Rutland
Joe Bianchi led the Wasps with an 86 on the par-70 layout. Kevan O’Connell and Brian Townley each had 98, Lucas Godfrey finished with a 100 and Braden McCarthy had 108. Woodstock finished with a total score of 382 to edge Otter Valley (388). The Wasps and Otters both advanced to be the two representatives from the southern half of the state at the D-II state title match.
“Joe played very well today. He just had a tough time on Rutland’s greens, but he hit the ball really well,” Woodstock coach Jim Gunnare said. “The wind picked up a little bit and wrecked havoc with some of the boys. I told them if we kept it in the 380s, we’d have a chance.”
Carsen Sanchez had a 73 for Mount Abraham to claim medalist honors.
The victory means a second straight appearance in Middlebury for the Wasps. Woodstock finished fifth in D-II last season. Bianchi, Godfrey and Andrew Borden are the three seniors on this year’s team.
“I’m proud of the kids. This is their first sectional championship and for not having a lot of experience, they did a great job,” Gunnare said.
Brattleboro, Vt.
Ryan Landgraf led Rivendell with a 78 on the par-71 layout at Brattleboro Country Club. Sam Kamel added an 85, Jacob Perkins had 101 and Jake Kamel had 112. Landgraf, Perkins and Sam Kamel are all seniors and will look forward to states knowing a championship is within their grasp.
“Today was strange, knowing we w
Proctor’s Braedon Fox was medalist with a 77. Windsor was represented by Ben Meagher (100) and Jacob Curtis (104).
“Our target number was 360 today and I think that’s realistic and achievable. We’re looking forward to getting up there to Middlebury,” Bonnett added.
Freshman Medals
Manchester, Vt.
Hartford’s Brandon Chaisson (94), Sam Dwyer (97) and Kody Wessel (101) also were on hand, shooting well above the 81 needed to qualify for the upcoming state tournament.
Team scores: 1. Rutland 311; 2. Burr & Burton 336; 3. Mount Anthony 355.
Brattleboro, Vt.
Senior Codi Smith got the rally started in the final inning, cranking a triple and scoring on a same-play throwing error to make it 1-0.
Two walks and an error loaded the bases with one out for Jake Perkins, whose bases-clearing double gave Hartford a cushion.
Jordy Allard (2 innings, no hits two walks, eight strikeouts) pitched the seventh for the win. He came in to relieve equally effective starter Hunter Perkins (4 innings, three hits, four walks, seven strikeouts).
Both teams had only three hits.
Hartford — which avenged a pair of May losses against Brattleboro — plays at No. 3 Colchester in the quarterfinals Friday.
Windsor
Windsor’s entire starting nine either scored a run or had an RBI, led by starting pitcher Seth Balch (1-for-3, double, three runs, two RBIs) and Nick Kapuscinski (1-for-4, two runs, two RBIs).
Balch allowed three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in five innings. Jake Meagher tossed the final two, striking out a pair and allowing one hit.
Hyde Park, Vt.
Hunter Balch and Owen Tarleton both were 2-for-4 with a run, while senior Joe Bianchi hit a solo home run in his final high school at bat in the seventh inning.
Hunter Balch, Owen Tarleton, Luc Issa and Cody Chase all saw time on the mound for the Wasps.
Bethel
The win sets up a quarterfinal game at South Royalton on Friday afternoon. The Mountaineers and Royals faced three times this regular season, all won by SoRo, including a pair of close tilts in the last few weeks.
Whitchester scored 10 runs in the third inning and then held on as their bats went cold in the later innings. Starting pitcher Matt Townsend helped his own cause, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Townsend pitched the first four innings, striking out three while allowing two earned runs. Kevin Kingsbury went the last three innings, recording three strikeouts.
Kingsbury was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Ben Harvey was 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Zak Gillette added a two-run triple.
Looking ahead to a fourth game against South Royalton, Whitchester coach Chris Mattrick said: “we’ve got to have sustained hitting throughout the game and strong relief pitching to have a chance. We need to sustain our offense, score a couple runs almost every inning.”
Randolph
No. 14-seed Thetford scored a run in the first, another in the third and their final run in the top of the fourth to lead the No. 3 seed Ghosts 3-2. Aiden Cudhea was 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Panthers. Jack Sweet singled, had an RBI and scored. Finbar Curtin had an RBI double.
Seth Boyce pitched the first 3 ⅓ innings for Thetford (4-13), striking out two. The Panthers started three freshmen for the majority of the season and now look ahead with hopes of improving their record next season.
Fairfax, Vt.
Hartford allowed six unearned runs in the first inning before tightening up defensively.
The Canes had 10 hits, led by Emily Ballou (three hits, two RBIs, two runs), Kelsey Mason (two hots, RBO) and Kayla Lancor (two hits).
Brooke Hurd (four eaned runs, sic hits, six walks, four strikeouts) took the loss for Hartford (7-10).
It was the final game for Hurricanes seniors Lancor, Mason, Wilson and Elizabeth Greenan, Logan Potter and Nichole Wardwell.
Thetford
Thetford (8-9) led 6-1 after the first inning.
Brooke Horniak started in the circle for the Panthers, striking out four with three walks. Taylor Hollis (two innings, no strikeouts, two walks, seven hits) was tagged with the loss as Thetford’s defense had seven errors in the final two innings.
Peoples visits top-ranked Oxbow on Friday.
Enosburg Falls, Vt.
Emily Anderson and Carah Rugg each had a triple and a run scored for the Jackets, while Katie Harriman gave up nine hits, seven earned runs and three hits while walking three and striking out three.
Vergennes, Vt.
Richford, Vt.
Claremont
Correction
Woodstock High golfers Kevan O’Connell and Brian Townley were misidentified in an earlier version of this story.