RallyNorth.net

Brian Martin's worst fears were realized yesterday in the first round of the Division 2 North tournament.

 Defending Eastern Mass. champion North Andover held Belmont down for six innings before the Marauders erupted for 10 unearned runs in the top of the seventh on their way to a 12-0 victory.

No one should expect a pitching duel in today's 7 p.m. championship game of the Methuen Invitational.

The way red-hot Andover and Methuen hit the ball in their semifinal victories at the Burnham Road complex yesterday, in fact, there could be a slugfest.

The North Andover softball team has been a mystery that Amesbury cannot solve over the past two seasons.

A familiar pattern played out again yesterday as the Scarlet Knights made plays in key situations while the Indians helped North Andover with two costly errors in a 4-1 loss.

Rockport (3-5) junior ace Tia Nelson didn't hurl another no-hitter but the Vikings will take the effort. Nelson held North Andover (5-2)-a Division 2 North finalist last spring-to five hits and struck out five as the Vikings beat the Knights for the first time in Rockport softball history.

For one game at least, North Andover showed some of the magic that helped carry the Knights to the Division 2 state finals last year.

Despite the influx of several newcomers and a defensive shuffle created by a recent injury to veteran first baseman Kristen O'Connor, the Knights opened their season by rallying past perennial power Amesbury, 6-4.

2007 record: 24-1, lost in Division 2 state finals

Returning starters (5):  Kate Reading, Sr., RF; Alison McCarthy, Sr., CF; Kristin O'Connor, Sr., 1B; Krissy Whitley, Jr., 3B; Candace Waldie, Soph., C