The ConVal baseball showed some bark and bite Tuesday, as the reenergized Cougars had their best game of the season, beating Pelham 12-11 in a down-t0-the-last-out duel.
After hosting a series of home games at South Meadow School, the Cougars finally got back on their high school field and treated the fans in attendance to a thriller.
“We’ve got potential,” said head coach Matt Harris after ConVal’s first win since 2019. “It’s a fun group and this is what they’re capable of. Hopefully we can build off this win and keep it up.”
ConVal surrendered two runs in the first inning; they’d get one back on an Eric Stapelfeld solo shot to left in the bottom of the first, but a few baserunning gaffes took away some of the Cougars’ scoring chances, and after the Pythons’ five-run third put them up 8-1, one might have expected the home team to fold.
Instead, they kept fighting.
College-bound senior first baseman Austin Sloan is out after having his appendix removed, but he was a vocal presence in the dugout, serving as the Cougars’ ringleader by chirping, barking and keeping the energy up even in the face of a seven-run deficit.
“I’m down an organ!” Sloan joked. “I’m going nuts!”
ConVal answered right back in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs on hits from Austin Knight (3-4, 2 2B), Joe Gutwein (2-3, 2 R), Sam Scheinblum (3-4, 2B) and Brady Carpentiere (2-2). They’d tie the game up at eight the following inning, when Knight singled, stole two bases and then scored on a wild pitch on which Pelham threw the ball away at the plate, allowing Gutwein to score on the error.
Starting pitcher Stapelfeld powered through the Pythons’ offensive attack and kept hurling through the fifth inning, but after he surrendered back-to-back doubles in the fifth, it was time for the hook, and Harris sent Carpentiere out to the mound with runners on second and third and no outs in a tie game – a huge spot. Pitching to contact, Carpentiere forced a groundout and then got a boost from freshman leftfielder Justin Borges, who laid out for a diving catch before Carpentiere struck out the final batter of the inning. The sophomore came up in the bottom of the inning and knocked in Ollie Theriault with a two-out double to put ConVal up 9-8.
“The fact that he came in and was throwing strikes is phenomenal from a sophomore,” Harris said. “He also had a big hit in a tight ballgame… Brady came up with two outs and hit a nice double. So he did it all around. I was pretty impressed with him. I was pretty proud of him.”
Pelham tied it with an unearned run in the sixth before ConVal answered back with three in the bottom half, on hits from Knight, Gutwein, Zack Boyd, Scheinblum and Theriault, and a sac fly from Stapelfeld. The Pythons made it interesting in the final frame, scoring twice on a double, a pair of walks, a single and a dropped third strike to make it 12-11, but Carpentiere closed it out for ConVal’s first win.
“It was was fun to coach, it was fun to watch these boys actually perform to what they’re capable of,” Harris said.
ConVal (1-6) is at Milford Monday.
Conant tops WLC, falls to Mascenic
The Orioles put up some gaudy numbers in Monday’s 24-5 win over Wilton-Lyndeborough. Graecen Kirby led the way, going 3-5 with an eye-popping seven RBI and a home run. Irelynd Aucoin (2-4) and Becca Thibaudeau (3-4) drove in four runs each, and Tessa Spingola (1-2, 2 RBI), Kaylee Karns (1-4, 3 RBI, HR), Maddie Bergeron (2-4, 2 RBI), Ella Weinhold (1-5, 2 RBI) and Hannah Manley (2-2, RBI) drove in r uns for Conant.
Kirby went four innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out six. Thibaudeau pitched two scoreless with three strikeouts.
WLC coach Scott Dowling said there were some positives in the blowout loss.
“Most of the team is starting to believe in themselves, which is all that matters,” Dowling said.
Ryleigh Smith pitched a complete game for the Warriors. Savanah Dubois drove in two runs and had her first hit of the season; Abby Dowling (2-4, 2B, 3B) drove in another two runs, and Emily Dubois went 2-2 with two singles.
WLC (1-6) was set to play at Epping Wednesday after press time and host Keene on Friday.
Conant hosted Mascenic on Tuesday and lost the second half of their back-to-back, 8-2.
Leah St. John homered and drove in three runs for the visiting Vikings; Ella Pearson (3-4, 2 RBI), Allison Adams, Kenzie Cormier and Xaria Talbot drove in runs for Mascenic.
Katalina Davis threw a complete game and struck out nine while allowing two earned runs as the Orioles only came up with three hits, from Mylie Aho (2-3, 2B) and Karns (1-2).
Mascenic is now 7-1 with their only loss coming against Division I Keene. Conant is 5-5. The two teams face off again Thursday in New Ipswich.
Mascenic 6, Conant 2
The Vikings won a back-and-forth battle in Jaffrey Tuesday, taking the lead for good in the fifth inning on an RBI triple from Jack Cocozella that scored brother Joe.
Conant had a lead in the third and tied it again in the fourth but couldn’t put together a late rally.
Mascenic starter Jack Cocozella went four innings for the win, allowing no earned runs and three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. The Vikings went to Thursday’s planned starter Shea Zina in the fifth; the senior earned the save by throwing three scoreless innings with no hits and no walks, striking out five and picking off Chris Bergeron at first to end the game.
Sean Agonis (1-3, 3B) and Blaine Krook (3-4, 2B) drove in runs for Mascenic.
Malique Motuzas (1-3) and Griffin Labonte (1-2) drove in runs for Conant.
Garrett Somero started on the mound for Conant and went 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and four walks, striking out eight. Labonte finished the game out with two earned runs and four strikeouts in 2.1 IP.
Mascenic (5-2) and Conant (2-5) are back at it in New Ipswich Thursday.
Pelham 12, ConVal 10
The Cougars fell behind by as many as six goals Monday before making a comeback effort that fell just short.
“Pelham’s defense was strong and we couldn’t overcome a very slow start,” head coach Derek Sorbello said.
The Cougars cut it to 11-10 with six minutes left but couldn’t find the net for the equalizer.
Julia Donovan scored five goals; Anna Taylor was solid on the draw and had two goals, and Sarah Holdredge had 9 saves.
ConVal (2-3) was set to travel to Lebanon Wednesday after press time and then play at Pelham Friday.
Pelham 8, ConVal 3
ConVal didn’t play their best on Tuesday’s road trip to Pelham, head coach Terry McNamara said.
“We never really got into sync,” he said, adding that the Pythons had studied their offense on film and prepared to stop the Cougars’ lethal man-up plays. Nonetheless, ConVal scored two of their three goals on the play, freelancing after the Pelham D cut off their primary options.
Ronan McNamara had two goals and Ethan Weber one; Seth Fowler had an assist.
“Our even strength offense was probably our biggest issue,” coach McNamara said, “with a lot of unforced errors and turnovers, I know we can play much better than that and we have in other games earlier in the season.”
ConVal (3-3) is home against Pelham Thursday for senior night.