In softball, if you have good pitcher, you are going win a lot of games. But even a great pitcher can't do it all alone, as consistent hitting and steady defense is also needed to rack up the wins.
Brattleboro has a great pitcher in senior Leah Madore, who is a strike throwing machine. Consistency at the plate and in the field is another story.
The Colonels played in the Hoosick Falls (N.Y.) Tournament on April 23, and they let a 14-strikeout effort by Madore go to waste in a 1-0 loss to Salem, N.Y. Both teams were held to two hits each, with Kayli Speno hitting a double and Brenna Beebe adding a basehit in the loss.
In the nightcap against Mechanicville, N.Y., the Colonels lost, 9-8. Madore had 12 strikeouts in the loss. Speno went 3-for-4, Madore hit a pair of doubles, and Cynthia Velazquez and Mariah Fellows each added one hit.
Against Windsor on April 28 at Sawyer Field, the Colonels looked unstoppable for four innings, and quite mortal in the fifth inning in a 17-5 win that was stopped in the bottom of the fifth due to the mercy rule.
Brattleboro showed their power in the first inning when they scored 13 runs as they sent 17 batters to the plate. With the help of four errors, four walks, five hits, and a wild pitch, the Colonels had a game's worth of offense in one inning. Taylin Bauer cranked a three-run triple to center, while Brittney Wright had an RBI double and Velazquez hit an RBI triple.
Meanwhile, Madore held Windsor to an infield hit in the first inning as she struck six and walked no one.
The shutout disappeared in the fourth when Madore and Wright, her catcher, collided at home plate as they both pounced on an Amber Simonds bunt at the same time. Neither player was hurt, but the aura of invincibility was punctured. Windsor scored three runs in the inning, and then got two more in the fifth.
Madore finished with 11 strikeouts, one walk, and five hits to get a win that Colonels coach Kelly Markol was not altogether happy with.
“We play well most of the time, then we make a mistake, and things just escalate,” she said after the game. “We can get away with it against some teams, but against really tough teams, it comes back to bite us. We need to play hard on every pitch in every game.”
The win evened the Colonels' season record to 2-2.
Ultimate disc
• Leland & Gray swept a home-and-home series with Brattleboro last week that featured far from ideal conditions for both games.
At Natowich Field on April 26, rain made things a little slick, but the Rebels didn't seem to mind in a 15-6 victory. Finch Holmes scored six times, Jackson Fillion dished out four assists, and Andrew Tolbert blocked 11 throws for the Rebels.
The Rebels scored five unanswered goals to start the game, and led 8-2 at the break. Waylund Walsh and Kelton Mager both scored for the Colonels in the first half, and Nya Ridgeway, Walsh, and Mager all scored in the second half.
Wind was the story in the rematch on April 29 in Townshend - a persistent gale with gusts up to about 25-30 mph.
Again, the Rebels better handled the conditions and defeated Brattleboro, 13-4. Holmes led the Rebels with four goals and Warren Roberts added three goals. Trevor Hazelton and Fillion had six and four assists, respectively, while Tolbert had 10 blocks. Walsh scored all four of Brattleboro goals in the first half.
Baseball
• Springfield shut down Leland & Gray, 6-1, on April 23 in Townshend. Winning pitcher Logan Roundy threw five shutout innings, struck out 10, and allowed just one hit. The Cosmos got all their runs in the first two innings against losing pitcher Cody Hescock.
After a 17-1 drubbing on April 26 by Arlington, the Rebels got their second win of the season with a 17-7 victory over Woodstock on April 28. Parker Richardson pitched four innings to earn the win. The Rebels then dropped a 3-2 decision to Green Mountain on April 30 to finish the week at 2-5.
• Eli Allbee scored the winning run on Jake Moore's squeeze bunt and Jack Cravinho threw a complete game three-hitter as Bellows Falls edged Springfield, 3-2, on April 28. BF is now 4-3 on the season.
Track & Field
• The Bellows Falls girls won a seven-school meet at Green Mountain on April 26 with 166 points, while the BF boys took third.
Hadley Gleim, Ashlynn Boucher, and Maya Waryas led the BF girls as each won an individual event and all three teamed up with Ava LaRoss to win the 4x100 relay. Stephanie Ager (1,500), Nola Sciacca (discus), and Breanna Stockman (javelin) were also winners for the Terriers.
Mack Ross finished first in the 300 hurdles in 46.3 seconds to lead the BF boys. Green Mountain's Mitchell Rounds was next in 48.5 seconds.
• The Brattleboro girls' and boys' track teams each finished first at the annual Fenn Relays at the Freeman Track on April 30.
The quartet of Isabella Lonardo, Addison DeVault, Caitlin Lonardo, and Sylvie Normandeau won the girls 4x200 relay, while Genevieve Redmond, Katherine Normandeau, Elliana Galdamez, and Ava Whitney were winners in the 4x400. Isabella Lonardo, Katherine Normandeau, Redmond, and Whitney also added a sprint medley relay victory.
Brattleboro did not win any events in the boys' meet, but piled up the points with four second place finishes and two third place finishes. Tristan Evans, Jacob Girard, Sean von Ranson, and Finn Lamorder were second in both the 4x100 and 4x200 events.
Softball
• Against a strong Springfield team, Leland & Gray rallied in the late innings to pull out a 9-8 win in Townshend on April 23. It was the first time in memory that the Rebels defeated the Cosmos in softball.
Winning pitcher Kristin Lowe threw a five-hitter, with five walks and seven strikeouts. Mary Sanderson and Makaila Morse each went 2-for-3 to lead the Rebel attack and Ruth Wright and Catherine Shine each hit an RBI double.
The Rebels then clobbered Woodstock, 25-3, in five innings on April 28. Ainsley Meyer went 2-for-2 with an RBI double and her courtesy runner Savannah Cadrion scored four runs. Rihanna Dryden had two hits, two RBIs, and scored three runs, while Ansley Henderson added an RBI double. Lowe scattered six hits to earn the win.
• Winning pitcher Izzy Belisle held the Terriers to five hits as Springfield rolled to 19-6 win over Bellows Falls on April 28 in Westminster. BF then dropped an 11-8 decision to undefeated West Rutland on April 29, the fourth loss in a row for the 2-4 Terriers.
• Mill River led Twin Valley 24-19 after five innings in an April 28 game was suspended due to darkness. It will resume on May 7 at Mill River before the start of the regularly scheduled game between the teams in North Clarendon.
Lacrosse
• The Brattleboro boys have yet to play a home game this season, as their home debut against Northampton, Mass., scheduled for April 30 was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Northampton High School.
On April 23, the Colonels lost in double overtime to Randolph, 4-3. Wyatt Cudworth, Will Miskovich, and Cam Cruz were the goalscorers. Brattleboro then lost to Mount Anthony, 13-5, on April 28 in Bennington.
Saxtons River Rec Area hosts fishing derby
• The Saxtons River Rec Area will hold its annual fishing derby Saturday, May 7, at the ponds on Pleasant Valley Road. Following last year's schedule, there will be three different age groups in three shifts to help ensure more children can participate with their families.
Children ages 4 to 6 will register at 8 a.m., with fishing beginning at 8:30 a.m. Age group 7 to 10 will register at 9:15 a.m., with fishing starting at 9:45 a.m. Age group 11 through 14 will register at 10:30 a.m., with fishing beginning at 11 a.m.
Children not showing up at their correct time will not be able to participate. Families with children in multiple age groups will only be allowed to have the appropriate-aged child registered and fishing during their given time. Siblings can be present but not fish.
Adults are responsible for providing their children with all the gear, bait and assistance needed while at the derby. Participants and families will be required to leave the derby once their age group's session has ended unless there is a sibling in the next age group.
Donations towards expenses will be accepted at the derby, and volunteers of all ages are welcome to contact samanthamperry@hotmail.com or through the Saxtons River Rec Facebook page.
Brattleboro Outing Club watercraft sale set for May 14
• The Brattleboro Outing Club's (BOC) annual consignment sale of human and wind-powered watercraft (canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, rowing shells, rowboats, and small sailboats) takes place on Saturday, May 14, from noon to 2 p.m., at 464 Putney Rd., Brattleboro, in the “On The Waterfront” building above the Marina Restaurant.
The event will be held both indoors and outdoors, rain or shine, with face masks and physical distancing. Proceeds from the fundraiser will allow BOC's Summer Paddling Program, to be offered free and open to the public.
Boats will be accepted for the sale on May 13, from noon to 2 p.m., and 5 to 7 p.m., and May 14 from 8 to 11 a.m., at 464 Putney Rd. Trailered craft will be received on Saturday only.
No motors or motorboats will be allowed. Boats deemed beyond reasonable condition will not be accepted.
Prospective buyers are welcome to browse from 9 a.m. to noon. In the event that two or more buyers are interested in the same craft, a mini-auction will take place. Since this is a fundraiser, the highest bidder gets the boat. Cash and local checks only.
Boat owners set the selling price, and negotiation limits. BOC gets 10 percent of the final selling price, and Vermont and Brattleboro sales tax is also paid. For the first hour, boats are sold at, or above, the asking price. After that, boats listed as “or best offer” are available for a negotiated price. All sales are final, and there are no warranties, unless an original factory warranty is still in effect. Donations of boats and gear will be accepted, and appreciated.
All purchased, and “leftover” boats and gear must be removed by 3 p.m., or they become the property of BOC, and sold at a later date. For more information, contact Larry McIntosh at 802-254-3666 or 207-703-6668, or Lmacyak@gmail.com.
Connecticut River Valley Baseball League starts play on May 15
• The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League (CRVBL), an amateur baseball league for ballplayers ages 20 and up, marks its 20th anniversary this year with a new format for this summer's games.
Founded in 2002 by furniture maker Richard Bissell of Putney, the CRVBL has fluctuated in size over the years, from three teams to eight. The four teams slated to compete this season are the defending champion Putney Fossils, the Connecticut River Iron Men, and two new teams - Walpole Granite and Mt. Monadnock.
According to CRVBL President Danny Lichtenfeld, the four teams will play 12 games each, every Sunday from May 15 through Aug. 7, with the exception of July 3. All games will take place at Claude Gouin Field at the Dummerston School on Route 5. Games will start at 10 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. and will last nine innings.
Playoffs will take place over the two weekends following the regular season. On Sunday, Aug. 14, two single-elimination semi-final games will be played between seeds #2 and #3 (10 a.m.) and seeds #1 and #4 (1:15 p.m.). The winners of the semi-final games will square off in the championship game on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 1 p.m., at Hubbard Park in Walpole, N.H.
In honor of his many contributions to the league, Lichtenfeld says the league championship trophy has been renamed the Richard W. Bissell Cup. For more information about the CRVBL, including the complete 2022 season schedule, rosters, statistics, and more, visit www.crvbl.com.
Senior bowling roundup
• The winter/spring 2022 season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl concluded on April 28 with Trash-O-Matic (61-24) going 4-1 clinch the season championship.
Stayin' Alive (51.5-33.5) finished in second place, followed by The 844s (47-38), Bowling Stones (42-43), Slow Movers (39.5-45.5), A Rose/Tulips (37-48), The Anythings (34-51), and Good Times (27-58).
Pat Bentrup had the women's high handicap game (235) and series (672). Stan Kolpa had the men's high handicap game (251), while Charlie Marchant had the high handicap series (678). The 844s had the high team handicap game (899), while Stayin' Alive had the high handicap series (2,505).
In scratch scoring, Robert Rigby led the men for the fifth straight week with a 653 series that featured games of 236, 234, and 183. Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 629 series with games of 225, 211, and 193, while Chuck Adams had a 606 series with games of 211, 206, and 189.
Gary Montgomery had a 552 series with games of 209 and 188, while Marchant had a 552 series with a 191 game. Jerry Dunham had a 543 series with a 197 game, and Marty Adams had a 513 series with a 194 game.
Nancy Dalzell and Bentrup tied for the women's high scratch game (171) while Dalzell had the high scratch series (482). Josie Rigby rolled a 170 game, while Pamela Greenblot had a 173 game and Carol Gloskie had a 160 game.