Published: 7/23/2018 12:06:03 AM
Modified: 7/23/2018 11:10:10 AM
North Adams, Mass. — A lack of timely hitting has been something of a recurring theme for the Upper Valley Nighthawks this season, and so it was again on Sunday.
After surrendering a 2-0 lead, the Nighthawks managed just three hits over their final five innings to drop a 4-2 decision to the North Adams SteepleCats at Joe Wolfe Field on Sunday.
On a day that saw infielder Davis Mikell (Castleton) take an effective turn as a relief pitcher, Upper Valley (20-17) couldn’t do much at the plate despite amassing 10 hits against three North Adams pitchers. The day’s only saving grace was Keene’s 5-3 loss to Valley that kept the Hawks just one game out of the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s final Northern Division playoff spot.
Anthony Quirion (Lamar) gave Upper Valley all of the runs it would score with a two-run double in the top of the third inning. Named an NECBL all-star on Sunday, Quirion ranks in the top 10 with 25 runs batted in this season.
North Adams’ Jeffrey Brown (Citadel) drove in Jacob Jablonski (Arkansas State) to draw the hosts within a run in the home third. The SteepleCats (14-22) then tagged Upper Valley starter Ryan Parker (West Georgia) for three runs in the bottom of the fourth, with Jablonski driving home the tying and go-ahead runs with a bases-loaded, one-out single.
Making his NECBL mound debut, Mikell relieved Parker in the fifth and threw three innings of one-hit shutout ball. Hartford High graduate Jordy Allard (Southern New Hampshire) tossed a scoreless eighth for Upper Valley, but the Nighthawks’ bats never responded. Quirion and Greg Hardison (UNC Greensboro) both had two-hit games for the visitors.
Joseph Kemlage (American International) earned his first win of the summer in his fourth appearance for North Adams. Kemlage struck out four, walked one and surrendered nine hits.
The Nighthawks have today off, then visit the second-place Sanford Mainers on Tuesday.
Five Named All-Stars;Allard in Final Vote
North Adams, Mass. — Five members of the Upper Valley Nighthawks were named on Sunday to this weekend’s NECBL All-Star Game roster, and a local fan favorite is up for a vote to be the sixth.
Upper Valley will send pitcher Jordan DiValerio (Saint Joseph’s), second baseman Chris Berry (North Florida), third baseman Anthony Quirion (Lamar), shortstop Austin Wilhite (Georgia Tech) and designated hitter Greg Hardison (UNC Greensboro) to the contest. The contest is set for Sunday at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass., at 5:10 p.m.
Meanwhile, pitcher Jordy Allard (Hartford High/Southern New Hampshire) was tabbed as the Nighthawks’ representative in a field of 13 players for whom fans can vote to determine the final rosters spots for each divisional team.
Online voting is under way at vote18.necbl.com and continues through Thursday.
Legon BaseballWRJ, Bellows Falls Split
White River Junction — White River Junction Post 84 clinched the final Southern Division slot for the upcoming Vermont American Legion state tournament in a doubleheader split with Bellows Falls Post 37 at the Maxfield Sports Complex.
Post 84 (12-7) opened with a 7-6 win before dropping a 12-2 contest to Post 37 (14-6) in the finale. WRJ has two games left in its regular season, home games with Brattleboro on Tuesday and Randolph on Wednesday, before starting the state tourney at Castleton University on Saturday.
Golf N.H. Open Starts Today
Goffstown, n.h. — A little over a week since a near-miss run at the New Hampshire Amateur, Lebanon’s Pat Pelletier is among a strong amateur field that will take to Stonebridge Country Club this morning for the first round of the New Hampshire Open golf championship.
Barely a year since returning to the amateur ranks, Pelletier has put 10 of his 12 competitive rounds this summer in the 60s, winning low amateur honors at the Vermont Open and taking second to Concord’s Matthew Paradis at last week’s N.H. Amateur at Hanover Country Club.
Paradis will also be in the field at the state open, whose pro field includes Vermont Open champ Alex Rainville, the former St. Johnsbury Academy golfer who tied for third over the weekend at the Greater Bangor Open after leading through two rounds.
A full field of 144 golfers opens play today.
The low 40 scores and ties after Tuesday advance to a 36-hole final day on Wednesday.