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LOWELL — Two days after a seventh-inning rally propelled the Central Catholic softball team into the Division 1 North semifinals, the Raiders came thisclose to an even bigger come-from behind victory.

LAWRENCE — A little extra batting practice in the last month has paid off nicely for Central Catholic junior Corrine Gosselin.

And an extra dose of hitting Friday did wonders for the entire Central Catholic team, which blasted Lowell 17-1 yesterday in a Division 1 North first-round game.

Kayla Maloney and and Meg Donegan shut Lowell down only allowing 3 hits and striking out 11 combined as Central softball won 2-0. Brianna Martin stroked two hits and scored both of Central's runs. The Raiders improved to 20-1.

Kayla Maloney and Meg Donegan combined on a one-hitter  their sixth straight combined shutout  as Central Catholic shut out Billerica 5-0. Lauren Lesiczka had a two-run homer for the Raiders (17-1).

Central Catholic recorded its fifth straight shutout last night, 2-0 over Methuen, as  Meg Donegan and Kayla Maloney combined for a 14-strikeout one-hitter. Brianna Martin led off the game with a home runs and scored both runs for the surging Raiders (15-1).

"It was a pretty quick game and pretty boring, very much a pitcher's duel," said Central Catholic head coach Stacy Ciccolo of her team's 1-0 victory over Austin Prep. Meg Donegan drove in Brianna Martin with the winning tally in the top of the first inning, then teamed with Kayla Maloney to throw a one-hitter.

Brianna Martin was 3 for 3 including a homer and three RBIs as Central Catholic downed Lawrence 15-0. Corrine Gosselin added two hits and two RBIs for the winners.

Kayla Maloney and Meg Donegan combined on a no-hitter, striking out 11, as surging Central Catholic blanked Beverly 3-0. Brianna Martin had two hits and scored twice for the Raiders (12-1).

LAWRENCE — The 1-2 punch Central Catholic has been unleashing on opponents has been lights out. Once against yesterday, junior Meg Donegan and sophomore Kayla Maloney dominated as the Raiders whipped Tewksbury, 6-2, to clinch a state tourney berth. Earlier in the season, the two pitchers alternated, each starting a game and pitching deep into contests. Now things have changed, and head coach Stacy Ciccolo is using her dynamic duo in a different way, often pitching each of them in the same game. “Now we’re splitting them a little bit just to get them work every day,” said Ciccolo, whose club improved to 11-1.      Donegan pitched the first four innings yesterday, allowing no hits and a walk while striking out five. Although she had the no-hitter, Donegan was relieved by Maloney. She pitched three innings of relief, allowing two runs and two hits while whiffing four. Both girls like the way things are going. “It makes it so the other team can’t really catch on to what we’re doing,” said Donegan, who plays soccer in the fall and was a standout in the shot put in winter track. “Its good for both of us.”   “It gives the batters two different looks,” said Maloney. Ciccolo is also pleased with the way the offense has come alive recently, putting up 15 runs in back-to-back games against Haverhill and Andover. Even the six runs yesterday is impressive as the Redmen had only been giving up 1.7 runs a game. “Tewksbury (now 12-4) is a quality team and we got six on them today, and Chelmsford is a good team and we got five on them,” Ciccolo said of Central Catholic’s last two wins. Central came out swinging right out of the gate, scoring three runs in the first inning, with Maloney, Corrine Gosselin, and Kelly Michal all picking up RBIs. Donegan helped herself by going 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Central Catholic (10-1, 9-0) extended its lead in the Merrimack Valley Conference Large to two games with a 5-4 win over Chelmsford (12-2, 10-2). Lauren Lesiczka had her first career home run, a two-run blast over the right field fence in the third to account for the winning runs.