MONTPELIER – The Hazen Union baseball team ran into two of the top teams in Division I and II last week as they were blanked by Montpelier and Thetford Academy (TA), falling to 2-6 on the season.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Sophomore Jackson Mason twirled a one hitter and struck out 8 to lead Montpelier over the Wildcats at home last Tuesday 8-0. Mason carried a no-hitter into the fifth before Hazen’s Jake Hayden belted a double to left. Clay Foster led the Solon offense, going 2-3 with a pair of stolen bases. Mason helped his own cause with a double, while scoring two runs on the day. Lucas Alber chipped in with a two-run double in the win. Grayson McNaughten took the loss for the Wildcats, striking out three and walking two.
“We’re playing some really good teams in the Capital, but I feel this young team is really close to putting it all together. I wish these athletes would see what I see in them. It’s like putting together a 1000-piece puzzle sometimes and the last piece is on the floor, and you just don’t see it,” said head coach Shaun Allen.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
It didn’t get any easier for Allen’s squad on Thursday as division III powerhouse Thetford held the Wildcat offense hitless on their way to a 12-0 road win. Ollie Sarazin struck out 7 over four innings of work and Sam Parkman pitched a perfect fifth to preserve the no-hit gem for the Panthers. Thetford blew open a tight game with an eight-run fourth inning, powered by two RBI’s apiece from Xander Oshoniyi and Dempsey McGovern. Freshman Jon Sicard took the loss for Hazen, giving up 7 free passes, while striking out three. The Panthers improved to 6-1 on the season and look poised to return to the division III Final Four for a fourth straight season after taking home the state title in 2023.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
“We only reached base four times, once on a sharply hit ball to short by Owen Skorstad that could have been scored as either an error or a hit. We did a good job of staying with them for three full innings but just couldn’t hold them down. They’re a really good program, but we just need to stop getting in our own heads and believe that we can win. Once they figure that out, I really believe the tides will turn for us,” said Allen.
Hazen was scheduled to host U-32 on Tuesday before traveling to Spaulding on Thursday. They wrap up a busy week with a matchup against Lamoille on Saturday at Hudson Fields. All home games can be streamed live on Hardwick Community Television (hctv.us).
