After a strong start, the ConVal baseball team is slumping at the plate and finished last week on a four-game losing streak.
“Definitely in an offensive skid,” said head coach Matt Harris after Friday’s 1-0 loss at John Stark, the Cougars’ second time being shut out in three games.
ConVal was shut out by St. Thomas Tuesday and then lost to Souhegan 18-4 in a Saber slugfest Thursday; the Cougars used nearly every pitcher on their staff in the rout, giving up three home runs.
Friday’s pitching was excellent, as Brady Carpentiere and Eric Stapelfeld combined for six innings of two-hit baseball, but ConVal couldn’t push a run across.
“We’ve got Coe-Brown Monday to try and get ourselves back to our winning ways of the beginning of the season,” Harris said.
ConVal (4-6) was set to host Coe-Brown after press time Monday and play at Pelham Wednesday.
Belmont 6, Conant 1
The Orioles only gave up two earned runs at Belmont Thursday but made four errors on their way to a loss. Senior shortstop Malique Motuzas drove in Conant’s run; Lane LeClair (2-2), Chris Bergeron, Dylan Adams and Garrett Somero also had hits.
Somero went three innings on the mound, allowing two runs and striking out five; Jordan Ketola and LeClair relieved him.
Conant (3-5) was set to play at Hopkinton Monday and host Winnisquam Thursday.
Mascenic 8, Bishop Brady 1
The Vikings were up five runs after two innings Thursday and never looked back, improving to 9-2 on the season.
Sean Agonis (3-3, 2B, 4 RBI), Hunter Kaarto (2-3) and Jack Cocozella (2-3, 3 R) drove in runs for Mascenic; Ethan McGovern went 2-3 with a double and turned a double play from the outfield with a nice catch and throw.
Joe Cocozella got his third pitching win of the season, throwing seven innings with two hits, four walks and eight strikeouts.
The Vikings were set to play Fall Mountain Monday and Hillsboro-Deering Friday.
Sunapee 2, WLC 0
Wilton-Lyndeborough played a tight one in a pitchers’ duel at rival Sunapee Friday but couldn’t break through to break up the shutout.
The Lakers scored twice off Sean Brennan in the first and the game was scoreless the rest of the way.
“Sean pitched great, but so did their guy,” said head coach Tom Brennan.
WLC (4-5) was set to host Hinsdale Monday and play at Portsmouth Christian Wednesday.
ConVal 2, Bow 0
Kendall Sullivan and the Cougars shut out Bow Thursday afternoon, as the ConVal defense weathered the Falcons’ threats to strand seven on base.
ConVal had baserunners in the first, second and fifth but stranded their own runners; finally, the Cougars made it happen in the sixth, when Avery Moore and Morgan Bemont singled and Sullivan drove them both in for the win.
Sullivan pitched seven solid innings, allowing six hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
John Stark 2, ConVal 0
The Cougars got hits from Avery Moore, Samantha Henderson and Kendall Sullivan but couldn’t score at John Stark Friday.
Lily Mandel threw a complete game, allowing two runs on four hits, four walks, a hit batter, while striking out nine. The defense played “amazing,” coach Amanda Hinton said, allowing only two errors and stranding six John Stark runners.
ConVal (6-4) was set to host Coe-Brown Monday and play at Pelham Wednesday.
Conant 1, Belmont 0
Graecen Kirby and the Orioles won the pitchers’ duel in Belmont Thursday, shutting out the host Raiders to improve to 5-3 on the year. Kirby threw a complete-game two-hitter with nine strikeouts and two walks, and helped her own cause with an RBI triple.
Tessa Spingola (2-3) and Teagan Kirby (2-3, R) had hits for the Orioles.
Conant was set to play at Hopkinton Monday and at Kearsarge Wednesday.
ConVal 5, Goffstown 4
ConVal pulled out a very competitive, even match against the Grizzlies in Peterborough on Friday.
The Cougars split the singles portion with wins from No. 2 Fletcher Maggs (8-4), No. 5 Jake Daniels (8-2) and No. 6 Harrison Bernier (8-1) and needed two doubles wins for a team victory. ConVal got them both from the bottom of the ladder, as Zach Burgess teamed with Daniels for an 8-3 win and Maggs paired with Bernier for an 8-1 affair to give ConVal the edge.
The Cougars (5-3) were on a three-game win streak going into Monday’s match with Sanborn; ConVal is at Kingswood Friday.
Kearsarge 8, WLC 1
Elisabeth Jacob and Erin McDonald got a win at No. 1 doubles, but that was it for the Warriors Friday. WLC (3-7) hosts Prospect Mountain Wednesday and Trinity Friday.
Conant sweeps at Monadnock
The Orioles won the boys’ and girls’ team competi tion at Monadnock’s meet under the lights Friday night.
Conant got top-three finishes from:
Ethan Vitello, first, 200m; second, long jump; second, triple jump
Jon Ciglar, second, 200m
Ben Sawyer, second, 400m; third, long jump; second, high jump
Mike Brooks, third, 400m
Jordan Nagle, third, triple jump; second, high jump
Jacob Sawyer, second, 800m
John Oakes, third, 800m
Austin Poikonen, first, 110m hurdles; second, 300m hurdles
Emma Tenters, third, 200m
Lainey Holombo, third, 400m
Kylie Aho, first, 800m; second, 1,600m
Adrienne Kennedy, second, 800m
Neve Mormando, third, 800m
Kaden Colby, second, 110m hurdles
Boys’ 4x400m relay, first
Girls’ 4×100 relay, second
Girls’ 4×400 relay, first, second
Heather Gonyea, second, long jump
Kendra Wooster, second, 100m hurdles; third, 300m hurdles
Mascenic came in fourth in the boys’ competition and fifth in the girls’. The Vikings’ top finishers included:
Mackenzie Vaillancourt, first, high jump
Jethro Somero, first, 3,200m
Jimmy Crawford, first, shot put
Connor Traffie, second, 3,200m
Drew Traffie, third, 3,200m
Boys’ 4x800m relay, first
Autumn Hughes, third, shot put
Ryan O’Shea, second, 1,600m
Wilton-Lyndeborough had a good day, taking fourth in the girls’ competition. Samantha Boette won the 100m and 200m dashes, and Kelsey Crouse won the shot put. Kaylee Deegan was third in the 100m.