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12 •THE CHARLTON VILLAGER• Friday, June 6, 2008 www.charltonvillager.com SPORTS Rockets blast off against No. 2 Minutemen AUBURN HURLER TAKES NO-HITTER INTO FIFTH INNING BY JOHN RADZINSKI SPORTS STAFF WRITER CHARLTON — No. 7 Auburn’s nickname, “the Rockets,” seemed very appropriate Monday, June 2, as they made No. 2 Bay Path’s field atop Muggett Hill their personal launching pad in a 9-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the Central Mass. Division 2 playoffs. In all, the Rockets hit four home runs and three triples. With hard gusts blowing out toward left-center field and a short right field fence, it perfectly suited the Rockets’ hitters. “This is the kind of place we like to hit,” said Auburn head coach Eric Swedberg. “A lot of our guys put the ball deep the other way, so it’s nice to see a shorter fence in right field.” After the first three Auburn batters struck out to begin the game, Auburn’s designated hitter, Jon Leroux, blasted off a home run to start the second inning. Leroux, normally the team’s catcher, had the day off from catching duties, and Kyle Beede stepped in behind the plate. Beede did not disappoint, hitting a deep triple that scored Brian Sullivan, who singled to get on base earlier in the inning. In the third inning, the hit parade continued. With one out, Jon Geeze roped a triple to get things going. After Evan Pluff popped out, Jon Leroux cranked a two-out, two-run home run to right field, his second of the day. “Everything seemed to click today. Everyone was getting good swings,” said Leroux. With the game well in hand, 5-0, in the fifth inning, the Rockets added a few more insurance runs. In the fifth, Pluff belted the team’s third homer of the day, and one inning later, Beede hit a moonshot home run to leftcenter field that rolled toward the fence some 400 feet away from home plate. Beede chugged his way around the bases and beat the throw home for an inside-the-park home run. While the offensive show was impressive for Auburn, the pitching equally lived up to the task. Auburn’s starter, Tyler Beede, was terrific on the bump. The freshman had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning before Bay Path’s Tim Pageau, who eventually came around to score the lone Bay Path run on a passed ball, broke it up. Tyler Beede would end up finishing the fifth before getting pulled early in hopes of resting him for a possible start again Wednesday. The Auburn right-hander ended with seven strikeouts, while only giving up one hit and one run. Jeff Croteau and Curtis LeBeau, who combined for two innings of shutout baseball, closed out the game. For Bay Path, the loss was a bitter end to what had been an otherwise terrific season. They conclude 2008 with an 18-4 record, and entered the district playoffs with the highest ranking in school history. “This was a great season,” said Minutemen head coach Mark Sansoucy. “Auburn is a great team and their pitchers threw very well today.” When asked what made this team so special this season, Sansoucy said it was the team’s four seniors (Tim Brayton, Pageau, Ryan Turner and Juan Maldanado) ability to lead the youngsters. “It was their personalities and the fact they led by example,” Sansoucy said about the seniors. “And they are allaround great kids.” Turner will be a significant loss. Sansoucy called the pitcher and shortstop the best player in the Colonial League. Turner started the game for the Minutemen, but was knocked out of the game because of an injury to his non-throwing hand in the third inning. However, players such as Spencer Donovan, Erik Peterson and Steve Renaud will return next season and be important pieces once again. With Auburn’s victory, the Rockets will meet Grafton at Bartlett High School on Wednesday. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Auburn's speedster, Nick Natoli, slides safely into second after a stolen base. John Radzinski photos Spencer Donovan gives all he has for the Minutemen in four innings of relief for Bay Path. Shepherd Hill season ends with loss to Gardner BY JOHN RADZINSKI SPORTS STAFF WRITER DUDLEY — The Shepherd Hill Rams softball team gave a strong effort Monday, June 2, but come up just short against Gardner High and their ace pitcher, Elyssa Boris, 3-1, in the Central Mass. Division 1 playoff quarterfinals. Boris was the story for the Wildcats, as she posted 11 strikeouts in a complete game gem, while only surrendering two hits all day. For Shepherd Hill, pitcher Meg Lennon was nearly as effective, also finishing the game and allowing only three runs. Lennon struck out three batters, while allowing six hits and no walks. Boris had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning, but Carolyn Hassett picked up the first base hit for the Rams on the day with a single that fell in into the outfield between the shortstop and centerfielder. Katie Joseph got the lone RBI for the Rams, hitting a seeing eye single through the middle of the infield, allowing Hassett to score. However, it was not enough as Gardner had already built up their three-run lead with two runs the inning prior, and their first run in the second inning. For the Rams, the season ends after a strong year once again. They end with a 17-3 regular season record and entered the district playoffs with the third seed. Gardner will face Holy Name in the state semifinals John Radzinski photos Nicole Devlin puts a charge into a ball, one of the few hard-hit balls on the afternoon for Shepherd Hill. Tony Reno’s Strength, Power, Explosion, Effort, Determination 11th Annual Speed & Conditioning Clinics S.P.E.E.D. is a five week (2 sessions per week / two hour per session) instructional speed and conditioning enhancement clinic. Players from all sports may participate. Registered participants may attend any of the eight sites an unlimited amount of times. Ages for the clinic are from youth - college. Cost is $165.00. Please call Tony Reno at (508) 347-5040 for details or you can get all clinic information, register online or download a registration form at www.speedstrength.net S.P.E.E.D. will hold clinics at the following locations: Worcester Area Youth Sports @ Worcester State College – . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 26th-July 31st (Tues. & Thurs. nights) (6-8 p.m.) Worcester State College – . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 8th-August 5th (Tues. & Thurs. nights) (6-8 p.m.) Blackstone Valley Tech – . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 7th-August 4th (Mon. & Wed. nights) (6-8 p.m.) Auburn – . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 7th-August 4th (Mon. & Wed. nights) (6-8 p.m.) Clinton High School – . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 7th-August 4th (Mon. & Wed. nights) (6-8 p.m.) Marlboro High School – . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 8th-August 5th (Tues. & Thurs. nights) (6-8 p.m.) Uxbridge High School – . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 8th-August 5th (Tues. & Thurs. nights) (6-8 p.m.) Tantasqua Regional – . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 7th-August 4th (Mon. & Wed. nights) (6-8 p.m.) THE FINEST WINES ARE MADE IN ITALY. YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO THAT FAR. FIND A LIQUOR STORE ON OUR EASY-TO-USE DIRECTORY. All local. All the time. TheHeartOfMassachusetts.com
www.charltonvillager.com Friday, June 6, 2008 •THE CHARLTON VILLAGER•13 SPORTS Minutemen cruise to victory over Valley Tech BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER CHARLTON — The Bay Path Minutemen baseball team easily crushed the Blackstone Valley Tech Beavers, 13-3, Thursday, May 29, moving on to the next round of the Central Mass. Division 2 tournament. The No. 2-seeded Minutemen led their opponent, 1-0, after an uneventful first couple of innings, in the game played at the Charlton trade school, before starting a long rally in the bottom of the third inning. Minuteman Spencer Donovan nailed a double up the middle, pushing home teammates Erik Peterson and Ryan Turner, both of who walked to base earlier in the inning. Bay Path led Blackstone Valley, 4-0, by the end of the inning. Next inning, however, Beaver Ryan Blake answered the Minutemen with a triple deep to center field. That drove his teammate, third baseman Aron Sweeper, across the plate for the team’s first run of the game. Beaver Sean O’Rourke struck out to end his team’s batting session. Minuteman Tim Brayton, in the bottom of the fourth, continued his team’s constant scoring streak by driving his teammate, Juan Moldonado, who hit a single just prior, home with a double deep to left field. Brayton, later in the inning, crossed the plate on a single from Turner. The Minutemen scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, after the Beavers failed to score in the top of the inning. Bay Path’s David Prince drove home Tim Pageau, waiting on second base, and Renaud on third base, making the score 8-1. Moldonado batted Prince home, upping that tally one more run, before Brayton struck out to end the inning. Valley hitters failed to reach the bases during the top of the sixth inning before Bay Path ran the score up even more in the bottom of the inning. Once the Beavers tossed Peterson out after his leadoff single, Turner hit a single to begin the rally. Donovan smacked another single toward the Beavers, moving Turner to second base. The next batter, Renaud, hit another single to load the bases before Pageau hit a double, driving two runs home. With the score 11-1 at that point, right fielder Brendan Wing, pinch hitting for Moldonado, blasted a triple to drive in two more runs. Brayton ended the inning with a flyball for the third out. In a valiant effort to come back from defeat in the top of the seventh inning, Valley Tech’s Ryan Blake doubled to right field before right-fielder Ryan Flaherty hit a single driving him home, for their second run of the game. The game’s second to last batter, Beaver Nate Cote, hit a triple, driving Flaherty home from third base to make the final score 13-3. Center fielder Zach Poisson hit a fly ball to center field for the game’s final out. Ryan Grannan-Doll photo Beaver Mike Dean prepares to swing at a pitch during a game Thursday, May 29 at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School. Rams give their all, end up falling to Gardner BY JOHN RADZINSKI drilled an opposite field double that scored Ben Norcross came up with a clutch RBI, hitting a go-ahead single to make the game 9-8 in SPORTS STAFF WRITER Eisenhauer. Center fielder John Hanna drew a DUDLEY — No. 7 ranked Shepherd Hill showed its perseverance Thursday, May 29 in walk to put Eisenhauer in scoring position for John Stearns, who delivered with a double of favor of the Rams. But in the end, Gardner was able to recapture the first round game of the Central Mass. his own. Then, Norcross stepped to the plate the lead and the game, adding five runs to win, District 1 playoffs against No. 10 Gardner. Down by seven runs, 8-1, in the second inning with their ace pitcher, Ben Stochaj, knocked out of the game, the Rams clawed their way back, but lost, 14-9. Gardner came out swinging a hot bat and unexpectedly got to Stochaj early on in the first two innings. The bulk of the damage was done by the Wildcats’ first five batters. In the first two innings, the five accounted for six runs on four hits, including a ground-rule double, a single by Shaan Slattery (three RBI), and a two- RBI triple by Eric O’Reilly. But the Rams on this day had the hearts of lions, and refused to quit. The player who got the Rams back in the game was arguably Ben Norcross. Norcross came in relief of Stochaj in the second inning, and the crafty lefty proved to be up to the task as he stopped the bleeding and kept his team in the game with his arm and his bat. Down 8-2 in the fourth inning, the Rams broke out of the spell Gardner pitcher Nate Harty had them in until that point. With the first man up, Eric Ray, out on a ground ball, second baseman Mike Gamache started the Rams’ rally with a seemingly harmless single. Mike Legendre followed that with another single. The ninth batter in the lineup, right-fielder Jeff Eisenhauer, drilled the third single in a row, scoring Gamache. Leadoff hitter Zach Kielinen ended the single streak, but had a productive atbat, lofting a sacrifice fly ball that knocked in Legendre. With two outs in the inning, the Wildcats simply could not get one last out as they watched with two men in scoring position to help his own cause. Norcross did not disappoint. On an 0-2 count, Norcross slugged a two-RBI double that tied the game, 8-8. After the dust settled in the fourth inning, the Rams collected six runs on six hits. Two innings later, in the sixth, John Hanna hit a monster blast that most likely would have ended in a home run at many fields, but was called a ground-rule double as it drifted into the forest behind the Rams’ outfield. Once again, 14-9. For Shepherd Hill, the season ends with a 13- 8 record, but it was not indicative of how well the Rams played throughout the year. The Hill had a 12-0 record against SWCL-West opponents and showed Thursday, May 29 the kind of spirit the team possesses, coming back and even taking the lead after being down by seven runs. The Rams look forward to returning a stronger team next year with many players returning. their lead dissipate. Catcher Matt Howard Rams catcher Matt Howard is called safe at home in the first inning against Gardner. John Radzinski photos Shepherd Hill second baseman Mike Gamache makes a diving stop on a ground ball. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY MAILED A CARD OR COUPON PLEASE IGNORE THIS MESSAGE!! Your home delivery of the Charlton Villager will continue Free of Charge. Dear Reader, If you would like to continue your FREE mail delivery of the Charlton Villager it is ESSENTIAL that we hear from you. Please mail the coupon at right to Charlton Villager, 25 Elm St., Southbridge, MA 01550. Or, you may drop us an email at requester@stonebridgepress.com, stating that I would (or would not) like to continue my FREE mail delivery of the Charlton Villager. If you do not return this card, your FREE mail delivery will stop. - Thank you! o YES, Please continue to deliver the Charlton Villager to my address below every week! I understand that it is free of charge. Name: Mailing Address: Town: Your Signature: (Required by U.S. Post Office) Date: Zip: Please Mail to: Charlton Villager, 25 Elm St., Southbridge, MA 01550 Your address will remain confidential. Under no circumstances will your address be made available to outside organizations, other than the U.S. Postal Service. If you have already mailed in your card please disregard this message.
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