WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Another former member of the Upper Valley Nighthawks will be pursuing an opportunity in professional baseball.
Anthony Quirion, a two-year Nighthawk veteran who would have returned to the team last summer if not for the COVID-19 pandemic, signed a free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. Quirion, who recently wrapped up his college career at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, announced the transaction on his Twitter account.
“Dream come true!” wrote Quirion, who hails from Dixville, Quebec. “Thank you to everyone who has helped along the way! Beyond excited for this next step!”
Quirion excelled both at Lamar and in the NECBL with the Nighthawks.
After two years of junior college in Texas, Quirion joined the Cardinals and batted .293 over three seasons as an infielder. He posted a .286 average this past season, slapping 12 home runs and driving in 39.
Quirion was an NECBL all-star in both of his seasons with Upper Valley, alternating between outfield, infield and catching roles. He batted .278 with six homers and 27 RBIs in 41 games in 2018 and followed that up with a .286 season in 2019, recording three homers and 23 RBIs in 29 contests. The NECBL didn’t play last summer due to pandemic restrictions.
Three other former Nighthawks — pitchers Adam Smith, Aaron Haase and Brooks Gosswein — were selected in the MLB draft earlier in the week, making 14 Upper Valley players drafted.
GOLF Dartmouth’s Pleat to defend NH Am title NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — Former Dartmouth College golfer James Pleat will look to repeat his New Hampshire Amateur title from last year after qualifying for Saturday’s 36-hole match on Friday at North Conway Country Club.
Pleat opened with 5-and-4 quarterfinal defeat of Hooper’s Ryan Kohler in a morning match. He followed with an afternoon semifinal defeat of Laconia’s Jim Cilley, 3 and 1.
Sky Meadow’s Brandon Gillis will oppose Pleat in the final, his first. Gillis edged Canterbury Woods’ Scott Underhill, 1 up, in the quarters and took a similar win from the Golf Club of New England’s Brett Wilson in the semis.
Pleat, of Nashua, graduated from Dartmouth in 2013. He won his first state am title on his home Nashua Country Club course last summer.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS Scores that missed Friday’s paper due to deadline. Find updates online at www.vnews.com.
LEGION BASEBALL Keene 8, Lebanon Jrs. 5 KEENE, N.H. — Keene Post 4 (5-4) used a three-run sixth inning to break a 5-5 tie and pull away from Lebanon Post 22 (3-7) in a New Hampshire District A junior contest.
Lebanon gradually scratched back into the contest after surrendering three first-inning runs. Bodie Benoit’s two-run single closed the gap to 3-2 in the third, and Post 22 finally deadlocked the contest in the fifth. But Keene made use of 13 stolen bases, six walks and four Lebanon errors to prevail.
Benoit finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Post 22. Zander Doyle was 2-for-3, scoring twice and stealing three bases. Ben Achmoody contributed a run-scoring double. Reliever Shea Curley took the loss, although none of the three runs he allowed over two innings were earned.
Post 22 hosts two different nondistrict foes on Saturday, taking on Hudson Post 48 (7-5) at noon and Exeter Post 32 (8-2) at 3 p.m., both at Lebanon High School.
Laconia 15, Lebanon Srs. 7 LACONIA, N.H. — Post 22’s senior team (5-10) saw its hopes for a New Hampshire state tournament spot take another hit in a loss to Laconia Post 1 (8-6) at Memorial Field.
Laconia led from the get-go, scoring in each of the first four frames and batting around twice for a 14-4 lead. Lebanon got all of its early runs in a four-run third, with Hayden Chandler, Dom Nutting and Owen Taylor all singling and scoring. Post 22 added three runs in the seventh.
Post 22 is 3½ games out of the final District A tournament slot heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Lebanon visits Merrimack Post 98 for a doubleheader on Saturday.
Brattleboro 3, WRJ 2WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Pinch hitter Alex Bingham singled in the seventh inning and scored on an error to give Brattleboro Post 5 (8-3) a narrow win over White River Junction Post 84 (4-4) in the opening game of a doubleheader.
Colin Vielleux singled and scored in the fourth inning and Carder Stratton did the same in the sixth for WRJ. Post 84 left the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh frames.
White River held a 7-4 advantage through four innings in the nightcap, which was called by darkness with the Maxfield Sports Complex’s lights inoperable for the evening. That game will be completed at a future date.