HARDWICK – The Hazen Union baseball team wrapped up its regular season last week, playing competitive ball against two out-of-division teams and earned a home playoff game in the first round of the Division IV playoffs.
Blain Gillespie struck out six to earn the win on the mound and drove in four runs to help Peoples Academy (PA) pull away from the Wildcats 16-5 at home last Tuesday. Gillespie had a team-high three hits for the Wolves as they busted open a 5-5 game in the bottom of the fourth inning with 11 runs. Stevie Barnes (2-4, 3 RBIs), Garnet Matson 2-4, 2 RBIs) and Jaxson Ruane (2-3) rounded out a balanced attack for the Wolves.
Chayse Newell led the Wildcats with a 3-3 performance at the plate, while driving in a run.
Seniors Owen Skorstad and Justin Montgomery combined for four more hits and an RBI in the loss.
After a slow start, PA ended the regular season with three straight wins and will host Green Mountain in the first round of the Division III playoffs.
In Fairfax on Thursday, Trent Hurley scored the winning run off a perfectly executed squeeze bunt from Mason Garrow in the bottom of the eighth as the Bullets escaped with a 5-4 win at home. Dylan Sicard led BFA’s offense with a pair of hits, while Garrow, Billy Sheehan and Trent Hurley combined for three RBIs in the win. Rylan Muehl struck out six over 5.0 innings of work, and Levi Rabtoy retired the final two batters in the top of the eighth to earn the save.
Senior Grayson McNaughten led Hazen’s offense with three hits and three RBIs and was the hard-luck loser on the mound, striking out 11 Bullets.
Montgomery, Newell, Jon Sicard and Kiah Cloutier each had a hit in the loss.
Fairfax improved to 8-5 and will enter the Division III state tournament as the sixth seed.
Bullet head coach and Hazen Union alum Mike Brown was honored after the game for his three decades-plus as a teacher at Fairfax. Brown plans to continue coaching but will retire as an educator in June.
Hazen head coach Shaun Allen has his team playing some of its best ball of the season despite being shorthanded. The Wildcats drew the No. 7 seed in the Division IV state tournament and hosted No. 10 Arlington at Hudson Fields on Tuesday. If they advance, they will make the long trip to Townshend on Saturday to take on second-seeded Leland & Gray in the quarterfinals.
