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MILFORD, Mass. – The gloves flying through the air and the mass celebration at home plate after the final out was made, confirmed what everyone outside the foul lines already knew – this was more than just a standard regular season Hockomock League game.

“That probably, in my career, is the team’s best regular season win. Did that ooze tournament atmosphere or what?” asked an excited North Attleborough head coach Bill Wallace after the final pitch.

North Attleborough (7-2) pushed home one run in the top of the 10th inning, only the second run allowed by Milford (10-1) in 11 games this season, and the Rocketeers threw out runners at the plate twice in extra innings to pull off a 1-0 upset over the defending Division 1 state champions. The Rocketeers’ victory ended the Scarlet Hawks win streak at 35 games going back to 2011.

“It was just a great game,” said Wallace. “That kid [Shannon Smith] is a darn good pitcher over there, but luckily I have a darn good pitcher over here too.”

With the game scoreless heading into extra innings, the International Tiebreak Rule was used, which begins the inning with a runner on second. It was the first time that either team had managed to get a runner past first base.

In the top of the tenth, Colleran dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Marissa Gifford to third. Senior catcher Meghan Wynn then smacked a grounder on a 1-2 pitch that third baseman Caroline Fairbanks knocked down with a diving stop, but Fairbanks was not able to get the throw home in time to prevent Gifford, who was running on contact, from scoring.

“I knew that in order to pull out the win that I had to be smart and make contact,” said Wynn about the last at-bat with the go-ahead run just 60 feet from home. “I know that she’s going to pitch smart and not give me anything to hit. I just have to watch the ball all the way to the bat.”

Milford had the heart of the order coming up in the bottom of the tenth and Smith, Milford’s University of Kentucky-bound senior, drew a walk to put the winning run on base with no outs. Fairbanks followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position. On the next pitch, Rachel Levine hit a hard grounder off Colleran’s glove to shortstop Jill Costello, who bobbled the ball but was still able to throw out Sam Bonvino at the plate.

Colleran, who seemed especially fired up for this game, then struck out Taylor LeBrun to close out the victory and set off the celebrations at home plate.

“It feels great; I’m so excited right now,” said Colleran, who struck out eight while allowing only two hits. “They’re a really great team, so I just knew that I had to move the ball around and fool them because I know that every kid on that team can put it over the fence.”

The game had a playoff atmosphere from the first pitch and the Hawks starter was her usual dominant self. Smith, who recorded her 1,000th career strikeout last week, started the game by striking out two batters in three of the first four innings. She finished with 17 for the game and allowed only one hit in the defeat.

After 35 consecutive wins, Milford head coach Brian Macchi was philosophical about the team’s first loss since the 2011 state semifinal against Amherst and its first loss as a Hockomock League team.

“It was two great teams going at it and in my opinion the two best pitchers and it showed. Shannon pitched great, Meg pitched great and it was fun to be a part of,” Macchi said.

He continued, “It’s been a while since we’ve lost a game and come back to work the next day. For me as a coach, you lose to a caliber team like North, we can learn from this and come back tomorrow and go to work. It’s definitely a learning experience for us and we’ll turn this into a positive.”

While Colleran was excellent in the circle, North also made several plays to get out of potential scoring situations. After a single by Smith in the first inning, North first baseman Jackie Del Bonis snared a line drive by Fairbanks to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth Costello picked a hard grounder by Bonvino to prevent the heart of the order from coming up. In the bottom of the eighth, second baseman Gifford made a perfect throw home to prevent the winning run from scoring.

Following North’s shocking loss to Attleboro last Thursday, Wallace was thrilled to see his team bounce back with a total team effort and to pull the biggest upset of the softball season.

“Wins and losses in April aren’t as important as wins and losses in June, but from a team standpoint, I think now they believe, you know what, we’re with the Milfords and the [King Philips],” said Wallace.

“We were all really bummed out,” said Colleran about the team’s attitude after the loss to the Bombardiers. “I think this is huge, especially a game when we think we are underdogs. It could kick start us and boost us through the rest of the season.”

Macchi was thrilled about the playoff atmosphere surrounding the game and noted that Division 1 South is going to be a stacked sectional from top to bottom. He is hoping that this loss will add motivation for the Hawks to keep improving.

“Today was a great test and something that we can build on,” Macchi explained. “I am looking forward to practice tomorrow with these girls and seeing how hungry they are.”

STARTING ROTATION
Megan Colleran, Jr., North Attleborough
Anna O'Neill, Sr., King Philip
Lauren Ramirez, Sr., Dracut
Kendal Roy, Jr., Grafton
Shannon Smith, Sr., Milford

STARTING NINE
Tori Constantin, Sr. 2B, King Philip
Stephanie Cornish, Sr. 3B, Abington
Alexis DeBrosse, Sr. SS, New Bedford
Caroline Fairbanks, Sr. 3B, Milford
Nicole Lundstrom, Sr. C, Dighton-Rehoboth
Bella Picard, Sr. SS, Blackstone Valley Tech
Madi Shaw, Jr. SS, Bridgewater-Raynham
Dakota Smith-Porter, Sr., P/SS, Turners Falls
Reilly Weiners, Sr. C, Agawam

WATCH LIST
Olivia Antczak, Soph. P, Central Catholic
Allie Colleran, Jr. SS/OF, Concord-Carlisle
Megan Cook, Jr. P, Bellingham
Haley Currie, Sr. 3B, Burlington
Sara Dawson, Soph. P, Bridgewater-Raynham
Kaleigh Finigan, Sr. 3B, St. Mary's (Lynn)
Bridget Furlong, Sr. 2B, Malden
Courtney Girouard, Jr. P, Fairhaven
Galen Kerr, Sr. P, Concord-Carlisle
Taylor LeBrun, Soph. C, Milford
Rachel Levine, Sr. CF, Milford
Michaela Mazure, Soph. INF, Burlington
Shannon McLaughlin, Jr. P, Tewksbury
Paige Mulry, Jr. C, Boston Latin
MacKenzie Navarro, Jr. 1B, Taunton
Alicia Reid, Sr. CF, Abington
Kelsey Saucier, Jr. P, Holy Name
Rachael Smith, Jr. P, Winchester
Lauren Tuiskula, Sr. P, Leicester
Jurnee Ware, Sr. P, Hudson

After claiming its first MIAA Division 1 state championship, Milford softball worked its way into the final ESPNHS Powerade FAB 50 rankings for the season.

The Scarlet Hawks, who completed a perfect 25-0 season behind ESPN Boston Miss Softball Shannon Smith, finished the season ranked No. 47.

Here's what the rankings crew had to say:

"Junior pitcher Shannon Smith, who has committed to Kentucky, struck out 22 batters last weekend when the Scarlet Hawks edged Malden (Mass.) 1-0 in nine innings to win the Division I state title. Smith was the team's batting leader as well, but the game-winning RBI single in the final came from freshman Taylor LeBrun."

WORCESTER, Mass. -- With ace hurlers Shannon Smith and Kiara Amos looking they were ready to pitch deep into the night, the quest became about looking up and down the bench and trying to figure out who would finally produce the big hit at the right moment.

Milford's Taylor LeBrun dug in for her turn in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a runner at second and the freshman delivered, lining a single up the middle that scored Caroline Fairbanks with the game's lone run as the Scarlet Hawks capped off a perfect season by capturing the school's first Div. 1 state championship with a 1-0 victory over Malden.

"All year we've been extra motivated, the whole year we wanted to leave a mark," Smith said. "We wanted to be the first softball state champions in Milford High School history, we wanted to win the league, we wanted to win the Central title, we wanted to win all these things to finish our run in the Mid-Wach A League before we move onto a new league next year. We just wanted to really make an impact this year and we definitely did."

University of Kentucky commit Smith was dominant through nine innings, allowing just one hit and a hit batter while fanning 22. Amos, who will play for Providence College, scattered seven hits while striking out 10 and pitching her way out of trouble several times.

Fairbanks led off the Scarlet Hawks (25-0) half of the ninth with a single, then advanced to second with two outs behind her. Up stepped LeBrun, who promptly ripped a single straight through the middle of the infield and into center. Fairbanks hustled all the way around and slid across the plate just ahead of a good throw from center for the winning run.

"My hat's off to that team, they're a great team but tonight we found a way to scrap and get one," exclaimed Milford coach Brian Macchi. "And that's what we needed to win this game was to get one. Taylor LeBrun getting it done, only a freshman but playing beyond her years, getting a big hit there. She got the big hit earlier in the year when we played King Philip too so this girl has come up with some big hits for us this year and hopefully its bigger and better things to come from her as she gets older."

PITCHERS' DUEL
Milford had runners in scoring position in three different innings, but none posed a bigger threat to Amos than the fourth. Three straight singles by Samantha Bonvino, Smith and Fairbanks loaded the bases with no outs. A failed squeeze attempt led to Bonvino being cut down at home, then Amos bore down and struck out the final two hitters to escape the jam.

"That was a big out. We had a couple of balls mishandled and they ended up loading the bases," Malden coach John Furlong admitted. "I wasn't sure if he was going to try a squeeze with bases loaded because of the force but once they did, we had the play and everyone rotated like they were supposed to. Then Kiara again stepped up and punched out two big hitters like she had to, just like she did the last couple of nights when she had to. I expect that out of her. You get nervous but not too nervous because she's in such total control of the game. She's phenomenal. There will never be anybody like her come through our city, probably even our league, probably ever again."

Meanwhile, Smith was proving to be untouchable. The junior was named the Gatorade Player of the Year two weeks ago and she showed why on the biggest stage. Smith struck out the first three hitters she faced and set down the side on strikes five of her nine innings. She also fanned ten straight from the fifth inning through the eighth and set down the final 16 batters she faced.

Amos managed the lone hit for the Golden Tornadoes (24-2), reaching with a second-inning single. She took second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessalynne Brown but Smith blew away the next two hitters to strand her. Amos reached again with two outs in the fourth when she was hit by a Smith fastball, but the junior left her there once again with another big strikeout.

"It was tough. They had some good swings and they have some good sticks," Smith praised. "They adjusted, they tried to hit my curveball by pushing their hands out so I adjusted too. So it was just a game of back and forth adjustments, battling the whole time. They battled, I battled, so that's pretty much what it was."

Added Macchi about Smith, "She wanted this. She's wanted this from the last out last year when we lost in the state semifinal game. She's wanted this from when we lost in the state final game two years ago. She puts the work in and she deserves this and she definitely is prepared for any situation she's in. She definitely did an unbelievable job for us tonight and she's a huge reason why we were able to win this game tonight."

A GREAT RIDE FOR THE TORNADOES
Just getting to this point had been a wild and crazy adventure for Malden. Saturday marked the team's third straight extra innings affair and the Tornadoes can take solace in the fact that they put together the greatest season in school history.

Along the way, the city noticed and jumped on board with support at a level that made Furlong harken back to his younger days.

"People in Malden were asking today what it was going to be like," Furlong said. "I said it's going to be a 1-0 or 2-1 game because both pitchers are so dominant. Shannon made some unbelievable pitches when she needed to and Kiara did the same when she needed to. We had some situations where they had runners in scoring position and she made some big pitches. We just didn't get the bat on the ball tonight. She didn't make any mistakes where she threw the ball down the middle or anything. Everything was on the outside or inside. That's why she's going to Kentucky and that's why Kiara is going to Providence. If you didn't come tonight, you missed a good game."

"It's been a wild trip," he added. "The city of Malden has been outrageous with banners...it's made me so proud because I grew up in Malden and it's like when I was a kid. Everyone was out beeping horns and posters and stuff like that. It was good for the girls and great for the city."

HUDSON, Mass. -- The juggernaut known as Milford just keeps on rolling.

The Scarlet Hawks scored three runs in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie with Leominster and roll on to a 5-1 victory tonight in the semifinals of the Division 1 Central Mass. tournament. No. 1 Milford (21-0) faces No. 3 Holy Name (16-4) Saturday night in the finals beginning at 7 p.m. at Worcester State University. The fifth-seeded Blue Devils completed their season at 14-8.

While Scarlet Hawks' pitcher Shannon Smith has grabbed much of the attention on this team, and rightfully so, it was the bat of Rachel Levine that turned most heads.

The junior belted a home run, a triple and double, along with 3 RBIs, to ignite the Milford offense. With the game knotted at 1-1, the Scarlet Hawks scored three times in the third which was all Smith (1 run, 1 hit, 10 Ks) would need. Taylor Archer made it a 2-1 contest with a ground rule double to right. Levine followed with a two-run double to left. Her home run came in the sixth, belting a solo shot over the right field fence to extend the Scarlet Hawks' advantage to four runs.

"I've been working about with the inside pitch because I don't like to hit it and then I get it and hit a home run so it feels good," said Levine.

Levine's triple in the second inning put Milford on the board first. One out later, she scored on Taylor LeBrun's deep fly to left. Leominster tied the game in the top of the third. Junior Dominique Zarrella walked and moved to second on a ground out. Stephanie Storro then hit a routine grounder to first but the ball got past first baseman Samantha Bonvino allowing Zarrella to score from second. But in the bottom of the frame, Milford's offense went on the attack and the three runs scored was all Smith needed as she kept the Blue Devils in the check the rest of the way.

HOLY NAME 2, SHEPHERD HILL 0
In a pitcher's duel between Shepherd Hills' Molly Covill and Holy Name's Kelsey Saucier, offense would be at a premium. But in the Naps' fifth, Ama Biney, a sophomore, lasered a two-run single to centerfield which was all her team would need as they blanked the Rams 2-0 in the Division 1 Central Mass. semifinal.

"I was just trying to do whatever I could to help my team," said Biney, who finished 2-for-3 at the plate, including a double. "In that inning, with runners on, I was just trying to make contact."

No. 7 Shepherd Hill (14-9) had a chance to take an early lead. In the second inning, with a Samantha Miller standing on third, Emily Handon executed a suicide squeeze. However, Saucier was able to field the ball cleanly, tossing it to catcher Keara LaVallee in time to tag Miller out.

D3: ASSABET 2, QUABOAG 1
In a Division 3 semifinal, top-seed Assabet Valley (19-1) needed extra innings to edge No. 4 Quaboag 2-1. In a re-match of last year's Central Mass. final, won by the Cougars 9-1, it was the Aztecs who had the final laugh this time out. However, it did not come easy.

Assabet took a 1-0 lead in its half of the fourth thanks to a Brittney Lutz single that scored Jen Casavant, who led off the frame with a single.

The Aztecs appeared poised to keep the shutout in tact. In fact right up to the final out. In the final inning, the Cougars (18-4) appeared done after the first two batters were retired. But a triple off the bat of Allyson Smith was followed by a single from Danielle Sweet to tie the game after seven innings. Despite some of the wind taken out of their sails, the Aztecs never got down on themselves. In their half of the eighth, Chelsea Campana delivered an RBI walk-off single. Assabet will meet Blackstone Valley Tech Saturday at 3 p.m. in the final at Worcester State University.

"We had lost to Quaboag last year in the final so we wanted to come out and show them who we are," Campana said. "Blackstone, we know, will be a great competitor. We have beaten them three times this season already but it seems to get closer and closer each time that we play them. We're just hoping for another great game."

In this week's edition of "Roundtable", ESPN Boston High Schools Editors Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall are joined by correspondent Bruce Lerch and Brockton Enterprise staff writer John Botelho as we discuss the best hitting lineups, the best faceoff specialist in lacrosse, and whether Milford is now the team to beat in softball.

1. AFTER BEATING KING PHILIP, IS MILFORD THE FAVORITE IN DIVISION 1 FOR SOFTBALL?

ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Scott Barboza: In a word, yes. Shannon Smith is simply pitching out of her mind right now, but it's not as though we haven't seen this before from the University of Kentucky commit. Two years ago, Smith was named Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year after recording a 0.36 ERA. This year, she's been dominant, including a 20-strikeout performance against Shrewsbury and 17 K's against KP. Not to mention, the Scarlet Hawks haven't even been playing with their opening day lineup, after All-State catcher Taylor Archer suffered a leg injury in the first week of the season. Freshman Taylor LeBrun has done a terrific job behind the plate in the interim, but MIlford will only be that much more potent with their top battery in place. I'm certainly not ruling out KP, as anything short of a rematch between the two teams in the state final would be unexpected.

Bruce Lerch, correspondent: While there are several teams with good enough pitching to shut down the Scarlet Hawks bats, how many are strong enough offensively to hit against Milford ace Shannon Smith? The only team that really comes to mind is...King Philip. The Kentucky-bound Smith two-hit the Warriors and struck out 17 Monday afternoon, so you have to think they are the lead horse in the race right now. KP has hit Smith before, however, as a 10-1 result in the state championship game two years ago proves. Of course, Smith was but a freshman then, and having faced King Philip several times since then her knowledge of that dangerous lineup has grown considerably.

Oh yeah...KP also has Meghan Rico. I've heard she's a pretty good pitcher too...something about a reigning player of the year? If both aces are on their game, then the state championship softball game may have to be scheduled for more than one day

John Botelho, Brockton Enterprise: Even with Milford knocking off K-P, it's still hard to call anyone but the Warriors - the two-time defending state champ - the favorite to win it all. This means Milford might have closed the gap, but until someone proves Meghan Rico is possible to beat in the playoffs, the Warriors remain the class of softball in this state. Keep in mind how difficult it is to beat a good team twice, and chances are Milford will have to do just that if they're to bring home the state crown.

2. SEVEN OF THE EIGHT TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE COACHES CHALLENGE CUP THIS WEEK ARE RANKED IN OUR TOP 25. WHICH OF THOSE TEAMS HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING A STATE TITLE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DIVISION?

Scott Barboza: We might have seen a Division 2 Eastern Mass final matchup preview on Thursday when Concord-Carlisle and Hingham squared off in a Coaches Challenge Cup semifinal. The Patriots beat the Harbormen, 9-4, with Jackson Finigan, Tim Badgley and Kevin Delehey scoring two goals each. If both teams take care of business hereon out, we should expect to see both of them at Harvard Stadium. Of course, none of this makes mention of Dover-Sherborn. The Raiders fell just short of an upset over Lincoln-Sudbury before falling, 12-11, but they've proven their among the elite in Division 3.

Bruce Lerch: That team would Dover-Sherborn. Lincoln-Sudbury will enter the Division 1 tournament as one of the teams best suited to make a run at Duxbury, but betting against the Dragons has been mostly a losing proposition for the past decade. The six Div. 2 teams that participated in the tournament are perennially among the last teams standing in June, so while a state champion could come from this group, picking who it will be requires a crystal ball.

Dover-Sherborn has the talent to compete with the best teams in the state, something the Raiders proved three years running now at the Coaches Challenge Cup, and is likely going to snag one of the top four seeds in the Div. 3 tourney and will be included in the group of favorites that should also include Weston and Norwell.

3. IN BASEBALL, WHAT'S THE BEST HITTING YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR?

ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Brendan Hall: I have seen both BC High and Lowell multiple times, and I don't think you can go wrong either way.

BC High can mash 1 through 9, but at the top is where they're especially dangerous. UConn signee Bob Melley is the Eagles' most powerful bat out of the No. 3 spot, but he's surrounded by plenty of college-ready talent in seniors Chuckie Connors, Justin Silvestro, Brian Hocking, and juniors Ryan Tufts and Dan Dougherty. I will put the Eagles' top six hitters against any team's top six in the state...

...Unless that top six is Lowell. The Red Raiders are only going to get stronger as the season goes on, but they're showing some real nice stuff through the first three weeks of the season. Rory O'Connor, Derek Reed and Andrew Marasa form what is regarded as the state's best outfield, but they can manufacture runs from the plate, too. Matt Tulley is headed to Virginia Tech for his low-90's fastball, but he's got a heavy swing from the cleanup spot too. My favorite hitter to watch in this lineup is senior Chad Gens, who can square up and plant it deep as good as anyone. After Lexington's Chris Shaw, he might be one of the better power hitters in Eastern Mass. I expect him to be near the top in extra base hits this year.

Also of note, take a look at Dighton-Rehoboth, which comes in this week at No. 18 this week. With a top of the order led by Bryan Rocha, Adam Benvie, Evan Mondor and Mike St. John, the Falcons are averaging 11 runs per game, including shellackings over Somerset (22-0) and Case (17-6). When it comes to manufacturing runs, you can't forget Walpole, between leadoff shortstop Johnny Adams, catcher Dan King, and brothers Cam and Craig Hanley.

John Botelho: Despite getting shutout by Marshfield for their first loss of the season on Thursday, the East Bridgewater Vikings offense is certainly among the best in southeastern Mass, and could be the class of the D3 South Sectional later this season. Even with the setback against the Rams, E-B is still averaging just over 10 runs per game.

In the Hockomock League both Oliver Ames has emerged as a team with an electric pitching staff, but the offense is plenty capable of flexing muscle too. With sweet swinging David MacKinnon - whose emerging as one of the best hitters in the Hock - hitting third and powerful Matt Harding hitting fourth, the Tigers have one of the best 3-4 combos going. Matt Mancini, Ryan O'Shea, Mike McMillan and Jim Sullivan help bolster a lineup that features plenty of hitting ability.

4. AN UNDERRATED ASPECT OF LACROSSE IS THE "FOGO" (FACE OFF, GET OFF) POSITION. WHO IS THE BEST FACEOFF SPECIALIST IN THE MIAA?

Scott Barboza: I think there's no doubt that Clay Richard of Medfield is the best true FOGO in the state, but as we saw during Wednesday's matchup against No. 1 Duxbury, Dragons midfielder Henry Narlee might be the best faceoff man in the state. Sqauring off against Richard and the Warriors, Narlee won an amazing 21 of 28 draws.

Bruce Lerch: The two best were on display Wednesday night in Duxbury as Medfield's Clay Richard went to work against the Dragons Henry Narlee. Richard more than held his own against Narlee in their individual battle, but in addition to the Duxbury junior's elite skill, he also has the advantage of having James Burke and Reilly Naton flying off the wings to grab every loose ball in sight. Not only is Narlee at winning the draws to himself, but is deadly accurate when shooting the ball into space for his two LSM's to chase it down.

5. LOOK AT THE NEXT TWO WEEKS OF SPRING. CALL AN UPSET. AND FEEL FREE TO GO BIG.

Scott Barboza: Don't really know if this would count as such, but I'm calling Duxbury's take down of Garden City (N.Y.) this weekend. Looks like the Dragons' regained their top form in the last week. In softball, I have a feeling about Hudson taking down Shrewsbury this weekend.

Brendan Hall: Boston Latin has a two-game swing at the beginning of next month that could have big implications in the Dual County League: May 4 at Lincoln-Sudbury, and May 7 at Acton-Boxborough. The Wolfpack seem to be everyone's favorite little underdog in the league (no pun intended), but I wouldn't be surprised to see them take one of two here. L-S has some talent, but has been searching for that staff ace; meanwhile A-B has had a knack for the dramatic so far, twice winning one-run games, the latest a 1-0 decision over Waltham on Wednesday. Can Latin pull 1 of 2 here? It might depend on who's pitching.

Elsewhere, I've got May 10's matchup between No. 14 Burncoat and No. 3 St. John's of Shrewsbury circled on the calendar. The Patriots just lost their first game to Danvers the other day, while St. John's sits at 7-0 with a nice win over St. John's Prep. This is building into one of the best regular-season matchups in Central Mass., but I'm going to go with Burncoat in the upset.

John Botelho: On April 26, when No. 16 Barnstable comes to town, Bridgewater-Raynham will take a big step toward winning the Old Colony League by knocking them off in a pitcher's duel. The Trojans have to deal with league foe Dartmouth just two days before, and if the rotation stays the path it's on lefty Pat Chalmers will be throwing that game. That means fellow southpaw Shane Holmes, who has been piling up strikeouts and shutting offenses down, will take the mound against the Red Raiders. The lefty is one of the toughest in the area and B-R could come away with this one without needing much in the way of run support.

MILFORD, Mass. -- Milford softball accomplished more than just handing King Philip its first loss since the 2010 season with a 2-0 Patriot’s Day matinee win over the Warriors.

The Scarlet Hawks proved KP’s road to a potential third state Division 1 title might just run through them.

Milford pitcher and University of Kentucky commit Shannon Smith dazzled again, striking out 17, including a streak of nine straight in the fourth through sixth innings. More than that, the Scarlet Hawks scratched out five hits against Meghan Rico – a prodigious amount against the reigning ESPN Boston Miss Softball.

“I preached to them in practice that you have to put the ball in play against Rico, you have to make them make plays,” Milford head coach Brian Macchi said.

The Scarlet Hawks (5-0) struck for both of their runs in the second inning, catalyzed by Caroline Fairbanks’ lead-off single.

After a sacrifice bunt by Sam Bonvino, freshman catcher Taylor LeBrun put Milford on the board with an RBI single to right. After LeBrun advanced to second on a wild pitch, she came around to score on Elizabeth Stallone’s double.

The Warriors (4-1) managed just two hits off of Smith, but both came as lead-off hits in the fourth and seventh. Rico’s hit off her counterpart in the fourth would be the last ball KP put into play until the seventh, when Hailey Mullen singled to center to start the final frame.

However, a caught-stealing and two final strikeouts from Smith finished out her fourth shutout of the season.

“She’s just gotten stronger and stronger as the season’s gone on,” Macchi said.

The Warriors’ last loss in 2010 also came against Milford and the experience of bouncing back from one hasn’t occurred to many of KP’s players.

So the true test for Warriors then will be in what happens next.

“What we need to learn is how to respond in a situation like this,” KP head coach Jim Leonard said.

TAYLOR SQUARED


The Scarlet Hawks have been without their usual starting catcher, ESPN Boston All-Stater Taylor Archer during the last couple weeks, but LeBrun hasn’t lost a stride.

LeBrun showed her ability both behind the plate and at bat in Monday’s win.

First, she did it with the bat, with a slashing, run-scoring single.

“It was an outside pitch, right where I wanted it,” LeBrun said. “We’d been working on slashing in practice all week, so I felt I was very well prepared to do it, so I was confident in the box.”

Then, in the seventh inning, LeBrun popped up and fired a strike to cut down KP’s lead-off runner attempting to steal second.

“We told our catcher, Taylor LeBrun, to keep on her toes,” Macchi said. “You never know what they might try to do to try to get us a little on our heels. But she made a very nice play on the throw down and Lindsey Read made a terrific play on the pick and tag.”

Macchi continued, “It’s been seamless behind the plate [with LeBrun] and offensively she’s coming along and seeing the type of pitching we’re going to see.”

ON TOP OF HER GAME
Smith had all her pitches working, in addition to a particularly punchy fastball which cracked the mitt throughout the afternoon.

Even for one of the state’s premier pitchers, it was an exceptional performance. Smith kept the Warriors guessing throughout the game, changing their eye level with a steady stream of rise balls. More than that, Smith was able to work the corners and paint it with strikes.

“Sometimes batters get excited in the box and their hands move a little bit faster than they want them, too, and that makes it hard for hitters to get that outside pitch, so I was trying to work that outside corner.”

ACTON, Mass. -- With Acton-Boxborough’s Sarah Ropiak and Milford’s Shannon Smith working in the circle, it was possible that something as slight as a howling wind might create the margin between winning and losing.

As the gales whipped across the diamond at Acton-Boxborough Regional on Monday, the teams’ aces were undaunted. The matched each other strikeout for strikeout nearly throughout. But the only thing that separated the No. 2 Hawks and the No. 3 Colonials in the end were a couple of first-inning walks and one, solitary run score on a wild pitch.

“I told the girls we needed to find a way to scrape across a run any way that we could,” Milford head coach Brian Macchi recounted his pregame remarks before the Hawks’ 1-0 win.

That run came in the Hawks’ first at-bat. After working a one-out walk, Milford second baseman Lauren Hanna took a tour of the base paths with a stolen base, advancing to third on a wild pitch and also scoring the game’s only run off another wild pitch.

Ropiak was undaunted despite the early setback, settling into a complete-game two-hitter, while striking out 13.

Of course, Smith was on par as well. The junior, who’s one season removed from her performance as a Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year, struck out 17 while surrendering a pair of hits and two walks.

Smith struck out the side in both the sixth and seventh innings — despite allowing base-runners in each — capping the complete-game win.

“The umpire really seemed to like to call the outside corner, so you to adjust to that and make sure you’re throwing to where they’re calling and whatever works for you best,” Smith said.

DIFFICULTY ADJUSTING
With Smith nibbled and lived on the outside corner with great success thanks to her curveball, the Colonials (0-1) weren’t able to compensate at the plate.

“We weren’t able to learn today that she kept going at us outside,” A-B head coach Mary Matthews said. “We weren’t adjusting our feet and trying to send it the other way.”

PUTTING DEPTH TO USE
Milford (3-0) was without its starting catcher Taylor Archer (out 2-3 weeks with an ankle injury) coming into the game, so freshman Taylor LeBrun got the nod behind the plate.

The Hawks’ backstop situation went from bad to worse in the fifth, when LeBrun left the game with an ankle injury while sliding into second base on a caught stealing. Macchi then turned to starting shortstop and resident do-it-all Sam Bonvino.

However, Bonvino hasn’t had time to work behind the plate in the early season due to a back injury of her own. Still, the sophomore did an exemplary job, filling in a tough spot and working with Smith.

The Milford hurler credited the work all of her catchers have put in, making it easier for her to do her job.

“I have confidence in all of them,” Smith said of her battery mates.

Now all the Hawks need is to stay healthy.

“We’re a bit of a walking wounded team right now, but as I told the team, it’s better to happen now then at the end of the season,” Macchi said. “We’re going to heal up and keep trying to find ways to win games.”