The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League wrapped its season over the weekend and crowned a new champion: the Putney Fossils, who toppled defending champs the Claremont Cardinals in a 9-4 game on Sunday at Hubbard Field in Walpole, N.H.
CRVBL is an adult wooden bat league where the caliber of play is decent for a bunch of guys years removed from varsity glory. Position players can be younger than 30; pitchers must be 30 or older.
The regular season ended with the Fossils in first place with a 12-1 record. The Walpole Wild Blue finished second at 10-3. The Cardinals, the 2013 CRVBL champions, took third at 9-4, and the Sunapee Old Lakers came in fourth at 7-6.
Tied for fifth, at 5-8, were the Newport Polar Bears and the Walpole Maples. The Brattleboro River Rats (1-12) and Keene Black Dawgs (0-7) landed seventh and eighth, respectively.
The first round of playoffs began the weekend of Aug. 8, with the Wild Blue taking on the River Rats. The Maples faced the Cardinals, and the Old Lakers played the Polar Bears, all in best-of-three series, while Putney got a bye into the second round.
Wild Blue swept Brattleboro, 10-1 and 8-1, while Claremont swept the Maples, 3-2 and 7-2. Sunapee and Newport needed all three games to settle their series. Sunapee won the first, 8-5; Newport took the second, 6-5; and the Old Lakers prevailed in the third game, 6-5.
Semifinals at Walpole's Hubbard Field Aug. 16 pitted the Fossils against the Old Lakers, with Wild Blue facing the Cardinals. Putney ripped Sunapee, 14-2, in the first game, while Claremont downed the Wild Blue, 8-1, to set a championship game for the CRVBL Cup between last year's champs and the best team in the league this year.
The Fossils had the league's two best pitchers this season: Richard Bissell led the CVRBL in innings pitched (56.2), wins (seven), and saves (two).
In Sunday's title game, Bissell threw 6.2 innings to get the win despite giving up seven hits, hitting three batters, and walking another batter.
Bob Englehardt got the save against Claremont, pitching the final 2.1 innings and holding the Cardinals to just one hit.
Danny Lichtenfeld was the other leading pitcher for the Fossils this season. He had a 4-0 record, with one save, and then a line drive fired back at him in batting practice last month broke his nose.
He returned to the mound against Sunapee in the semifinal and pitched a complete game four-hitter for the victory. He struck out seven and walked three in his first mound appearance since July 20.
Putney only had one hitter, second baseman Kyle Whitworth, among the league's top 10 this season. Against Sunapee, Whitworth went 3 for 6 with a double and two runs batted in. He went hitless against Claremont to finish the CRVBL regular season with a .432 batting average (16 hits and seven RBIs).
Fossil third baseman Steve Kapral made his one hit against Claremont count: a two-run double. He also drew three walks and scored two runs, and finished the regular season averaging .390.
Catcher and team manager Steve Stanley had a hit and drove in a run, while shortstop Steve Sadowski had two hits, drove in one run, and scored another.
Center fielder Chris Larro drove in two runs. DH Quinton Carr had an RBI single.
Victory was sweet for the Fossils, the team Bissell founded 20 years ago to provide competition for the Landmark College baseball team. The Fossils became a CRVBL charter member and are the last of the league's original four teams still playing in the league.
The Fossils were perennial cellar-dwellers until last season, when they made it as far as the quarterfinals. This year everything clicked for them and now they have the CRVBL Cup.
Retreat golf tournament raises $39,000
• More than 100 golfers played in picture-perfect conditions at the Brattleboro Country Club on Aug. 6 at the Brattleboro Retreat's ninth annual golf tournament and raised more than $39,000 for the Retreat's programs for children.
Winner of the tournament's first gross was a team representing platinum sponsor Sodexo: David Marquis, Jack Varner, Pat Varner, and Josh Cooleo.
Winner of first net was Team Walker: Elizabeth Walker, Eileen Ranslow, Terry Boyce, and Toby Munsil.
Terry Boyce and Tyler Quinn won the women's and men's longest drive. Women's and men's closest-to-the-pin winners were Terry Boyce, Tammy Morse, Jill Zachary, Steve Barrett, and Jack Varner.
Lucie Grand and Pat Varner won women's and men's straightest drive, respectively. David Manning had the longest putt: 20 feet, 4 inches.
At afternoon's end Doug Emery of Team WTSA plunked the winning putt in the putting contest.
Tournament proceeds help fund recreational opportunities for children the Retreat's residential, inpatient, and school programs.
NewBrook Fire Dept. to hold 5K race
• NewBrook Volunteer Fire and Rescue hosts its inaugural 5K walk/run fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 23. Meet at Ellen Ware Road and Route 30 in Townshend. Registration is from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Adults pay $20; fire and EMS personnel pay $15; kids 12 and under are $10.
The first 50 adults to register get free tote bags; the first 100 get water bottles. Water and snacks are provided. All proceeds go to the NewBrook fire department for equipment and training.
BF student hosts 5K Trail Race for senior project
• Bellows Falls Union High School senior Willie Moore will host a 5K trail run as part of his senior project. The event is Aug. 23 at 9 a.m. on the high school's trail in Westminster.
Registration is at 8:30 a.m. Look for signs along the BFUHS driveway giving the race's registration and location.
The cost is $10 per person ($5 for kids under 12). Speaking of kids, they get to run on a 1{1/2}-mile loop. Top finishers win prizes.
All proceeds benefit The Animal Rescue and Protection Society (TARPS), a nonprofit, all-volunteer animal shelter in Chester.
Saxtons River Montessori presents 5K fun run
• The Saxtons River Montessori School is holding a 5K fun run Saturday, Sept. 27, in support of the school's scholarship fund.
Runners and kids of all ages will enjoy a fun, healthy run through the village of Saxtons River under the beautiful fall foliage. A children's run begins at 10 a.m., starting at the Saxtons River Montessori School, 14 Westminster St. The adult's 5K run follows.
Parking is available on site. To register for the fun run, visit www.SaxtonsRiverMontessoriSchool.com. For more information, call the school at 802-869-3349.
5K Paint Run to be held in BF
• Oh, it's going to get messy.
The BFUHS Class of 2017 is holding a 5K Paint Run on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 9 a.m. Participants will wind up covered head to toe with paint by the time they reach the finish line, so no animals, strollers, infants, or toddlers are allowed on the course.
This is not a timed event. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Participants who register before Sept. 1 get a free T-shirt.
Early registration is Saturday, Aug. 30, from 11 a.m. to noon at Hadley Field. You can also find registration forms on Facebook (search for “1st annual BF Paint Run.”)
Mail registration forms to BFUHS, attention Julie Torres/Class of 2017, P.O. Box 429, Bellows Falls VT 05101. Make checks out to Bellows Falls Union High School, and write “Class of 2017” on the memo line.
The fee is $35 per person ($25 per student; $10 for sophomores; $10 for fourth graders and below). Kids younger than 9 must be accompanied by an adult.
To see what the organizers have in mind, visit thecolorrun.com.