Local Roundup: Nighthawks’ Arms Combine to Two-Hit Vermont

Montpelier, Vt. — Upper Valley Nighthawks pitchers Reid VanScoter and Jordan DiValerio combined to allow three hits, two walks and struck out seven in nine innings for a 3-1 NECBL win over the Vermont Mountaineers on Saturday at Recreation Field.

“That was the goal going in, (VanScoter) going five, (DiValerio) going four,” Upper Valley head coach Jason Szafarski said after his team improved to 6-2. “None of those guys saw the same part of the order twice. That was the plan.”

Upper Valley chipped away offensively for the win.

The Nighthawks scored twice in the second inning with an RBI single from Eddie Modica (LIU-Brooklyn) that scored Anthony Quiroin (Lamar) from second base. Anthony Meduri (Binghamton) later scored on an errant throw to first base on a ground ball to the infield.

Vermont’s Nate Grys (Western Michigan) answered in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run in his first at-bat of the season. Upper Valley led, 2-1, after two innings.

Drew Tipton (Arkansas State) extended the lead to 3-1 in the sixth, scoring on a hit-and-run play off a Greg Hardison (UNC-Greensboro) double to left field. Upper Valley managed only three hits after the second inning.

But Nighthawks pitchers were dominant, keeping the offensively struggling Mountaineers off balance. DiValerio pitched four innings of hitless shutout ball in relief, striking out three and allowing only one walk.

“They are what they are,” Szafarski said. “I knew they weren’t going to swing the bats that well, they haven’t been swinging them all summer. They’ve been pitching it great, playing great defense. It was pretty much the exact game I would have anticipated.”

Upper Valley hosts a doubleheader with the Ocean State Waves today at the Maxfield Sports Complex. Game one is set to begin at 4 p.m.

Jr. Legion Baseball

Lebanon 5, Alton 0Lebanon 15, Alton 5 (6)

New London — Lebanon Post 22 opened its junior season with a pair of wins over Alton at Colby-Sawyer College.

Kyle Pelletier’s three-hitter paced Lebanon in game one. He struck out four and walked no one. Nolan Gantrish had two hits and two runs, and teammates Kobe Benoit and Kyle Young each had a hit, run and RBI.

In game two, Post 22 scored 13 runs in the sixth to take a mercy-rule decision.

Gantrish, Benoit, Kyle Young, Zach Moore and Garrett Prince had two hits apiece. Moore allowed two hits and struck out seven over five innings, and Benoit pitched the sixth.