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A strong sense of satisfaction is currently blanketing the North Shore Tech baseball program right now. It's hard to blame the Bulldogs for feeling good after what they accomplished this weekend.

In his 35-plus years of experience, Newburyport baseball coach Bill Pettingell has never seen anything like what could play out in the CAL in the final week this year.

If North Andover loses either of its two remaining CAL league games to Pentucket or Masconomet, then Wilmington, North Andover, Masconomet, and Newburyport could share the CAL title four ways with a 10-3 CAL record.

PEABODY -- Pat Dumas is accustomed to getting saves for the Peabody High baseball team. Last night, the junior closer's performance could be characterized as more of a rescue.

Facing a five-game week, Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt knew his pitching staff needed time to regroup for the stretch run. Dumas' complete-game victory -- in his first varsity start -- was just what the Tanners were looking for.

The Generals scored all four runs in the fifth inning, but Rockport had already crossed the plate six times in the fourth to put the game away Saturday night. Matt Greeke and Matt Cook provided RBI singles and Pat Twomey and Dan Mulley also knocked in runs while freshman Pat Hendrickson pitched well despite being saddled with the 9-4 loss.

In limited playing time last year, Central Catholic's Chris Sartori had four hits in 16 at-bats. This year, in 14 games, he's hitting a nifty .439, going 18 for 41.

It was just a year and a half ago that the Andover resident was taking a seat in his first car. The price was right. He won the 1999 Bravada SUV from his school, which was being raffled off in a fund-raiser.

DANVERS | Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

Bobby Dean, Chris Perry and the other members of the Danvers High baseball team may have no idea who the Talking Heads are | they popularized the above-mentioned lyrics in "Once In a Lifetime" nearly 30 years ago. But when it comes to what they do on the diamond, they certainly know what those words mean.

Ryan Kemp's infield hit scored Pat Noone in the bottom of the seventh to give Central Catholic a 15-14 win over Lowell and a share of the Merrimack Valley Conference title. Kemp had a huge day in the Raiders' MVC finale, going 4 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

As an intern at Andover's Putnam Investments, Jeffrey Matos gave a presentation on risk and reward. The Lawrence High senior is well versed in the subject, and not just in the financial sense.

Last winter, a detached retina robbed him of peripheral vision in his left eye. Sports became perilous. Even volleyball, a noncontact sport, posed a risk. But the reward was too great to give it up.

For now, call the Triton baseball team the giant killers.

In a few weeks, the Vikings may be known as the double-digit seed in the Division 2 North Tournament that no high seed wants to draw in the first round.

The Rockport baseball team came into yesterday's matchup with Georgetown looking to accomplish two things.

First they were looking to knock off their Cape Ann League rivals. But more importantly, they were looking to clinch a berth in the state tournament.