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BROCKTON — You just don’t want to mess with the champs this time of year. Braintree, the two-time defending Super 8 title winners, know better than anyone in the state on how to win big baseball games in June.

BROCKTON — The ride home had to be a strange one for the veterans on the Central Catholic baseball team.

Sure, the Raiders dropped a tough, 7-4, decision here to St. John's Prep before about 250 fans.

With runners on first and second, Sam Lara (9 Ks) got the final batter to ground out and Central Catholic beat Catholic Memorial 4-3. Mike Piero homered and Michael Borrelli and Sean Thompson each had two hits.

Steve Hajjar did it all for Central Catholic, jacking a solo home run in the third inning and then striking out nine en route to a complete game shutout to beat Lawrence 1-0. With the win, Central has now won the MVC for the third consecutive year. "It's quite an accomplishment to win a championship in this league in baseball, and to win three striaght is a testament to the hard work our program does," said Central coach Marc Pelletier.

Steve Hajjar was 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs as Central Catholic blasted Billerica 13-2.

LOWELL — Sam Lara came in and did the job in the sixth and seventh innings as Central Catholic pulled out a key win at Lowell.

Winning pitcher Steve Hajjar (5 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 9 K's, 2 walks) gave up a lead-off homer then a triple in the fifth. Lara came on with back to back strikeouts then induced an inning-ending ground out.

Most no-hitters come with some spectacular plays in the field, and that was the case when Central Catholic's Joey Sanchez made a terrific running catch in the top of the seventh to preserve junior Nate Carpenter's no-no. The catch did result in a sacrifice fly, causing Carpenter to have an earned run, but he still worked seven innings without a hit allowed and with five strikeouts.

Down for the first time in its first five games this season, Central Catholic got a clutch 2-run double from Mike Pierro and RBI singles from Michael Borrelli and Sean Thompson to respond with four runs in the sixth inning to clinch a 6-5 victory. Will Conaton closed the door with four good innings of relief for the Raiders (5-0).

Sam Lara struck out nine and did not walk a batter in a complete-game effort to improve to 2-0 on the season a Central Catholic held off Lowell 3-2.

Steve Hajjar homered and fanned the first nine batters he faced as Central doubled up on Chelmsford 4-2. He fanned 13 in 5.1 innings and Will Conaton pitched 1.2 innings of one-hit ball for the save.