Danville, Vt.
Third-seeded Whitchester, which will play either No. 4 Blue Mountain or No 1 West Rutland in the final on a date to be determined in Poultney, improved to 14-3. Second-seeded Danville, which eliminated the Mountaineers in the quarterfinal round last season, ended its season at 13-5.
The final frame began when No. 9 hitter Avery Palmer reached first on an infield error, the Indians’ fifth of the game. Palmer stole second, the visitors’ fourth theft, and was sacrificed to third by leadoff hitter Brianna Hillier. Palmer scored on a one-out grounder by Sammy Barcomb, and Mountaineers pitcher Laura Vaillancourt retired the side in order during the bottom of the seventh.
“We knew we had to get runners on base because they had the top of their order up in the seventh,” Vaillancourt said. “We all knew the game wasn’t over for us, even after they tied it at 4-4.”
Vaillancourt, who plans to play at Johnson State College next year, allowed seven hits and four runs, two of them earned. She struck out five Indians and like her Danville counterpart, Lily Therrien, didn’t walk a batter. Vaillancourt struck out 15 Twinfield Trojans during last week’s quarterfinals.
The visitors scored first on Monday, Hillier singling, stealing second and taking third on a throwing error during the play. A Barcomb sacrifice fly brought her home.
Whitchester scored three more times during the third inning, Hillier again leading off with a single and stealing second. She reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a Vaillancourt single. Vaillancourt took second when the center fielder overran her line drive, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Hayley Mears double.
Mears ran to third on yet another wild pitch and scored when a Fiona Vaillancourt’s ground ball was thrown away by the pitcher. The 4-0 lead survived until the fifth inning, when Whitchester committed two errors, allowed three hits and fell into a 4-4 deadlock.
That rally began with a triple by Indians No. 9 hitter Kylee LaPete, who scored on a fielder’s choice by leadoff hitter Lauren Young. Young stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Sam Prescott’s single to make the score 4-2.
Prescott was doubled home by Shelby Lewis, who advanced home thanks to errors by Whitchester right fielder Kayla Townsend and shortstop Hayley Mears.
“I could have used an aspirin,” joked 20th-year Mountaineers coach Ray Colton about his emotional and physical state at that point.
Colton is worried his program may be in jeopardy for next season because of a lack of players. Before that bridge must be crossed, however, Whitchester hopes to win its eighth consecutive game and third state title. The coach knows Vaillancourt will be key to any such achievement.
“She’s improved 100 percent over last year,” he said. “She used to hop during her delivery and get called for illegal pitches. This season, she gets a game ball whenever she strikes out 12 or more batters, and she’s got a box full of them.”
Notes: Whitchester beat West Rutland by a run and lost to Blue Mountain by 10 during the regular season. Both games were home contests for the Mountaineers, who were scouted on Monday by several Bucks players. … Whitchester has scored 11 or more runs nine times this spring. … The Mountaineers were 6-11 last season. … Whitcomb and Whitchester teams are a combined 28-29 in the postseason since their 1980 debut and 2-2 in title games. The program’s last trip to one produced a loss to Proctor in 2012. Whitcomb won the 2003 and 2004 championships. … Two Whitchester players, first baseman Chelsea Trask and center fielder Fiona Vaillancourt, are eighth-graders. … Division IV is comprised of nine teams, eight of which made the playoffs. … Johnson State was 4-18 overall and 3-9 in conference play this spring. The Badgers batted .198 as a team and featured three local players: Lindsey LaPerle (Bethel/Whitcomb), Kasie Craig (Newbury, Vt./Oxbow) and Kaitlynn Woodward (White River Junction/Hartford).
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.