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MALDEN, Mass. -- As far as league openers go, you can't get much better than Ryan Tufts' night.

Beneath the lights Monday night at Maplewood Park, the Virginia Tech-bound third baseman shone his brightest for Boston College High when it mattered most, in the Eagles' Catholic Conference opener against host Malden Catholic. Facing fireballing MC sophomore reliever Austin Batchelor with one out in the top of the seventh, tied 1-1, Tufts sat fastball and didn't have to wait long to get his pitch.

Tufts blasted one deep to center, a ball that was eventually dropped but scored Dan Dougherty from third to make it 2-1. The Eagles then sealed it in the final frame with a double play, to improve to 3-0 and 1-0 in the conference.

"He's clutch, he can hit anybody," Eagles coach Norm Walsh said. "In fact, that ball might have been a little up and out of the strike zone, but he's got such talent that he just did the job for us. That was one fantastic baseball game."

Said Tufts of seeing the drop, "I was pumped. Any time you can get an extra baserunner there, it's really big, especially when we're trying push across a few runs."

BC High took the initial 1-0 lead in the top of the second with some smart baserunning from Ryan Tropeano. After reaching first on a fielder's choice and stealing second, the sophomore scampered home after the second baseman dropped the ball trying to tag out Sean Webster trying to steal second.

MC fired back in the bottom of the fifth with a dramatic shot from pinch hitter Paul Garozzo. Facing a full count with two outs and a runner at third -- Cam Lanzilli, who led the inning off with a triple -- Garozzo sliced one just inside the foul line down first base for an RBI triple and tie ball game.

McDonald grins and bears it: Clearly, there are divided schools of thought amongst MIAA coaches as to how to handle pitchers in the first month of the season, when temperatures are still cold and arms are still getting broken in after a winter with limited live throwing.

Some like to keep starters regimented around 60 to 70 pitches, approaching the subject like a faberge egg; then there are those like Walsh, who let senior righthander Tommy McDonald throw into triple-digits, watched as McDonald took a ball off his left knee trying to bare-hand a comebacker in the final frame, and said, "You can't get mad at him though, because he's just so competitive."

"He wanted to make that play," Walsh said. "I think [second baseman] Jake [Marotta] would have had it, but he's such a competitor. You can't fault him for that."

Said McDonald, "I had the adrenaline running, it didn't even faze me. I'm just glad I stopped the ball from going into centerfield."

McDonald, a UMass commit, threw close to 115 pitches in a complete-game effort, striking out seven and walking none while scattering five hits and allowing the one earned run.

"At this point, he's thrown a bunch of bullpens in the preseason," Walsh said when asked about pitch count. "He's not going to start again for eight or nine days. He was throwing strikes, he was pounding the zone. I talked to [catcher] Luke [Catarius], Luke said he was really throwing the ball well still, so at this point no. He was probably up around 115 or so, and that's reasonable for him. He's our horse."

It's easy to see why the reigns are a little looser on McDonald. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder demonstrates good command of his fastball, locating it around the zone, and doesn't labor on the mound. He generates much of his power from his legs, and is the kind of type-A personality you want as a starting pitcher -- asked how he'd characterize himself, he laughed, "I'm kind of a jerk out there...I don't want to give anything up."

Asked how he felt after racking up a high pitch count this early, McDonald said he felt fine.

"I was going into this thinking four or five innings, and leaving the rest for the bullpen," he said. "But my adrenaline was going and I felt in mid-season form. I just feel really good right now."

Seamless transition: Forgive the Eagles if they've been spoiled the previous three seasons with Bobby Melley behind the plate. The UConn freshman catcher was one of the state's most feared hitters a season ago, hitting .370/.557/.685 totals with 13 RBI and drawing 22 walks to earn a spot on ESPN Boston's All-State Team.

But it looks like the equally-bulky Catarius, bound for Princeton University as a linebacker at a burly 6-foot and 230 pounds, will keep everyone comfortable despite his limited varsity experience. Catarius batted .267 a year ago in just 17 plate appearances.

Confidence around Catarius is apparent immediately.

"We didn't lose anything, he [Catarius] picked up right where Melley was coming back from," McDonald said. "Good presence behind the plate, good presence in the dugout, good presence with everything...He knows where I like to throw [and] where, inside, outside. He knows when to go out there, when I'm having a tough time."

Said Walsh, "[Luke] is a really tough, competitive kid. He's the heart and soul. He's got that fire to him."

Velozo battles: In five complete innings of work, senior lefty Joe Velozo worked his way out of jam after jam on the mound for MC. In the third, he retired the first two batters (K, 6-4) then loaded the bases up, then put out his own flames with some high heat to Tom Russo, getting him swinging up and out of the zone.

The next inning, he evaded trouble again thanks to a 3-2 double play from first baseman Steve Passatempo to Batchelor. Passatempo dove to his left for an unassisted out at first, then fired home to Batchelor, who made a terrific block at the plate for a tag on Tropeano. In his last go-around, the fifth, he struck out the first two batters then allowed batters to reach second and third before ringing up Russo again to end the scoring chance.

Velozo finished with six strikeouts and scattered six hits while walking three. Nick George relieved him in the sixth, followed by Batchelor in the seventh.

"Very little fazes him," MC head coach Pat Driscoll said of Velozo. "I think he likes being in the big pressure situations. He wants to be that guy in that situation, making the pitches and getting his team back in there to hit."

DANVERS, Mass. -– St. John’s Prep officially promoted assistant John Dullea to head basketball coach on Monday afternoon, in a press conference in the Xavier Hall building on campus. His promotion came following former coach Sean Connolly's decision to step down last month.

As assistant varsity coach since 2009, he worked with Connolly to guide St. John’s to the program's first-ever Division 1 state championship in 2011, and three Catholic Conference titles (2010, 2011, 2013). Dullea is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he was a member of the school’s Division 1 men’s basketball team from 2000 to 2003. He was also a member of the America East Basketball Conference All Academic Team.

“It’s a great honor to be coaching here at such a great establishment like St. John’s Prep," Dullea said. "Academics and athletics combined—there’s not a better player around to be coaching. They’ve shown confidence in me that I can keep the program going in the same direction with the success that there’s been the last five years."

The hire didn’t come as too much of a surprise. Dullea was a highly-respected assistant in the basketball community, especially among current and former players. Two of his returning players, sophomore Ben Judson and junior Quentin Bullen, both showed a lot of excitement about hiring the Peabody native.

“For me, I was really hoping for that. He’s the closest person who knows how [Connolly] ran the team,” Judson said.

Said Bullen, “He’s been the assistant here so long so we know him really well. Whenever Coach Connolly had to miss practice, he would step in and take things over. We’re already used to him. We’re kind of excited."

Another who was ecstatic about Dullea’s hire was storied Prep hero Pat Connaughton, who led the Eagles to their first-ever Division 1 state championship in 2011 and was the recipient of ESPN Boston's inaugural "Mr. Basketball" award. The Arlington native now plays both basketball and baseball at Notre Dame.

“I think it’s a great hire," Connaughton said. "Dullea has been there throughout this uprise of the program so he knows how to keep it in the right direction. He has a good future of coaching at the Prep."

Dullea was very complimentary of Connolly, who in his time at Prep quickly developed a reputation as one of the MIAA’s best coaches. Connolly took the Prep job in October 2008 after four seasons at his alma mater Bishop Fenwick, and in five seasons at the Prep helm amassed an 89-25 record, including 10-4 in the playoffs.

Bullen said that there were questions about the team coming into this past season season, especially after losing four valued seniors and seeing two other would-be starters transfer to prep schools. Connolly, with plenty of help on the bench from Dullea, did perhaps his best coaching job of his career with the 19-3 Eagles -- which is why Prep decided to make a hire in-house.

“I’ve been with [Connolly] for 10 years, but our relationship goes a lot further than that. I don’t think I would be in this situation without him,” Dullea said.

Athletic Director Jim O’Leary talked about continuity in explaining why the coaching search was such a quick one.

"We weren’t looking for a huge change because we liked the direction of the program here," O'Leary said. "I think you have worldwide searches when you think you need a change in the program. We don’t think we need a change in the program.

"The way he carries himself, the players play hard for him, which is the most important thing. The players like him and understand where he’s coming from."

Dullea's playing background, along with his systematic similarities to Connolly, has players and supporters feeling very optimistic for next season, already.

“If we had a new coach coming in, it would be a whole new system. We’ll know what to do because it’s the same system...and be able to get right back into it next year,” Judson said.

At the press conference, Dullea expressed an extreme amount of gratitude and excitement to get started with a team that will once again considered to be one of the state’s most talented next year. He plans on meeting with players this week to discuss workouts and summer plans.

“When the day comes next year coaching my first game, and my parents across the room, that will be a very proud moment for me,” he said.

WESTFORD, Mass. -- Westford Academy's girls' lacrosse strolled about field with the confidence and swagger of a team who had been there before.

Sliding the exact right moment on defense and always finding perfect gaps on offense all well joking comfortably during breaks in play one would never suspect the Grey Ghosts (4-0, 2-0) were grabbing the program's first ever victory against Dual County League (Large) rival and defending division champ Lincoln-Sudbury.

Driven with five goals and an assist from senior Bailey Mongillo, host WA led for all but the first 53 seconds as it cruised to a 14-9 victory over the Warriors (1-2, 1-1).

“We are taught to be the boss,” said Ghosts coach Julie Olivier. “We do not worry about what other teams do and execute our plan. They are confident we know what we are talking about and they listen.”

Junior attack Jenna Klinka added four goals and an assist for the Ghosts, while opponent Eliza Guild netted three goals and assisted a pair.

Westford jumped out to an early 2-0 lead at 23:37 after winning the first two draws. Junior Stacey Shackleton bounced in a free position effort at 24:07, while Mongillo broke in from behind the crease to hook in the second score.

“I just like to draw the defender and can use the crease to my advantage as a barrier,” said Mongillo. “Coach has us work on our bread and butter shots or our strength shots. Every girl on the team has a certain thing they like to do.”

L-S managed to draw within a score four different occasions, but never could pull even.

Guild ripped a free position under the keeper's net then seconds later won and scored off the draw to cut their deficit to 9-8 with 18:12 remaining.

“They were all cutting to the net at once,” said L-S coach Deb DeJesus. “All the defenders come in so we can not get the ball in to who we want to get it to. It is a matter of just getting used to playing with one another.”

Westford outscored the Warriors five to one to finish, including the next four goals.

Shackleton went center net on a free position score to initialize the streak with 15:36 left. Westford junior Cathryn Sennott ducked a defender and hit senior Taylor Freud in motion for the 13-8 advantage at 6:28.

Defensive Prowess: Westford dominated the game despite losing the battle for draws 13 to 11. The difference for the Grey Ghosts was their man-to-man defense and its to ability to effectively collapse both in the open field and off a Warriors free position.

Seven saves from vocal senior keeper Erin Shaughnessey aided the cause.

“We have been preparing for different flavors of games and when to change it up,” said Olivier. “The girls have been working hard on when to put the pressure on and when to pull it back.”

Tough Starts, Different Results: Both teams opened with difficult schedules.

WA began its season by defeating Division 2 favorite Duxbury (2-1) 14-12, while L-S dropped a 9-8 decision to Division 1 South runner-up Needham (3-0) on Saturday.

“A lot of write-ups on teams like Notre Dame (Hingham) and Westwood,” said Olivier. “There is no one here heavy on the radar. I am OK with that.”

“We have the athletic ability to compete with them and it is just a matter of practicing,” added DeJesus.

STARTING ROTATION
RHP – Pat Ruotolo, Sr., Peabody
LHP – Ben Bowden, Sr., Lynn English
LHP – Scott Tully, Sr., Reading
RHP – Dustin Hunt, Sr., St. John’s Prep
RHP – Brandon Shileikis, Sr., Dighton-Rehoboth

STARTING NINE
C – Kyle Devin, Sr., Lynn Classical
INF – Brandon Bingel, Sr., St. John’s Prep
INF – Ryan Sullivan, Sr., Hopkinton
INF – Johnny Adams, Sr., Walpole
INF – Ryan Tufts, Sr., BC High
OF – Dan Swain, Sr., Newton North
OF – Max Frawley, Sr., Billerica
OF – Dylan Morris, Sr., Barnstable

Watch List
Austin Batchelor, Soph. C, Malden Catholic
Matt Beauchemin, Sr. SS, Holyoke
Eddie Bowler, Sr. 1B, Hingham
Nick Bragole, Sr. SS, St. John’s Prep
Tommy Buonopane, Sr. 2B, St. John's Prep
Hector Corcione, Sr. RHP, Newton North
Matt Cronin, Sr. RHP, Framingham
Mac Curran, Sr. LHP, Coyle-Cassidy
Austin DeCarr, Sr. RHP, Xaverian
Isan Diaz, Sr. SS, Springfield Central
Andrew Don, Sr. SS, Scituate
Mike Driscoll, Sr. RHP, St. John’s Prep
Evan Flanagan, Sr. RHP, Hingham
Mike Gaughan, Sr. LHP, Walpole
Cam Hanley, Sr. 3B, Walpole
Thomas Jankins, Sr. SS, Quaboag
Tyler Lyne, Sr. OF, Agawam
David MacKinnon, Sr. SS, Oliver Ames
Dan Mantoni, Sr. SS, Hopedale
Jake Marotta, Sr. SS, BC High
Donny May, Sr. RHP, Coyle-Cassidy
Spencer McCaffrey, Sr. OF, Dennis-Yarmouth
David Murphy, Sr. SS, Plymouth North
Kyle Murphy, Sr. OF, Westfield
Pat Naughton, Jr. LHP, Boston Latin
Tyler Noe, Sr. 3B, St. John’s Prep
Noah Parker, Sr. SS, St. Mary’s (Westfield)
Steve Passatempo, Jr. 1B, Malden Catholic
Zach Perry, Sr. LHP, Old Rochester
Alex Person, Sr. RHP, Xaverian
Matt Phelan, Sr. RHP, Northbridge
Matt Rabbito, Sr. C, Chelmsford
Jack Riley, Jr. 1B, St. Peter-Marian
Jeremy Roberts, Sr. LHP, Malden Catholic
Drew Salk, Sr. INF, Billerica
Kevin Superko, Sr. SS, Wellesley
George Tsonis, Sr. 3B, Peabody
Ryan Tufts, Sr. 3B, BC High
Jake Vaitkunas, Sr. RHP, Auburn
Joe Velozo, Sr. LHP, Malden Catholic
Sid Warrenbrand, Jr. 1B, Lincoln-Sudbury
Ben White, Sr. RHP, St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Kevin White, Sr. 1B, Minnechaug
Zack Zona, Sr. RHP, St. Peter-Marian

Attackmen:
Tyler Bogart, Soph., Catholic Memorial
Jordan Dow, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Jay Drapeau, Jr., Westford Academy
Brandon Jaeger, Sr., Dover-Sherborn
C.J. LoConte, Sr., Duxbury
Andrew Melvin, Sr., Medfield
Nick Menzel, Jr., Archbishop Williams
Nico Panepinto, Sr., Needham
Robbie Pisano, Sr., Needham
Tyler Reilly, Sr., Grafton
Andrew Smiley, Jr., St. John’s (Shrewsbury)

Midfielders:
Kevin Bletzer, Jr., Catholic Memorial
Will Blumenberg, Soph., Concord-Carlisle
Caleb Brodie, Jr., Hingham
Alec Brown, Sr., Wakefield
Tucker Ciessau, Sr., Scituate
Dan Delaney, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Henry Guild, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Carson Hart, Sr., Wayland
Davis Kraft, Sr., Algonquin
Matt LaCroix, Sr., Westfield
Drew O’Connell, Jr., St. John’s Prep
Mikey Panepinto, Jr., Needham
Kieran Presley, Sr., Amherst
Bryan Rotartori, Sr., Grafton
Jack Wheeler, Jr., Xaverian

Long-stick Midfielders:
Nick Brozowski, Jr., Concord-Carlisle
Mike Elcock, Jr., Needham
D.J. George, Sr., Arlington Catholic
John Sexton, Jr., Lincoln-Sudbury

Defensemen:
Evan Boynton, Sr., Concord-Carlisle
Tim Gillis, Soph., Cohasset
Brian Uva, Sr., St. John’s Prep
Luc Valenza, Sr., Foxborough
Jay Walsh, Sr., Duxbury
Tyler Weeks, Sr., Andover
Ian Yanulis, Sr., BC High

Goaltender:
Andrew Blood, Jr., Walpole
Matt Comerford, Sr., Reading
Ryan Goodall, Sr., Dover-Sherborn
Nick Marrocco, Jr., Duxbury
Giles Ober, Sr., Algonquin
Jake Reynolds, Jr., Scituate
D.J. Smith, Sr., Billerica
Robert Treiber, Jr., Medfield
Tighe Van Lenten, Sr., Masconomet

ALLSTON, Mass. -- The defending Division 1 and Division 2 state champions of MIAA boys' lacrosse had a long day Saturday morning in a double-header against out-of-state powers at Harvard.

Duxbury went down in a 10-1 defeat to one of the best public school programs in the country in Garden City (N.Y.). Meanwhile, Mercer Island (Wash.) continued its tour of the Northeast -- having lost an 8-4 decision to Duxbury on Tuesday -- with a 7-2 victory over reigning Div. 2 champion Concord-Carlisle.

While there weren't many highlights to go around for the local sides, here are a couple of parting thoughts from today's action:

PLUSSES TO THE MINUSES
Concord-Carlisle (2-1) were largely done in by a string of four Mercer Island goals in roughly five minutes to start the game. While it immediately put the Patriots behind the 8-ball, head coach Tom Dalicandro was

"We played pretty even after that, but we just couldn't recover from that start," Dalicandro said. "I thought the play after that was pretty even."

The bright spot for C-C was its man-up unit, which produced both goals. The Patriots also got a lift from their goal-scorers -- senior attack Tim Badgely and sophomore midfielder Will Blumenberg. Both players are coming up to game-speed after out-of-season injuries.

Aside from the goal-scoring boost, Dalicandro has been pleased by the progress of the two players, who carry a heavy height if the Patriots hope to capture their fifth state title in a repeat.

"They're ahead of where I thought they'd be at this time of the year, which is a good thing," Dalicandro added.

'EYE ON JUNE'
After registering a neat and tidy win while playing host to Mercer Island, Duxbury was simply overmatched by Garden City -- a team Dragons head coach Chris Sweet affirmed as one of the nation's best.

While the Trojans stifling defense afforded Duxbury few clean looks at the cage, holding the Dragons scoreless until inside the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Sweet felt his team didn't do themselves any favors either.

"We didn't hit our shots. We certainly got outplayed in a lot of phases of the game, but I like the way our guys played."

Junior attack Tanner Williams broke up Garden City's shutout bid off a feed from James Higgins working behind the cage.

Sweet emphasized the ability for his team to learn their weaknesses facing such competition.

"We schedule this game for the sole purpose of having our eye on June," Sweet said. "We'd like to win a game like this, but trust me we got a lot of game out of this that'll make us a much better team going forward.

"You can't find what your weaknesses are when you're winning fourteen to one."

We unveiled our first statewide MIAA Top 25 baseball poll of the 2013 season last night. To see the poll, CLICK HERE.

From herein, look for the poll to be updated every Friday during the regular season.

A few notes and observations about the first poll of the season:

Xaverian No. 1, Catholic Conference reigns supreme: To little surprise, defending Division 1 state champion Xaverian comes in at No. 1 in the first poll of the 2013 season, behind a deep pitching staff led by seniors Austin DeCarr and Alex Person. As is typical with the first poll of many a baseball season in Massachusetts, the Catholic Conference dominates the top, with four of its five teams reprsented in the first six spots. St. John's Prep is directly behind Xaverian at No. 2, followed by BC High (4) and Malden Catholic (5). While not listed, the Catholic Conference's other school, Catholic Memorial, could make some noise this spring as well.

Good showing from Lynn, NEC: The Northeastern Conference is one of three leagues with three members ranked in the first poll of the year, led by No. 5 Peabody and its crafty righthander Pat Ruotolo. The other two schools are archrivals from the city of Lynn, English (20) and Classical (24). Both schools feature one of the state's top players -- English with its Vanderbilt-bound lefty Ben Bowden, and Classical with its Stony Brook-bound catcher Kyle Devin.

Eyes on the Bay State Prize: It should be an interesting season in the Bay State Conference, which also has three teams ranked to start the year. No. 3 Walpole should be a favorite again, but things have already gotten interesting with No. 10 Newton North delivering an upset yesterday. Also keep an eye on No. 19 Norwood, as well as Braintree and Wellesley.

Here's how the poll breaks down this week by league affiliation:

Catholic Conference - 4
Bay State - 3
Northeastern - 3
Valley League - 3
Southern Worcester County - 2
Atlantic Coast - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Eastern Athletic - 1
Hockomock - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Middlesex - 1
South Coast - 1
Tri-Valley - 1
Valley Wheel - 1

MILFORD, Mass. – The representing winners of the last three Division 1 state softball championships faced off Thursday. And, while most teams are feeling their way through the early season, a duel between Milford and King Philip always enlists a certain amount of intensity.

Reigning ESPN Boston Miss Softball award winner Shannon Smith looked near mid-season form in the circle for the Scarlet Hawks with 14 strikeouts in a complete-game, one-hitter in a 3-0 win over their new Hockomock League rival.

“You just look at this first week and playing a team like Taunton and then King Philip here, you know you were going have a test, big time,” Milford head coach Brian Macchi said. “We knew we were going to have an early indication of where we stand.

Milford (2-0, 2-0 Hockomock) churned out nine hits against Warriors starter Anna O’Neill and took an early lead in the second. Elizabeth Stallone drove in Caroline Fairbanks with a two-out single.

The Scarlet Hawks continued to produce with two outs in the fifth, when they pushed across a couple of insurance runs. Smith shot an opposite field single to the gap, scoring Sam Bonvino for a two-run cushion before Rachel Levine smacked a single to left, scoring Jenny Levine, who was running for Smith.

“In a game like this, you’re looking at one-to-nothing, as it could be the decider,” Macchi said. “But tacking on two runs … you just have that much more confidence as the game goes on.”

“She battled and found a way to get us another run, which was important.”

“She’s realizing that it’s her senior year and this is her last go-round. She’s relishing the opportunity to really leave on high note.”

“It’s a nice welcome to the league. It’ll be nice to see how the rivalries develop through time.”

WELCOME TO THE SHOW
With the addition of Milford and Taunton into the Hockomock League this year, both the Kelley-Rex and Davenport divisions have turned into an effective softball super conference.

While the defending champion Scarlet Hawks make their move from the Central sectional into the South, Macchi and his team realize how perilous the move could prove. They need look no further than their Thursday opponent, the owners of back-to-back state titles in 2010 and ’11.

The Warriors (1-1) have a new look this season, with an entirely new battery. O’Neill (10 strikeouts) takes over in the circle for Meghan Rico (George Washington) while junior Jordan Schaffer slides in behind the plate, taking over for another two-time ESPN Boston All-State selection in Olivia Godin (UMass-Amherst). KP also has a new head coach, as longtime Case bench boss Norm Beauchemin takes over for Jim Leonard.

And while the Warriors might be a team in (relative) transition, the Milford hurler still knew what the game represented.

“It means a lot to us,” Smith said. “It gives us confidence heading into the season just because it’s so early on and we’ve only played one other game. It shows us the potential we have. If we can beat a team like that this early, think of where we could be at the end of the year.”

DANVERS, Mass. -– Xaverian took an early lead and never looked back, even if things did seem to get a bit interesting along the way. The Hawks knocked off Catholic Conference foe St. John’s Prep 6-5, after taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Senior Austin DeCarr got the start on the mound for Xaverian, and he pulled through stongly -— giving up just two runs on two hits in four innings pitched. He struck out five Prep batters and threw 67 pitches. It was all according to Xaverian coach Gerry Lambert’s plan.

“Early season, I keep a pretty tight rein on the guys," Lambert said. I think he was at 66 or 67, and that is about our target early-season for our starters. As the year wears on, we’re counting on him getting stronger, the weather getting warmer, and eventually he’ll be fully stretched out.

"But I promised myself years ago as a coach, I will not sacrifice June 5 for April 5. He wanted to stay out there, I said no.”

The Hawks (1-1) got off to a quick start, scoring three runs on Prep starting pitcher Dustin Hunt (3.2 IP, 5 K’s, 7 hits, 6 runs) in the top of the first inning. Aaron Drummey started off the run for Xaverian with a base hit, Alex Person was hit by a pitch immediately after. Following a throwing error on a groundball to second base, DeCarr and Jake McLaughlin each chipped in with RBI singles.

“For us to get three in the first inning -— especially [after] they made a mistake, that’s an early-season mistake, and we broke the door through," Lambert said. "A good team takes advantage…we were able to parlay that with a couple of extra hits."

Person came up big once again in the second inning, notching a line drive to center field. AJ King scored off the hit, Drummey was thrown out at the plate, and Person was then thrown out trying to stretch his run to third base. However, the damage was already done -— giving the Hawks a 4-1 lead.

Prep added a run in the bottom of the second, sophomore Keith Leavitt came around to score on a base hit by catcher Paul Crehan. Leavitt (2-4, 2B, 2 runs scored) also helped initiate the Eagles’ rally in the bottom of the sixth—one inning after Andrew Elliot belted a two-run home run for Xaverian that narrowly cleared the fence in right center field.

“He’s been a little out in front," Lambert said. "We talked a little bit about how he has to stay within himself. He obviously has some pop in his bat. If that had only been a double...we’d still be playing right now. We’ll take it, it’s a game of inches -— sometimes you’re on the right side of it.”

Down 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, senior Nick Bragole drew a leadoff walk for Prep. Five pitches later, Leavitt slammed a ground-rule double down the right field line.

In the next at-bat, designated hitter David Bornstein got on base on an error, scoring Bragole, then Crenan (2-2, BB) and pinch-hitter Natty Cabral each had a pair of RBI singles—bringing the score to 6-5 after six innings.

“We had a tough stretch there, we had a passed ball and an error or two, and they jump on you," Lambert said. "Prep is a very opportunistic baseball team. They always are. When they take the momentum, they take it 100%. They’ve always been like that."

Justin Snyder (2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R) got the job done on the mound in the top of the seventh the Eagles, forcing Drummey and Person to ground out and fly out, respectively, before striking out Elliot on a fastball to bring his team to bat with one last chance to tie the game.

Senior captain Tyler Noe started off the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff walk, stole second on the very next pitch, and advanced to third on a routine ground ball played by the third baseman. This brought up Bragole, Prep’s clean-up hitter, with one out.

Bragole laid down a bunt, but Noe was gunned down via an underhand toss to the plate by Xaverian reliever Worth Walrod. Leavitt flied out in the next at bat to end the game.

“It’s a step in the right direction for us early in the season," Lambert said. "We have a ways to go…so that maybe we only have one mistake rather than three or four -— but at least we didn’t make five, cause that fifth one would have been the one that would have put them over the top. We were able to stop the bleeding there.”

Beverly field hockey junior midfielder Nicole Woods has committed to Louisville, Panthers athletic director James Coffey says.

Named team captain as a sophomore, Woods tallied 11 goals and 21 assists last season while being named a Northeast Conference All-Star for the third straight year. The Salem News Player of the year also participated in the United State Field Hockey Festival last November in Florida.

Woods is a three-sport standout for the Panthers and was an Honorable Mention selection on ESPN Boston's MIAA girls' hockey All-State Team, playing for the Beverly/Danvers co-op squad, in addition to playing lacrosse in the spring.

Henry Richard "Dick" Duden Jr., a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., passed away on Sunday at the age of 88.

Duden, who played and later coached at the Naval Academy, was drafted by the New York Giants and played professionally for a single season before returning to military duties.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

The Pottstown, Penn., native grew up in Englewood, N.J., before attending Phillips Academy, where he was a three-sport varsity athlete and is widely regarded as the best football player in the school's long history. He was inducted into the Phillips Academy athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, along with former US president George H.W. Bush.

Duden began his coaching career in 1951 at the Naval Academy, serving as the head coach of the plebe squad (the school's team composed of freshmen). He would continue to serve in that role until 1954, at which point he spent six seasons on the staff of varsity head coach Eddie Erdelatz.

During Duden's time working with the varsity staff, he coached alongside Steve Belichick, the father of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and a respected coach and scout for the Naval Academy for over three decades.

He would resume his duties as the coach of the plebe squad from 1960 until his retirement in 1973, and remained an active presence in the Annapolis community.

In comments to the Capital Gazette, Duden's son Dick Duden III remembered his father's sense of humor.

“What set my father apart was his tremendous sense of humor. That is what I’ll always remember about him,” he said. “Despite his many accomplishments, dad never took himself too seriously. He was a very funny individual and just had a great attitude and outlook on life.”

We recorded our first high school baseball podcast of the spring season yesterday afternoon. To listen to it, CLICK HERE or you can download it off of iTunes.

Blackstone Valley Tech head coach Anthony Leonelli joins Brendan Hall and Chris Bradley in studio to discuss the landscape across Massachusetts on the eve of the release of our preseason MIAA Top 25 statewide poll. We also discuss the top pitchers, including several multi-sport athletes making the jump to the mound.

In an email this morning to the Boston area media, Roxbury Latin Athletic Director Tony Teixeira confirmed that Class of 2014 tight end/linebacker Kevin Cohee received an offer from Boston College yesterday during a meeting with head coach Steve Addazio.

The Eagles are the third Division 1 FBS school to extend an offer to the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Cohee, joining UConn and UMass. Rutgers, Syracuse and NC State have also expressed varying amounts of interest.

This BC offer, however, holds some significant weight. Cohee is a lifelong resident of Chestnut Hill, growing up close to the BC campus.

At this point, it is not agreed upon which side of the ball Cohee ultimately projects. He has interest as a tight end from UConn, while other schools can see him at either tight end or a hybrid linebacker/rush end.

In eight games last fall for the 6-2 Foxes, Cohee had 23 catches for 364 yards and five touchdowns, to go along with a team-high 37 tackles, three sacks and a pick-six on defense. He was part of an explosive Foxes offense that saw quarterback Mackay Lowrie -- himself an incoming BC recruit -- set the ISL single-season record for touchdown passes.

Cohee is the sixth in-state player to receive an offer from the Eagles in the Class of 2014 this offseason. BC received a commitment last Friday from Doherty defensive back Isaac Yiadom; they've also offered St. John's Prep running back Jonathan Thomas, Millis/Hopedale lineman Jon Baker, Everett defensive back Lubern Figaro, and St. Sebastian's linebacker Connor Strachan.

DUXBURY, Mass. – It didn’t count for the purpose of the MIAA standings, but Duxbury lacrosse’s Tuesday tilt with Mercer Island (Washington) felt like more than just a dress rehearsal.

A new-look Dragons squad turned in a solid all-around performance, using a balanced attack of seven different scorers in an 8-4 win. The game did not count toward the MIAA standings because Mercer Island plays as an independent, as Washington’s state athletic body does not sanction lacrosse.

Here are some parting thoughts and observations from the defending Division 1 state champions’ victory:

SOLID ON THE BACK END
The Dragons have had an embarrassment of riches in their defensive core during the last several seasons. A bumper crop of Division 1 recruits that graduated with the Class of 2012 gives way to a new cast of faces who – while perhaps short on game experience – are talented in their own right.

There should be little drop-off for the Dragons among their poles this season, led by senior captain Jay Walsh, who had a strong game against the Washington state power. Walsh made the start Tuesday at defense flanked by a pair of Duxbury football standouts in Jon Hurvitz and Marshall McCarthy.

Overall, the group’s contributions prompted Dragons head coach Chris Sweet to proclaim his defense was “fantastic” on the day.

“I think the talent’s there, the thing we’re maybe lacking is game experience,” Sweet added. “But it sure looked like this group was paying attention as they were standing on the sideline last year.”

Duxbury is also breaking in a new goaltender this season with Henry Buonagurio matriculating to Drexel. Georgetown commit Nick Marrocco (10 save) played strong in the cage, particularly in the final quarter, making five saves.

“I think he’s solidified the job for now,” Sweet said of Marrocco, “but certainly [goaltender] Jack Corbett waiting right there in the wings.”

SPREADING THE BALL AROUND
After a slow start in the first quarter, Duxbury brought its possession game to the third quarter, when the Dragons almost exclusively set up shop in the Mercer Island half of the field.

“Once we kind of settled down, we started handling the ball nicely and moving well without the ball,” Sweet said.

Duxbury’s ability to the work the ball around was evident on the score sheet, as seven players scored. Only Shayne O’Brien tallied a multi-goal game with two. Junior attack Brendan Burke – brother of former Dragons standout James Burke – led the Dragons with a 3-point game (1 G, 2 A).

Still, Sweet maintained that there’s an adjustment period at this early stage of the season

“We’re still feeling things out. We’re trying to figure out who’s ready for primetime, but certainly we’re happy with the way we started out. That’s a good first game of the season against a really good team.”

Recently named ESPN Boston's Mr. Hockey, Malden Catholic sophomore center Ara Nazarian has given a verbal commitment to the University of New Hampshire.

Nazarian, a Boxford resident, helped the Lancers to their third straight Super 8 title, after a dazzling run with nine goals and five assists in tournament play, including four short-handed goals. He tallied 26 goals and 22 assists for 48 points during the regular season.

"I am thrilled for Ara," Lancers head coach John McLean said. "He really came into his own this season and showed everyone his outstanding on-ice ability.

"We are proud and honored to add Ara to a long list of many who have achieved both academically and athletically here at Malden Catholic."

The date of Nazarian's arrival in Durham was unknown, but last year was selected by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the sixth round of the United States Hockey League Futures Draft.

Nazarian becomes the fourth Hockey East commit on the Lancers' roster last year, joining linemates Mike Iovanna (UMass-Amherst) and Tyler Sifferlen (UMass-Lowell) and defenseman Casey Fitzgerald (Boston College).