The Chester Crush and the Claremont Cardinals have been atop the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League standings all season, so it was fitting that they were the two teams playing on Sunday afternoon for the CRVBL championship.
But it was the Cardinals that came away champions, with a 3-1 victory in the title game played at Ball-Roentsch Field in Walpole, N.H.
Chester finished the regular season in first place and defeated the Putney Fossils twice in the first round of the playoffs, then handled the Newport Polar Bears, 7-3, in Sunday's earlier semi-final. Regular season runner-up Claremont won two of three over the Brattleboro River Rats in the opening round, then won a semi-final nail biter 3-2 over the Walpole Wild Blue.
The tournament began Friday night with the top-seeded Crush beating the eighth-seeded Fossils, 11-4. The seventh-seeded River Rats upset the second-seeded Cardinals, 6-2. The third-seeded Walpole Wild Blue clobbered the sixth-seeded Saxtons River Pirates, 20-9, while the No. 5 Newport Polar Bears beat the fourth-seeded Keene Black Dawgs, 8-4.
There were no surprises in the elimination round on Saturday, as the higher seeds prevailed. Claremont hammered Brattleboro, 15-0, then survived a much closer 3-1 decision later in the day. Walpole knocked out the Pirates with a 7-3 victory, while the Crush dispatched Putney with a 7-0 win and Newport eliminated Keene with a 16-3 win.
That set up Sunday morning's semifinals, where Claremont defeated Walpole, 3-2, and Chester beat Newport, 7-3, to set up the afternoon matchup in what ultimately was a taut and tense championship game. Both teams sent their aces to the mound for the final. Nick Wirkkala (6-1, 1.35 ERA) took the hill first for Chester, while Bob Myers (7-0, 1.24 ERA) went for the visiting Cardinals.
The Cardinals went down in order in the first, thanks to a diving catch by Chester's manager/center fielder Scott Renfro. Renfro opened the home half of the inning with a single, but was caught stealing at second on a great throw by Claremont catcher John Grainger.
Both teams scored runs in the second inning. The Cardinals got a bases-loaded RBI from manager Gerry Thompson on a fielder's choice, while the Crush scored on a surprise squeeze bunt by Wirkkala.
The top of Clarmont's order finally strung some hits together against Wirkkala in the third. The electric Josh Duford doubled, then advanced to third on a single by team co-captain John Storti. Grainger continued his torrid playoff stretch with a single to knock in a run and get Storti to third.
Nate Duford made a bid for extra bases with a drive to the right center field gap, but Renfro ran the ball down and made a great catch. The play went as a sacrifice fly and increased the Claremont lead to 3-1.
In the bottom of the third, Renfro singled hard to left to leadoff but was retired on a fielders' choice and Chester failed to produce anything further. The Crush put two on with two out in the fourth, but Myers induced a popup to Grainger to end the threat.
The Cardinals kept the pressure on Wirkkala all game long, with multiple hits from Grainger, Thompson and Chris Brawn, but the gutsy lefty continued to battle, working himself out of pressure situations and not allowing another run after the third inning. Crush outfielder Michael Cavacas gunned down a potential run at the plate in the sixth with a perfect throw from deep left.
Renfro tried to spark a rally with a single to open the fifth inning. He stole second base, but that's as far as Myers would let any other runner. He closed out the sixth and the seventh, allowing only one single. This was to be his day. Myers closed out his second consecutive complete game of the day by getting a one-hop comebacker and flipping it to first for the final out. He allowed only the one run on five hits with two walks and struck out five.
This tournament format is a test of a team's pitching staff. In a league with older players and teams that usually play once a week, it is difficult to have to play as many as five games in a three-day weekend series. That's how you end up with a guy throwing 25 innings in span of about 24 hours.
Now that the CRVBL is larger and more established, perhaps its tournament can be spread out over two weekends to make the playing field a little more level.
Softball roundup
• Fletcher's Auto won the Division 1 championship in the Brattleboro Area Men's Softball League last week.
The double-elimination tournament opened on Aug. 13 with the Elks beating Sportsmans Lounge/Brattleboro Pharmacy, 15-3, and Fletcher's beating the Moose, 16-13. Fletcher's then clinched its spot in the title game with a 23-9 win over the Elks in the final game of the night.
After Sportsmans forfeited to the Moose to start play on Aug. 14, the Elks advanced to the final with a 13-3 victory over the Moose. Fletcher's then won a 26-14 slugfest over the Elks for the league title.
The Division 3 and 4 tournaments are in full swing at Living Memorial Park this week.
Turned on in BF
• The lights on the Hadley Field gridiron at Bellows Falls Union High School will get their first test this Saturday when the Terriers host Newport in a scrimmage at 7 p.m.
The lights at Hadley Field's baseball diamond made their successful debut last month, paving the way for night baseball next season for the Terriers.
After being among the last holdouts for night football in Vermont, Bellows Falls joins the ranks of high schools that will play Friday night varsity games. The only day game on the schedule at Hadley Field will be on Saturday, Sept. 29, against U-32.
Fall sports at the Rec
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will offer youth soccer and field hockey programs this fall.
Registration for these programs will take place Thursday, Aug. 30, from 1:30-6 p.m., at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St. Call 802-254-5808 for more information.
Girls' field hockey will be offered for grades 3-6. The cost is $20 for Brattleboro residents, $35 for non-residents. Sticks will be supplied, but mouth guards and shin guards will be required of participants. The program is open to all levels and abilities.
Boys and girls in kindergarten can participate in a five-week soccer program at Living Memorial Park, starting Sept. 10. The fee is $15 for residents, $30 for non-residents. This fee includes a t-shirt. Shin guards and cleats are recommended for participants. Available time slots are 4-4:45 p.m., and 5-5:45 p.m.
For girls and boys in grades 1-6, soccer practices begin Sept. 10. The techniques of dribbling, passing, and shooting will be taught, and each child will have the opportunity to use these skills in team games. There will be one practice and one game per week. The program will be organized in separate groups: grades 1-2, grades 3-4, and grades 5-6. The fee is $20 for residents, $35 for non-residents. This fee includes a t-shirt. Shin guards are required, and cleats are recommended.
Also, the Recreation & Parks Department will host registration for Session I gymnastics classes on Thursday, Sept. 6, from 3:30-6 p.m., at the Gibson-Aiken Canter. Classes will begin the week of Sept. 10, and will run for eight weeks. The cost of the 8-week program will be $60 for residents and $75 for non-residents. Late registrations will be pro-rated. Lorraine Cote will lead the classes.
Retreat tourney raises $38,000
• More than 125 golfers played through occasional rain showers on Aug. 1 at the Brattleboro Country Club in the Brattleboro Retreat's seventh annual golf tournament. The event raised more than $38,000 for therapeutic recreation activities for children and adolescents receiving care at the Retreat.
Winner of the tournament's “First Gross” was the team of Elizabeth Walker, Eileen Ranslow, Scott Wilson, and Toby Muncill. Winner of “First Net” was the team representing Hole Sponsor HCRS (Cory Wilkerson, Josh Compton, Phil DeMuzio, and Jarrod James).
The team that took “Second Gross” were representatives from Gold Sponsor Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC and Silver Sponsor Hawk Partners (Joe Choquette, David Minnis, Dennis McLister, and Taylor Foehl). “Second Net” went to the team representing Silver Sponsor Brattleboro Subaru (Chris Ducharme, Nate Barnard, John Sciacca, and Paul Sucharzewski).
Tracy Sloan won the Women's Longest Drive. Nancy Hagstrom from Bronze Sponsor Newton Business won the prize for Women's Closest to the Pin, while Sue Branch from Silver Sponsor S&S Painting and Decorating won Straightest Drive. In the Men's Division, Rich Card from Gold Sponsor WKVT took the prize for Longest Drive. And S&S Painting & Decorating's Ken Greatbach won Straightest Drive, with Taylor Foehl of HawkPartners winning Closest to Pin.