NHIAA Tournament Action

PAUL HOWE PHOTO
SOFTBALL

Division III

Wednesday, May 31

First Round

Newport 20, Mascoma 0

NEWPORT — Unbeaten Newport rolled over Mascoma, 20-0 in first-round D-III playoff action.

The Tigers of Coach Sam McNeel banged the ball around in the bottom of the first inning, taking an 11-0 lead before Mascoma could stop the onslaught.

In that frame Alyssa Burr singled home two runs as did Shelby Adams. Meghan Howard singled home the fifth run and then scored on a poor pickoff attempt giving Newport a 6-0 lead.

Hailey Perry scored on a passed ball and Kendall Hamilton singled in another run and it was 8-0. Stacia Dame wrapped up the scoring in the first with an inside-the-park home run for a 10-0 Tiger lead.

“I do not know if this win helps at all,” said McNeel on what the win does for his squad. “What does help is that we faced and beat Mascenic a few days ago. Wee just need to keep executing and be ready.”

Dame also doubled for Newport; Hamilton was 4-f-r-4 and Howard and Burr were 3-for-4. Lacey McNeel allowed five hits and struck out 10 on the mound for the Tigers.

Stevens 5, Fall Mountain 4

CLAREMONT — Fifth-seeded Stevens got a test from 12th seeded Fall Mountain before Wednesday, holding on for a 5-4 victory in the opening round of Division III.

The Cardinals picked up their winning run in the top of the fifth inning with two outs.

Freshman Morgan Rhoades was on first base when a ground ball by junior Kate Chambers deflected off the glove of the Fall Mountain first baseman and hit the leg of Rhoades heading for second, ricocheting into the outfield. Rhoades continued to round the bases, scoring what would turn out to be the winning run.

In the top of the sixth Fall Mountain picked up two runs but that rally fizzled out when a runner got caught stealing and a fly out. The Wildcats went down in order in the seventh.

Saturday, June 2

Quarterfinals

Mascenic 10, Newport 0

NEWPORT — The Mascenic Vikings avenged a regular season 3-0 loss to Newport by downing the Tigers in Division III quarterfinal action on Saturday, 10-0, that also snapped Newport’s 15-game winning streak.

Mascenic took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and continued to add runs as the game progressed.

Pitcher Mariah Labrie struck out the first 11 batters she faced, “She was a buzzsaw,” said Newport Coach Sam McNeel.

Newport picked up two hits late in the game with a Libby Tremblay double in the sixth and a single in the seventh by Kendall Hamilton.

Newport pitcher Lacey McNeel was touched up for 13 hits and eight earned runs, walking one and striking out one. Labrie ended the game with 14 strikeouts.

Berlin 2, Stevens 1

BERLIN — In a game of high-ranked teams, Berlin slipped by Stevens, 2-1, in quarterfinal tournament action Saturday.

Sam McCann pitched a one-hitter for No. 4 Berlin. Makayla Maccioli connected for a fourth-inning double for Stevens’ only hit of the contest.

With Stevens leading, 1-0, Berlin had a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth for the victory.

For the Cardinals, Madison Lapsley gave up five hits, walked four and struck out four.

Stevens ended it season at 16-3.

 

 

Division IV

Wednesday, May 31

First Round

Hopkinton 7, Sunapee 2

CONTOOCOOK — Sunapee’s season came to an end at 9-2 on May 31st after dropping a 7-2 decision to Hopkinton in the opening round of the D-IV softball playoffs.

The loss also snapped Sunapee’s string of three straight D-IV championships.

However, the title run just might fire back up next season as the lone graduation loss this year will be Kalleigh Durkee. Four juniors returning are Erin Moynihan, Hannah Cooney, Star Lucas and Elizabeth Bennett so the future looks bright.

Freshman Miah Hamm was 3-for-3 and she drove in both Laker runs.

Cooney hurled the first four innings and Ellie Frederick pitched the final two.

BASEBALL

Division III

Thursday, May 31

First Round

Newport 6, Campbell 1

LITCHFIELD — Senior Cody Turgeon gave Newport a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo home run Thursday and the Tigers, the No. 11 seed, went on to clip No. 6 seed Campbell, 6-1.

Campbell finished the regular season at 11-5 while the Tigers were 8-6.

Turgeon also took care of business on the mound, hurling 6 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and fanning six.

“Although his control was an issue he got out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth. Other than that they never got a runner past second base until the seventh inning,” said Newport Coach Jon Hamel.

According to Hamel, the victory was Newport’s first in playoff action in 10 or so years.

“We need to have the mindset of playing in a one-game season for the remainder of the playoffs,” Hamel stated.

Belmont 8, Fall Mountain 0

BELMONT — No. 3 seed Belmont, 14-3, downed No. 15 Fall Mountain, 7-9, in playoff action on Thursday, 8-0.

For the Wildcats, Noah Lantz, Billy Wilder, Justin Beauregard, Nick Peltier and Tucker Wright all picked up hits but Fall Mountain was never able to push any runs across the plate.

The Wildcats struck out 16 times over the seven-inning contest.

Bishop Brady 8, Stevens 0

CONCORD — Stevens gave up five runs in the third inning and Bishop Brady ended up with an 8-0 D-III victory in the opening round of the playoffs on Thursday.

Stevens, 10-7, was the 9th Seed and Bishop Brady was a notch higher in eighth place with a 10-6 mark.

Drew Grenier went the distance for the Cardinals allowing eight hits walking four and striking out eight. Only two of Bishop Brady’s eight run were earned.

 

 

Division IV

Sunapee 6, Profile 2

FRANCONIA — Sunapee went on the road Thursday and took care of business, downing Profile, 6-2.

The N o. 9 seeded Lakers finished their regular season at 8-7 while Profile, No. 8, was 11-5.

Nick Ducharme hurled 6 2/3 innings allowing seven hits, striking out 10 and giving up two walks.

At the plate, Matt Nangeroni was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI; Harper flint was 2-for-3 and Jackson Cooney and Ducharme both chipped in with one hit each.

Coach Tom Frederick said catcher Darren Hulton had a solid game behind the plate for Sunapee. “He threw two runners out at second and was blocking the ball and framing the ball really well,” Frederick said.

Quarterfinals

Division III

Saturday, June 2

Newport 3, Belmont 2

BELMONT — Newport held off a seventh-inning charge by Belmont to nip the Red Raiders, 3-2, on a game-ending double play.

With the victory Newport, the No. 11 seed, has now upset No. 6 Campbell and No. 3 Belmont Red Raiders.

The bottom of the seventh was right around the corner for Belmont and even a dribbler to the outfield probably would have sent two runners home for victory. However, it didn’t work out quite that way.

With one out, Newport starting hurler Kyle Rossiter had to leave the game due to pitch count. Kyle Fish took over the pitching duties and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases with one out.

Newport Coach Jon Hamel brought his infielders in, thinking about a double play or cutting down the runner coming home. That move worked perfectly.

The next hitter tapped a ground ball to Tony Robertson at second base. The ball rolls up the arm of Robertson before he throws to shortstop Cody Turgeon who bare hands the ball for a force out at second and throws to first baseman Daniel Lee who makes an incredible stretch and keeps a foot on the base to double up the runner for the game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Rossiter gave up only three hits, struck out six and issued five walks. “He really kept a good hitting team at bay,” Hamel said. Rossiter also went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs. Jarred Meyette was 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and two runs batted in. JT Blane was 1-for-1, walked twice and scored a run. He also had a huge outfield assist in the fourth inning. That was his 10th outfield assist of the season in only 16 games.

Hamel said Rossiter pitched great, Fish made some nice plays at short, JT made that big throw at the plate and Lee had an absolutely incredible game at first with big time stretches to get runners out on bang-bang plays the entire game.

Division IV

Pittsfield 6, Sunapee 3

PITTSFIELD — Topped-ranked Pittsfield, (15-1) held off Sunapee, 6-3, in quarterfinal action Saturday.

The Lakers stranded about 10 runners on base. Cade Robinson was a perfect 4-for-4 including a home run. Sean Shisko also cracked a solo homer.

Sophomore Darren Hulton went the route on the mound for Sunapee, which finished its season at10-8.

Semifinals

Division III

Monday, June 4

White Mountains 11, Newport 1

HOOKSETT — After two impressive tournament victories, the Newport Tigers ran into the White Mountains buzzsaw, the No. 2 seed, and fell 11-1 in the DIII six-inning contest on Monday.

White Mountains, 17-2, took the lead from the outset and held Newport at bay, especially in the second inning when the 10-7 Tigers left the bases loaded.

Kyle Fish started for Newport and hurled the first four innings. He gave up eight hits, five earned runs and six walks. Cody Turgeon pitched an inning of relief.

Newport was held to one hit over the six-inning route. White Mountains collected 12 hits.

“I am so incredibly proud of this team. We are one of four teams to make the final four in Newport history. It was a pleasure to coach these guys,” said Coach Jon Hamel.