Two days, two vastly different performances for the Bellows Falls Terriers baseball team.
On April 12 in Brandon, they beat Otter Valley for the second straight game, 6-2, as the Terriers got six shutout innings from winning pitcher Trenton Fletcher and got two-hit games from Jamison Nystrom and Eli Allbee.
The next day at Hadley Field, against the Brattleboro Colonels, the Terriers fell flat on their faces in an 11-2 loss.
BF coach Bob Lockerby was unsparing in his assessment of his team's performance against the Colonels. “We didn't compete,” he said. “You've got to be competitive and then when things don't go well, you have to learn to play the game and be tough and we didn't do that. We didn't play baseball. Not the way we're supposed to. Not the way we're capable of.”
But Lockerby may have been a little too hard on his team, for they ran into a pretty good pitcher in Brattleboro's Jolie Glidden. The burly junior threw 97 pitches for a complete game victory, scattering six hits and keeping the BF batters off-balance with his ability to change the speed and location of his pitches.
“He got the opportunity to pitch for me a little bit when he was a freshman,” said Brattleboro coach Chris Groeger. “When he was a freshman he was able to go to the state championship game. He pitched in the state championship game last year too. He's got experience. He was our No. 2 pitcher last year but he's definitely our No. 1 this year. Nothing flashy, but he gets people out and he throws strikes.”
With his brother, sophomore Jayke Glidden, behind the plate calling the pitches, Jolie had a relatively stress-free outing. For Jayke, it was the first time he played at catcher in a game since Little League, but it was just as stress-free for him since they've been playing catch in their backyard for years.
Allbee was BF's starting pitcher and he got into trouble in the third inning when he gave up an RBI single to left field by Sam Bogart and a three-run double to deep center field by Jolie Glidden. Cole Moore came into relieve Allbee, and gave up a bases-loaded walk to Harper Cutler to give Brattleboro a 5-0 lead.
BF got a run in the fourth when Jesse Darrell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, but Brattleboro put the game away with a five-run fifth inning. Darrell, BF's third pitcher of the day, issued six walks and a hit before catcher Jake Moore came in to finish up the game on the mound.
All in all, it was a good opener for the Colonels and a letdown game for the Terriers. The Colonels will be back in action for a road game against Keene on April 19, while BF hosts Burr & Burton on April 20.
Softball
• A late-inning rally by West Rutland led to a 6-3 victory over Leland & Gray on April 13. Rebels pitcher Kristen Lowe struck out 10 batters while walking only two in the loss, and Savannah Cadrin hit a two-run homer. The Rebels host Woodstock on April 20.
• Bellows Falls rolled to a 13-1 win over White River Valley in the Terriers' home opener on April 13. Winning pitcher Izzy Stoodley struck out 12 and gave up just two hits. She also went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs. Emma Thompson and Alana McAllister each had a hits for BF as they took advantage of numerous walks and errors. Jenna Dolloph, Natalie Noyes and Jaelyn Fletcher scored two runs each for the Terriers.
Track & field
• Brattleboro had a good showing in a multi-team meet in Windsor on April 12, with the Colonel boys finishing second and the Colonel girls taking fourth place.
Sean von Ranson, Dylan Holmes and Nico Conathan-Leach all qualified for the Division I state championships. Holmes qualified in the 200-meter dash with a second place finish and von Ranson qualified for the state championships with a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash. Conathan-Leach made it by winning the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10 minutes, 13.08 seconds. Katherine Normandeau also qualified for the girls' state meet with a second-place finish in the 3,000 in 11:19.78.
Other Brattleboro winners in the boys' meet included Jack Cady, who took the 400 with a time of 53.83 seconds, and von Ranson was first in the 200 in 24.21. The 4x100 relay team David Berkson-Harvey, Cady, Jacob Girard, and von Ranson were winners in 46.68.
For Bellows Falls, Riley Tuttle took first place in shot put with a toss of 11.83-meters. Tela Harty led the BF girls with a first place throw of 26.24 meters in the javelin, while Laura Kamel had a 32.03 toss in the discus to win that event. The 4x400 relay team of Ava LaRoss, Eryn Ross, Hannah Terry, and Nola Sciacca finished first in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 5:02.26.
Boys' tennis
• Brattleboro opened with a 6-1 win over Mount Anthony on April 11 at the BUHS courts. In singles play, No. 1 Nathan Kim and No. 4 Thomas Hyde won their matches in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, while No. 3 Ben Berg won his match, 6-2, 6-2, No. 2 Eben Wagner ground out a 6-4, 6-3 win, and No. 5 Mark Richard needed an 11-9 super breaker to win his match and finish the sweep.
In doubles play, the No. 1 duo of Dorian Paquette and Tucker Sargent also needed a super breaker as they rallied from a 1-6 deficit to win their match, 10-7, while No. 2 Jackson Pals and Wyatt Cudworth lost their match 4-6, 4-6.
The next day, the Colonels got shut out by Burr & Burton, 7-0, in Manchester. Brattleboro is off until April 25 when they have a rematch with the Bulldogs.
Unified basketball
• Brattleboro is undefeated so far this season. At the BUHS gym on April 11, the Colonels defeated Middlebury, 59-44. Every member of the Colonels scored, and they went out of their way to help some Middlebury players get a chance to get into the scorebook.
On April 12, the Colonels beat Otter Valley, 59-47, in Brandon. Austin Pinette had the hot hand, scoring 18 points for the winners. Ashley Cleveland added 10 points, and Silvia and Marcy Galdamez provided plenty of additional offense.
The Colonels, now 4-0, host Rutland on April 27 in a 2:15 p.m. game at the BUHS gym.
Lacrosse
• Burr & Burton rolled to a 15-3 over the Brattleboro boys in the season-opener for the Colonels on April 13 in Manchester.
• The Brattleboro girls lost to Hartford, 13-1, in their season opener at Natowich Field on April 12. Sophie Albright had the lone goal for the Colonels.
Ultimate disc
• Leland & Gray won its opening match, 15-1, over Sharon Academy on April 12 in Townshend. The Rebels had 11 different scorers and eight players got assists in the victory.
• Brattleboro got shut out by Burr & Burton, 15-0, in the season-opening match on April 13 in Manchester.
Rec. Dept. news
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will offer field hockey and boys' and girls' lacrosse camps this summer, aided by the varsity coaches and players from Brattleboro Union High School. Anyone interested in any of these programs can register online at register1.vermontsystems.com/wbwsc/vtbrattleboro.wsc/splash.html, or call the Rec. Dept.'s Gibson-Aiken Center office at 802-254-5808 for more information.
• BUHS varsity coaches and players will lead a youth field hockey camp for those in grades 3-8. This camp will run from June 27 to Aug. 8, on Tuesday nights only at the West River Park multipurpose field from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
The fee is $60 for Brattleboro residents and $75 for non-residents. This camp is for players of any level. Coaches will be working with campers on fundamentals and increasing knowledge of the game. Bring your own stick, goggles, mouth guard, shin guards and water bottle. Limited sticks available for use.
• BUHS girls' lacrosse coach Sarah Clark will lead girls' lacrosse camp for those in grades 3-8. Lacrosse camp will run from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on June 26 to 30, at West River Park. The fee is $55 for Brattleboro residents and $70 for non-residents.
Join Clark for some skills and drills and working on fundamentals and knowledge of the game. Bring your stick, goggles, mouth guard, water bottle, cleats, and or sneakers. Note that this program requires a minimum of 5 participants to run.
• BUHS coaching staff and varsity lacrosse players will be running a boys' youth lacrosse camp June 28 to Aug. 2 on Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at West River Park. This camp is for boys who are in grades 3-8. The fee is $55 for Brattleboro residents and $70 for non-residents.
Participants attending this camp will be trained in the fundamentals of lacrosse. All campers will receive personal attention toward skill improvement and knowledge of the game. All participants are required to wear a mask, and to come with cleats/sneakers, water bottle, snack, stick, helmet, and gloves.
• Also, the Rec. Dept. says the Dog Park, Perseverance Skate Park, and the outdoor tennis/pickleball courts at Living Memorial Park are all now open for the season.
Protect trails during mud season
• Last week's warm weather left hiking and biking trails at lower elevations in a less muddy state than normal for mid-April. But up in the hills, it's still mud season, and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) wants to remind the public that many trails around the state are closed.
During mud season, which can run until Memorial Day in upper elevations, hiking and biking trails are still wet and muddy due to the combined effects of snow melt, thawing ground, and seasonal rain. So the FPR asks the public to avoid muddy, soft trails to protect sensitive vegetation and ensure trails are in good shape for the upcoming summer hiking and biking season.
It's always a good idea to check a trail's status before you head out, using resources such as Trailfinder.info, the Green Mountain Club (greenmountainclub.org or 802-244-7037), and the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (vmba.org) to find out what trails are closed or open near you.
It is also worth remembering that the weather in the hills can be greatly different from the valleys. Check weather reports for your destination and always be prepared with extra layers, traction, and a contingency plan, including turning around or seeking an alternative place to hike. If you encounter conditions you are not prepared for, turn around and come back another day.
Senior bowling roundup
• With two weeks left in the winter/spring season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League, Fab Four (44-21) had a 4-1 week to stay in first place. Slo Movers (40.5-24.5) went 1-4, but still hold on to second place, followed by The Markers (39-26), Split Happens (34.5-30.5), The Strikers (27-38), The A-1's (25-40), Trash-O-Matic (25-40), and 10 Pins (25-40).
Diane Cooke had the women's high handicap game (232) and series (619), while Robert Rigby had the men's high handicap game (240) and series (644). 10 Pins had the high team handicap game (841) and series (2,421).
Rigby led the men's scratch scoring with a 644 series that featured games of 249 and 216. Chuck Adams had a 601 series with games of 209, 197, and 195. Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 571 series with games of 201 and 200, while John Walker had a 516 series, and Gary Montgomery had a 514 series with a 207 game.
Carol Gloski had the women's high scratch series (445) that featured a 160 game, while Cooke (167) had the high scratch game. Shirley Aiken rolled a 160.