By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
PIONEER (April 25, 2024) – Montpelier overcame a shaky start in the field to rally for a 6-3 win and move one step closer to a BBC title.
North Central tallied two runs in the bottom of the first as Connor Gendron reached on an error and Cohen Meyers had an infield single to put runners at first and third with two outs.
A walk to Johnny Hicks by Montpelier starter Jaxon Richmond loaded the bases and Gendron would score on a passed ball for an early 1-0 lead.
Three pitches later, Meyers crossed home plate on a Richmond wild pitch to make it 2-0 before Richmond would get Garrett Shockley to strikeout looking to end the inning.
A big fourth inning would put the Locos ahead to stay with Hayden Sharps drawing a walk after the first two batters were retired.
Richmond, Jaxon Stahler, and Gavyn Bass put together three straight singles to bring home a pair of runs to square the game at 2-2.
Stahler and Bass would then execute a double steal and an errant throw to third allowed Stahler to score and give Montpelier the lead at 3-2.
The inning continued as Tyler Plourde reached on an error to put runners on the corners and Griffin Cooley’s pop fly resulted in North Central’s third error of the inning, allowing Bass to score and make it 4-2.
North Central got one back in the fifth as Richmond walked Gendron and Ben Pettit to start the inning and then threw a wild pitch with Meyers at the plate and Gendron moved to third, Pettit to second.
Meyers delivered with an RBI single to left to close the deficit to 4-3 before Richmond recorded three strikeouts sandwiched around a walk to end the frame.
Montpelier added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh as after a Cooley strikeout, Wesley Hartsock was hit by a pitch, Landon Fackler walked, and Kenneth Smeltzer was safe on an error to load the bases with one out.
A walk to Drake Farley scored Hartsock and Richmond followed with an RBI groundout to give the Locos a 6-3 lead going to the bottom of the seventh.
The former North Central Eagle Smeltzer slammed the door at that point by striking out the side to close out the Loco win.
Richmond took the win for Montpelier as he and Smeltzer, who worked two innings of relief, combined to strikeout 16 Eagles and limit North Central to just three hits.
MONTPELIER 000 400 2 – 6 5 2
N. CENTRAL 200 010 0 – 3 3 5
Records: Montpelier 6-6 (5-0 BBC), N. Central 8-6 (3-2 BBC)
WINNING PITCHER: Richmond (5 innings, 2 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned, 11 strikeouts 8 walks) OTHER: Smeltzer
LOSING PITCHER: Beard (6.1 innings, 5 hits, 6 runs, 2 earned, 11 strikeouts, 3 walks) OTHER: Poynter
LEADING HITTERS: (NC) C. Meyers – 2 singles, RBI; Gendron – double; (Montpelier) Sharps – double