Sports

Windsor Loses 1-0 Nailbiter: Jacks’ Johnny Clark Tosses No-Hitter in Loss

By Christopher Shaban
EAGLE TIMES Staff
SOUTH ROYALTON, VT — The Yellow Jackets’ Johnny Clark threw a complete game no-hitter, but White River Valley (WRV) still won and will advance with a heart stopping 1-0 win on Monday.

To say Clark was dominant would be an understatement, as the junior struck out 11, gave up one walk, and hit a batter while allowing zero earned runs. WRV’s Wyatt Caldwell allowed six hits, struck out 10, and walked two batters, but his team gave him that one run that made the difference.

Windsor had chances early as they left seven runners on the base paths in the first three innings.

“We were there. We had opportunities to give Johnny some support, but just didn’t make that one key play,” said Windsor Coach Jamie Richardson.

The crowd was big and nervous the entire game, and Windsor was ready to celebrate but couldn’t as #5 seed WRV made the key plays at the key time.

Windsor’s Lee Bevis collected the first of his three-hit day in the first inning and scampered to second base. With two outs, Charles Palmer hit one on the nails that landed 370 feet away in the glove of Wildcats’ center fielder Tattin Griffin’s glove. He was playing with his back against the fence, 375 feet away, to make the out.

Clark sailed along, retiring the first six batters with ease, while WRV was in dangerous territory again. A Hayden Pascarelli single was followed by a Trevor Lagrow single with no outs, but they were left stranded as Caldwell retired the next three Jacks by way of a strikeout.

#13 seed Windsor had yet another chance in their third inning. Clark and Bevis grabbed back-to-back hits, then Pascarelli was intentionally walked to load the bases. Once again, Caldwell reached back for a crucial strikeout to keep the scoreboard clean as he became stronger as the innings piled up.

“We really needed some quality at bats; we needed to adjust to the pitching and just didn’t,” said Richardson.

With the sky turning gray with clouds in the bottom of the sixth inning, a smash off the bat of the Wildcats’ Brayden Russ found a hole in a Windsor glove as he stood at first. Robby McShinsky pushed a bunt towards third for an out, but Russ never stopped running at second and ended up on third base. Clark retired Caldwell on strikes for the second out, then freshman Ty Couture worked Clark to a three-ball, two-strike count. On the next pitch, Couture dribbled one into the infield grass, which ended up as an overthrow that allowed Russ to score for a 1-0 lead. The Wildcat side of the field was full of excitement, with players hopping all around.

The Yellow Jackets had one more at bat, but Caldwell put Windsor in a quick two-out hole. Maison Fortin worked a walk, then stole second on the next pitch as the throw was wild and allowed Fortin to reach third base with the tying run 90 feet away.

With Clark at the plate and quickly down two strikes, his slow roller to shortstop had the Windsor sideline looking for a safe call, but the throw beat Clark by half a step to end Windsor’s season with a 1-0 loss.

“It’s baseball. We just couldn’t get that one little hit that we needed today,” said Clark after the game.

Avatar photo

As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.