by Ken Brown
FAIRFAX – The Danville baseball team sandwiched a dominant win against Williamstown around a pair of nail-biting losses to BFA-Fairfax and Lake Region to narrowly miss out on hosting a playoff game in the upcoming Division IV playoffs.
Dylan Sicard ran the count full before ending the game with a bases loaded strikeout to extinguish a late Bear’s rally, helping BFA-Fairfax escape with a 4-3 win at home last Monday. Sicard was also 2-2 at the plate for the Bullets and Reagan Baumeister earned the win, striking out eight, while allowing just two hits on the day. Cooper Calkins suffered the loss for Danville.
Sebastian Eldred twirled five innings of no-hit ball to lead the Bears to a 12-0 home win over Williamstown on Thursday. Hunter Horne was a perfect 3-3 at the plate with three runs and Kohl Guinard belted a run double to lead the offense. Williamstown ended their regular season at 1-14.
Cotter Stevens laced a two-run homer and Gabe Gardner connected on the game-winner in the sixth inning to lead Lake Region to a 10-9 road win over the weekend. Senior Hunter Horne had an RBI single and walked three times and Twinfield’s Meles Gouge added a double and three walks in the loss. Thomas Edgar, Denver Lindstrom, Dusty Loura-Bumps, John Morgan, and Horne were honored before the game on Senior Day. The loss dropped Danville to 4-11 and traveled to eighth-seeded Rivendell Academy on Tuesday in the first round of the Division IV tournament. If they advance, they will travel to top seeded Blue Mountain on Friday for a quarterfinal match-up.
Bullets Surge to Fourth Seed
FAIRFAX – The BFA-Fairfax baseball team under head coach and Hazen Union alum Mike Brown, won their last four games of the regular season to move up three spots to fourth place in the Division III standings, setting up a potential late round match-up with Brown’s alma mater.
Brown graduated from Hazen Union in ‘86 and has won over 300 games and captured four state championships in 27 seasons at Fairfax. The Bullets hosted thirteenth-seeded Windsor on Tuesday and if they advance would host the winner of the White River Valley/Oxbow match-up on Friday in the quarterfinal round. If Fairfax and Hazen both hold serve at home in the first two rounds of the Division III tournament, they would meet at Hudson Fields next Tuesday in the Final Four.
Lady Wolves Drop Two to End Regular Season
MORRISVILLE – The Peoples Academy (PA) softball team fell to divisional powers Blue Mountain and Lyndon Institute last week, leaving them one last chance in the upcoming Division II playoffs to capture their first win of the season.
Lauren Joy smacked a double and bases clearing triple to lead Blue Mountain to a 12-0 road win last Tuesday. Kaylee Hamlett allowed three hits and struck out seven to earn the win in the circle. The Lady Bucks improved to 12-3 and will be the fourth seed in the upcoming Division IV tournament. Hazen Union’s Haley Michaud, Sarah Collier, Royelle Crown, and Gracie Crown are on the PA roster and Michaud was honored before the game for Senior Night.
Ashleigh Simpson and Abby Fillion each smashed a home run and combined to drive in five runs to lead Lyndon Institute to an 18-0 home win last Thursday. Jaydin Royer tallied nine strikeouts and gave up one hit to earn the win as the Lady Vikings finished the regular season at 13-3 and will be the third seed in the upcoming Division II playoffs. PA traveled to second seeded Mount Abraham on Tuesday to open the first round.
