Bow News : baseball

Bow’s deep D-1 run ends with tight loss to title winners

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:07:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Bedford’s ride to a District 1 championship nearly hit a speed bump, courtesy of a powerful Bow team.

On July 15, Bow’s 11- and 12-year-olds pushed the eventual champions to the limit but lost, 6-4, during the losers’ bracket quarterfinals.

Bow fell behind after the first inning, 3-0, but Colby Fortin began his team’s comeback with an RBI groundout in the top of the third.

Though small ball helped put Bow on the board, the long ball put them ahead in the visiting half of the fifth, when Nate Corriveau and Fortin hit back-to-back home runs to give their team a 4-3 lead.

After Evan Vulgamore led off the inning with a double, Corriveau launched a rocket over the fence, and after a Bedford pitching change, Fortin followed suit.

While the bottom of the frame started quietly enough with a strikeout and two infield singles, Bedford recaptured the lead soon after with a two-out bases-loaded triple that scored three runs.

“I was surprised it was such a hit-fest,” said Bow manager Jamie Vulgamore. “When they went up, 3-0, you just never know how the kids are going to battle back. They answered nicely.”

Despite his team’s elimination from the bracket, Vulgamore said he doesn’t believe it’ll be the last time his players suit up together.

“We’re a small town, so for us to be able to compete against these teams, I don’t see anyone that can keep up with these guys when they get to the high school level,” said Vulgamore.

Team members were Ryan Boldwin, Vulgamore, Corriveau, Fortin, Sam Morrow, Sebastian Strong, Dylan Bibeau, Stephen Panella, Travis Reynolds, Nathan Cunningham, Patrick Hughes, Connor Simpson and Nick Kruger.

Despite loss to Windham, Bow hoping to earn berth to regionals

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:55:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Following a loss to Salem National, Bow tripped up and fell into the losers’ bracket of the District 1 baseball tournament.

Three wins after that setback, a confident Bow squad found itself hoping to plan a different kind of trip.

On Monday, July 13, the 11- and 12-year-old all-stars won their third consecutive game with a 5-3 win over Derry American and earned a spot in the losers’ bracket semifinal against Bedford in a game scheduled for Wednesday, July 15.

Should Bow overcome Bedford, it would find itself in the losers’ bracket final with a rematch against Salem National, hoping to avenge an 11-1 loss from July 3 and earn the right to face Windham, the victor in the winners’ bracket.

Bow manager Jamie Vulgamore said he has confidence his team would be able to defeat Windham the required two games, and he has his eyes set on a higher goal.

“We’ve been playing every other day and we’ve had every type of game,” said Vulgamore.

“We’ve had to come back, we’ve had to hold the lead. I don’t think our kids are concerned at all. They think that they could win two against the Windham, and they think they could go to Connecticut (to the East Regional tournament).”

In the victory over Derry, Nate Corriveau hurled 4 2/3 innings and struck out eight batters to earn the win in addition to smacking a two-run home run in the fourth. Corriveau was scheduled to pitch against Salem National if Bow can defeat Bedford. and advance.

Number six hitter Sabastian Strong hit his first long ball of the tournament in the second inning against Derry to open the scoring, pounding a solo shot to give his team a 1-0 advantage.

Nate Cunningham added to the lead with an RBI single in the third inning before Corriveau’s home run, which was followed shortly after in the fourth by Colby Fortin’s solo shot to give Bow a 5-0 lead.

“We have a lot of big hitters,” said Vulgamore. “I have the deepest lineup that I think a Bow all-star team has every had. My six through nine hitters are just as good as my leadoff and second hitters.”

In six tournament games, Bow has pounded out 50 runs for a 5-1 record.

The team’s pitching has also been solid, and Vulgamore said unlike many Little League teams, he doesn’t have to rely solely on his ace.

“For me, it’s hard figuring out who to start. I really have three aces. I never have to worry about getting through one game to get to our ace pitcher,” said Vulgamore. “We knew coming into this year that it was our time to make a run at it. This has been our best shot in Bow for a while, and we’ve known that for a while.”

Bow’s Jimmy Fund team improves in three-game tourney stint

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:34:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Coaching a team of 9- year-olds, plus one 8-year-old, against squads of 10-year-olds, Jamie Vulgamore’s expectations were understandably tempered.

So when Bow defeated Concord National, 4-3, in the Jimmy Fund tournament opener on July 1, he admitted he was pleasantly surprised.

And even though the team lost its next two contests – 15- 2 at Pelham on July 5, and 7- 6 against Salem American on July 9 – and was bumped from the tourney, Vulgamore said the games offered a positive learning experience for those on the field.

“Most of these kids are probably going to be on the Jimmy Fund team again next year, and for a number of them, they saw a lot things for the first time. I mean, they’re not allowed to bunt in the minors, and here, for the first time, they only play nine in the field and have a nine-person batting lineup … They’re used to batting through the entire roster,” said the manager.

“They were a little bit wideeyed, but now that they’ve played in it one year, they know how it works.

“They weren’t used to practicing every night and stuff like that, and for some of them it takes some getting used to,” he added. “But now they’ve played true team baseball for the first time.”

Vulgamore’s son, Evan, was the lone player to compete in last year’s tournament. In Bow’s victory against Concord National, it was Evan who notched a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the locals the victory. But the Pelham loss four days later may have been just as beneficial to the psyche of the young players, said Vulgamore.

“It was a great chance for them to see that you’ve got to show up at every game and play every inning,” said the coach. And the tournament concluded on a positive note.

“We lost to a really good Salem (American) team, and we were really making some great improvements from the first practice,” said Vulgamore. “The game was really slowing down for them. It’s a shame they couldn’t continue playing.”

Griffin Connor, as much as any player, made great strides, said Vulgamore. The catcher quickly adapted to making throws across the infield that he’s never utilized in the minors, where the ball is dead when not in play.

Others improving throughout the tournament include Derek Tillotson, Dan Smith, Brendan Winch, Doug Champagne, Jeremy Duhamel, Corbin Provost, Chris Mead, Spenser Sloane, Kieran Fahey, Benjamin Segal and Kadin St. Germain.

Little League season ends for Bow's 11s and 12s

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:28:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Doug Patch has been coaching Little League baseball in Bow for five years. When the opportunity arose to manage the District 1 11- and 12-year-old all-star team, he said the decision was a no-brainer.

“Most of these kids I’ve coached before in one way or another, so you know how they play going in, and you try to take advantage of their strengths and play around their weaknesses,” said Patch, noting that the players’ strengths far outweighed any weaknesses.

For the most part, it showed.

Bow finished its all-star tournament run at 2-2. Both losses came to strong opponents, said Patch.

In the opening round, the locals suffered a 5-3 setback to Nashua, a team that took its first loss in the winners bracket final.

Most recently, on July 9, they fell, 6-2, at perennial Little League power Bedford, a team that outsized them at most positions.

“I really seriously think we could have beaten Nashua in that first game, and Bedford was a good team that just outplayed us tonight,” said Patch following the postseason and season-ending loss. “On the whole, I think it was a very positive experience. We had a game or a practice almost every day, and the kids worked hard, so I’m proud of what they did.”

Indeed, after the opening-round stumble, Bow regained its footing and trampled Lamprey River, 16-8, before booting nearby Concord National from the tourney.

“You try to keep them focused on the game and what they have to do when they’re up at bat. You try to get them here early to see the field and see the kids they’re going to be playing against,” said Patch. “We had a lot of kids that contributed, when you come right down to it, and we played good strong defense in just about every game. We made a couple mistakes here and there that cost us, but I told them after the game that they still have a lot of baseball left in them.”

While 11-year-olds Dylan Bibeau and Sebastian Strong return for a final year in Little League, 12-year-olds Nick Bergen, Hunter Berke, Sean Ford, Chandler Ives, Josh LaCasse, Alex Loomis, Matt Murray, Jonathan Patch, Jake Rand and Phillip Rizzi have played their final game on the smaller diamond.

“They certainly can play at the next level … They can play in Babe Ruth, or they can play on the middle school team next year, and a lot of these kids can probably play in high school, too,” said Patch.

Bow Falcons fall in Class I baseball final

Bow Editor — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:03:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

MANCHESTER – Ben Forbes will never look at Dunkin’ Donuts the same way again.

While his 11th-seeded Falcons were making an unexpected run through the Class I tournament, Bow’s baseball manager grabbed a coffee and jelly stick each morning.

The Falcon’s final contest didn’t end so sweet.

After a 9-8 regular season and three playoff victories, Bow fell, 6-0, to undefeated Portsmouth in the title game at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester, on Sunday, June 15.

“The only good thing (about the loss) is that I can finally shave, change my breakfast habits and listen to a new CD in my truck,” said Forbes. “We were really proud to be here. When the tears clear out of the eyes, we’ll remember this as a hell of a run.”

The Falcons looked the part for most of the finale holding the state’s No. 1 seed to one run through four innings.

Though he gave up the one run, starting pitcher Colby Hall - who tossed a complete game in the Falcons’ 7-2 victory over second-seeded Kearsarge in the semifinals - worked out of a based-loaded no-outs jam in the first frame.

The Falcons had a chance to tie the game in the third frame when Connor Audycki notched a two-out single with a runner on second, but Forbes held the runner at third, and the next batter struck out swinging.

“To run into an out at that point would’ve been a lot worse than to have him sitting at third,” said Forbes.

Three infield errors in the fifth led to four more Clippers’ runs, and the Falcons were shut down offensively.

They mustered three hits off of Portsmouth starter Tim Welch and were unable to utilize the aggressive style of play that helped them reach the championship.

Against Kearsarge, Bow stole eight bases.

“A left-handed pitcher is going to (demand) more respect in terms of the lengths of your leads,” said Forbes. “You can’t run into outs, and you can’t be over aggressive.”

Bow wasn’t the only team baffled by Welch this year. In 52 innings, the senior didn’t allow a run all sean and compliled 83 strikeouts, including 10 Falcons in the title tilt. If his team faces another post season berth next year, Forbes said he has a new plan.

“I never want to see another jelly stick again,” he said. “I think maybe I’ll switch to fruit and water next year, it’s better for my heart.”

Bow baseball, finally outdoors, takes first game despite delay

Bow Editor — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:58:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

For the Bow baseball team, one day was enough. That’s the amount of outdoor practice time the Falcons had prior to taking the field against John Stark in a delayed season opener on Saturday, April 19.

In fact, when the Falcons first heard “play ball,” they were missing five players to vacation, and the game had been moved to Weare because Bow’s field was not yet playable.

Still, the locals showed few ill effects in dispatching the Generals, 5-0.

“It’s been nice to get outside and play some ball in the sunshine,” said manager Ben Forbes. “We were kind of rusty, and it showed a little bit, especially defensively since we had a lot of guys playing out of position, but overall I’m really pleased with the effort.”

Two of Bow’s four captains, Andrew Knight and Jimmy Richards, combined to shut out John Stark.

Knight struck out eight in earning the win, and Richards added three more punch outs while grabbing the save. Richards collected two RBI and a run scored.

Luke Enderwick knocked in two runs as well, and Ian Hanson notched the fifth RBI.

Connor Audycki and captain Joe Pelton each contributed two runs.

Danny Achorn, Bow’s fourth captain, missed the contest. Now that the games are finally underway, Forbes said a combination of 12 returning players and several talented youngsters has the Falcons positioned for a deep run this season.

“Right now, I just really want them to play to their potential, and I think, with the number of kids we have that are coming back … (we can) finish high in the standings, get a home game in the tournament and then play four (postseason contests),” said Forbes “If everything comes together, we can definitely play for a title.”

Confident Bow Hawks take baseball field in ’08 with success in sight

Bow Editor — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:19:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Forced to travel to Massachusetts to find a practice field, the Hopkinton High School baseball team hopes to return to the Granite State with a swing similar to the one that helped produce a 38-6 record the last two years.

The Hawks, who ended 2007 with a 16-2 record after falling in the quarterfinals of the Class M state tournament, will be paced by six seniors. Head coach Dave Chase said this group’s impact can’t be underestimated in the club’s continued success – and postseason improvement.

“It can be tough to stay consistent, but when you get a younger class that hasn’t had success, it can be (especially) tough. This is an experienced team,” he said. “Teams that struggle to win games don’t have experience. I feel that when we go out on the field, (we) expect to win. When you hope to win, you’ve defeated yourself already. These guys have confidence.”

Chase said his squad may shift approaches this year, unable to rely on power alone.

“We have to keep going with the work ethic and be a little more serious, and execute the little things. We had a hard time getting bunts down and stealing bases (in 2007),” said Chase. “Working on execution will help the team get a little further than last year. We might have to turn into a small-ball team, giving up outs for runs and extra bases.”

Shortstop and pitcher David Brandt sparks the attack from the leadoff hole, and Nick Babson is important both at the plate and behind it, handling the pitching staff from his catcher’s position.

Seniors Matt Demers, Matt Story, Sean Pirttiaho and Dan Forrester are four more key cogs in the lineup, although Chase said Forrester, struggling with a shoulder injury, has yet to throw the ball or swing a bat yet during the preseason.

Hopkinton has six returning starters from last year’s team, an advantage Chase said has helped propel the Hawks through a rather claustrophobic preseason with limited outdoor practice time.

Many athletes reached pinnacle in 2007

Bow Editor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:28:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

It began with some strong individual efforts in the winter – a trickle of championships earned by Bow, Hopkinton and Concord athletes on the slopes and the mats.

It continued in the spring and summer, with various teams hoisting title plaques for their lacrosse, baseball and softball prowess.

It concluded with the Hopkinton boys soccer team winning a second straight Class M crown.

In between, 2007 included some poor behavior from socalled fans in the stands at a Little League game and the arrest of a rising basketball star at a local college.

But those two disappointing examples and some near misses on local fields couldn’t overshadow a successful year in Bow-area athletics.

Winter

Wrestling
Bow High finished fifth at the Division II championships. It was a bit of a disappointment for the team, said coach Jim Kaufman, but not for D.J. Meagher. The 145-pound senior pinned his opponent in the finals in under two minutes, earning him a trip to the Meet of Champions. Connor McDonough, Ben Morrow, Josh Nawn and Spencer Wolverton joined Meagher at the M of C.

Concord, after defeating nemesis Timberlane for the first time in regular-season history, fell to the Owls in the Division I championship, 239.5 to 237.5 points.

“This one’s gonna sting for a while, a long while,” said senior heavyweight Dan Herrick, who lost a tight match in the closing seconds that swung the outcome. Still, Tyler Saltsman, Alex Buessing, Derek Bisson, Rob Garcia, Harry Paul, Marshall Gleason, Brandon Paige, Pat Boyle, Bob Daniel, John Meadows and Levi Byers all joined Herrick at the Meet of Champions.

Once there, Bow’s Meagher and Concord’s Saltsman and Buessing won the M of C in their respective weight classes. Meagher and Saltsman then dominated at the New England wrestling championships, with Saltsman winning his first regional crown and Meagher his second in a row.

Skiing
The Concord boys won the Division I Alpine title, and both the boys and girls teams won the Nordic title.

Bow’s Ian Hanson not only won the Division III state slalom title, he finished second in the giant slalom, then took 10th at the Meet of Champions and earned an invitation to the Eastern High School Championships.

The Nordic teams were also impressive for the Falcons. The boys won the Division III state title, and the girls finished second. The group also turned the usual pecking order on its head in the process.

“Our seniors, and especially our captains, are also coaches, setting examples for teammates,” said head coach Chris Naimie. “They even wax the skis for everyone else.”

Sarah Gilroy of Hopkinton won the girls Division IV slalom crown.

Hockey
Bow, for the fourth straight year and fifth in six years under head coach Tim Walsh, reached the state semifinals and was stopped.

“You have to look at the positive side that we’re here and other teams aren’t …” said Walsh. “But it is frustrating because I’m sick of … going in there and saying, ‘You know, it was a great season, but, unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top.”

Bishop Brady outplayed the state champion Bishop Guertin Cardinals in the state finals, but despite a goal from Bow native Brooks Herrington, Brady fell to Guertin, 2-1.

Gymnastics
Concord entered the girls gymnastics state championship as the top seed, but left in fourth place. Bow’s Stephanie Cormier competed as an individual and placed eighth, while Hopkinton’s Julia Lynch finished 19th.

Basketball
The Bow Memorial girls and boys teams turned in impressive seasons. The girls went undefeated. The boys won the Bow Athletic Club tournament, defeating Hudson, the lone team to hand the locals a loss in 2007.

No area high school team – Bow, Hopkinton or Concord – reached the state semifinals, though the Hawks were within range of top-seeded Conant. A slow-down tactic left the Hawks trailing after three periods, 12-3.

At the college level, cousins Mike Chergey, at Plymouth State University, and Paul Chergey, at Southern New Hampshire University, overcame hand injuries to contribute important minutes as freshmen. As the 2007- ’08 season approached, Paul Chergey was indicted on drug charges and suspended from the SNHU team.

Indoor track and field
Brendan Hyland and Kyle Audet finished second and third, respectively, in the 1,500-meter run at the Class L indoor track and field championships.

Bow’s 4 X 200-meter relay team of Emily Hannon, Jill Hannon, Julia Waddell and Timiny Mosher earned all the team’s points with their third-place effort.

Swimming
Hopkinton sent a team of young athletes to the state swimming and diving championships in February. It was the first time the school sent a relay team to Durham.

“Hopkinton is a small, small school, but I don’t think (swimming) is going to go away,” said coach Joanne Jackson.

Spring

Baseball
Hopkinton, the top-ranked team in Class M, lost to Conant in the semifinals, 4-3, leaving the bases loaded and ending an otherwise stellar year.

“It’s a painful loss. Conant was a team we beat readily twice in the regular season,” said Hopkinton manager Dave Chase. “We had such a strong season. I honestly don’t know if the better team won, but I think they had a better day than us.”

Track and field
Hopkinton’s girls team won the Class M-S championship with 124 points, 51 more than its closest pursuers. The Hopkinton boys took ninth.

Christine Head won the pole vault at the Meet of Champions with a 10-foot effort, then improved to 10-06 at the New England Regionals the following weekend.

“I usually get nervous when I have to perform in general, so I purposely did things that forced me to be in front of lots of people,” said Head. “… I want to do well in college, so I’ve got to start working on those things before I get there.”

The Bow boys finished 10th at the Class I meet, while Concord’s Brendan Hyland again won the Class L 1,600-meter run.

Softball
Concord, as the No. 6 seed, reached the Class L semifinals, losing to second-seeded Londonderry, 2-1.

Lacrosse
Bow put both its teams in the Division II state final. The boys, seeded third, fell to top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas, 7-5.

But the girls, on then-junior Kiley Corson’s shot with less than 20 seconds remaining in the match, added to the school’s trophy case, beating Hanover, 17-16, for the Division II state title.

“I shot at the same spot earlier and scored, so I figured I’d aim at the same spot and try again,” said Corson.

It was the second time in three years Bow beat Hanover for the crown.

Hopkinton, the No. 1-ranked boys team in Division III, was stunned in the semis by No. 4 seed Merrimack Valley in overtime.

Tennis
Concord did it again, winning its second straight title, ninth in 10 years and 23rd overall following a 5-2 win over West. Despite losing four of their top six players, the Crimson Tide went undefeated and missed very little en route to the crown – except for their head coach, Dave Page, who dodged the post-game cooler of water.

The Bow boys were knocked from the postseason in the semifinals, a 7-2 loss to Portsmouth that was much closer than the final score indicated.

“The other two coaches for Portsmouth, they were very nervous about what was happening,” said Bow head coach Drew Groves. “This was a lot closer than they had anticipated. Our kids were playing some great, inspired tennis.”

Summer
American Legion baseball Though the Concord senior team missed the American Legion postseason, the junior team earned the playoffs with a 7-6 win over Salem. The group was eliminated by top-seeded Derry, 3-2.

Little League/

Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball and softball
The Kearsarge Mountain South 10U Babe Ruth softball allstar team finished in the top four at the New England regional tournament. “(Spending time together off the field) is what they really enjoy,” said manager Richie Vaillancourt. “But coming in one game away from playing at nationals isn’t something they’re going to forget either.”

The 14U Bedford Hornets softball team, with players from Bow, Hooksett and Windham, won the state American Softball Association tournament and New Englands and advanced to the Eastern national tournament and PONY national tournament.

Bow lost to Concord National and was eliminated from the District 1 Little League baseball tournament, while the Bow girls dropped a pair of Little League games in the 11- and 12-year-old majors softball tournament.

Concord National continued after the win over Bow, handling Manchester East and Goffstown before finally dropping a 10-9 decision to Salem American.

“I’m just really very proud of this group of boys,” said Concord National manager Dave Angus. “… Every coach has to make that farewell speech, and it’s one of the hardest things you have to do.” It was apparently very difficult for some National “fans,” who berated and threw food at the umpiring crew following the team’s elimination.

“I was afraid for my safety,” said umpire William Dreckmann. “I wanted to call the police.”

The Kearsarge Mountain North U10 Cal Ripken baseball team went 5-1 to win the district title, then came up two wins shy of a state crown.

“Just making the state tournament was an achievement, and we played very competitively,” said manager Dave French. “So I don’t think anyone was disappointed.”

Granite State Senior Games After winning the 5,000-meter race walk, Bow’s Jack Finan said he plans to participate at nationals in 2009.

“I’m shooting to make it to San Francisco,” he said. “I want to see if I can get that far after making it to nationals this year.”

Stan Irzyk of Concord won the pistol shoot in the men’s 75- to 79-year-old age group.

*** Croak won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash in the men’s 70- to 74-year-old division.

Donelda Horne of Hopkinton, in her second competitive swimming competition, won gold in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke.

In her first GSSG appearance, 95-year-old Marg Bruner of Concord won the 85-and-older 10-pin bowling gold medal.

Punt, Pass & Kick
Bow’s Jack Yvars won the boys 10- and 11-year-old division at the NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick, hosted by Neighborhood News at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium.

Hopkinton’s Sam Winslow was second in that division, while Bow’s Mac Kimball was runner-up in the boys 8- and 9-year-old division.

Triathlon
Rob Ricard of Bow completed his first full Ironman triathlon and earned a trip to Hawaii for the Ironman World Triathlon championship in the bargain.

“I had no concept of distance, training or what it would take to qualify for something like that,” said Ricard, who swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles during a very busy day.

Fall

Football
Bow reached the Division V playoffs and trailed just 7-0 at halftime, but couldn’t keep pace with eventual state champion Pelham, falling 42-7.

“You can’t win when you’re inconsistent, and that hurt us today,” said Bow football head coach Paul Cohen. “But it’s been a great season.”

Soccer
The girls of Hopkinton and Bow both fell in the postseason quarterfinals.

The boys of Hopkinton and Bow both reached the state finals. Bow dropped a 1-0 decision to Hanover in the Class I final. But Hopkinton defended the Class M crown with a 3-0 win over Winnisquam.

“Every game has been a tournament atmosphere and everyone’s been gunning for us, so to come in and be able to pull off the back-to-back (titles) is really something,” said Scott Zipke, Hopkinton boys soccer head coach.

At the college level, New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, despite playing with as few as 10 healthy players, went 11-3-2 and won the Yankee Small College Conference women’s regular- season championship.

Golf
Concord took second, falling three shots short of a third straight Class L state title.

“We knew the competition was much better this year … (Our team) actually had a better score than last season,” said Concord golf head coach Chick Smith. The Bow Falcons finished seventh in Class I.

Kurt Eddins and Matt Levins finished third and sixth, respectively, in the two-day individual tournament as Concord’s representatives.

Bow’s Matt Lennon finished two shots out of the top 10 in Class I. Hopkinton’s Colin Barnea tied for sixth at the Class M-S individual tourney.

College coaching New Hampshire Technical Institute’s Paul Hogan earned induction into the Plymouth State Hall of Fame.

Crew
Like swimming, crew is gaining popularity in the state, with Concord’s student-athletes discovering the team-oriented sport.

“When it comes to crew, you need really a perfect harmony between all four or eight people,” said Grayson Richey, a former crewman and present coach with the team.

Cross country
Hopkinton’s girls won the Class M-S crown, then narrowly missed a trip to New Englands following a solid team effort at the Meet of Champions against much larger schools.

Field hockey
Derryfield School, featuring players from Hopkinton, Hooksett, Bedford and Windham, finished the season undefeated and won the Class M-S state title on Oct. 28. The crown is Derryfield’s first in the sport in more than 20 years.

“It’s tough for us because we’re a Class S school, so … we’re always playing teams that are twice our size,” said coach Lenny McCaigue. “To win it is just a dream come true for us.”

Hopkinton reached the state semifinals before falling to top-seeded Newfound Regional.

Too short a season – Bow, Dunbarton girls knocked from state tourney

Bow Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:37:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

After dropping out of this year’s state Little League softball tournament, Bow players learned practice skills and life-lessons were important by-products of the experience.

But the most important aspects each all-star takes from the season are newfound friendships and a handful of memories.

Bow’s 11- and 12-year-olds saw their tourney appearance end after a 19-16 home loss to Pelham on Saturday, July 14.

“They were well aware of what they could do,” said Bow manager Van Mosher. “When you get off to a rough start like that (in a 27-7 loss to Auburn), it’s hard to climb back, but to see them work as a team despite not playing together beforehand was just great. We’re one of the only teams that had girls from different towns, while others have girls playing together during the regular season, too.”

Drawing players from Bow and Dunbarton, Mosher’s initial practices focused less on drills and more on developing a level of comfort among his young all-stars. Joining the roster from Dunbarton were Molly Brennan, Holly St. Onge, Jackie Trexler, Molly Goldstein, Brooke Novakoski and Faith Francoeur.

“We were a little nervous because we knew if we didn’t beat Pelham, we were out of the tournament,” said Francoeur, who started both games at first. “But we weren’t sad or crying or anything because I think we had more fun meeting each other and making new friends.”

Starter Kelsie Tucker took the mound, throwing one inning after an injured wrist sidelined her from the Auburn game.

Tucker was roughed up for eight runs in the top of the first, allowing Pelham to score six runs with two outs.

Hits from Tucker, Robin Binsse, Goldstein, Francoeur and Amy Zahensky helped the squad chip away at the deficit.

After knotting the score, 14-14, in the bottom of the fifth, Bow couldn’t overcome Pelham’s three-run attack in top of the sixth.

Zahensky scored three runs in the contest. Binsse came around once, and Madison Stanley scored twice. Tucker and Francoeur each logged two RBI. Completing Bow’s roster were Kim Destafano, who threw four innings of relief, outfielder Angela Conklin and second baseman Julianne Mosher.

“We really wanted to spring back from that Auburn loss and not have a two-game season,” said Mosher. “But it just didn’t happen. For the most part, our girls played against each other during the season and then when they were able to become friends … it really showed their true colors.”

Bow out – Local nine eliminated by next-door neighbor, 4-1

Bow Editor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:51:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Rain postponed the Fourth of July Fireworks show in the Capital City to July 5, forcing the District 1 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star tournament game between Concord National and Bow to change venues.

In Bow, however, there were no fireworks for the last-minute hosts.

Though Jack Yvars continued his mound dominance, pitching his third consecutive complete game, along with four strikeouts, he failed to throw a third straight shutout.

Yvars held National to five hits, but two were home runs, and his team was unable to overcome a similarly dominant performance from Concord’s ace, Cam Alosa.

Bow lost, 4-1, and was eliminated from the District 1 tournament.

“They didn’t beat us to badly. We held in there, but our bats just went quiet on us,” said Bow’s manager, Gary Clifford.

“That pitcher just kept us off balance, moved his pitches around, and mixed in that slow breaking ball. He didn’t overpower us. He outpitched us.”

Bow’s lone run came in the top of the third inning when Tim Panella led off with a double. Two batters later, Yvars singled. He attempted to steal second, and during the rundown, Panella scored from third base.

Outside of the third inning, Bow’s offense was quiet with the exception of the sixth inning, when, after two consecutive strikeouts, Alosa was pulled because of a high pitch count in favor of Cody Barnhart.

The new pitcher walked Mike Penny and Conner Rossignol, bringing the game-tying run to the plate in the form of Josh LaCasse.

Though LaCasse made solid contact, he grounded the ball right to end the game.

In addition to his pitching, Yvars contributed three singles in three trips to the plate, and Panella added two hits, including the third-inning double.

Jonathan Patch and LaCasse each earned a second-inning walk.

Following the game, Clifford reflected on Bow’s post-season run, which included a 12-0 tournament-opening win over Newton, a hard-fought 9-8 loss to Nashua that spanned two nights, a 5-0 shutout of Pelham and a 10-9 come-from-behind victory over Suncook.

“Last year, we were two-and-out. We wanted to make things more competitive during the regular season, so the kids
would be more competitive in the tournaments,” said Clifford, who noted Bow Little League changed the ratio of minor league to major league teams to 2-to-1 this year. “The goal was that everyone would see a higher level of play and, as a result, it seems to have worked.

“It’s a short season for these guys to play together as a team because they’ve been competing against each other all year, and now, all of a sudden, they have to gel together,” added Clifford, “which they really did.”

Still alive – Bow slugs its way past Suncook in losers bracket

Bow Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:49:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Tim Panella more than made up for his pitching difficulties with a potent bat. In the process, he kept Bow’s postseason run alive.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, following a Will Marvin leadoff single, Panella drove a two-run home run to straight-away center field to tie the game at 8-8.

From that point, he held Suncook to one unearned run in Bow’s 10-9 win in the losers bracket of the District 1 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star baseball tournament on Monday, July 2.

Panella, who took the mound in the top of the fourth inning, gave up four runs, six hits, four walks and hit a batter, but struck out four in his three-inning, 70-pitch victory.

But the outing almost didn’t last that long. After allowing three runs in his first inning of work, Panella looked at his coach and said he didn’t feel comfortable taking the mound again.

The home run changed his mind.

“He came back to me and said, ‘Coach, I still want to pitch,’” said manager Gary Clifford. “I just threw up my hands and said, ‘Yup, you’re still pitching. There’s no doubt about it.’”

Joe Clifford impressed at the plate and in the field. He went 1-for-2, with two RBI, two walks and one run scored and, in the top of the fifth, threw out a Suncook runner by 10 feet from medium-depth right field.

Prior to playing Suncook, Bow lost a two-night heartbreaker to Nashua, 9-8, after the game was suspended due to lightning in the bottom of the seventh with Bow ahead, 7-5.

Jack Yvars hit a two-run shot in the first inning after Anders Hanson reached on an error.

Jake Rand hit a two-run double in the sixth to extend Bow’s lead to 5-1.

Nashua tied the game at 5-5, but Mike Penney, Marvin and Hanson loaded the bases with three safeties in the top of the seventh inning. Yvars walked to bring in the go-ahead run, and Clifford brought in another on a single.

The next night, however, Nashua tied the game with a two-run home run in the bottom of the frame.

Marvin hit a solo shot to lead off the ninth, but Bow left the bases loaded.

The team’s failure to score proved costly, as Mike Fox ended the game with a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.

“Despite the bad outcome from a Bow perspective, it was a great game for both teams,” said the elder Clifford.

Bow then beat Pelham, 5-0, on a complete-game shutout by Yvars, his second in two starts. He has yet to give up a run in the tournament.

Clifford delivered an RBI single in the first inning, and Jonathan Patch added a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth.

Mercy! – Opening round goes to Bow in a big way

Bow Editor — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:12:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

If game one of the 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star baseball tournament is any indication, the Bow all-stars are in for a successful run of extended fun.

Bow showed its hitting prowess right from the start against Newton, as Will Marvin drove a 1-2 pitch for a leadoff home run. From there, the locals put up six runs in the first inning en route to a 12-0, five-inning mercy-rule win on Monday, June 25.

Joe Clifford hit a two-run shot two batters after Marvin, then Mike Penny plated two more with a single.

Connor Rossignol’s RBI hit capped the opening-inning outburst.

“We played awesome. What can I tell you?” said manager Gary Clifford. “We came out swinging, scored six runs in the first and kept rolling. It was very impressive to see that kind of offense, pitching and defense all in one game.”

In the fourth inning, Joe Clifford hit another home run, a three-run blast. He also doubled in the second inning.

Anders Hanson added a two-run shot to conclude Bow’s scoring.

Jack Yvars ended the final inning with two of his six strikeouts in the complete-game victory. He allowed only three hits in a tidy 64-pitch effort.

“You can’t ask for much more than that kind of performance,” said Gary Clifford.

Bow was scheduled to host Nashua in the second round, on Wednesday, June 27.

Power outage – ‘Good pitching’ not enough to carry Bow’s bats past first round

Bow Editor — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 19:47:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Following a 5-0 loss in this year’s Class I baseball tournament, Ben Forbes knew exactly what hurt his team. He’d seen it hamper his players all season.

“Too much thinking and not enough swinging,” is how the Bow High head coach described the problem that’s troubled his lineup this year. So, strong pitching and a solid defense weren’t enough to push the Falcons past fourth-seeded Monadnock in a first-round playoff game on May 31.

“It’s absolutely hurt us this season,” said Forbes. “It’s been the theme of our year. We’ve had good pitching, if not great, in 12 or 13 of our 16 games, and the kids would go up and not be aggressive. That’s not going to win games.”

The Falcons hit .250 as a team this year, something Forbes said he’ll use as motivation for an offseason regimen that’s sure to include plenty of time in the batting cages.

Against the Huskies, Bow didn’t muster a hit until the top of the seventh inning. Andrew Knight broke up the Monadnock no-hitter with a single to lead off the frame, and Josh Kleinberg followed with the Falcons’ second safety.

Bow earned the eighth-seed in last year’s postseason due in part to timely hitting. But it didn’t continue in 2007, causing the squad to enter this year’s tournament as the 13th seed.

“They were shutting us down the whole time,” said Forbes. “Once we stopped being too tentative and taking so many pitches, we were able to string together a couple of hits. I know the power is there, we just have to change our approach for next year.”

Losing just one senior in pitcher Eric Fortin, the Falcons return their entire lineup, plus a slew of talented sophomores moving up from the junior varsity squad.

“Really, there were no expectations other than a lot of people thought we’d go in and get beat up,” said Forbes. “We had an up-and-down season, but with such a big group coming back, we should be able to come together next year. There’s definitely things we need to work on, but we’ll clear it up in the summer so we’re not doing the same things wrong again.”

Together again – Finally complete, Falcons ready to roll

Bow Editor — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:42:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

In these early stages of the spring, most coaches say it’ll take a few weeks, a month, even the entire regular season to discover the true potential of their team.

Ben Forbes gave it about a day.

Behind two RBI from senior Eric Fortin and a combined effort on the mound from Jimmy Fellows and Jimmy Richards, the Bow High baseball team earned its second win of the year on Monday, April 30, edging a much-improved Merrimack Valley team, 2-1.

With several key players out for various reasons, the Falcons, now at 2-2, struggled through two of their first three games. Gone for a game was leadoff hitter Danny Achorn on vacation. Fellows was on a college visit. Fortin was absent for two games on holiday, while sophomore Tanner Keefe, on vacation in California, also missed a pair.

So when the Falcons took to the field against the Pride with all 15 varsity players dressing for the first time this spring, Forbes, the team’s coach, had a feeling he’d see the real Bow team that many expect will contend for a Class I crown.

And he did.

Fellows, who took a no-decision, struck out four batters in as many innings, and Richards yielded one hit in three dominant innings of relief to earn the win.

Meanwhile, Fortin, the team’s lone senior, didn’t waste his chances, singling home Joey Pelton in the first before breaking a 1-1 tie in the fifth with an RBI bunt single that scored Achorn for the game-winner.

“This is our first game,” said Forbes, whose team managed six hits on Merrimack Valley ace Chris Costonguay. “It was our first game where we’re all here ready to go. And the team you saw on the field was our team.”

That wasn’t the case in losses to Laconia, a 6-5 decision on April 26, and Souhegan, an 8-2 score on Saturday, April 28. In those games, Bow’s lineup produced a combined eight hits, committed four errors and ceded 14 runs after giving up just one in a season-opening win over John Stark.

Forbes said he wasn’t necessarily surprised by the results, considering in one game he was forced to bring up a freshman in Josh Andrew to start at shortstop. Andrew played well, committing no errors. But it certainly wasn’t the roster the Falcons intended to roll out at the beginning of the season.

Now, with everyone feeling relatively healthy – Andrew Knights is winning his battle with biceps tendonitis and has already pitched twice – Bow is ready to, as Forbes put it, “just go.”

“The first couple of games, it was hard to build team chemistry because all our starters weren’t there, and it was unfamiliar because we were playing with different lineups every game,” said Fortin, who missed the Laconia game in which Bow left the bases loaded in the seventh and stranded 11 runners on the day. “So today, it was good because the whole team stuck together, and it showed up on the scoreboard.”

Bow, enjoying its first homestand, was scheduled to host Milford on Wednesday, May 2, before welcoming Fall Mountain to town on Friday, May 4.

Notes

Achorn, who homered against Laconia and added two hits at Souhegan, tripled, singled and stole a base on Monday in addition to scoring the winning run. Ian Hanson and Brian Raffio also added singles against Costonguay, who struck out seven Falcons in a complete-game effort thanks in large part to a highly effective curveball.

Richards struck out three, and Bow, which stayed aggressive on the base paths, stole three bases on the afternoon.

Loss of top hurler shouldn’t slow Bow

Bow Editor — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:28:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

Strange game, this baseball.

Last season, it was the Bow baseball team’s lack of pitching depth behind senior Ben Sonberg that may have cost it a shot at the Class I title. A year later, it loses Sonberg. And the Falcons’ staff is expected to be better?

Such is the case, said Bow coach Ben Forbes, who this year sports a rotation of four juniors and one sophomore who are expected to help boost the Falcons back into contention for the Class I crown.

At times overmatched last year as underclassmen, Andrew Knight, Danny Achorn, Jimmy Richards, Colby Hall and Joey Pelton should only benefit from the year of experience, Forbes said. And with a solid defense playing behind them and a dangerous lineup in support, Bow doesn’t expect to lose a step despite graduating five key seniors from last year’s squad.

“Those (five returning) kids I really think will be more of a force on the mound just simply because they’re stronger, bigger, more experienced,” said Forbes, who led Bow to 12-7 record last spring.

“And I think it’s definitely going to be a better year pitching on average, as opposed to the up-anddown of the Sonberg-and-youngkid exchange (we had last year).”

Together, the five all tend to induce groundballs, a good thing considering the team’s infield of Eric Fortin, the team’s lone senior who can play anywhere on the diamond; Achorn, who’ll play short when he’s not pitching; Hall, who’ll play first; Richards, who can play third or outfield; and Pelton, the team’s everyday catcher.

But they also bring their own signature styles. Though nursing a case of bicep tendonitis that may keep him out of the team’s opener at Monadnock on Wednesday, April 11, Knight can touch 88 or 89 miles per hour on the radar gun with his fastball, Forbes said, and serves as a good complement to the team’s other control pitchers.

Achorn and Pelton locate their pitches well, with Pelton adding an effective breaking ball, while Hall and Richards are simply consistent, a valuable asset in high school baseball when throwing strikes is “half the battle,” Forbes said.

All five also bring a nice bat to a lineup led by Fortin and supplemented by Ian Hanson, a junior outfielder who has also played catcher in the past.

Bow’s nicest surprise may be Tanner Keefe, a sophomore second baseman who sprouted six inches to enter camp at 6- foot-2. But overall it will be that 12-man junior class that will pay the most dividends this year and, with luck, next season as well.

Juniors Matt Raffio, Brian Raffio, John Romano, Glenn Walton, Jim Fellows, Josh Kleinberg and Jim Paveglio round out Bow’s varsity lineup.

“Right now, our goal is to try to finish one game better than we did last year,” Forbes said.

“We know that this crew, with the exception of very few kids, has been to the semifinals. They know what it takes to get there, and they’re prepared to set (us) up nice for the tournament and see what happens.”