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Methuen had trouble delivering offense with runners in scoring position, something Tewksbury took advantage of to qualify for state tourney play with a 3-2 victory in eight innings. Cal Carroll lost a heartbreaker in his final pitching effort for the Rangers, allowing five hits in going the distance while getting three hits of his own. Corey Shepherd wrapped up his season on a roll, getting three hits against the Redmen and seven hits in his last three games.

LAWRENCE – One of the best pitching matchups Eastern Mass. can muster takes place tonight, here at Mark Devlin Field in the finals of the 30th annual Lawrence Invitational Tournament.

Methuen resident Andrew Wells drove in a key run and scored another in the first inning and played stellar defense at shortstop to help lead Whittier past Methuen 3-2.

On the bubble for a postseason berth, Methuen came through in the clutch with its 7-1 victory over Andover. Starting with winning pitcher Cal Carroll's RBI in the first inning, the Rangers plated five runs with two outs. Carroll battled through drizzly conditions to toss a five-hitter and got precious breathing room via Eric Lacroix's run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

METHUEN — Just when it began to appear as if Methuen was playing its way out of any chance of a postseason trip, the Rangers proved they're capable of making a late push into the playoffs.

Cal Carroll's single with none out in the top of the seventh inning broke up a no-hit bid, but Methuen still fell to a strong Lowell team, 5-0.

METHUEN — If Central Catholic’s Alex Valenti didn’t realize before just how effective hitting the plate can be, he certainly knows it now.

The senior right-hander threw strikes on all but 26 of the 100 pitches he threw yesterday afternoon and the Raiders moved above .500 on the season as Central knocked off Methuen 11-2 in a Merrimack Valley Conference affair.

Eric Lacroix smashed a sixth-inning, 410-foot homer into the tennis court in leftfield and Evan Cyr fired a complete-game 1-hitter as Methuen blanked Dracut, 1-0. Cyr had eight strikeouts, including the final two of the game with the bases loaded. Dave Fabrizio said, "It was a must-win game and Evan got it done for us. I've been here 12 years and I've only seen two homers in the tennis court. Austin Nader did it about six years ago." 

NORTH ANDOVER – Put the baseball in Dan Shields’ hands every Monday afternoon, and the Central Catholic senior is a pretty happy camper.

ANDOVER — The numbers were far from overwhelming, but Cal Carroll has never been about the numbers. He's about wins, and he got another won yesterday, going the distance in Methuen's 9-3 victory over Andover.