After a stunning loss in the state vocational semifinals, the Shawsheen Tech baseball team opened play in the Div. 3 state tournament with a 5-1 win over New­buryport.

The Rams improved to 21-1 overall on the season.

Will Trach pitched a complete game for Shaw­sheen, throwing seven in­nings, allowing six hits while striking out eight and walking three.

The Shawsheen defense avoided big trouble twice.

Bennett Beaulier led off the third with a double be­fore Trach struck out Tommy Gagnon, Tim De­graves lined out to Nate Galanis and then Jack Oreal struck out to end the threat.

In the fourth, shortstop Dyllon Pratt and third baseman Jake Carr made nice plays on grounders and Galanis had a nice pair of plays in the fifth.

With one out, Clipper Ray Arcand smacked a single to right-center that Gala­nis fielded quickly and threw to second baseman Lukas Poirier, who cut off the throw in shallow centerfield before throwing to Pratt for the out at second base.

Galanis then caught the third out in right field to end the inning.

Newburyport had a chance in the sixth as Oreal and Parker Johnson hit back-to-back singles before Jack Mercier’s RBI base hit to left scored Oreal. Ryan Sanchez walk­ed to load the bases before Trach struck out Nick Gar­barino, got Arcand to fly out to a charging Will Hol­loway in shallow left field and got Bennett Beaulier to ground out to Poirier at second to end the inning.

Newburyport went down quietly in the seventh as Oreal walked with two outs before Johnson groun­ded out to end the game.

Shawsheen took a 1-0 lead in the third.

Adam Caruso hit a one-out ground rule double to left. With two outs, Robbie Welch’s grounder to second was thrown away for an error that allowed Ca­ruso to race home.

The Rams added three more runs in the fourth.

Galanis doubled to lead off before Ryan Jamie­son’s terrific bunt single that rolled up the first-base line. After Jamieson stole second, Holloway hit a two-run single up the middle to make it 3-0.

After an error on a grounder by Trach, a grounder by Carr scored Holloway to make it 4-0.

In the fifth, Welch singled and took second on a passed ball. With two outs, pinch runner Eli Jimenez scored on a single by Jamieson that made it 5-0.

The Rams advance to play Wakefield in the Round of 16 at a date and time that have yet to be determined.

Before Newburyport, the Rams suffered their first loss of the season in the state vocational semifinals against Upton’s Black­stone Valley Tech.

The game was tied 1-1 after three innings and trailed 2-1 heading into the sixth before Black­stone scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take command.

Trach pitched the first five innings for Shawsheen before Max Carpenter threw the last two frames.

Shawsheen scored its first run in the third.

With two outs, Poirier singled and Galanis drove him home with a double to tie the score.

In the bottom of the sixth, Jamieson drew a leadoff walk, but was stranded.

Michael Poschmann pit­ched a complete game for Blackstone, allowing five hits.

GIRLS LACROSSE

The Shawsheen Tech girls lacrosse team won its first round in the MIAA tournament by a score of 11-9 against Saint Bern­ard’s last week, but the Rams forfeited their second-round game against Newburyport.

In the win, Fiona Rex­ford had five goals, Judith Sloman and Izzy Fergus­on had two goals each and Meaghan Warford, Lyla Dickinson and Brooke New­house all had one goal. 

Mia Vacha had a great game in goal with seven saves.

Prior to the state tournament, Shawsheen won the state vocational title.

In the semifinals, the Rams beat Nashoba Tech of Westford by a score of 11-2 and then topped Tri County for the championship, 9-1.

In the semifinals, Slo­man had four goals, Rexford had 3 goals, Warford had two goals and Cera Salter and Ferguson both had one goal each.

Against Tri County, Slo­man and Salter each scored three goals while Warford, Rexford and Izzy Ferguson each scored one goal.

BOYS LACROSSE

With a 17-4 win over visiting Apponequet Region­al, the Shawsheen Tech boys lacrosse team ad­vanced to the Div. 3 state Round of 16 against New­buryport on Wednesday night.

Against Apponequet, Quinn Carbone had five goals and one assist and Bray Carbone had four goals and one assist to lead the offense.

Josh Baker and Jacoby Patterson each added two goals and three assists and individual goal scorers included Zack Tim­mons, Shaun Ricchi, Jack Martins, Tristan Lane and Charlie Shannon.

Nate Malandain had a sol­id game in goal for Shawsheen with 11 saves and the defense was led by Jake Giordano, Shane O’Neil and Harrison Shan­non.

Along with its upcoming game with Newburyport, the Rams are also preparing for the state vocational title game against Whittier Tech.

In the semifinals, the Rams trounced Monty Tech, 20-1.

The day and time for the game with Whittier has yet to be determined.