New Hampshire Hardball

Twin State teams split doubleheader

NEW LONDON — Strong pitching and a big seventh inning gave Vermont a 7-0 win in the opener, and New Hampshire hurlers held off the Green Mountain state to take the second game 4-3 in the 2024 Twin State Baseball Classic Saturday morning at Colby-Sawyer College’s Kelsey Baseball Field.


G1: Vermont 7, New Hampshire 0
G2: New Hampshire 4, Vermont 3


 Vermont’s shutout in the lidlifter was its second straight, the only two in 15 games in the eight classics since the border rivalry in its current format was renewed in 2015. The teams split a twinbill for the fifth time and the Granite State also snapped a five-game losing streak to its neighboring rivals in the nightcap. 

In the opener, a three-run double by Tobey Appenzeller (Essex) and a booming double by Zach Davis (Colchester) in the top of the seventh broke open a one-run game to give Vermont the win. A RBI-single by Russell Willoughby (Champlain Valley) opened the scoring in the fifth before Vermont loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. Appenzeller, the Vermont MVP, cleared the bases with a drive over the centerfielder before Davis drilled one off the fence in deep center to make it 5-0. After Carter Paquette (Middlebury) singled, Ozzie Weber (Burr & Burton) plated two more with a base hit to right. Davis pitched a scoreless seventh to end it.

Hurlers Anthony Paolicelli (John Stark) and Sean Guerrette (Bow) each pitched two hitless and scoreless innings for New Hampshire before Appenzeller (2-for-2) singled with two-outs in the fifth. The two earned 10 of 12 outs via the strikeout. Vermont was hitless through the first five innings, finished with seven hits in game one, all in the last three innings, while New Hampshire had four. Addison Kernan (Inter-Lakes) had two of the New Hampshire hits. The second of four Vermont pitchers, Averill Parker (Spaulding), picked up the win.

In the nightcap, Vermont scored an unearned run in the first as Hazen Randall (Essex) led with an infield hit, went to second on a passed ball, stole third and came home on a throwing error. That’s all the could muster off New Hampshire starter Lane LeClair (Conant) who in his three-inning stint struck out eight and walked none allowing only another single to Paquette in the second. LeClair, who also had multiple hits, earned the win and also was named the New Hampshire MVP.

New Hampshire took advantage of Vermont wildness, drawing 11 walks in game two including four in a four-run fourth. Zach St. Onge (Winnisquam) singled with one out before four straight walks forced in three runs with a Vermont error making it 4-0. Jake Toulmin (Hanover) in three scoreless innings gave up just a single and two walks while striking out six. 

Vermont drew within one scoring twice in its last at bat. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Carter Thompson (Mount Anthony) and Sam Mazza-Bergeron (South Burlington) both walked and with two outs they both came home after a throwing error following Averill Parker’s bloop single. Gavin Clark (Gilford) retired the last out, stranding Parker on third, to earn the save. 

New Hampshire had just three hits in the game two win while Vermont had only four.

The games, under its current construction, was reinstated in 2015. Vermont’s team is from all four divisions (64 schools) and the team from the higher-populated Granite State is made up of schools from Divisions II, III and IV. The host state alternates every year.  

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