Sanford, Maine — There’s a reason why North Carolina-Greensboro infielder Greg Hardison will be representing the Upper Valley Nighthawks at the NECBL All-Star Game this weekend.
The sophomore went 4-for-5 with three RBIs at the most ideal time, lifting the Nighthawks to a 5-2 win over the Sanford Mainers at Goodall Park on Tuesday night. The victory, combined with the Danbury Westerners’ 9-2 win over Keene in Connecticut, boosted Upper Valley (21-17) into a tie for second place with the Swamp Bats for the final two playoff spots in the league’s Northern Division with a week left in the regular season.
The Mainers (20-17) dropped to fourth, a half-game out of the playoff picture. Sanford, which never led Tuesday’s game, has a game in hand on both of its rivals, each of which it will play once before the schedule ends on Aug. 1.
Hardison kicked Upper Valley into gear with an RBI single in the first inning to plate Austin Wilhite (Georgia Tech), propelling the Nighthawks to a three-run opening frame. Anthony Meduri (Binghamton) and Ross Cadena (Wichita State) also plated runs for a 3-0 start.
Starting pitcher Jordan DiValerio (Saint Joseph’s) took over from there, earning his third straight win in his third straight quality start. The right-hander went 6⅔ innings, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Sanford put runners on first and second with two outs, but Upper Valley reliever Brian Weissert (Fordham) induced an infield pop-up to get out the jam. Weissert silenced Sanford in the eighth, and A.J. Franklin (Vanderbilt) retired the hosts in order in the ninth for his seventh save of the season, second-best in the NECBL.
The Nighthawks gave themselves some breathing room late, with Hardison playing a role on both occasions. The second baseman plated Wilhite a second time with an RBI single in the eighth inning, repeating the feat in the ninth with a two-out single to score Bryant Bowen (Southern Mississippi).
Wilhite had a big night at the plate as well for Upper Valley, going 4-for-4 with a walk and two runs. Leadoff hitter Chris Berry (North Florida) was 2-for-5 for the Nighthawks, who finished with 13 hits.
The Hawks have tonight off before visiting Keene in a key divisional matchup on Thursday night at Alumni Field.
DivingRenshaw at AAU Nationals
San Antonio — Rising Hanover High senior Kai Renshaw opened competition at the AAU Diving Nationals at the Northside ISD Natatorium by placing 14th out of 35 competitors off the one-meter board in the boys 17-year-old division on Tuesday.
Renshaw finished with 330.35 points for his dives, missing out on the evening’s finals by less than four points. The top 12 competitors advanced from earlier Tuesday; Mason Williams, of Conroe, Texas, won the event with 400.15 points.
The one-meter NHIAA Division II state champ earlier this year, Renshaw qualified for nationals at an AAU meet this summer. Divers in San Antonio are required to attempt 10 dives, two each from five different types, to accumulate their scores.
Hanover teammate Amelia Wallis will take part in the girls’ one-meter today. Renshaw returns for the boys’ three-meter competition on Thursday.
GolfThresher Leads N.H. Open; Pelletier Two Back
Goffstown, n.h. — First-round leader Peter French couldn’t keep up his torrid pace at the New Hampshire Open on Tuesday and, as a result, a bunch of golfers — including Lebanon amateur Pat Pelletier — remain in the hunt to take the state open today at Stonebridge Country Club.
One day after setting a course record with a 10-under-par 62, French followed with a 1-over 73 to drop a shot behind Jason Thresher, the 36-hole leader. Thresher followed an opening 68 with a 6-under 66 on Tuesday, and the Connecticut native — who won his third consecutive Massachusetts Open earlier this summer — sits at 10-under 134, fronting a gang of nine competitors within six strokes of the lead.
Similar to French’s round on Monday, Thresher played bogey-free golf on Tuesday. He opened with an eagle on the par-5 first hole, added four birdies and parred the rest.
French also eagled No. 1, his 10th hole of the day, but had little luck elsewhere. Aside from a birdie on No. 2, the Johnson & Wales University graduate recorded nothing but pars to go with four bogeys.
Pelletier, the low amateur at the Vermont Open in June, is among three players two shots back at 8-under 136. Pelletier posted a second-day 67 that included five birdies and no bogeys and served as his 12th card in the 60s out of 14 competitive rounds this season. The Lebanon High and University of Rhode Island graduate was also one of just two amateurs to make the cut at 1-over 145.
The tournament wraps up with a 36-hole finale today.
College TennisAll-Academic HonorsFor Dartmouth Players
Hanover — Eleven members of the Dartmouth tennis program earned all-academic recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday.
Catherine Cable, Abigail Chu, Allison Chuang, Allison McCann, Shannon Mukerji and Julia Schroder represented the Big Green women. Chuang and Schroeder have been ITA all-academic selections the last three years, while Cable made the list for the second time.
Max Fliegner, Paul Midgley, David Horneffer, John Speicher and Peter Conklin made the cut for the Dartmouth men. The first three are two-year honorees while the latter two made their debut this season.
Inclusion on the ITA All-Academic Team requires players to maintain a 3.50 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, be a varsity litterwinner and have at least two semesters of play under their belts.