HARDWICK – The Hazen Union baseball team was blanked by a trio of top Capital League teams last week, including a Montpelier squad that continues to get a spark from Twinfield-Cabot senior Meles Gouge both offensively and on the mound.
Montpelier and Hazen went toe-to-toe for four innings last Tuesday before the Solons offense exploded the final two frames to win going away on the road 17-0.
Soren Bay-Hansen earned the win, striking out three and Brody Stanton struck out the side in the sixth to close things out.
Spaulding’s Averill Parker safely gets back to second base before Andrew Menard (right) of Hazen Union can tag him during play in Hardwick May 11. At left following the play is Justin Montgomery of Hazen. Spaulding won 10-0.
Gouge was a terror on the base paths with four stolen bases, while driving in a run.
Clayton Foster had a two-run double, and Nate Groff added an RBI double.
Twinfield-Cabot teammates Sam Russell and Isidore Hochschild combined for two more RBI and a stolen base in the win.
Andrew Menard was great through four innings, but walks, errors, and some timely hitting led to four runs in the fifth for the Solons and 12 more in the top of the sixth.
Craftsbury Academy’s Grayson McNaughten and Landon Miller each had a double for the Wildcats. Gouge twirled a complete game gem against Spaulding on Thursday, striking out nine in a 5-2 win. The multi-sport star also was a perfect 2-2 at the plate with a stolen base to help his own cause. Gouge and Russell had Montpelier’s only hit and RBI on Thursday in a 2-1 win over North Country on Saturday as the Solons ran their record to 6-1.
Hazen Union sophomore Owen Skorstad pitches to a Spaulding batter on Hudson Field Saturday. Spaulding defeated the Wildcats 10-0.
Liam Brooks, Tommy Amber, and Justin Roberson combined for three hits and six RBIs to lead Thetford Academy to an 11-0 road win over Hazen on Thursday.
Sam Parkman earned the win, holding the Wildcats to a single hit over three innings of work. The defending Division III champs improved to 7-2 on the season and have outscored their opponents 117-28.
Division I Spaulding made it a clean shutout sweep over the weekend, discarding the Wildcats at home 10-0. Matt Redmond was nearly perfect over five innings of work to earn the win and Cam Burke powered the Crimson Tide offense with a three-run triple.
McNaughten suffered the loss on the mound for Hazen.
Spaulding is starting to play their best ball of the season after losing four of their first five games. The Wildcats have lost five straight after winning their first two games to start the season.
Hazen looked to turn it around on Tuesday with a road game against U-32, are scheduled to host Oxbow on Thursday, and will wrap up another busy week with trips to BFA-Fairfax and Lamoille on Friday and Saturday.
