Thetford Academy baseball repeats as DIII state champion

BURLINGTON — Saturday morning was pure perfection for the Thetford Academy baseball team as the Panthers clinched the VPA Division III state championship for the second straight year and completed an unbeaten season, blanking Bellows Falls, 8-0, at Centennial Field. 

Leading 2-0 in the bottom of the third, Panthers senior Tommy Amber stepped to the plate and, with runners on second and third with two outs, blew the game open. 

Amber launched a long fly ball to right field, bringing home both runners, and ended up scoring himself after an attempt to throw the senior out at third base went by the Terriers’ third baseman.  

Trailing by five, Bellows Falls did not have much of a chance the way Thetford sophomore starter Miles Lawrence was dealing. 

Lawrence threw six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and three walks and struck out seven. 

The sophomore said it was “awesome” to have that type of outing on the biggest stage, acknowledging he did not have many words to describe it. 

“It’s nice — I have defense behind my back — I just knew I could throw strikes and got it done,” Lawrence said. 

It’s tough to say that a dominant championship performance is expected of any team, but one from this version of the Panthers is certainly not unforeseen. 

Heading into Saturday’s contest, Thetford had won 15 games with an average margin of victory of just over 10 runs per contest and, after its latest win, probably secured the title of best team in program history, according to head coach Kris Keelty. 

“They’ve been playing baseball here at Thetford for a long time, and I don’t think any team has run the table, so I mean, they can lay claim to being probably the best team Thetford has ever had,” he said. “That’s special.” 

While the title win solidified a perfect record, it also served as a perfect ending for assistant coach Jarrod Grassi, an Upper Valley baseball mainstay who started coaching in 2000 and headed Hartford High’s program for 18 seasons. 

The D-III title game marked the final game of Grassi’s tenure as a Panther, as he is set to move out of the area. 

“What I can say about this team is that it’s full of character. These last two years — if I could write a storybook ending — I did honestly,” he said. 

Adding: “We (he and Keelty) were at Hartford together from 2004. … We’ve been at it for a long time, and it’s just interesting that Kris was my assistant when I was at Hartford and now I’m his assistant. He does a great job.”

The Panthers got to writing their assistant coach’s storybook ending in the bottom of the second, taking a 1-0 lead after junior Wyatt Parker drew a bases-loaded walk. 

As Lawrence continued to cruise on the bump, the offense put more breathing room between themselves and the Terriers in the bottom of the third.

After a wild pitch with the bases loaded gave Thetford a 2-0 lead, it was Amber who helped his squad to start running away with a championship. 

“I was really excited, and I don’t know, I didn’t think I was going to get home, that’s for sure — I’m not exactly the fastest guy,” the senior said with a laugh. “I just kept moving, getting more excited as I went around the bases.”

Thetford added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth on a single up the middle from Amber, a bases-loaded walk drawn by senior Owen Goodrich, and a sacrifice fly from senior Xander Oshoniyi. 

Lawrence took care of the Terriers in the top of the sixth, and Oshoniyi pitched the seventh to the tune of three strikeouts and a walk to seal the victory. 

When the dust of the championship victory settled, the team gathered for photos with a jersey donning the number 3 front and center. A tribute to Ryan Pepe, a 2020 graduate who passed away in December, played baseball at Thetford and coached there.

“Ryan was our JV coach the last two years … really excellent baseball player, so we’ve just kind of worn those as a tribute to him all year,” Keelty said. “We miss him.” 

With its second straight title and third in the last four years, it’s probably safe to describe the Panthers’ recent run as dynastic. 

“Just like all season, everything kind of fell into place today,” Keelty said. “It’s just been one of those years — everything has gone right.”