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With two down and two on in the Haverhill first, Ronny Rosario's slicer to right was pulled in on the warning track.

An inning later with a man on, Josh Chasse drilled a liner but right at the second baseman.

Acton-Boxboro couldn't go to Clemson-bound ace Scott Weismann on three days rest, but Haverhill had Vermont-recruit Leif Sorenson rested and ready.

Sorenson fired 8<1/3> innings of seven-hit ball as Haverhill broke to a 5-0 lead and held off the Colonials, 5-3.

Sometimes, all that is needed for a team to generate a win is a standout performance by one key player. Taylor Robinson was that key player for Haverhill.

Despite playing some shaky defense, the Hillies topped Lynn English, 8-1, in the preliminary round of the Division 1 North Sectional.  Robinson led the way on the mound by tossing an 8-inning win on eight hits and five strikeouts. He also provided the bulk of the offense with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the third inning.

HAVERHILL | Should Haverhill challenge for a conference title this spring, the Hillies will remember yesterday with glee.

Haverhill, now 6-3 overall and still a game behind Tewksbury in the MVC Small chase, managed just three hits but got plenty of pitching and a bit of help to knock off Methuen, 6-1.

In the end, Haverhill prevailed in its intra-city duel with Whittier, 2-1, but only by the closest of margins.

The host Wildcats played a superb defensive game, highlighted by shortstop A.J. DeRoche, and left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.

Either last Friday's loss to Methuen at Cooperstown angered the Tewksbury High baseball team, or they just want to send the league a message.

Maybe a little of both.

Two days after pounding MVC Large power Andover, the No. 1 Redmen smothered their top small division competition Haverhill, 7-0, yesterday here at the Stadium.

They've overcome shortstop Bobby Shirling's tender shoulder, a sun-blinded high pop that landed squarely in the mouth of second baseman Steve Lesiczka and more early-season errors than coach Chip Dunn would ever care to rehash.

Ronny Rosario's bases-loaded, second-inning missile shot plunked just outside the left-field line, a long Hillie strike just foul by a foot.

Andrew Guyer's looper with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the frame did not | good for a three-run double.

Haverhill High found the usual friendly terrain at Haverhill Stadium a bit bumpy, committing four costly errors in a 9-4 non-league loss to Swampscott.

"They put it in play, and we kicked it," said Hillies coach Chip Dunn. "They hit it pretty well, and we didn't do a good job of stopping it, catching it or throwing it. I don't think our guy pitched badly at all."

Few Newburyport baseball players remain from the team that clinched its third consecutive Cape Ann League title in 2006.

And perhaps that's a good thing for the Clippers.

No longer harbored with the pressure of continuing a run of CAL titles, Newburyport continued to establish its new identity yesterday in a 3-2 loss to Haverhill at Lower Field. Hillies pitcher Leif Sorenson was the difference, earning the complete-game three-hit victory.