By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
April 14: Fall Mountain at Kearsarge
The season-opener between Fall Mountain and Kearsarge provides an intriguing matchup to kick off the high school baseball season. Fall Mountain bested the Cougars 9-5 on the road last season before pulling out an 8-7 squeaker at home. Both teams are scheduled to start the season with three games over the first five days, so they will need to manage their pitching staff carefully in order to give themselves the best chance in each contest. Fall Mountain and Kearsarge will square-off again in Langdon on April 28.
April 25: Stevens vs. Newport (doubleheader)
The annual doubleheader between Stevens and Newport is a fun event which puts a twist on a typical doubleheader by playing one game on each team’s home field. Despite Stevens dominating the series in recent years, Newport prevailed in last season’s opening tilt by a 17-7 margin before falling by a 29-4 score in the nightcap. This season’s doubleheader is slated to start at 3 p.m. in Newport before moving to Claremont for the second contest at 7 p.m.
May 5: Hinsdale at Newport
Hinsdale was the only team last season to fall twice against Newport during the Tigers 4-12 campaign. Newport came out on top by margins of 11-7 and 7-6 and will look to do the same in their home-and-away series against the Pacers this spring. Newport’s second chance against the Pacers will come on May 22 at Hinsdale.
May 29: Stevens at Fall Mountain
Catching a game under the lights at Hubbard Park is a special event, particularly when rivals like Stevens and Fall Mountain square-off on the diamond. Fall Mountain won last year’s regular season finale at Hubbard Park by a 12-6 margin after dropping a 4-3 decision in Claremont earlier in the season. With both teams returning several strong players, this year’s matchup in Walpole is a can’t miss affair.
