Grady leads Newton North rout

SCHOOLS

With a potential berth in the upcoming Super 8 tournament on the line, pitcher John Grady and the Newton North offense delivered.

Grady went six solid innings and struck out seven, while the offense accounted for 10 hits (and seven walks), as Newton North earned some payback with a convincing 9-2 victory against Braintree yesterday in Newton. The Wamps beat the Tigers, 3-1, last week.

“We haven’t hit this well all year, and John (Grady) has had big-game experience on the mound before and he did it again today,” Newton North coach Joe Siciliano said. “This was a team-building victory, everyone did their job and contributed to the win.”

After Grady escaped a two-out jam in the top of the first, the Tigers supplied him with all the runs he would need in the home half of the frame. Cole Whitehouse (3-for-4, two RBI) got the scoring going with a one-out RBI triple before Grady helped his own cause with a RBI single to make it 2-0. Newton North (11-5) tacked on two more runs on a double by Ryan McGaughlin.

Pitching with the lead, Grady breezed through the second, and after Dante Taylor’s double made it 5-0, Grady did some of his best work in the third when he pitched out of a bases-loaded jam by getting a popout to second base to end the threat.

“This was a big game because Braintree is our rival,” Grady said. “I was put in some pressure-packed situations last year, so it doesn’t really get to me anymore and I was able to pitch around it again today.”

The Tigers added a run in the home half of the third on a RBI single by Whitehouse, and from there Grady shut the door.

Grady retired six straight between the fourth and fifth innings, and after allowing two runs in the sixth, his offense picked him up with three runs in the bottom of the inning to put the game out of reach. . . .

John Teehan went 3-for-3 with a triple, home run and three RBI, leading Latin Academy (13-2) to a 6-2 win against Boston City League rival Charlestown.

Softball

Olivia McGrath tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out 12, as Latin Academy (14-2) earned a 7-0 nonleague win against Melrose.

In Middlesex League play, Natalie Swift tossed a complete game, striking out six as Arlington (11-2) stopped Lexington, 6-2.

Lacrosse

Mike Balboni’s third goal with 34 seconds left in regulation pushed Arlington Catholic (7-6) past Bishop Fenwick, 7-6, in the Catholic Central League.