Colchester, Vt.
The Hartford pitching staff has now struck out 28 batters in 14 postseason innings, adding to a similarly strong showing to beat No. 6 seed Brattleboro in the first round on May 31. The win sets up a semifinal game at St. Johnsbury on Tuesday where the Canes will play the Hilltoppers for a berth in the state championship game.
“Our pitching has been great, and it’s been there all year for us,” Hartford coach Jarrod Grassi said. “Today we really did the little things, sacrificed guys over, manufactured runs.”
Spencer pitched the first three innings, striking out four while walking three and allowing two hits and one unearned run. After walking a runner to start the fourth inning with Hartford up, 2-1, Allard was brought in to stop any would-be rally. The junior flamethrower did just that, inducing a ground-ball out and then fanning two to end the threat.
Spencer jammed a finger on the groundout in the fourth inning but returned to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth. After recording an out, the finger injury forced Allard back to the mound for the duration. Allard was more than up to the task as he finished with nine strikeouts in 3⅔ innings pitched while walking just two.
The Hurricanes’ offense broke things open with five runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead. Three walks loaded the bases to start the rally. Hunter Perkins followed with a bases-clearing double to drive in three. Codi Smith followed with an RBI single. The Canes added four more runs in the top of the seventh to build an 11-1 lead on Austin Gaudette’s two-run single, a run on a passed ball and Nate Walz’s RBI sacrifice fly.
Perkins finished with two hits. Smith was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Leadoff batter Jacob Perkins was on base four times via three walks and an error and scored three runs. Hartford is now 11-7 overall.
Enosburg, Vt.
Jake Meagher had a pair of leadoff doubles to start Windsor rallies. Meagher doubled to lead off the game in the top of the first inning and came around to score the first run. Meagher then started the fourth inning with a double, advanced to third on a balk and then raced home on a passed ball to score another run.
Kapuscinski went the first six innings, striking out nine while allowing five hits and two walks. Kapuscinski also had an RBI single.
Windsor scored four runs in the third inning to lead 5-1. Seth Balch started things off with a leadoff double. Conner Gould singled and Kapuscinski was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Duncan Frazer then capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a walk to drive in a run. Ryland Richardson followed with a two-run single up the middle.
The quick start was a welcome sight following the Jacks’ nearly three-hour bus ride north to Enosburg.
Windsor will visit No. 1 seed Leland & Gray for a semifinal game on Monday at 4:30 p.m.
Townshend, Vt.
Oxbow led 1-0 after the first inning before becoming undone by errors and a strong effort by the Rebels. Nick Daigle started on the mound for the Olympians and gave up two runs without getting an out. Hayden Tomlinson relieved and went the next three innings, striking out four while walking five and hitting one.
Randolph
Sam Tilden pitched five strong innings of relief for the Raptors, allowing five hits. Michael Delaney had a hit for Rivendell. The Raptors finish the season at 7-10.
Bradford, Vt.
Pitcher Mary Bourgeois battled wildness early, walking six in the first three innings, but settled in to record a complete-game four-hitter with five strikeouts while walking none in the final four frames.
Jamie Stevens led the Oxbow attack, going 4-for-5 with a triple and three RBIs. Madison Fornwalt was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Bourgeois added a single and a triple and drove in two.
The Olympians host Enosburg Falls in the semifinals on Tuesday afternoon.
South Royalton
Blue Mountain pulled away with six runs in the sixth inning and another two in the seventh. SoRo graduates Rachel Moore, Summer Spaulding and Brittany Frary and finishes the season at 8-8.
Woodstock
Kaija led the afternoon with five goals and one assist. The senior, who has netted fewer than three goals in a game just three times in 16 games this season, now has 75 goals on the year.
Sweeny finished with four goals and an assist. Grace Vosburgh set up four goals and scored twice, Miranda Johnson also had two goals, and three other Wasps (Lily Doton, Rosalie Geiger, Hannah Milstone) also scored. Doton also contributed three helpers, and Geiger had one.
Woodstock, which enjoyed a four-save day from goalkeeper Megan Dalton, will visit No. 2 seed U-32 in the semifinals on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The two rivals split their two regular-season matches, each winning at home.
West Windsor, n.j.
Dartmouth’s second varsity eight took fourth in the third heat and fourth in the repechage to just miss a spot in the semifinals. The Big Green third varsity was third and then second in the repechage to advance to the semis, which will take place this morning.
The varsity eight was fourth in the final heat and then improved to third in the repechage to also earn a place in the semifinals. The varsity four team was third in their heat and third in the repechage to become the third Dartmouth squad to advance to the semifinals.