VT Sweeps Twin State Baseball

Staff Report
THE RUTLAND HERALD
NORTHFIELD — Clutch hitting by Sully Beers of South Burlington led a game one comeback and a 10-run inning broke open the nightcap to lift Vermont to a doubleheader sweep over New Hampshire in the 2022 Twin State Baseball Classic Saturday at Norwich University’s Garrity Field.

Vermont came back in the top of the seventh to win the opener, 9-7, and then cruised to a 19-4 victory in game two. The sweep was just the second in six classics since the border rivalry in its current format was renewed in 2015.

Beers two-run double capped a three-run rally with two outs in the seventh. He added another run-scoring double in Vermont’s 10-run second inning in the second game to pick up Most Valuable Player honors for the Green Mountain State.

Dominic Van Laere-Nutting of Fall Mountain Regional was the Most Valuable Player for New Hampshire after a strong two games at the plate, reaching base four times in six trips going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two runs scored, a stolen base and two RBIs.

With Braedon Jones, of Champlain Valley, on second with two down in the seventh, and New Hampshire one strike away from the win, John Dennis, of Blue Mountain, singled to score Jones to tie it. Dennis and Adam Mansfield, of Mount Abraham, who walked, rode home on Beers’ long double to left center. Essex’s Andrew Goodrich retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to save it for winning U-32 pitcher Carter Hoffman.

Vermont out-hit New Hampshire, 9-3, in game one but the Granite State took advantage of five walks, a hit batter and three errors.

Ryan Latsha (Campbell) led the nightcap with a walk and after stealing second, scored on a single by Putnam. Van Laere-Nutting plated Putnam with a sacrifice fly to give New Hampshire an early 2-0 edge. Vermont broke it open with 10 runs in the bottom of the second sending 16 hitters to the plate. In addition to Beers RBI-double, Jones had two hits in the inning, a two-run double and a RBI-single.

Vermont rapped out 15 hits in the nightcap. In addition to Jones and Beers, Fritz Hauser went 3-for-3 with a double and Lussier went 2-for-3, both with four hits on the day. Will Fowler, of St. Johnsbury, was 2-for-2 with a triple, reaching three times and scoring three runs, and Brattleboro’s Turner Clews added two hits, scoring three times. BFA-St. Albans’ Matt Gonyeau allowed two hits in two scoreless innings to get the win, and Clews tossed a scoreless seventh to lead five Vermont pitchers in game two.

The classic returned to action after a two-year absence. Vermont’s team is from all four divisions and the team from the higher-populated Granite State is made up from its Division’s II, III and IV.

HOCKEY

VT, NH split

BURLINGTON — Vermont and New Hampshire each won game in the Make-A-Wish All-Star Hockey Classic on Saturday at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

Vermont took the girls game 2-1 and New Hampshire won the boys game 5-3.

Middlebury’s Avery Gale had the game-winning goal and BFA-St. Albans’ Sophie Zemaniak had the other Vermont goal in the girls game.

Essex’s Trenton Sisters, Spaulding’s Jamison Mast and BFA’s Collin Audy scored for Vermont in the boys game.

The Vermont women’s roster: Reese Clayton, Rachel Needleman, Faith Reed, Sophie Zemianek, BFA-St. Albans; Katie Craig, Rice; Izzy Crossman, Elise Lidstone, Rutland; Olivia Dallamura, Mershon Sky, Burlington/Colchester; Bria Dill, Emily Morris, Zoe Tewksbury, Spaulding; Grace Ferguson, CVU; Avery Gale, Middlebury; Ella Gibbs, Nielsa Maddalena, Essex; Skylar Haley, Woodstock; Nora Knudsen, Hartford; Sofie Richland, South Burlington.

The Vermont men’s roster: Collin Audy, Sean Beauregard, Matt Merrill, BFA-St. Albans; Jack Averill, CVU; Shane Burke, South Burlington; Tobey Cram, Braedon Hemenway, Justin Prim, Trenton Sisters, Essex; Emmett Edwards, BBA; Liam Everts, Colchester; Jackman Hickey, Garrett Micciche, DaeHan McHugh, Rice; Evan Kurash, Keaton Piconi, Woodstock; Jamison Mast, Jameson Solomon, Spaulding; Tyson Sylvia, Harwood; Will Taggard, Brattleboro.

FIELD HOCKEY

NH 4, VT 1

COLCHESTER — St. Johnsbury’s Clara Andre scored the lone Vermont goal in Friday’s Twin State field hockey game, as New Hampshire beat the neighboring Vermonters 4-1 at St. Michael’s College.

Mount Abraham goalie Maddie Donaldson made 12 stops and Bellows Falls’ Jaia Caron stopped three shots.

SOCCER

Fusion 4, Boston 1

MANCHESTER — The Vermont Fusion women’s soccer team bested the Boston Dream 4-1 on Saturday at Applejack Stadium.

Vermont took control grabbing a 3-0 lead at the half, before each side scored after the break.

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