick came though huge for the Eagles in the biggest game of their season. The senior threw a complete game, striking out four Bombers batters and dancing in and out of trouble throughout the game. He did not have a 1-2-3 inning until the ninth, but was sure with his team would back him.

“I tried to focus and hit my spots,” he said. “I was confident it would work out. I had the best team in the state behind me.”

With the Eagles holding on to a slim 2-0 lead in the sixth inning, Warwick got what may have been the biggest out of the game. With the tying run at the plate, he snared a hard-hit ground ball and started a 1-6-3 double play.

It turned out to be the closest Westfield would get the rest of the way. BC High went on to score four runs the next inning, thanks to shaky defense by the Bombers and RBI singles by Tyler Horan, Tom Chase, and Mitch McClune, to go up 6-0.

Westfield’s hitters struggled with runners on could only scratch out one run all night. Joshua Blair led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Nick Gezotis doubled him home to cut the lead to 6-1, but then Warwick buckled down. He got the next batter out easily, and struck out Clifford Laraway on three pitches to end the inning.

“Once Scott smells it, its over,” Walsh said. “He just battled, battled, battled. He was just great.”

Early on, BC High catcher Tom Conley was able to use his arm to stifle potential Westfield rallies. The Catholic Conference MVP threw out Laraway by three steps at second base when he attempted a steal in the third inning. Then, after Steve Blair reached on a throwing error, an alert Conley (who was backing up the play) threw out the first baseman after he tried to advance to second on the play.

“We had to make a play in those spots,” said Conley, the team captain. “They were pretty much routine plays, but the size of the spot made them seem all that much bigger.”

A scary moment occurred with two outs in the second inning after BC High’s Billy Riley hit a sharp one-hop ground ball off the base off the mound. The shot appeared to ricochet off starter Jim Lorenz’s leg and towards second baseman Jeffery Crawford, who picked up the ball and made the out at first to end the inning. But Lorenz continued to lie on his side on the mound, his face expressing obvious pain. After a few moments he was able to walk off the mound under his own power and continue the game.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The BC High Eagles are Division 1 state champions after defeating Westfield, 7-1.

A complete game recap will be posted shortly.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The Eagles lead Westfield 7-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, and are three outs away from their first state title since 2001.

We'll have an update as soon as the game ends.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- It's the bottom of the eighth inning in the Division 1 state title game, and swarms of small insects seem to be invading LaLacheur Park. Some have even infiltrated the press box, and a security guard is seeking refuge after a number of bugs attached to his bright yellow jacket. "They're everywhere!" he yelled hopelessly.

BC High continues to lead Westfield, 7-1.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Westfield has finally put a run across the plate on back-to-back hits by Joshua Blair and Nick Gezotis. Blair singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then was doubled home by Gezotis.

BC High escaped the inning without yielding further damage and now leads 6-1.

By Amanda Bruno, Globe Correspondent

WAYLAND – After the Westwood baseball team clinched the Division 3 state title over Frontier up in Lowell, the boys headed over to the girls’ lacrosse Division 1 state final to see if the Wolverines could bring home a pair of titles.

It happened to be their day.

In its fourth meeting in the state final in six years, Westwood (24-0-1) powered past Longmeadow, 10-7 to win yet another state championship over the Lancers. The Wolverines clinched titles in 2003 and 2005, and Longmeadow (21-3) savaged a win in 2004.

"It’s huge. I mean once we won it freshmen year I always kind of wanted one for myself to be like I don’t have my sister’s help [this time] so today was a big one," said senior captain Alex Frank. "I know our seniors, [winning the state title] was our goal for the season and to come out and play like we did today and come out and win is great. It’s a great ending to our season."

Westwood dominated the first half led by the Globe All-Scholastic trio, sophomore Kelly Rich (six goals, five in the half) and senior captains Frank (two goals) and Erin Massimi (two goals, one assist) who contributed to all of the scoring.

After Longmeadow scored the first goal of the game 2:16 in, Massimi tied it up and got the ball rolling for the Wolverines who then went on a 7-0, before the Lancers finally scored again with 54 seconds remaining in the frame.

"It was not the game plan [scoring eight goals in the first half], that’s what we were trying not to do,” said Westwood coach Leslie Frank. “We were trying to save the legs and pace ourselves and time ourselves."

Longmeadow’s bid for a seventh state title looked to be over with, but that’s why there are two halves in lacrosse.

Westwood cooled off after Massimi scored her second goal of the game 15 seconds into the second. That’s when the Lancers unleashed a threatening rally. Longmeadow senior Katie Phillips (four goals) scored back-to-back goals to put Lomgeadow within five and Westwood called a timeout with 20:37 on the clock.

Fifteen minutes flew by with neither team scoring. Finally with 5:35 left in the second frame, Jessica Lesage found Rich on the left side of the net and made a quick release to give her, her sixth goal of the game to make it 10-4.

"[Kelly] was outstanding,” said Leslie Frank. “She’s just seasoned. She sees when it’s time. She’s patient, she holds her cuts and then [takes the shot]."

But Longmeadow still wouldn’t go away with Emily Stankiewicz responding 32 seconds later and the Lancers strung together two more, but as they threatened for more, Abbie Brown (seven saves) made an enormous save and gave it to Massimi who took it to the other end and held onto the ball until the horn sounded.

"The work ethic of those kids, I felt so much pressure from Longmeadow in the second half. I don’t even know how we pulled it off," said Westwood coach Leslie Frank.

"Right now I’m just really excited. All of our hard work paid off and I really wanted to do this for the seniors because they have led us to so many things," said Rich. "We just really wanted to finish it off for them. We had such a great season and it was just a great way to end it."

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The BC High offense has finally come alive, with the aid of some defensive mishaps. Westfield has committed two errors in the seventh and, coupled with four BC High singles, the Eagles now have a 6-0 lead.

That was enough to chase Jim Lorenz, who had only given up two runs until this point.

Tyler Horan, Tom Chase, and Mitch McClune have RBIs in the inning.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Scott Warwick has been very impressive through six innings for the BC High Eagles. The senior has allowed a hit in every inning, but is yet to yield a run. He just snared a hard ground ball to start a 1-6-3 double play and has only walked one.

BC High is now batting in the top of the seventh, looking to expand on their lead.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The Eagles have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning of their Division 1 state title game versus Westfield. BC High scratched out their runs on three singles, a walk, and an RBI ground out.

Westfield looks to respond in their half of the fifth.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- We head to the fifth in the Division 1 state title game, and BC High and Westfield have yet to score. The Eagles have not had a runner on base since the second inning, and Westfield has stranded five runners through four innings.

Mitch McClune, Cody Morgan, and Billy Riley look to get something started for BC High in the top of the fifth.

Sorry folks, I unfortunately didn't have any internet capabilities from Wayland so I was unable to post any updates.

Some quick notes:

This was Westwood's third state title in six years and all three have come against Longmeadow.

After Longmeadow scored the opening goal, the Wolverines splurged to an 8-0 run led by the Globe All-Scholastic trio of sophomore Kelly Rich, and senior captains Erin Massimi and Alex Frank.

Rich scored five of her six goals in the first frame, Frank both of her goals, and Massimi had a goal and an assist (two goals total).

Westwood led 8-2 at the break.

Longmeadow however didn't die as the Lancers outscored the Wolverines, 5-2 in the second frame. Longmeadow goalie, Mollie Mackler was incredible and finished with 12 saves. The senior is attending Duke in the fall.

The Lancers certainly made it close as Katie Phillips (four goals) put in back-to-back netters to cut the deficit to five, which prompted Westwood to call a timeout. After the timeout there was a 15 minute scoring gap until Rich, fed by Jessica Lesage, scored with 5:35 remaining in the second frame.

Longmeadow finished off game on a 3-0 run, but after a save by Westwood goalie Abbie Brown (seven saves), the Wolverines took the ball to the other end until the horn blew to stop the run.

Check back later for a full game recap.

By James Schneider, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL – Luckily for Plymouth North, Tom MacInnes isn’t the greatest bunter.

The junior fouled off two bunt attempts with the winning run on second and no outs in the top of the tenth inning of yesterday’s Division 2 State Championship game at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, quickly falling behind 0-2.

But MacInnes’ next swing was much more productive, as the right fielder hit a liner that tailed toward left center, out of the reach of the diving centerfielder for his second hit of the game. Jared Canney, who led the inning off with a double that took a terrible hop off the third baseman and into left field, rounded third and headed home, scoring the only run of the game as Plymouth North defeated Auburn 1-0 in ten innings.

“How do you figure, you miss a bunt and then the kid gets a base hit,” Plymouth North coach Dwayne Follette said. “But he hit the ball hard all day.”

“I was anxious, I didn’t execute [on the bunt],” MacInnes said. “[On the hit] I thought the kid might have had a chance [to catch it]. He’s a great centerfielder.”

But the tailing liner dropped in, giving Plymouth North the perfect ending for a perfect season, as the Eagles (26-0) became the first undefeated team since Auburn pulled the feat off ten years ago. The heartbreaking loss ended a great run through the tournament for Auburn (18-7), who entered the central tournament as the seventh seed.

“There’s no easy way to lose,” Auburn coach Eric Swedberg said. “We did everything we could.”

The game was a showcase for two outstanding pitchers, as Auburn’s Jeff Croteau and Plymouth North’s Joe Flynn each pitched a complete game that extended well beyond the normal call of duty. Each was well deserving of a victory, and it took ten innings for one to finally surrender a run.

“Jeff Croteau, it was his game out there,” Swedberg said. “He was not coming out. We’re not a fan of doing that but he pitched an unbelievable game.”

But Flynn was just one notch better. The junior hurler went ten innings, striking out eight while surrendering just four hits. Flynn seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, recording six of his eight strikeouts after the sixth inning. He threw 111 pitches, 81 for strikes.

“The kid’s throwing 85 [mph] in the tenth inning, blowing people away,” Follette said. “I was worried because that was his last inning. He had come back on three and then four days rest and he was tired, he told us.”

Flynn gave up a double to start the seventh inning, but that seemed to rejuvenate the junior. He responded by striking out five of the next six batters he faced and allowed just one more hit the rest of the game.

Flynn’s pitching performance set the stage for MacInnes’ dramatic walk-off single, a fairy-tale ending for the junior that transferred back to his home school from Catholic Memorial this year.

“[I came back here] because I wanted to be with my friends. [Getting the game-winning it] was awesome, it was a thrill,” MacInnes said. “We worked hard all year and it paid off.”

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- We've played three innings at LeLacheur Park, and BC High and Westfield remain scoreless in the Division 1 title game. Jim Lorenz has kept BC High's potent offense in check, allowing only two singles. Scott Warwick worked around a two out error in the third inning to keep the game knotted at zero.

Catholic Conference MVP Tom Conley showed why he's one of the better catchers in the state the past inning. The BC High backstop fired a strike to second base on a pitchout, catching Cliff Larraway by at least three steps.

More updates to come.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

Here's the starting nine for BC High and Westfield in their Division 1 state title game

BC HIGH

DH - Tyler Horan
2B - Tom Chase
C - Tom Conley
3B - Jim Albano
CF - Billy Miller
RF - Mitch McClune
LF - Cody Morgan
1B - Billy Riley
3B - Matt Kelly

WESTFIELD

CF - Alec Fouche
RF - Ryan Veillette
LF - Brian Moran
2B - Jeffery Crawford
DH - Steve Blair
1B - Joshua Blair
3B - Nick Gezotis
C - Eric Liptak
SS - Clifford Larraway

Game should start around 7 p.m.

Here's a recap of Westwood's win in their title game versus Frontier Regional.

By Matt Porter, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL – It happens every time. One mistake gets hammered, and then Westwood starts tacking runs on the board.

Take today's third inning, for example. One baserunner after another, and before long, the Wolverines had produced eight runs and a championship.

The No. 14 Wolverines, who entered the tournament at 12-8, capped a dominant postseason blasting Frontier, 12-6, to capture the Division 3 title at LeLacheur Park.

"We didn't want anything standing between us and the championship," said senior catcher Brian Morante. "One person sparks it, and it fires right through the whole team."

Westwood laid off outside offerings from Redhawks starter Gary Grandonico and smacked whatever was over the plate. Senior center fielder Sean Grandfield led off the third with a single to right, then he stole second without a throw. Morante, who came in hitting .588, worked a 12-pitch walk before junior first baseman Jason Sementelli (3-4) drove in Grandfield. Junior pitcher John Sheehan walked to load the bases, and Grandonico hit sophomore third baseman David Milano, scoring Morante to make it 3-0.

Grandonico was supplanted by junior righty Robbie Sjodahl, but he fared worse.
Despite throwing four consecutive first-pitch strikes, Sjodahl hit a batter, walked in a run, gave up a suicide squeeze and a two-run single, and was victim of an two-run error.

"This whole year, we've been ripping the ball all over the place," said Sheehan, the beneficiary of all the fireworks.

Throwing on a seven days rest, the righthander dazzled in six innings, fanned ten while allowing three runs on six hits and an error.

He mixed in curves while spotting 89-MPH heat, but his change was nastier, keeping the Redhawks off-balance all day. "That was the one I had working," said Sheehan, smiling with the game ball in his back pocket.

"When he's on, he's got a fastball that he can blow by people, a curve that makes them look ridiculous, and then there's his change," said Morante, wearing a bag of ice on his left hand he said was needed after catching Sheehan's fastball. "It's been an honor to catch him this year."

"He was tremendous today," said Frontier coach Aaron Campbell. "He's probably the best pitcher we've seen."

Frontier put together a three-run fifth to get back into it, as junior Ashton Lutenegger and seniors David White and Tim Capuano each singled in runs to make it 9-4. But Westwood soon put out the fire. Doubles by Sementelli, Sheehan and David Milano plated two in the bottom of the inning, and Sheehan quickly got two ground balls and a pop-up.

"That was beautiful," said Sheehan. "Get right out there and get it done."
Junior lefty Ryan Walsh gave up a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Wolverines piled on each other at shortstop when Redhawks second baseman Anthony Laurentis grounded out to end it.

"They hit the ball hard," said Campbell. "Our kids, I don't want to say they were intimidated, but I think they got caught up in the moment. We met our match today. They deserve all the accolades they get."

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The Eagles soared to an undefeated record (26-0) after Tom MacInnes doubled home Jared Canney in the bottom of the tenth inning in the Division 2 state title game. Plymouth North defeated Auburn to end one of the best pitching duels of the 2008 tournament.

Joe Flynn (12-0) threw ten scoreless innings, striking out eight. Six of those punch outs came in the seventh inning or later. Flynn only gave up four hits on the day.

Jeff Croteau was just as impressive for the Rockets. The Auburn pitcher only gave up one run, in the tenth, despite only picking up two strikeouts.

But it was the Eagles' day, and now head coach Dwayne Follette and his team can hang an undefeated banner in Plymouth.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- How many more great defensive plays can be made? With the lead run on first base and one out in the top of the ninth, PN center fielder Keegan Grabhorn tracked down a deep drive, then fired to first base to double off Auburn's Evan Pluff and keep the game scoreless.

Then, in the bottom of the inning, Auburn center fielder Keith Leatham made a diving play to open up the ninth inning and keep Mike Higgins off the bases. Jeff Croteau set down the next two batters to send the game to the 10th.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Auburn relied on a wild defensive play at first base and starter Jeff Croteau to keep the Division 2 state title game scoreless into the ninth inning.

Plymouth North's Tom MacInnes shot a line drive off first baseman Jon Geeze's glove, but second baseman Nick Natoli picked up the deflection and flipped it back to Geeze. The senior had his foot on first base and MacInnes, sliding headfirst, was called out.

Croteau escaped the inning after two batters reached, and we head to the ninth.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Joe Flynn seems to be saving his best for last in the Division 2 state title game. The PN ace just struck out the side in the eighth inning and has recorded five strikeouts since yielding a leadoff double in the seventh.

Once again, the Eagles will look to put the final touches on their undefeated season as they send the heart of their lineup to bat in the eighth.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- After PN ace Joe Flynn stranded a runner in scoring position in his half of the seventh, Auburn pitcher Joeff Croteau did the same to extend this intense pitching duel.

Pinch hitter Corey Coleman led off the inning with a single for the Eagles, then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and ground out, Croteau got leadoff hitter Jared Canney to fly out to right field and keep the game scoreless heading to extras.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- After Jon Leroux led off the Auburn seventh with a double to the warning track in center, PN's Joe Flynn showed why he's yet to lose a game this season. The ace struck out the next two batters, then induced a ground ball out to shortstop to keep the Division 2 state title game scoreless.

Plymouth North is coming up to bat in their half of the seventh, hoping to put the finishing touches on an undefeated sesaon.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The game has gone to the 7th inning and both Auburn and Plymouth North have not scored. Plymouth North will now need a walk-off win if they want to finish undefeated on the season.

Joe Flynn has been spectacular for PN, as has Jeff Croteau for Auburn. Flynn has only given up two hits through six innings and only one Rockets runner has reached third base. Croteau has only yielded four meaningless singles and has kept the PN bats in check.

Should be an exciting finish, stay tuned for more updates.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- One half inning after Plymouth North kept the Division 2 state title game scoreless with solid defense, Auburn did the same. With the lead run on second with one out, Rockets left fielder Connor Beach made a nice adjustment on a running catch to snare a tailing line drive off the bat of Tom MacInnes. The play kept the game tied at zero.

Auburn is up in their half of the sixth, looking for their first run.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- With the lead run on second base and one out, Auburn's Keith Leatham lined what looked like a single towards left field. But PN shortstop Pat Lane made an impressive jumping grab, then fired to second to double off the Auburn runner and keep the game at 0-0.

Matt Walsh just led off the Eagles' fifth with a single on the first pitch.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The Eagles have had a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings, but Auburn starter Jeff Croteau has escaped each time and held Plymouth North scoreless.

First baseman Jon Geeze just made an impressive tag on an off-target throw to retire PN designated hitter Jordan Wylie and keep the Eagles off the board in the thrid. Tom MacInnes, who had led off the inning with a single, was stranded on third base.

Auburn did not score in their half of the fourth inning.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Auburn and Plymouth North have yet to score through two innings in the Division 2 state title game at LeLacheur Park.

Plymouth North, trying for an undefeated season, has left two runners on base in each of the first two innings. Starter Joe Flynn (11-0) worked out of first inning trouble and set down Auburn 1-2-3 in the second inning.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- We're moments away from the start of the Division 2 state title game between Auburn and Plymouth North at LeLacheur Park. Here are your starting lineups for each squad:

AUBURN

2B - Nick Natoli
1B - Jon Geeze
SS - Evan Pluff
C - Jon Leroux
DH - Brendan VanBeekom
3B - Shayne McNally
RF - Brian Sullivan
LF - Connor Beach
CF - Keith Leatham

PLYMOUTH NORTH

2B - Jared Canney
LF - Tom MacInnes
P - Joe Flynn
CF - Keegan Grabhorn
DH - Jordan Wylie
RF - Steve McSharry
3B - Mike Higgins
1B - Billy Mitchell
C - Matt Walsh

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- The Westwood Wolverines wrapped up the Division 3 state title with a comfortable 12-6 win over Frontier Regional at LeLacheur Park.

Check back in a few minutes for a full recap and game story.

It'll be do or die battle once again between Westwood (23-0-1) and Longmeadow (21-2) who are competing in the girls' lacrosse Division 1 state final this evening at Wayland High School as these two teams aren't strangers.

The two powerhouses have met in the state title game from 2003-2005 as Westwood captured titles in '03 and '05 and the Lancers in '04.

During the regular season, Westwood trounced Longmeadow 14-5 back on April 12, but by no means does this mean it'll be an easy ride for the Wolverines, which will be expecting a much different Longmeadow squad.

The Lancers have sailed along in post-season play beating South Hadley 20-6 and Minnechaug 12-4 in the west to capture another WMass crown and their most recent win over Central champion Westborough 10-6.

It should be a great match-up. Game time will start at 4:15 p.m. Check back for updates, I'll try my best to give them to you.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Trailing Westwood 12-4, the Red Hawks are coming up to bat in their half of the seventh inning in the Division 3 state title game. Frontier Regional can only hope for a tremendous rally in their last at bat to keep their title hopes alive.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- After Frontier pulled within five runs, Westwood was able to answer right back with two runs in their half of the fifth inning to open their lead to 11-4 in the Division 3 state title game.

Jason Sementelli, John Sheehan, and David Milano hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to chase Frontier reliever Robbie Sjodahl and help reopen the Wolverines' bulge to seven.

We'll be back with more updates.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Frontier Regional has made it a game up at LeLacheur Park. The Red hawks scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to close Westwood's lead to 9-4.

In that three-run fifth inning, Frontier got clutch RBI hits from Chris Noreika, Jaren Lutenegger, and David White. The Red Hawks were also helped when a pop up was lost in the sun by the Westwood defense, which kept the rally alive.

We'll have more for you as the game progresses, check back in a few.

By Andrew Petrie, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL -- Hello from LeLacheur Park, where Westwood has jumped out to a 9-0 lead in their Division 3 state championship match up versus Frontier Regional.

The Wolverines scored eight runs in the bottom of the third inning, the highlight coming when Casey Criss bunted home John Sheehan on a suicide squeeze with one out. Sheehan scored to give Westwood a 5-0 lead. By the inning's close, 12 Wolverines had taken a turn at bat.

Check back in a few for more updates.

Boston English baseball standout Jhonneris Mendez is credited in a Roslindale pool rescue.

Mendez dove into the pool to save a 12-year-old boy who had been lying at the bottom of Flaherty Pool at the Roslindale Community Center. The child is being treated at the hospital, Boston Police said.

Check out our Local News Updates for more.

By David Carty, Globe Correspondent

TAUNTON -- It was business as usual for the West Bridgewater softball team.

The Wildcats shut down Bristol-Plymouth, 10-0, in the Division 3 South final, their third straight win over the Craftsmen this season - by a combined 42-1 score.

West Bridgewater starter Alyssa Williams carried a perfect game into the sixth inning before pinch hitter Kayla Rasar broke it up with a leadoff single. It was the only blemish for Williams, who struck out only two, relying on her defense to get the outs.

"They can flash the leather when they have to," said co-coach Richard Zanca.

They can also get the job done with the aluminum. West Bridgewater had seven hits, including a triple by freshman Alyssa Gray, and were aided by nine walks.

Williams appreciated the support. "It helps you calm down so your nerves don't get control of you," she said.

The sectional title is the third straight for the Wildcats, and the sixth in seven years.

West Bridgewater faces North champion St. Mary's Tuesday in Lowell.

Junior cocaptain Samantha Doyle got the nod for B-P, but allowed seven base runners - six on walks - in the first inning. B-P fell in a 5-0 hole they would not be able to climb out of.

"I thought the tone was set with the first [West Bridgewater] batter," Craftsmen coach Paul Westner said. "She wound up walking her and it was all downhill from there."

West Bridgewater drew nine walks at the plate and logged seven hits, including a triple by freshman Alyssa Gray.

The win extends West Bridgewater's dominance on the softball diamdon. "We know the tradition here and it feels good to win it again," said Meg Dow, Mayflower League MVP.

Both Dow and Williams shook off the idea that winning may be getting old. For Williams and Co., there's one very clear goal in mind: "We want to go all the way," she said.

A few game notes:

• According to co-head coach Ed Fitzgerald, West Bridgewater has not committed an error throughout the tournament. In Sunday's game alone, West Bridgewater cleanly recorded 19 of 21 outs. "We put the ball in play," Westner said. "They just got everything we hit."
• West Bridgewater had an easy run in the regular season, averagin 14 runs per game and obliterating many of their opponents. The tournament has been a completely different beast. The Wildcats only scored four runs in each of their games against Hull and Harwich. They even needed some heroics - a walkoff single by do-it-all Williams - to knock off Hull.
• Lowell is a hike for both St. Mary's and West Bridgewater. St. Mary's can expect about a 45-minute drive; West Bridgewater about an hour.
• The Wildcats must be happy to see a different opponent this year. North Reading knocked the Wildcats out of the tournament each of the last two years. They have Austin Prep to thank for bumping them out in the D3 North quarterfinals.
• If you think the well is running dry on talent in West Bridgewater, think again. Williams and Dow are the only two departing seniors for the 'Cats. On Sunday, eight freshmen started between the two teams.
• Here's the game line score:

  Bristol-Plymouth - 000 000 0 - 0 1 1

  West Bridgewater - 500 014 X - 10 7 0

LOWELL -- After getting two hits in the first inning, it had been a tough going for the Lexington softball team when the seventh inning rolled around in a scoreless MIAA Div. 1 North final at Martin Field.

Billerica's Sarah Quatiere had done a masterful job throughout the day, keeping the Minuteman offense shackled with a steady dose of changeups. So when pitcher Kiki Saveriano stepped into the batter's box to start the bottom of the seventh, she decided on a plan.

"I was thinking not to be swinging at the changeup," she said. "I was waiting for a changeup, and then I would swing at the pitch after the changeup."

The plan worked. With two strikes against her, Saveriano jumped on an outside fastball and send it to right field for a double. After that came catcher Alyssa Zahka, who ripped a soaring shot to the left field fence that scored pinch runner Meaghan Murphy and gave Lexington the North title with a 1-0 victory.

For Zahka, it was about overcoming a lost opportunity to get Lexington ahead in the bottom of the first inning, when she struck out with runners on second and third.

"In the first inning, I left [second baseman] Amanda McKenna on third, and I promised myself that this would be it," Zahka said in reference to her at-bat in the seventh. "I tried my hardest to put it in play...It's what you wanna do in that situation. I'd take four singles over a home run."

It was exactly what Lexington coach Frank Pagliuca was looking for.

"We talked about it on deck, and [Zahka] said, 'I got this, Coach'," he said. "She's done an outstanding job all year behind the plate...I wanted her to put the ball in paly and she did that."

Pagliuca was also happy with Saveriano's 12-strikeout effort despite less-than-ideal pitching conditions with 90-degree heat and high humidity.

"It's not the ideal pitching situation," he said. "When it's hot like this, you tend to lose control. She had to re-focus on her pitch selection, which is not easy in this kind of weather."

After Lexington had the first big crack at scoring in the first, Quatiere and Saveriano settled in and had their pitcher's duel. While the former induced plenty of pop flies and ground balls from the Minuteman offense, the latter used her powerful heater to blow away the Indians. Both ways were effective.

But just as Quatiere was in the first, Saveriano became under siege in the bottom of the sixth. After getting Leah McWilliams to ground out, Quatiere laced a single up the middle. She was followed by Jamie Jacobs, who ripped a line drive just to the right of Lexington third baseman Beth Rutila's glove and down the left field line.

Lily Perkins then hit into a fielder's choice, enabling both runners to move up to second and third base. But when she needed it the most, Saveriano came up with a strikeout against senior Nikki Giatas to end the inning.

Billerica coach Patti Higgins said in that situation and others earlier in the game, her team wasn't able to get the critical hit that would have put a crucial run on the board.

"We just couldn't get the hit and they did," she said. "[Saveriano] shut us down when we needed a hit...We got people on with two outs, and we couldn't get the hit. She came back, fought, and sat us down."

Despite the loss, however, Higgins was thrilled with her team's season and run through the playoffs.

"Nobody thought we would be in this game," she said. "But we were confident that we'd be here."

Lexington will now face South champion Braintree on Tuesday at Martin Field for the Div. 1 EMass championship. The Wamps dispatched last year's Div. 1 state champ Taunton, 2-0, on Friday night.

By David Carty, Globe Correspondent

QUINCY -- For BC High senior Scott Warwick, nothing would ruin a return to his hometown. The Quincy native went the distance on some home turf at Adams Field and led the Eagles to victory over North Attleboro, 5-2.

With the game tied, 2-2, flashes of lightning prompted umpires to delay the game for 30 minutes. Red Rocketeers starter Mike Mancini struggled after the break. With runners on first and second, UMass-Amherst-bound Tom Conley raised his hand to call time, but his request was denied by umpire Art Krikorian. Conley didn't miss a beat, slapping an RBI single past the dive of shortstop Brendan Picini for the Eagles' go-ahead run.

Warwick retired the last 12 batters and allowed only two base runners after the lightning delay.

"I felt like I got stronger [after the delay]," said Warwick, who threw in the bullpen to keep fresh during the half-hour break.

Mancini got off on the right foot, neutralizing the Eagles batting order the first time through the lineup. His offense provide some support as well.

Right fielder Greg Dusel led off the second inning with a single to right and first baseman Kevin Connolly doubled him home to give North Attleboro the early lead. Two batters later, designated hitter Mike D'Attilio popped a one-out pitch to foul territory down the right field line. Eagles' first baseman Billy Kiley made an over-the-shoulder catch and threw home, but Kevin Connolly managed to slide in safely under the tag of BC High catcher Tom Conley.

BC High coach Norm Walsh ran out to the plate protesting the call. After a brief explanation -- and some scolding by home plate umpire Art Krikorian -- Walsh returned to the water cooler he was sitting on. The tides -- or, perhaps, the clouds, would quickly turn for his team.

Jimmy Albano and Billy Miller logged RBI single to tie the contest at 2. Then flashes of lighting prompted umpires to pull North Attleboro off the field as they warmed up before the bottom of the fifth inning.

Mancini couldn't recover from the half-hour break. "The lightning delay took some steam out of [him]," Walsh said.

Conley soon produced the go-ahead hit and BC High never looked back.

From there, it was smooth sailing for Warwick. The right-hander retired each of the last 12 batters he faced and allowed only two baserunners after the delay.

"He was the difference in the game," Eagles' coach Norm Walsh said. "He came up big."

All told, Warwick allowed five hits and hit a batter in his nine innings of work. Warwick's high pitch-count on the season was 115, a number he neared in the outing. Walsh said he planned to cut him off at 110. The coach even warmed up ace Ed Donovan, but never needed to make the switch.

"He settled into a groove," Walsh said. "He was very, very effective."

His counterpart also impressed, holding the Eagles to only five runs over six innings -- BC High's lowest offensive production of the to