Baseball
The Haverhill Black Diamonds rolled twice in Merrimack Valley Senior Babe Ruth playoff action. In the first game, the Diamonds defeated the Diamond Dogs, 11-1, behind the combined pitching of Ryan Magoon and Frank Xia. Chris Panaro, Tim Gregg, Spence Belte and Ben Cantwell led the offensive attack.
In the second game, the Diamonds scored a 13-3 win over the Andover Renegades. Sean Hayden struck out seven in a complete-game effort. Offensively, Alex Persichetti, Gregg, John Starner and Ryan Queenan led the attack.
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The Derry Post 9 Legion baseball team was leading 1-0 over Rochester when the rains came and put a stop to its New Hampshire state tourney game. The two teams will resume play this morning (9 a.m.), at Spaulding High School in Rochester.
Derry is one of four undefeated teams in the double-elimination tourney. A Derry win this morning will advance Post 9 to a 7 p.m. winner's bracket game vs. Portsmouth. A loss sends Derry to a 3:30 p.m. survival game vs. Goffstown.
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The Derry Junior Legion team will take part in the four-team New Hampshire Junior Legion tourney, at Holman Stadium in Nashua starting today. The tourney format is double-elimination.
Derry (9-5) will play Bedford (10-4), at 2 p.m., followed by Hudson (9-5) and Dover (11-3) at 5 p.m.
The two winners will play on Monday at 7:30 p.m. and the two losers will square off at 4:30 p.m.
Boys Hoops for Hope
Garcia paces Central
Beau Cassidy scored 12 points to lead Pinkerton to a 56-30 playoff win over Pentucket. Harry Shea had 14 for the Sachems.
Mike Garcia's 14 points paced Central Catholic to a 52-38 win over North Andover. Nick Fay had 12 for the Knights. In other playoff action, Haverhill topped Londonderry and Dracut topped Greater Lawrence.
In the freshman league title game, Darwin Pereyra scored 15 to lead Lawrence over North Andover, 52-39. Zach Karalis scored 13 for North Andover.
Football
New Hampshire routs Vermont
New Hampshire left no doubt about who was the best team yesterday in the 55th Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl at Dartmouth College.
After clinging to a 7-0 halftime lead, New Hampshire erupted for 35 straight points for a 42-0 shutout of Vermont in the most one-sided victory in Shrine Game history. New Hampshire outgained Vermont 273-83 in the second half and held the visitors to one passing yard over the last two quarters.
Londonderry's Alex Theodosi helped key the offense by rushing 11 times for 56 yards and the offensive line, led by Pinkerton's Josh Lane and Salem's John Morin, both opened holes for the run game and protected Nashua South quarterback Billy Ferriter, who passed for 153 yards and a touchdown, 40 yards to Concord's Kyle Brown.
Leading the defense were Salem linebacker Jim Stewart, Lane at defensive tackle and Pinkerton safety Peter Mazzola.
