Local Roundup: Canes Edge T-birds in First Round

Swanton, Vt. — Freshman Alex Bushway tossed a complete-game four-hitter and sophomore Kyle Hamilton delivered two RBIs, including the eventual game-winner in the top of the seventh inning, as No. 9 Hartford nipped No. 8 Missisquoi, 4-3, on Tuesday afternoon in a VPA Division II baseball tournament opener.

The Hurricanes (5-11) couldn’t hold a one-run lead midway through the game, but Bushway made sure they did the second time around. Hartford, which rode a senior-heavy roster to the state semifinals last year, will visit No. 1 Lamoille in Friday’s quarterfinals thanks to a youthful squad that stepped up when the moment arrived.

“It was a character win,” Hartford coach Jarrod Grassi said. “We fell down, stranded some guys early, finally executed some small ball, bunted them over and bunted them in. We just battled.”

Hartford took its first lead with a two-run fifth for a 2-1 lead on a Tyler Hamilton RBI sacrifice fly and a Kyle Hamilton run-scoring single. The Thunderbirds wasted no time regaining the advantage with a two-run home fifth.

Tyler Hamilton opened the Hartford seventh with a single, stealing second base and taking third on a Bushway groundout. Hunter Perkins singled Hamilton home, and pinch runner Brent Potter raced around the diamond to score when Kyle Hamilton launched a run-scoring double for the 4-3 lead.

Bushway fanned seven and walked four for the win on the mound. Kyle Hamilton finished 3-for-3, while Bushway and Tyler Hamilton both went 2-for-4 for Hartford.

Thetford 7, Williamstown 6

Williamstown, Vt. — Aiden Cudhea drilled a one-out, two-run triple to the gap between right and center field to drive home the tying and winning runs in the top of the seventh inning as the 10th-ranked Panthers (6-9) upset No. 7 Williamstown in the VPA D-III tournament after falling behind, 5-0, through two innings.

The Blue Devils got to Thetford starter Lawson Ouellette early, but the visitors returned the favor by chasing Williamstown pitcher Carson Corriveau late. Seth Boyce delivered an RBI single to key a three-run sixth to reduce a 6-2 deficit to a run before Cudhea’s heroics one inning later.

Thetford travels to No. 2 Green Mountain for a quarterfinal on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Chelsea 10, Poultney 0 (5)

Chelsea — A nine-run third inning moved the No. 7 Red Devils (8-5) to the VPA Division IV quarterfinals.

Dylan Kuban finished a home run shy of the cycle for Chelsea, slapping a first-inning triple, a run-scoring double in the second and a single in the third on a 3-for-3 day. Ronald Johnson had a two-run double and Logan Brinkman provided an RBI two-bagger in the third-inning explosion. Jake Colby threw five innings of one-hit, six-strikeout ball for the win. Chelsea visits No. 2 Danville on Saturday.

Arlington 6, Sharon 5

Arlington, Vt. — Kolby Wilkins’ RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 5-5 tie and sent the eighth-seeded Eagles past the ninth-ranked Phoenix (5-9), ending Sharon’s inaugural season.

TSA battled back with a three-run fifth after surrendering a four-run fourth. Kyle Hedgepeth gave Sharon hope in the top of the seventh by doubling and taking third base on a passed ball, but the Eagles induced three straight outs to end TSA’s last comeback attempt.

Hedgepeth went 4-for-4 with two doubles, Chris Pellegrino singled three times and Aidan Trimble went 2-for-4 with two runs for Sharon, which graduates eight.

Softball

Poultney 9South Royalton 8

South Royalton — The ninth-ranked Blue Devils held off a bottom-of-the-seventh-inning rally to eliminate the eighth-seeded Royals (6-9) from the VPA Division IV tournament.

South Royalton erupted for six runs in the third for a 6-2 lead, but Poultney gradually chipped away at pitcher Blake Southworth (15 strikeouts, 12 walks) to get back into the game. Paige Ballentine had two hits, including a ground-rule double, to pace the Royals’ offense. Hannah White, Kelsi Melvin and Grace Frary also had hits for South Royalton. Sierra Salls charged a ball in right field to throw a batter out at first.

Julia Bruno fanned three and walked seven to earn the win in the circle for Poultney (3-12). The visitors scored six runs in the final three innings for a 9-7 lead, then permitted a run in the last of the seventh before holding on.

The loss marked the final game in South Royalton softball history, pending the school’s merger into the new White River Valley district. The Royals made six VPA state finals and won two championships, in 1991 and ’97.

Windsor 18, Northfield 1

Windsor — The No. 8 Yellowjackets were all but handed a VPA Division III first-round playoff victory by the No. 9 Marauders (3-12), who issued eight walks, hit three batters and committed numerous wild pitches and passed balls.

Windsor’s Hannah Wood had two singles and Kacie Charest had two bunt singles. Carah Rugg threw a one-hitter with nine strikeouts and two walks and allowed an earned run. Rugg, a junior, and freshman catcher Adi Prior have become the Yellowjackets’ consistent battery in recent weeks. Prior began the season as a swing player, also competing in JV games.

“Carah has all the tools but she sometimes struggles with having confidence in herself,” said first-year coach Heather Stearns, who inherited a team that last season went 3-15 and was eliminated in the 2017 quarterfinals. “Having Adi back there squeezing each pitch really helps her. (Northfield) didn’t put a lot of balls in play, but everybody was still up and into the game.”

Windsor (6-11) advances to visit No. 1 Green Mountain (14-1) in a Friday quarterfinal, although the threat of inclement weather could move that meeting up a day. The teams did not meet during the regular season.

Thetford Advances

Thetford — Sixth-seeded Thetford picked up a win without hitting the field when No. 11 Rivendell forfeited their VPA Division III tournament opener because of a lack of players, according to TA athletic director Blendon Salls.

The Panthers (7-7) will now open play with a quarterfinal at No. 3 Peoples at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Mill River 17, Hartford 1 (5)

North Clarendon, Vt. — The eighth-ranked Minutemen made quick work of the ninth-seeded Hurricanes (5-12) in a VPA D-II first-rounder.

Hartford graduates eight from first-year coach Bob Beisler’s squad.

Boys Tennis

U-32 6, Woodstock 1

East Montpelier, Vt. — The fourth-seeded Raiders (11-2) sent the 13th-seeded Wasps (5-7) home from the VPA Division I tournament, holding the visitors to only a win at first doubles.

Henry Greene and Gardner Gottsegen gave Woodstock a 6-2, 6-2 decision over Jack Morris and Bruno John for a quick 1-0 lead before U-32 took over. The victory was the first point Woodstock has scored in a VPA tournament match since 2008.

Oliver Wilson extended U-32’s Harrison Bushnell to a third-set tiebreak at first singles in a 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 loss, while Danny Drebber battled Owen Myka-Smith to a pair of tiebreaks at fifth singles in a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) defeat.

Woodstock loses Gottsegen, Ethan Earle and Justin Kopf to graduation.