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Staff reports
 So far, so good for the Braintree High baseball team.The two-time defending Super 8 champs are 2-0 this season after Wednesday’s 8-2 home win over Needham. Senior pitchers Jack Andrews and Joe Vannelli combined to stifle the Rockets’ bats. Andrews earned the win with five strong innings, and Vannelli struck out four over his two innings to pick up the save. “I’m pretty pleased,” Braintree coach Bill O’Connell said. “The guys have responded. “We have six first-timers in our lineup, but we’re really playing well right now.” Despite missing senior center fielder Justin Files (injury), the Wamps had plenty of offense as junior catcher Alex Kennedy (two-run triple) and senior third baseman Brennan Quigley each was 2 for 3. In other high school action: BASEBALL Norwell 15, Cohasset 9: Senior Joe Trebino’s two-out, three-run double in the seventh inning lifted the visiting Clippers to the win and capped a comeback from a 9-2 deficit. Also playing well for Norwell (1-1 South Shore League) were senior Jackson Ridpath (3 for 4, three runs scored) and senior Ryan Kilroy (three hits). Junior Harry MacKinley posted his first varsity victory in pitching three-plus innings of relief. Duxbury 6, Scituate 1: Senior captain Danny Graceffa pitched 62/3 innings, allowed five hits and one walk to pick up the win on the mound, giving new coach Brandon Josselyn his first victory with the Green Dragons (1-2). Junior Luke Eggers went 3 for 3. Rockland 1, Carver 0: Gavyn White drove in the game’s only run in the sixth, making a winner of Sam Gray (six innings, four hits, three strikeouts). Aiden Glennon recorded the save for the Bulldogs (2-0) in their South Shore League opener. Joe Kemlage was brilliant for Carver (1-1, 0-1) in the loss, throwing a two-hitter with 19 strikeouts. Hingham 6, North Quincy 1: Junior Matt Hatfield pitched a complete game, striking out six and allowing only three hits as the Harbormen (1-1) won at home. Sophomore Jack Clougherty had two hits and three RBI in the w... (Wicked Local)

Kris Versteeg’s shootout winner put the finishing touches on a thrilling 4-3 victory against Sidney Crosby and the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins and also extended the club’s winning spree to 10 straight games.With the win, they equalled a 10-game roll by the Atlanta Flames early in the 1978-79 campaign. And, boy, did they do it in fine fashion.“I thought that was a great hockey game,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “Hard on coaches’ life expectancy there a little bit, but I thought two really good teams battling it out. At times, there are games in this league where, as a coach, it’s fun to watch too. “It’s when you see great players playing at a high level. I give our guys a lot of credit.” One of them was Johnny Gaudreau, who netted the initial go-ahead goal in the third period, a wrap-around marker 5:22 in to break a 2-2 tie on a power play with Phil Kessel off for slashing T.J. Brodie. But, when playing the best player in the world and the defending Stanley Cup champions are coming at you, you have to expect a late push. It happened with 3:31 remaining, when Crosby battled with Mark Giordano in front of Flames goalie Brian Elliott and eventually willed in a goal to knot the action 3-3.The Flames challenged goaltender interference.But, heck, even Elliott knew that one was counting.“You’re not getting that call,” Elliott said. “It’s 87. I don’t really understand the goalie interference and I’m a goalie, so it’s always up in the air.”The Flames’ faithful was so into Monday’s game that Crosby’s presence on the ice elicited boos. In overtime, the thrills continued: A missed partial breakaway from Michael Frolik; a Giordano penalty after he high-sticked Nick Bonino with 2:22 remaining in OT; a pile of saves from Elliott.And the shootout? A right-pad save from Elliott on Evgeni Malkin. A back-handed goal by Versteeg, who happened to score the shootout winner in Calgary’s 3-2 win at Pittsburgh on Feb. 7. A Crosby whiff over the net. A Sean Monahan shot gloved down ... (Calgary Sun)