The Brattleboro Colonels softball team is struggling to find its groove after an up-and-down week.
On May 6, the Colonels shut out Springfield, 9-0. Pitcher Hannah Wilson scattered six hits to earn the win, with three strikeouts and two walks.
McKinlie Carpenter led the Colonels' offense with a 4-for-4 day; three singles and a double. Maddy Derosia went 2-for-3, Siera Butler had a solo home run and three RBIs, and Wilson, Casey Manning, Devin Millerick, and Daisy Giroux all had base hits for Brattleboro.
Against Fair Haven last Thursday, the Colonels let a 7-1 lead slip away as they lost 11-10 in eight innings. Colonels coach Kelly Markol said that game was a case of sloppy defense and a sub-par pitching performance by Wilson.
“We can't compete unless Hannah throws strikes,” Markol said.
That was definitely the case last Friday in a soggy 14-2 loss to undefeated Mount Anthony at Sawyer Field. While Wilson struggled, MAU pitcher Baylee Potts struck out 10 and walked no one in throwing a complete-game six-hitter.
MAU's Makayla Farrara drove in five runs with a homer, a double, and two sacrifice flies as the Patriots put up three runs in the first, four in the third, five in the fourth, and two in the fifth.
A steady, heavy mist fell throughout the game, but Markol refused to let the wet conditions be an alibi. “We are struggling right now, and we're trying to find a way to change things,” she said. “MAU is a good team that can hit the ball, but we gave them way too much help. There were too many errors and mental mistakes.”
The Colonels are 7-4 and are the No. 5 ranked team in Division I, but they need to be more consistent if they want to stay in the top half of the standings.
Softball
• Twin Valley could be forgiven if they felt confident about winning their softball game against Leland & Gray on May 7. The Rebels entered the game with a 1-5 record and have struggled to get it together in the first half of the season, while the Wildcats were 3-2 and playing fairly well.
Unfortunately for Twin Valley, Leland & Gray picked this day to come out and show the rest of the Marble Valley League that they're not dead yet. The Rebels rolled to a 12-2 win with a good pitching performance by Elizabeth Symanski, lots of timely hits, and some big plays on defense.
TV took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Savannah Nesbitt reached on a dropped third strike, stole second and third, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Christina Moore. After that, it was all Rebels.
Jessie Stockwell put the Rebels ahead to stay in the bottom of the first with a two-out, three-run double. Keri Coburn added an RBI single and later scored on a throwing error to give Leland & Gray a 5-1 lead.
The Rebels added another run in the second on an RBI single by Maggie Joyce; Emily Stockwell stole home in the fourth to make it 7-1 Rebels.
Jordan Gouger's two-run triple highlighted a five-run fifth for the Rebels. Symanski and Joyce also drove in runs. TV's last gasp was a home run to straightaway center in the seventh by Hannah Swanson. Symanski allowed just three hits to get the win.
For Twin Valley coach Aaron Wood, it was a frustrating loss. “We made a dozen errors, and we're capable of playing much better on defense,” he said.
For Rebels coach Tammy Clausen, it was a sign that her team, which played for a state title last season and is rebuilding somewhat this season, is ready to play to its capabilities.
“It's been a rough start, but I can see that they are getting more confident,” said Clausen. “They're starting to realize they're a decent team.”
• The day before their big loss to Leland & Gray, Twin Valley had a 12-4 win over Poultney. Colton Butler and Jordan Niles split pitching duties, and Nesbitt went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Sammy Cunningham-Darrah also drove in two runs with two hits.
• Black River pitcher Sara Rumrill held Bellows Falls to two hits in a 15-0 win last Thursday.
Baseball
• Against Burr & Burton on May 6, Brattleboro won a 14-7 slugfest. The Colonels got eight runs in the third inning to rally from a 5-2 deficit and take control of the game. Chris McAuliffe went 3 for 5 and with five RBIs on a double and a pair of singles. Starting pitcher Dan Richardson allowed seven runs in four innings and struck out one. Kevin Tao finished up and held the Bulldogs scoreless, striking out three in three innings of relief work.
The Colonels kept up their winning ways in the rain on Friday with a 7-0 decision over Mount Anthony.
• Leland & Gray had a down week with losses to Woodstock (4-2 on May 6) and Otter Valley (18-3 on May 7). Josh Donna, losing pitcher against Woodstock, struck out 10 batters but walked five and gave up two hits over six innings.
Jeremy Bovat, Owen Beattie, and Adam Beattie took turns on the mound against Otter Valley without success as the Rebels fell to 3-3. Together the three pitchers gave up 13 hits and 10 walks, and struck two batters. The Rebels defense committed five errors in the five-inning game cut short by the 15-run mercy rule.
• Colin Lozito, Dal Nesbitt, Brett Swanson, and Sam Molner each had two hits as Twin Valley rolled to a 15-2 win over Black River on May 5. Molner threw six innings to get the win.
Poultney rolled over Twin Valley, 11-0 on May 6. Dal Nesbitt was losing pitcher for the Wildcats as they were held to just four hits.
Boys' lacrosse
• Brattleboro traveled to Keene, N.H., on May 6, and rolled past the Blackbirds, 13-3. Sam Siegel, Brennen Zolnoski, and Conner Elliott-Knaggs each scored three goals, while Robyn Avery, Johnny Curtis, Jack Gagnon, and Perry Legg each added a goal. Goalie Ian Cebek had 15 saves.
Cebek again made 15 saves as the Colonels beat Rutland, 15-6, at Natowich Field on Wednesday. Zolnoski had five goals to lead the Brattleboro attack, including three goals in the first half. Freeman and Elliott-Knaggs each finished with three goals. Siegel (two goals, four assists) and Gagnon (two goals) rounded out the scoring for the 7-1 Colonels.
Girls' lacrosse
• Hannah Lynde scored four goals and two assists, and Cassidy Stebbins got three goals in the second half, in Brattleboro's 13-7 win over Rutland on May 6 at Natowich Field. Gaia Uman and Marissa Semenovich split goaltending duties; Uman had three saves in the first and Semenovich made five in the second.
Last Friday, the Colonels dropped a 14-11 decision in Manchester to Burr & Burton. Meggan Siggins had three goals in the loss.
Track and field
• Brattleboro swept a six-team meet at Hadley Field in Westminster on May 5. Host team Bellows Falls was second, followed by Woodstock, Sharon, Hartford, and Burr & Burton.
The Brattleboro boys were led by Josh Parro, who placed first in the triple jump (36 feet, 6.5 inches), and first in the long jump. Dakota Peterson finished second in the shot put (39-5.5), 100 meter sprint (12 seconds), and discus (95-3). Jonathon Burdo was first in the 300 hurdles (46.2) and third in 110 hurdles, while Miles Goldenbird was second in the triple jump (36-2), third in discus, and fourth in shot put.
Declan King took first in pole vault (9-6); Dan Burdo was second in the high jump (5-4); and Tyler Clement was third in the 100. Ryan Gilligan qualified for the state meet with his fourth-place finishes in the 1,500 and 3,000.
Eve Pomazi and Nevada Powers spearheaded the winning effort by the Colonel girls. Pomazi was first in the 100 (13.2), 200 (27.4), and long jump (13-4), and second in 400 (64.7), while Powers was second in the 3,000 (12:11), and 1.500 (5:35), and first in high jump.
Elizabeth Lussier took third in the 100 (13.6) and long jump (12-11), and fourth in the 200. Gwendolyn Harris finished in second in long jump (13-2), and third in the 400.
Girls' tennis
• Brattleboro pulled out a 5-2 win over Hartford on May 5.
Katie Tsukamoto, Jenn Hutton, and Taylor Bird were winners in singles play, while the doubles teams of Grace Willingham and Eliza Racine, and Emily Tannis and Kimberly Nau, were also victorious.
Boys tennis
• Brattleboro lost 7-0 to undefeated Burr & Burton on May 7 in Manchester.
A day earlier, Bellows Falls met with an identical fate against the Bulldogs.