Nighthawks Blow Three-Run Lead in Ninth Inning to Blue Sox

White River Junction — As if the NECBL Northern Division rivalry between the Upper Valley Nighthawks and the Valley Blue Sox didn’t already have enough drama.

The Nighthawks fell apart in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s contest against the Blue Sox, allowing four runs on four hits and three errors to blow a three-run lead and fall, 4-3, at the Maxfield Sports Complex.

Upper Valley built a 3-0 lead through eight innings on 10 hits and four walks. Ross Cadena (Wichita State) led the way going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Riley Smith (Minnesota) was 1-for-2 with two RBIs.

Levi Thomas (Troy) was stellar in his second start for the Nighthawks, allowing only two hits and three walks in five innings.

A.J. Franklin (Vanderbilt) entered the game in relief in the sixth inning, and allowed only three hits through his first three innings of work. But he struggled in the ninth, allowing two singles and a double to Valley hitters.

Upper Valley (8-4) hosts the Keene Swamp Bats today at Maxfield.

White River Junction 25Ludlow 3 (5)

Ludlow, vt. — Moises Celaya and Hunter Perkins combined for three home runs and 11 RBIs as Post 84 improved to 4-1.

Celeya (Hanover) was 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in the second inning and a three-run bomb in the third. Perkins was 2-for-2 with a three-run home run in the second. WRJ had 21 hits in the victory. Post 84 travels to Bellows Falls Post 37 today.

Area Pair at New Englands

Keene, n.h. — Two Upper Valley girls represented their schools on Wednesday at the New England Interscholastic Golf Championships at Bretwood Golf Course’s North Course.

Hanover’s Marta Sanchez tied for 14th out of 46 competitors with a round of 13-over-par 85, while Mid Vermont Christian’s Allie Leary finished 37th with a score of 25-over 97. Both earned spots at New Englands based on their play in last fall’s state championships: Sanchez placed fourth in the NHIAA’s 18-hole girls division while Leary was sixth at the VPA’s Division II state tournament.

No Upper Valley boys qualified for Wednesday’s New England tournament.

Dartmouth Grad BowerNew Guilford AD

Greenboro, n.c. — Dartmouth College graduate Susan Preston Bower was named the new athletic director at Guilford College on Wednesday.

A 1985 Dartmouth graduate, Bower is the North Carolina school’s first full-time in 11 years. She takes over her new job following two years as a parochial school AD in New Orleans preceded by a 24-year stint in athletics at Tulane University.

Bower spent 14 of her year at the New Orleans university as head women’s golf coach and 10 as an associate or assitant AD. She was also the school’s senior woman administrator for 2½ years.

Bower also played golf for three years on the LPGA Futures Tour and worked as an assistant golf professional for three years.

Ten Make All-Academic

Hanover — Ten Dartmouth student-athletes were honored by the Ivy League with inclusion on the league’s all-academic squad for the spring season.

To make the list, nominees had to make major contributions on their teams while also maintaining a minimum 3.0 grade-point average.

Dartmouth’s contingent included Sabrina Bohrer (women’s crew); Ellie Carson (women’s lacrosse); Austin Heye (men’s heavyweight crew); Jessica Kittelberger (women’s golf); Jack Korzelius (men’s lacrosse); Ben Ose (men’s track and field); Cha’Mia Rothwell (women’s track and field); Dustin Shirley (baseball); Robert Van Voorhis (men’s lightweight rowing) and Taylor Ward (softball).