FAIR HAVEN, Vt. — Joe Valerio slipped a no-out, bases-loaded single to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning to ignite a five-run rally, which Lakes Region used for a 7-2 win over the White River Valley Junior Nighthawks on Wednesday night in a key Vermont Summer Baseball League matchup at Fair Haven Union High School.
Lakes Region (8-1) sent 10 batters to the plate in the deciding frame, with the first five all reaching base and scoring. The hosts successfully used bunts on two occasions, finally getting to WRJ starter Zach Whitmore in their final at-bat.
Whitmore (Randolph/Husson College) and Lakes Region’s Aubrey Ramey engaged in a pitchers’ duel into the sixth. After dismissing WRJ (7-2) in the top half, Ramey opened the bottom with a single. Dylan Lee followed with a bunt single, each moved up a base on a balk and Mitchell Brayman was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Valerio then slapped a 1-2 offering from Whitmore under the glove of diving Junior Nighthawks first baseman Robert Slocum, who had been stationed on the edge of the infield grass in hopes of denying a Lakes Region run. Ramey scored, with Lee coming in right behind after the WRJ right fielder fumbled the baseball. Evan Reed singled home a run, Sawyer Ramey earned an RBI on a squeeze bunt and Jarrett Williams’ run-scoring sacrifice fly ended Lakes Region’s winning rally.
The contest pitted two of the top teams in the VSBL at the season’s mid-point. Lakes Region entered the night tied on points with Hinesburg-based S.D. Ireland for first place, with the Junior Nighthawks just percentage points back in third. The Hawks saw a seven-game winning streak come to an end.
Both of WRJ’s runs came without the benefit of a hit. Slocum (Windsor) gained two bases on errors in the second, advanced on a ground out and scored on an RBI infield grounder from Jacob Dwinell (Hartford), narrowly beating the throw home for a 1-1 tie at the time.
Down 2-1, WRJ again tied the game in the fifth without a hit. After Drew Martin (Hartford) walked, courtesy runner Nick Martin (Hartford) moved around on an error and a ground out, coming home on a passed ball.
Whitmore went the distance and took the loss. The left-hander struck out four, walked four and allowed seven hits. Aubrey Ramey tossed a complete-game three-hitter for Lakes Region.
WRJ visits Brattleboro on Thursday, then returns to the Maxfield Sports Complex on Saturday for a doubleheader rematch with Lakes Region.
PENACOOK, N.H. — The Upper Valley Anglers 19Us nearly knocked off Concord for the second time in the New Hampshire COVID Baseball League season, ultimately falling in extra innings to the league leaders.
The Cannons (11-1) trailed most of the night at Rolfe Park, needing a sixth-inning run to counter Upper Valley’s opening score. Trey Chickering (Proctor Academy) got the Anglers (6-6) on the board with a first-inning single, eventually coming home on an RBI single from Jack Loftus (Hanover). Pitcher Kyle Young (KUA) kept Upper Valley in the lead, throwing one-hit ball into the sixth when the Cannons used a walk and two singles to tie the game.
The Anglers slapped nine hits off Concord pitching but left runners stranded in four innings, including one at third base in the top of the eighth. Concord made them pay by linking a single, two walks and an Upper Valley error to net the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth.
Sam Sacerdote (Hanover) and Chickering had two-hit games for the Anglers, who entertain the Nashua Defenders on Saturday at Lebanon High School.