Williston Observer

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Supple and Bolger hold Braves to two hits

May 28, 2009

The Williston Armadillos combined offensive muscle with pitching finesse to defeat the Bayside Braves 17-1 on Sunday. The victory improved the Dillos’ record to 4-0, leaving them sitting on top of the 20-team Vermont Senior Baseball League as the only undefeated team.

Williston rapped out 24 hits, including three homers, one each by shortstop/pitcher Greg Bolger (3-5, HR, 2 Runs, 3 RBIs), right fielder Darby Crum (2-6, HR, 3 Runs, 5 RBIs) and center fielder Ray Danis (3-4, 2B, HR, BB, 3 Runs, 3 RBIs). Other offensive stars were pitcher Bill Supple (5-5, 1 Run, 1 RBI), third baseman Jesse Stein (3-6, 1 Run) and catcher Tom “Bambino” Fitzgerald (3-6, 3 RBIs).

While the Dillos’ offense was impressive, their pitching was even more so. Supple pitched the first six innings, picking up his first victory of the year. He did not give up a hit until the fifth inning, a one-out homer by the Braves cleanup hitter, which was the only hit and run allowed by Supple. Supple’s control was spectacular, as he walked just one while striking out six.

Bolger pitched the last three innings for the Dillos and picked up where Supple left off. Bolger allowed only one Braves player to reach base, giving up a two-out double in the seventh, while striking out one. Thus, for the game, only four Braves reached base, as the Armadillos also committed an error that allowed a batter to reach base safely.

The Armadillos jumped on the Braves for four runs in the first. Second baseman Billy Daw (1-5, BB, 1 Run) and Supple both singled. After Bolger successfully moved the runners ahead with a sacrifice bunt, Dann “DVDV” van der Vliet was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Crum brought in Daw and Supple with a single and the Bambino doubled to score DVDV and Crum.

The Dillos scored another run in the second. Daw walked, Supple singled and Bolger plated Daw with a single. After Danis’ homer in the fourth increased the lead to 6-0, the Dillos scored another three runs in the fifth. Crum reached on an error and the Bambino singled, but was forced out at second on first baseman Dennis Johnson’s (2-5, 2B, 2 Runs) grounder. Danis then brought home Crum and Johnson with a double. Danis scored when the Braves first baseman misplayed a throw on right fielder Brian Donahue’s (0-3, BB) grounder.

The lead increased to 11-0 in the eighth, as two more Armadillos crossed the plate. Supple hit his fifth single of the day, Bolger reach base on an error and DVDV singled to load the bases. One run then scored on Crum’s fielder’s choice and another came across on the Bambino’s single.

The Dillos piled on another six runs in the ninth. Johnson singled, went to third on Danis’ single and scored on Supple’s sacrifice fly. Bolger followed with a two run homer to left. DVDV and Stein singled to set the stage for Crum’s three run blast over the left field fence, which closed out the scoring.

On Sunday, the Armadillos travel to Waterbury to play 3-1 Mad River Valley at Harwood Union High School. Game time is noon.

League standings and individual and team statistics are online at www.scorebook.com. Enter “Vermont Senior Baseball League” under league name search.

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May 28, 2009

CVU tennis teams look for strong finish

The Champlain Valley Union High girls tennis team continued its undefeated rush to the postseason, while the once-beaten boys also ruled the day Tuesday in the first of two consecutive days of competition in the final week of the regular campaign.

Both teams were scheduled to play Rice Memorial High after press deadline on Wednesday to wrap up pre-playoff action.

The girls scored a 7-0 victory at Colchester High Tuesday. Cassie Smith, Kylie deGroot, Anna Clare Smith, Abby Stoner and Colleen McCarthy won individual matches, while the teams of Christina Parker-Molly Ziegler and Kate Farley-Catherine Akin conquered the doubles competition.

At their Davis Park home courts in Shelburne, the boys also scored a 7-0 victory over the Lakers. Singles triumphs went to David Hilderbrand, Marc Vecchio, Tabor deGroot, Jameson Voll and Liam Kelley. Doubles wins were by Will Hurd-Corey Dawson and Will Hall-Bennett Hadley.

Redhawks golfers place second in Williston

With district and state tournaments on the horizon, the Champlain Valley Union High golf team took second place Tuesday in a four-team competition at Williston Golf Club.

The Redhawks’ Jack Tomashot fired a 73 to tie for medalist honors with Mount Mansfield Union’s Colin O’Brien and Colchester High’s Geoff Lockerby.

CVU’s Andre Bedard finished one stroke back with a 74. Eric Robinson came in with an 80, followed by Billy Wilson with an 85 and Alex Socinski, who shot a 92.

Mount Mansfield won the team title with 300, followed by CVU’s 312. Third place Colchester had a 327 and fourth place Vergennes Union a 494.

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Athletes head to Essex on Saturday

May 28, 2009

By Mal Boright

Observer correspondent

With a solid victory Tuesday in their final home meet of the season, the Champlain Valley Union High track and field teams will be at the Essex High Invitationals on Saturday for their final test before the Vermont State meet the following weekend.

Both the boys åand girls rolled up victories Tuesday. The girls scored 116.6 points to outdistance Mount Mansfield Union (97.3), Milton High (59.1) and Vergennes Union (4).

The boys chalked up 135 points to Mount Mansfield’s 69.5. Milton had 60.5 and Vergennes 4.

The girls won nine events, led by Haleigh Smith, a double victor in long jump (14-11.75) and triple jump (32-03).

Kendall Berry captured the 400-meter race with a time of 1 minute, 2.6 seconds. Maddy Christian won the 1,500 in 5:06.4 and Rachel Cross took the 3,000 with a time of 12:18.2. Lillian Roberts-Gevalt won the 300 hurdles in 49.7 seconds. Maya Grevatt scored a pole vault victory (8-09).

Also winners were the girls 4-by-400 and 4-by-800 relay teams.

The boys also had a double winner in hurdler James Pieper-Lococo, who took the 110 in 16.7 seconds and the 300 in 45.1 seconds.

Jason Clairmont dashed to victory on the 400 in 53.5 seconds. Zak Pete took the 1,500 in 4:26.6. The relay teams swept the 100, 400 and 800 events.

Dale Conger provided the Redhawks with their lone triumph in field events, taking the shot-put with a heave of 40-10.25.

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May 28, 2009

By Mal Boright

Observer correspondent

At the beginning of the month, three solid teams nipped a then unbeaten (6-0 start) Champlain Valley Union High boys lacrosse combine in consecutive games. Now, at the end of the month, the Redhawks are out to get even.

They began a season-closing, three-game set against their tormentors on Saturday with a 13-8 victory in St. Albans over 8-5 Bellows Free Academy, which had laid a 10-8 nipping on CVU May 1 to start that three-game losing streak.

Saturday’s victory, their fifth in a row, hiked the Redhawks’ season mark to 11-3. Two home games remain — Wednesday against defending state champion Essex High and Saturday against South Burlington High — before playoff pairings are announced.

Essex and South Burlington both claimed two-goal victories over CVU on their home fields.

The Redhawk with the sharpest talons at St. Albans was Sam Spencer, who slammed home five goals and added a pair of assists, one of his top games of the campaign.

Right there with Spencer was Wes O’Brien with four scores.

Dean Priest earned the sidekick honors with five assists while Tim Reichert garnered three helpers.

Other goal scorers were Owen Smith with two, and Nick Hart and Lawrence Dee with one each.

CVU out shot BFA 25-18. Redhawks’ goalie Eric Palmer had 10 stops.

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