The Brattleboro softball team looks a lot different this year. They have a new coach in Erin Cooke, who was a pretty good pitcher for the Colonels in the mid-1990s and was the starting pitcher for the 1997 state champions. It is also a team with only two seniors, with a lot of ninth- and 10th-graders in starting roles.
After getting mercy-ruled by Keene and Hoosac Valley in their first two games of the season last week, the Colonels needed a game where they could build up some confidence. Brattleboro hosted the Burr & Burton Bulldogs on April 22 at Sawyer Field and while the Colonels lost, 7-5, enough positive things happened to give Cooke and her team some hope.
“We weren't able to put runs on the board in our first two games,” Cooke said, “Today, we were making contact with the ball and that felt good. It was a step in the right direction.”
Brattleboro got into a hole early when the Bulldogs scored three runs in the first inning without a hit as starting pitcher Marina Wilson struggled with her control. She walked three batters, and hit another with a pitch in the inning.
Bulldogs pitcher Skyler Dotson was having just as much trouble finding the plate, but the Colonels finally broke through in the third inning when they got a pair of runs on an RBI double by Kayli Speno and a groundout by Wilson.
The Bulldogs were poised for another big inning in the top of the fourth, but were held to a single run thanks to a great throw by Colonels center fielder Kelis Melo to cut down Dotson at home plate. Trailing 4-2, Brattleboro tied the game in the bottom of fourth when Speno plated one run on a fielder's choice and Jasmine Thibault was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the tying run.
The Bulldogs took the lead to stay by scoring two runs in the sixth on a fielder's choice and a throwing error. Brattleboro made it 6-5 in the bottom half of the inning when an error on a pop up by Thibault scored Wilson, but a bases-loaded walk in the seventh gave Burr & Burton an insurance run.
While Brattleboro ended the first week of the season with a 0-3 record, this team that Cooke described as “young and learning” have the potential to get better as the season progresses.
Baseball
• After a lackluster performance against Brattleboro on April 13, Bellows Falls got back on the beam against Springfield as Jamison Nystrom threw a no-hitter in a 12-0 win over the Cosmos on April 15 at Birsky-Wyman Field.
Nystrom walked only two batters, one of whom was thrown out attempting to steal second base by catcher Jake Moore, in his seven innings of work. It took a while for the BF bats to get going, but once they did, the Terriers started piling up the runs. Jackson Clark hit a three-run double.
On April 20 at Hadley Field, the tables were turned on the Terriers as they were held hitless by Burr & Burton pitcher Seb Dostal as the Bulldogs won, 7-0, Dostal struck out 16 and walked just one batter.
Against Green Mountain on April 22 in Chester, the Terriers lost a 1-0 game as eight-grader Kaiden McCarthy pitched a complete game shutout and drove in the game's only run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning.
McCarthy struck out 13 batters and held BF to just four hits. Nystrom was the losing pitcher, despite allowing only three hits. The Terriers ended the week with a 3-3 record.
• Brattleboro got hammered by Keene, 11-1, in a six-inning road game on April 19 that was shortened by the 10-run rule. Gavin Rigby and Brandon Weeks combined on a two-hitter for the hosts. Rigby walked one batter and struck out 10 over four innings and Weeks walked three and allowed one hit over two innings. The Keene offense rapped out 10 hits and took advantage of seven Colonel errors in the victory.
• Leland & Gray went up to South Royalton on April 15 and lost to White River Valley, 9-4. Cody Hescock was the losing pitcher, but scored a pair of runs for the Rebels.
On April 17, the Rebels edged the Woodstock Wasps, 4-3 in eight innings. It was 1-1 through the first seven innings before the visiting Rebels scored three runs on hits by Delano Schmidt and Wyatt Beattie in the top of the eighth and held off a Wasp rally in the home eighth. Hescock got the win in relief of starter Parker Richardson.
The Rebels had another comeback win on the road on April 20, this time pulling out a 9-8 victory over Windsor. Theo Kelloway got the game-winning hit in the top of the seventh with a two-run single. Beattie and Kelloway shared the pitching duties. A 14-7 win at Springfield on April 22 improved the Rebels' record to 3-2 to end a stretch of four straight road games.
Track & field
• The Bellows Falls girls and Brattleboro boys were the winners at a multi-team meet in Fair Haven on April 19,
Tela Harty (100 meter hurdles) and Laura Kamel (discus) were the winners for the BF girls, while the 4x100 relay team of Hadley Gleim, Eryn Ross, Nola Sciacca, and Ava LaRoss finished second. Sciacca was third in the 200 meters and javelin, and Harty (long jump) and Gleim (triple jump) also had third place performances.
Brattleboro's Addison DeVault and Meredith Lewis finished first and second in the pole vault. Maeve Bald finished second in the 3,000-meter run. The Colonel girls finished seventh overall.
Sean von Ranson led the Brattleboro boys with wins in the 200 and 400, and he was part of the winning 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. David Berkson-Harvey, Dylan Holmes, and Jacob Girard were winners in the 4x100, while Waylund Walsh, Oliver Herrick, and Stockton Woodruff took the 4x400.
Softball
• Bellows Falls picked up a 6-5 win over visiting Poultney on April 18. Izzy Stoodley threw 117 pitches in holding the Blue Devils three hits while striking out nine batters. Natalie Noyes led the BF offense with two hits, including a triple, driving in one run and scoring two runs.
Boys' lacrosse
• Brattleboro visited Rutland on April 15 and left with an 11-3 loss. Rutland scored six goals in the second quarter to pull away from the Colonels in an extremely physical game. Brattleboro's goals came from James Davies in the first quarter, and Will Miskovich and Nathan Domina in the second quarter. Thad Sawyer had 13 saves in goal.
Saxtons River fishing derby is May 6
• The Saxtons River Rec Area will hold its annual fishing derby on Saturday, May 6 at the ponds on Pleasant Valley Road. Following last year's schedule, there will be three different age groups in three shifts to help ensure more children can participate with their families.
Children ages 4 to 6 will register at 8 a.m., with fishing beginning at 8:30 a.m. Age group 7 to 10 will register at 9:15 a.m., with fishing starting at 9:45 a.m. Age group 11 through 14 will register at 10:30 a.m., with fishing beginning at 11 a.m.
Children not showing up at their correct time will not be able to participate. Families with children in multiple age groups will only be allowed to have the appropriate-aged child registered and fishing during their given time. Siblings can be present but not fish.
Adults are responsible for providing their children with all the gear, bait, and assistance needed while at the derby. Participants and families will be required to leave the derby once their age group's session has ended unless there is a sibling in the next age group. Donations towards expenses will be accepted at the derby, and volunteers of all ages are welcome to contact [email protected] or through the Saxtons River Rec Facebook page.
Tulip Trot celebrates Green Street School's centennial
• Green Steeet School's 11th annual Tulip Trot 5K run/walk and half-mile Sprout Sprint takes place on Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to noon, in Brattleboro. Since May of 2013, Green Street School has held the Tulip Trot - a event that incorporates family, fitness, fun and community. It has been the school's primary fundraiser each year, organized by a dedicated and revolving group of parents and staff.
This year's Tulip Trot will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Green Street School, as well as the theme of this year's event: “Everybody is a Winning Body.”
Event organizers say they “encourage any person of any age and shape to participate in our day.” To that end, they have eliminated gender-specific categories from their awards and registrations as part of their efforts to encourage diversity in their community events. To find out more about how to enter, or how to be a volunteer, visit www.tuliptrot5k.com.
Grace Cottage hosts family-friendly 5K
• Also on May 13 is the Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital 5K. Runners and walkers will meet on the Townshend Town Common for for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. You can run, walk, roll, stroll, or push your baby carriage for this fun, family-friendly event.
Registration is $20 per participant; children younger than 18 are free with signed parent/guardian permission. Registration is open at gracecottage.org/events. A virtual option is also available. Register at the same link. All proceeds from this event will benefit healthcare services at Grace Cottage.
Second Wind will provide official timing. Last year's winners were Al Claussen of Townshend, with a time of 18 minutes, 49 seconds, and Kelsey Taddei of Townshend, at 24:44 - while pushing two children in a stroller, and while supervising another child next to her on a bicycle. For more information, contact Grace Cottage at [email protected] or call 802-365-9109.
Senior bowling roundup
• Entering the final week of the winter/spring season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League, Fab Four (45-25) is still in first place, but The Markers (43-27) had a 4-1 week to move into second place. Slo Movers (41.5-28.5) again went 1-4, to fall into third place, followed by Split Happens (34.5-34.5), The Strikers (31-39), The A-1's (29-41), 10 Pins (26-44), and Trash-O-Matic (26-44).
Nancy Dalzell had the women's high handicap game (252) and series (709), while Charlie Marchant had the men's high handicap game (252) and series (701). 10 Pins again had the high team handicap game (923) and series (2,500).
Chuck Adams led the men's scratch scoring with a 565 series that featured games of 222 and 197. Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 561 series with games of 215 and 191, while Duane Schillemat had a 540 series with a 214 game, Robert Rigby had a 539 series with a 198 game, and Gary Montgomery had a 508 series with a 191 game. Al Dascomb rolled a 196 game.
Dalzell had the women's high scratch series (550) that featured games of 199, 181, and 170. Carol Gloski rolled a 190.