Back Row L to R: Matt Therrien, Justin Beebe, Derrick Smidutz, Andrew Robbins, Brian Bashaw, Justin Spalding, Adam Dionne, Jason Campbell Front row, L to R: David Lockerby, Gary Dennis, Mike Callahan, Chris Lundberg, Frank Brown
For more information check out the team's dedicated web site:
WALPOLE, NH - The Ludlow Athletics notched their first win of the season against host Walpole Wild Blue on Sunday. Both starting pitchers struggled to find the zone. Ludlows starter, Nick Sheehan, put a lot of runners on base, but didn't give up a hit in his 2-2/3 innings.
Ludlow opened the game with five runs in the first as each of the first five batters crossed the plate. They then added a run in the 2nd on three hits by the top of the order making the score 6-0. Â
Walpole plated a run in the bottom half of the 2nd, then another two in the third cutting Ludlow's lead to 6-3. But in the top of the 4th, Ludlow broke the game open by scoring 7 runs on 6 hits.  Jack Durgin (4-for-4, 3 runs) started the inning off with a single, and later Justin Lewis (2 runs, 3 RBIs) and Phil Chimbolo (3 RBIs) each doubled in 2 runs effectively breaking the back of the Wild Blue.
Walpole's Doug Palmer (99) slides past the tag of Ludlow catcher Mark Graves. Photo courtesy Wayne Mac
Ludlow reliever Jamie Gallagher got the victory going 4-1/3, giving up 3 runs (2 earned), four walks, and striking out four. Ludlow's offense hammered seven doubles. Howie Paul (2 doubles, run, 3 RBIs) had a great day, while Zach Smith (3 runs), Nich Sheehan (RBI), and Ray Romero (run) all doubled. For Walpole, Gary Dennis (double, 3 runs), Chris Ballou (3 walks, 2 runs), Adam Kobeski (double, 3 walks, run, 2 RBIs), and Brian Pickering (2 walks, RBI) each had two hits.
Keene 7, Putney 6
DUMMERSTON - A 9th inning rally by the Putney Fossils fell just short and the Keene Black Dawgs remained undefeated with a 7-6 victory on Sunday, April 29.
Putney went up 1-0 in the top of the third inning when Keith Hazard scored on a Josh Coursen (2-for-3, double, run, RBI, 2 SB) RBI double. But Keene answered in a big way in the bottom of the inning. The Black Dawgs loaded the bases with a hit-batsman, a walk, and an outfield error. Then first baseman John Luopa (2-for-4, double, HR, 2 runs, 4 RBIs) hammered a grand-slam over the right field fence to put Keene on top 4-1.
Putney's Greg Narleski rips a double against Keene. Black Dawgs' catcher is Brandon Oldham. (Photo taken by Patricia Stanley)
The Fossils re-took the lead scoring four runs in the 6th sparked by an RBI double by Greg Narleski (2-for-4, double, run, RBI) and a 2-run single by Richard Bissell (2-for-4, double, SB, 3 RBIs). Things looked good for Putney until defensive troubles undid them in Keene's 3-run 8th. The Fossils scored one in the 9th and had two on with one out, but the game ended on a bizarre infield fly rule, tag-out double play.
Tim Santaw got the complete game victory for the Black Dawgs. In addition to Luopa, Santaw got good offensive support from Seth McClean who went 3-for-4 with a double. Right fielder Andrew Bedard made three great catches, including a diving grab of a line drive that looked like a sure basehit. Bissell took the tough loss for Putney, going the distance on the mound allowing only 3 earned runs on 9 hits and 1 walk while striking out eight. Fossils catcher Steve Stanley went 3-for-3, scoring twice and swiping two bases.
Chester 5, Brattleboro 1
CHESTER - Three Chester Pirates pitchers combined to no-hit the Brattleboro River Rats and take home a 5-1 victory on Sunday. Jamie Spence got the win going five innings and fanning 12. He was followed by Nick Wirkkala (3 IP, 6 K) and Doug Roberts who pitched the 9th. Spence helped his own cause at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double and RBI. Wirkkala, playing in the outfield, saved the no-no with an outstanding diving catch in the 9th inning.
Brattleboro starter Greg Elbaum took the loss, but pitched very well against the potent Chester line-up.
Newport 17, Saxtons River 0
SAXTONS RIVER - The Newport Polar Bears' bats exploded and carried them to their first-ever CRVBL victory, a 17-0 mauling of the Saxtons River Pirates. Newport southpaw Scott McNamara dominated on the mound allowing only two hits and four walks while fanning 15 in a complete game effort.
McNamara also led the offensive attack going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs, and 3 RBIs. Mike Batista (3-for-4, 2 runs), Matt Maxham (2 hits, 2 runs, RBI), Sean Lantas (2 hits, 2 runs, RBI, 4 SB), and Anthony DiPaola (2 hits, run) also had big days at the plate.
This week's schedule features six games. On Friday, Walpole hosts Landmark College at 6:30 PM. On Saturday, Brattleboro visits Landmark College at 11:00 AM in Dummerston. Sunday's games in Dummerston are Ludlow at Brattleboro, 10:00 AM, and Saxtons River at Putney at 1:00 PM, while Walpole takes on Chester at 11:00 at GMUHS and Newport battles Claremont at Barnes Park in Claremont at 11:00.
CLAREMONT - On a perfect day for baseball, the fans in Claremont were treated to an Opening Day game with a playoff atmosphere between the Claremont Cardinals and the Chester CRUSH. Both teams had their championship hopes ended in 2011 with losses to Saxtons River. The slate has been wiped clean and the 2012 rush for the Cup begins again.
Bob Myers faced off against Nick Wirkkala (6 IP, 5 hits, 9 Ks) and the game unfolded as a classic pitchers' duel.
Wirkalla pitches to Wells
With one out in the first and a runner on third, the CRUSH was threatening. A hard hit ball to short should have scored the run, but Scott Christian made a great throw to the plate to cut down the runner. Claremont got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning. Josh Duford hit a drive to left that hit off the left fielder's glove and got behind him. The relay throw was offline and that allowed Josh to race around for a play at the plate. He slid wide and got under Eric Anderson's tag for a 1-0 lead. The next two batters reached and it looked like Claremont would break it open. Gerry Thompson made a bid for extra bases with a drive to left center, but Scott Renfro laid out and made an amazing diving grab to end the threat and the inning.
Renfro robs Thompson
The score stayed 1-0 through the 6th inning, until Jamie Spence (2 hits, double, RBI) hooked a double down the line to right. He plated Chuck Harriman to tie the score. In the 7th, Chester struck again on a run scoring triple by Joe Cavacas, for a 2-1 lead. Cavacas got hung up on a Scott Sargent comebacker and ended up getting tagged out at third in a rundown. That started a 1-5-2-4 double play as John Grainger gunned down Sargent trying to sneak into scoring position.
Renfro came on to pitch for Chester and quickly blew through the 7th and 8th inning. Claremont's Myers struck out the last two CRUSH he faced to end the top of the ninth. The bottom half opened with a long at bat by Fred Girard, who worked a leadoff walk. Josh Duford then dumped a single behind second base to move the runner up. Grainger bunted the runners over to second and third. Bob Myers then hit a single to left center. Girard and Duford raced home to score on the walk-off hit.
Josh Duford scores the winning run
The final was a 3-2 win for Claremont, in an extremely well-played game. Even though this was the first game of the year, it will be tough to imagine another game topping this one. Next week, Claremont will travel to face Brattleboro as the River Rats open their season.
Saxtons River Pirates 13, Wapole Wild Blue 10
WALPOLE - On their first excursion into a game situation, the Walpole Wild Blue held their own through most of a long 7-inning game at Walpole Fields Sunday, but lost the cat-and-mouse runs game to the Saxtons River Pirates 13-10.
Both teams hit exceptionally well and, save one blowout inning where the Pirates tacked on 7 runs, the game was competitive and a thrill to watch for the 200-plus fans who made it out to the field.
Brian Pickering started the game on the hill for the Wild Blue and went three innings giving up five earned runs and six hits. Pickering also stroked a single to help out his cause. The remainder of the game was thrown by Dave Read who gave up three unearned runs on six hits and struck out four.
Hitting for the Wild Blue was strong on their first time out. First baseman Blake Gowen went 4-for-4 with two singles and two doubles, crossed the plate twice and driving in one. Left fielder Chris Ballou also is batting 1.000 going 3-for-3 with two singles, a double and a sacrifice fly bringing in 3 RBI. Shortstop Gary Dennis went 3-for-4 hitting three singles and driving in two runs and crossing the plate three times. Catcher Adam Kobeski also went 3-for-4 with two singles and a bomb of a double that went to deep center.
Second baseman Frank Brown and centerfielder Mike Snide each added singles to the offense -- Brown with one and Snide with two. Snide also had three RBI.
In the field, Kobeski made some circus catches on behind-the-plate pop-ups while third baseman Erik Baker stretched out for two diving catches for put-outs.
"These guys, for their first time in a game situation together, put on a show for the tremendous crowd we had at the new Walpole Fields," Dennis said after the game. "A lot of our guys were hitting the ball right on the button…I can’t tell you how much fun we had in the dugout cheering each other on."
Standouts for Saxtons River included Andrew Robbins who went 3-for-4 with a double, 3 runs and 3 RBIs, Matt Therrian (2 hits, 2 runs), Derrick Smidutz (double, run, 3 RBIs), and Toby Miller (double).
The Wild Blue faces the Putney Fossils on Sunday, April 22 at the Walpole Fields at 11 a.m. Keene Dawgs 6, Ludlow A's 4
DUMMERSTON - Ludlow broke the ice to score the first league run of 2012 in the first inning. The lead switched hands briefly in the fourth inning when Keene put two runs on the board after hits by John Luopa (1-for-1, 2R, BB) and Brandon Oldham (2-for-2, R, BB), who eventually came in to score. Ludlow followed with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth after consecutive hits by Justin Lewis and Howie Paul. Phil Chimbolo put the ball in play to get the initial RBI, while Ludlow scored their second run of the inning on a subsequent error on the same play.
Howie Paul lays down a bunt single
In the bottom of the fifth Keene took the lead for good with three runs on four consecutive singles by Bruce Summers, Sean Darwin, Rick Hermanson, and Nate Wood making the score 5-3. Keene added another run in the sixth inning to make it 6-3. Ludlow got some baserunners on in the seventh to threaten, but only managed to get one across as Johnny Durgin (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs) knocked in Zach Smith (2-for-3, R).
Howie Paul started on the mound for the Ludlow A's, but had control issues and a sore arm and left with 2-outs in the 2nd inning. John "Jack" Durgin took the loss for the A's giving up 6-runs, (4 earned) in 6-2/3 hard-fought innings. Keene pitchers Tim Santaw and John Luopa combined for 15 strikeouts, including five consecutive at one point by Santaw.
Tim Santaw
Putney Fossils 4, Newport Polar Bears 2
DUMMERSTON - Putney hurler Richard Bissell went the distance to get a hard-fought 4-2 victory over the Newport Polar Bears. The crafty veteran scattered five hits and two runs over nine innings, striking out four and at one point inducing three consecutive pop-outs to catcher Joe LeBlanc. The Polar Bears played flawless defense in their first ever CRVBL game.
Newport's Drew Davis
Putney scored in the first when Greg Narleski drove in Danny Lichtenfeld with an RBI double. Neither team scored again until Putney pushed across three in the seventh, two on an RBI single by LeBlanc (2-for-3, 2 RBIs). Newport battled back in the top of the 8th. Bob Bates hammered a double to left, then scored on a Scott McNamara RBI single. Eric Lemay rapped Newport's third consecutive hit driving in McNamara before Bissell stopped the bleeding.
WALPOLE - The Saxtons River Pirates won the 2011 Connecticut River Valley Baseball League championship Sunday, defeating the Claremont Cardinals 4-3 in a well pitched, exciting game at the new Walpole, NH baseball complex. Veteran southpaw Chris Lundberg, working on one day's rest, pitched a complete game for the win scattering eight hits and one walk while fanning four.
The CRVBL Cup
Saxtons River jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but Claremont chipped away by scoring single runs in the the second, third, and fourth to tie the game at 3-3. Both teams played some outstanding defense - Claremont catcher John Grainger picked off a runner leading off second, and Saxtons River second baseman Gary Dennis turned a double play despite colliding with a runner at second. In the top of the fifth, Pirates third baseman Andrew Robbins walked. Andrew Bashaw (2-for-3, triple, RBI) then stepped to the plate and drove in Robbins by blasting a triple to the gap in right center to put Saxtons River ahead for good.
Claremont's John Storti led off the sixth with a double to the fence in left, but was left stranded there. Lundberg pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
The Pirates' Justin Beebe went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Claremont's Scott Christian had two hits and two runs, and Paul Felix went 2-for-3. Mike Wells took the tough luck loss, allowing only two earned runs in a complete game effort.
2011 CRVBL Champs Saxtons River Pirates Front row, L-R: Gary Dennis, Justin Beebe, David Lockerby, Bo Lambert, Derek Smidutz, Asha Bupp, Adam Dionne Back row L-R: Brian Bashaw, Andrew Robbins, Justin Spaulding, Frank Brown, Chris Lundberg, coach/owner Dave Moore
Saxtons River defeated Brattleboro 8-2 on Friday night (Lundberg went the distance for the win and Bo Lambert went 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs) and then again on Saturday 8-0 (Derek Smidutz blasted a home run). They also defeated Chester 3-2 in Sunday's play-in game; David Lockerby went the distance for the win.
Claremont lost to Putney 7-0 Friday night, then defeated the Fossils twice (10-1 and 7-2) on Saturday to earn their berth in the Championship game.
The 2011 CRVBL season is complete and the League would like to thank all of its players, umpires, local media, and generous sponsors for their hard work and support throughout the summer.
CHESTER - The battle for first place in the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League was won by the Claremont Cardinals on Sunday as they hammered the Chester Pirates 11-2 at Green Mountain Union High School. Bob Myers took home the complete game victory, scattering seven hits and allowing one earned run while fanning six.
Claremont's Gerry Thompson (2-for-4, double, 2 RBIs) blasted an RBI double off the top of the center field fence, while Josh Duford (double, two runs, RBI) and Scott Christian (RBI) had two hits apiece. Chester slugger Jesse Lane went 4-for-4 and scored a run.
Brattleboro 7, Saxtons River 6
DUMMERSTON - The Brattleboro River Rats rallied from a 5-0, second inning deficit and pushed two runs across the plate in the bottom of the 9th for a walk-off victory over the Saxtons River Pirates. Caleb Record paced the victors' offense with four hits and two RBIs. Marty Vallender (2 doubles, run, RBI), Abe Klein (2 runs), and Greg Elbaum (run, RBI) each ripped three base knocks. Elbaum got the win in relief of Vallender.
Saxtons River's Derrick Smidutz had two hits and an RBI.
Keene 12, Putney 8
KEENE - The Putney Fossils watched their comfortable 6-2 lead dissolve into a 12-6 deficit as the Keene Black Dawgs scored 10 runs in the eighth inning at Keene State College. Putney scored two in the top of the ninth, but ended up on the short end of the 12-8 final score. Black Dawgs center fielder Bryan Lantz went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and one RBI. Andrew Bedard had two hits, a run, and two RBIs and shortstop Mike Adams ripped a double. Tim Santaw earned the complete game victory and was helped by some stellar defense by Adams, Lantz, and first baseman D. Bruce.
Keene's Tim Santaw prepares to deliver a pitch against Putney
Putney's Greg Narleski (2-for-3, 2 runs) smashed a triple that nearly left the park in the cavernous (385 feet) left-center field. Joe LebLanc and Rocky Smith each had two hits and an RBI. Starter Travis "Magic" Watson turned in an outstanding seven inning performance on the mound, allowing only one earned run.
Putney's Travis Magic Watson looks for the sign
This Sunday marks the end of the 2011 CRVBL regular season. Chester takes on Saxtons River at 10 AM at Vermont academy, then travels to Dummerston for a 1:30 PM game against Brattleboro. Putney hosts Brattleboro in Dummerston at 10:00 AM, and Saxtons River visits Keene, game time and field to be determined. The playoff tournament will be held Friday, August 12 through Sunday, August 14.Â
The Claremont Cardinals had an old fashioned pitcher’s duel with the Saxtons River Pirates at the beautiful new baseball complex in Walpole, NH. This was a fast paced game, as both starting pitchers attacked the strike zone and made quick work of the hitters. The Cardinals’ ace, Mike Wells, and Pirates' starter, Chris Lundberg, matched zeroes for six innings before Claremont struck first with a manufactured run in the 7th.
Josh Duford singled to start the inning. He stole second base as he outraced the pickoff throw from first. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Gerry Thompson, and then scored on a groundout by Dana Rider. The Pirates caught a huge break of their own in the 7th. With two outs and a runner on first, Brian Bashaw struckout, but reached first on a third strike wild pitch. The other base runner went to third on a throwing error. Matt Therrian singled to left to tie the game, but Bashaw was gunned down to end the inning when he over-ran second base.
In the eighth inning Claremont took the lead back for good. Nate Duford reached on an infield error and Bob Myers mashed an infield single that traveled 70 feet. Wells dropped a sac bunt to move up the runners. John Centonze hit a shallow fly to center, but Duford scored as the relay throw was off line. Bob Myers worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for the save.
Mike Wells record improved to 5-0, and his ERA dropped to 0.98. He allowed seven hits, struck out five, walked three, hit one, and allowed one unearned run in his eight innings of work. The Cardinals defense was very solid, turning two double plays, getting the key outfield assist, and one caught stealing.
Next week, Claremont travels to Green Mountain HS to face Chester at 10 AM. Both teams are tied for first place and this game will decide the #1 seed for the playoffs.
