The Cougars had hoped to upgrade their playoff seeding with a win against Windham Thursday but had to settle for a competitive 7-2 senior night loss to wrap up what coach Mike Young called his favorite season to date.
ConVal lost the top three singles slots, as Jaimini Viles fell 8-5 in a very close contest and Eva Calcutt and Fletcher Maggs, both returning from injury, lost tight ones as well.
Zach Burgess (8-6) won at No. 4; Jake Daniels went down 9-7 at No. 5 and Harrison Bernier fell at No. 6.
Viles and Calcutt lost an exciting No. 1 doubles contest, 8-5; Burgess and Daniels scored with an 8-5 win at No. 2, and Bernier and Maggs lost in tiebreaks, 9-8.
ConVal (7-5) finishes in sixth place in Division II, which Young called “a tribute to the athletic ability of the team,” which features four fairly new players in the top seven along with Viles at No. 1 and Calcutt, who played the past two years on the boys’ team.
The Cougars travel to No. 3 Bow (11-2) Thursday at 4 p.m. to open the playoffs.
Conant is tournament 10-seed
The Conant girls’ tennis team made the Division III playoffs as the 10th seed after finishing the regular season 4-8. The Orioles lost four straight games before saving their playoff hopes with a 7-0 win in the regular season finale against Stevens Wednesday.
Conant will play at No. 7 White Mountains Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Hanover 6, ConVal 5
A controversial call cost the Cougars big-time on Friday and could have postseason ramifications. Down 6-3 in the top of the seventh, ConVal scored twice and loaded the bases with one out before a Joe Gutwein sacrifice fly appeared to tie the game, but after an appeal, the officiating crew ruled that Eric Stapelfeld did not tag up at first base, called him out, erased the tying run and ended the game.
Stapelfeld, Nate Pimental and Brady Carpentiere had hits for ConVal.
The Cougars (5-8) are 12th in Division II, which is set for a 14-team playoff. ConVal can help their cause with Monday’s senior game against Lebanon (5-8); the Cougars host Souhegan Tuesday and travel to Milford Wednesday to finish the regular season.
Fall Mountain 3, Conant 1
The Orioles tried to come back at Fall Mountain Wednesday, but only scraped across one run when Chris Bergeron singled and scored on an error in the fifth.
Jordan Ketola and Dylan Adams accounted for Conant’s other two hits.
Lane LeClair went six innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and three walks, striking out nine.
Campbell 6, Conant 1
Quiet bats and one bad inning did the Orioles in against Campbell Friday, as the Cougars plated five runs in the sixth inning to take an insurmountable lead.
Jordan Ketola started and went five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and six walks while striking out six. Joe Bergeron allowed three runs (zero earned) in two innings of relief.
Bergeron, Lane LeClair and Corey Collins had hits for Conant.
The Orioles (5-9) were set to play at Mascenic Monday and host Prospect Mountain Wednesday.
WLC senior game rained out
The Warriors got through one rainy, scoreless inning against Portsmouth Christian on Thursday before the wet weather rendered the field unplayable. WLC will resume the game Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Conant 7, Fall Mountain 1
Graecen Kirby struck out 14 Wildcats and Heather Gonyea drove in three runs as the Orioles turned a pitchers’ duel into a big win in the late innings.
Both teams were scoreless into the top of the fifth in Langdon, when Tessa Spingola singled and scored on an error.
Gonyea (1-3) had a sacrifice and a two-run single; Rylee Herr (2-2, 2 RBI, 2 SB) and Spingola (2-5, RBI) drove in runs for Conant.
Skylar Blanchard broke up the shutout with a solo homer in the seventh.
Conant 8, Belmont 2
Teagan Kirby made the most of Conant’s senior game on Friday, driving in four runs on two doubles and a home run as the Orioles reeled off their ninth straight win.
Seniors Chelsea Dupuis (2-3, 2B, RBI), Bella Hayes (1-3, RBI) and Tessa Spingola (2-3, 2B, RBI) drove in runs for Conant, as did Rylee Herr (2-4, 2B).
Graecen Kirby threw a complete game, allowing two earned runs and striking out 12. Kirby was up to 147 strikeouts on the season going into Monday’s game at Mascenic.
Conant (11-3) is currently fourth in Division III, behind Prospect Mountain (13-0), Monadnock (12-2) and Campbell (11-2), though there are several teams with three or four losses nipping at their heels. The Orioles finish the regular season by hosting Prospect Mountain Wednesday.
Pembroke 14, ConVal 6
Molly Dishong scored twice for ConVal on Tuesday but Pembroke kept them at arms’ length as the Cougars were missing three players and had to work extra hard to stay above water.
Sarah Holdredge made 14 saves.
John Stark 14, ConVal 8
The Generals held off ConVal on Wednesday despite two goals each from Molly Dishong, Makennah McPherson and Laramie Wilson.
Holdredge made 10 saves.
Goffstown 13, ConVal 5
The Cougars got two goals from Addie Lustenberger in Thursday’s rainy road contest, but lost again. Holdredge had nine saves.
Kingswood 12, ConVal 5
Senior Sarah Holdredge reached the prestigious 300-save milestone during Friday’s loss to Kingswood. Holdredge pulled off the feat in less than two full seasons starting in net. Molly Dishong scored two more goals.
ConVal (3-8) was on a five-game losing streak heading into Monday’s game at Windham. The Cougars host Manchester Memorial-West Tuesday and finish the season hosting Spaulding Thursday night.