Local Roundup: Yellowjackets Hold Off Panthers for Wild Win

Windsor — Windsor High softball coach Heather Stearns has become accustomed to her Yellowjackets starting slow and building speed as a game goes on. What happened on Tuesday against Thetford threw her for a loop.

Windsor got off to a flying start at MacLeay-Royce Field, building a 9-1 lead after two innings and holding a 12-5 edge with two frames to so. But as the Jacks slowed down, the visitors exploded for 12 runs over the sixth and seventh innings to head home with an 18-13 victory.

“Our pitcher struggled a little bit and, when she struggled, the ball got hit and we couldn’t make plays,” Stearns said.

TA (1-0) scored four times in the sixth and eight more times in the seventh to reverse the contest. The Panthers used five walks and three hits along with three Windsor errors to amass its final rally. Every Thetford player had at least one base hit on a 24-hit afternoon.

Lily Vaughan picked up the win for the Panthers, striking out four over seven frames.

Brooke McKeen went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and Hannah Wood contributed a two-run triple in the first that keyed a four-run opening rally for the hosts.

Thetford hosts South Royalton on Thursday, the same day that the Jacks (0-3) head to Otter Valley.

South Royalton 16 Williamstown 11

Williamstown, Vt. — The Royals (2-1) scored three times in the opening inning, adding a pair of four-run rallies later in the game to topple the Blue Devils.

South Royalton scored in all but one inning and had plenty of offensive support. Hannah White delivered a pair of RBIs on sacrifice flies, and Blake Southworth contributed a single and double. Lilly Hudson, Iris Hudson and Kelsi Melvin-Rogers also had key hits for the Royals against three Williamstown pitchers.

Southworth and Ashleigh Brown combined in the circle for the win. Southworth struck out eight and walked 10 over five innings, while Brown walked one over the final two frames.

The Royals host Thetford on Thursday.

Stevens 13, Newfound 1

Bristol, n.h. — The Cardinals (4-0) made themselves at home on the Bears’s diamond, counting three doubles and two triples among their 13 hits.

Jenna Pond had the hot bat with both of Stevens’ three-baggers on the afternoon. Makayla Maccioli, Ashlyn Marsh and Alexis Ford accounted for the doubles. Maccioli, Ford, Morgan Rhoades and Kaitlyn Chambers joined Pond in the two-hit department.

It was plenty of support for pitcher Madison Lapsley, who fanned five, walked two and limited Newfound to just three hits. Zoey Foote added a two-run pinch hit in the fifth for the Cards, who host Hanover on Friday afternoon.

Sunapee 7, Pittsfield 2

Pittsfield, n.h. — Having had three games rained out last week, the Lakers (2-1) let their offense rain down on the Panthers despite managing just five hits on the afternoon.

Mackenzie Wrightington singled, doubled and drove in a run to highlight the Sunapee attack. Erin Moynihan had a hit and two RBIs. Hanna Cooney and Ellie Frederick combined to strike out 14 with just one walk to keep Pittsfield in check.

Sunapee visits Nute on Thursday.

Oxbow 18, Woodstock 0 (5)

Bradford, Vt. — Maddie Fornwalt tossed a 14-strikeout one-hitter as the Olympians (1-1) picked up their first win of the season.

Schyler Hanzas had a big day for the O’s, going 3-for-3 and driving in a run. Amber Glaude also had a hit and an RBI in two at-bats.

Woodstock coach Jane Hoisington credited pitcher Lizzie Peck with throwing well in her first varsity start. Peck struck out three and held Oxbow to seven hits, mostly singles, curing her outing.

Oxbow goes to Randolph on Thursday. The Wasps (0-1) visit Proctor this afternoon.

Fair Haven 7, Hartford 2

White River Junction — The Hurricanes (1-2) could manage just four hits against the Slaters.

Kelsie Thibodeau delivered a two-run single for Hartford, which also picked up singles from Sam Walz, Morgan Jones and Emily Ballou. Bailey Bean went the distance in the circle, fanning two with four walks. Fair Haven took control with a four-run third thanks to a couple of Hartford errors.

The Canes host Brattleboro on Thursday.

John Stark 16, Lebanon 0

West Lebanon — The Raiders fell to 0-4 with a loss at Civic Field. They’ll visit Kingswood this afternoon.

Baseball

Windsor 11, Thetford 1 (6)

Windsor — Duncan Frazer provided the key hits as the Yellowjackets (5-0) used back-to-back five-run rallies in the fifth and sixth innings to blow open a 1-1 game.

Ryland Richardson and Seth Balch reached on errors and scored on a two-run Frazer triple in the fifth to open a 6-1 advantage. Dylan Hodgdon (error), Richardson (single) and Balch (single) loaded the bases to open the sixth, and Frazer plated two of them with a single that sent Windsor on to a mercy-rule victory.

Frazer finished 3-for-4 with four RBIS in support of pitcher Robbie Slocum, who threw a complete-game three-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk.

Thetford scored its run in the fourth to counter an early Windsor score, Aidan Cudhea coming home on the back end of a delayed double steal. Alden Nichols took the loss for TA, going four-plus innings with five hits, three walks and three earned runs.

Windsor visits Otter Valley on Thursday. Thetford (0-1) visits Hazen on Thursday.

Stevens 14, Newfound 6

Bristol, n.h. — With Drew Grenier getting out of trouble on the mound and teammates providing a pair of home runs, the Cardinals (2-2) rallied past the Bears.

Josh Stithen made his first varsity hit count in a big way, a solo home run in the third inning that halved a 2-0 Newfound lead. One inning later, Brendan Bean launched a three-run shot over the left-center field fence for a 4-2 Stevens advantage. Grenier made it work, going the distance on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts. The Cards pulled away with a seven-run seventh inning.

“Drew did great on the mound,” Stevens coach Paul Silva said. “He went the distance and got out of a bunch of jams.”

Trey Theriault had three hits and scored twice, Ethan Johnson had a hit and three RBIs, and the trio of Tyler Bonneau, Aidan Cahill and Derrick Stanhope all contributed hits for the Cardinals, who hit the road to Franklin on Friday.

Chelsea 6, Whitcomb-Rochester 1

Chelsea, Vt. — Jake Colby threw a gem for the Red Devils (1-0), fanning 12 and walking three over 6⅔ innings to tie up the Mountaineers (0-1) in the Central Vermont League opener for both teams.

Dillon Kubon walked three times and scored three times for Chelsea. Ronald Johnson’s two-run double in the fourth also aided the host’s cause.

Timber Russell threw well in defeat for Whitchester, allowing just three earned runs and fanning 10 over 6⅓ innings on the mound. Zach Rhoades was 2-for-3 and Kevin Kingsbury went 1-for-2 at the plate for the Mountaineers.

Both teams resume action on Thursday as Chelsea takes on Blue Mountain and Whitchester meets South Royalton.

John Stark 5, Lebanon 2

Lebanon — The Generals put three across the plate without the benefit of a hit in the first inning and used that gap to hold off the Raiders (1-4).

Pitcher Matt Eylander struggled early, taking the loss. Derek Griffin settled Lebanon down with seven innings of relief work, limiting Stark to two runs on three hits the rest of the way.

Jon Willeman had his second two-hit game in as many days for the Raiders, who play their third in as many days at Kingswood this afternoon.

Pittsfield 13, Sunapee 3

Pittsfield, n.h. — The Panthers took advantage of the Lakers (1-2) at every opportunity, scoring seven runs in the opening two innings to take early control.

Pittsfield used Sunapee defensive miscues to plate three in the first frame, and all four runs in the second inning came with two outs. The Panthers put the contest away with a five-run fourth.

Cade Robinson was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run for Sunapee. Lane Smith doubled and drove in a run, and Gabe Hastings went 1-for-2 as well.

The Lakers go to Nute on Thursday.

Green Mountain 11Woodstock 7

Chester, Vt. — Errors doomed a decent outing from Woodstock starter Owen Tarleton as the Wasps (0-3) dropped their third in a row to open the season.

Tarleton threw four innings and five of the 11 runs he allowed were unearned because of a plethora of Woodstock miscues in the field. Tarleton walked three, fanned six and surrendered six hits, most with two outs after errors.

Owen Spann went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Andy Seipel drove in a run on a 2-for-3 day and Anthony Hendrick had two hits in four at-bats for Woodstock. The Wasps head to Vergennes on Friday.

Track and Field

Hartford Girls Win BF Relays

Westminster, Vt. — The Hurricanes won two team events and placed second in four others to win the girls’ half of the Bellows Falls Weight Relays at Hadley Field.

Ileana Sirois led Hartford to individual and team wins in the triple jump and long jump. Sirois broke a 12-year-old school record by leaping 34 feet, 11 inches in the triple jump, combining with Kennedy Mullen and Morgan White for a combined three-person team tally of 97-6. Sirois also won the long jumpat 15-5¼ and joined Mullen and Eleanor Hinkley for the team win at 43-10¾.

Lebanon’s girls finished third behind the Canes and BF. Kath Merchant swept the shot put, discus and javelin for the Raiders. Thetford’s girls were fourth as a team.

Lebanon’s boys were second behind BF, with Ryan Sullivan claiming the high jump. Hartford boys were seventh out of 10 schools.

The Canes head to the Windsor Invitational on Saturday morning.

Boys Lacrosse

Woodstock 9, Brattleboro 8

Woodstock — The Wasps (2-1) built a 6-4 halftime lead and held on against a late Brattleboro rally to take their second victory in a row.

Lucas Piconi and Cullen McCarthy netted hat tricks for Woodstock, with McCarthy adding three assists for a six-point night. Caden White added two goals and an assist, Jed Astbury had the Wasps’ other strike and Field Willis provided two helpers on the attack. Gabe Marsicovetere made all three of his saves in the second half to deny the visitors a comeback.

Woodstock visits Otter Valley on Thursday.

Hopkinton 20, Lebanon 3

Lebanon — The Hawks overpowered the Raiders (1-2), who were playing for the first time in 12 days because of spring break.

Aaron Damren had a goal and an assist for Lebanon. Nate Chickering and Jon Cloud also scored, and busy Lebanon goalie Caiden Skakalski made 19 saves.

The Raiders return to action on Monday at Laconia. Friday’s schedule home date with Stevens has been put off until next month because of a lack of available Cardinals.

College Baseball

Lyndon State 6, CSC 3Lyndon State 16, CSC 5

Lyndonville, Vt. — One day after sweeping Colby-Sawyer in New London, the Hornets repeated the feat on their home field.

The Hornets (14-14, 10-4) erased an opening run for the Chargers with a three-run first and never trailed in the first game. Hartford High graduate Codi Smith added a run-scoring double in the home sixth for Lyndon’s final run.

The hosts rapped 19 hits in the nightcap and scored in every inning. Colby-Sawyer (3-22,1-13) held an 4-3 advantage after two, but back-to-back two-run rallies put the Hornets up to stay.

The Chargers visit Castleton this afternoon.