Vermont, New Hampshire Split 2016 Twin State Baseball Classic Doubleheader

2016 Twin State Baseball Classic

Game One: New Hampshire 6, Vermont 5

Game Two: Vermont 3, New Hampshire 2

Contact: Bruce Bosley (802-324-8334/bbosley.vbca@gmail.com)

LYNDON CENTER, Vt. -- Strong pitching led by Eamonn McCabe (St. Johnsbury) and Andrew Bortnick (Champlain Valley), and an excellent two-way effort by Codi Smith (Hartford) gave Vermont a 3-2 win over New Hampshire in the second game of the 2016 Twin State Baseball Classic Saturday afternoon at Skip Pound Field. 

New Hampshire scored twice in its last at bat to come from behind to take the lidlifter, 6-5. It is the second straight year the two states split the twinbill, all one-run contests, in the series that resumed after an absence of more than a decade.

In the twinbill, Smith, named the Vermont MVP in the classic, went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored. He opened the scoring in the nightcap and then closed out the one-run game on the mound with the save. 

Smith led game two with a single and came around on an infield out to give Vermont an early 1-0 lead. The Green Mountain State went up 3-0 with two more in the fourth. With two down, Eli Baez (Essex) and Bortnick singled with Baez scoring on a third straight single by Sam Mikell (Champlain Valley). Smith's infield grounder went for an error to allow the third run come home.

New Hampshire made it 3-1 in the fourth with an unearned run off Bortnick, driven in on an infield ground out by Caleb Drouin (Belmont). Cole Cruz (Sunapee), who went 2-for-3 in game two, singled home Kyle Shaw (Campbell) to bring the Granite State within one, 3-2, in the top of the sixth. With one out in the seventh, New Hampshire's Tyler Brown (Littleton) walked and one out later went to second on a hard single to center by James Salta (Laconia). Smith came in with the go-ahead runs on base to retire Kyle Shaw (Campbell) on a grounder to first for the save.

McCabe hurled three scoreless innings allowing one hit and a walk while strking out three to earn the victory. Bortnick followed him for the next two frames and struck out four, allowing just the unearned run in the fourth. 

In the opener, New Hampshire had a 2-1 lead through three on RBIs by Drouin and Cruz before Vermont scored three times in the top of the fourth. Jason Chrisman doubled with one out and was followed three straight run-scoring singles by Henry Cunningham (South Burlington), Baez and Smith to go up 4-2. 

New Hampshire tied it in its half on the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Drouin and a two-out RBI single by James Salta. 

In the sixth, Smith walked with one out, stole second and came in on a two-out RBI single by Matt Page (Blue Mountain) to put Vermont on top 5-4. Hew Hampshire rallied again to take the lead on a two-run double by Cruz with two outs in its half of the sixth. Vermont had its first two hitters reach in the seventh but Brown put away the next three to seal the 6-5 win.

Brown picked up the win for New Hampshire and Ben Sykes (North Country) too the loss. Cruz, named the Granite State MVP, finished game one 2-for-2 with a walk and the two RBI and wrapped up the twinbill 4-for-5 with three stolen bases and three RBI. 

Mark Connor (BFA St. Albans) went 2-for-2 at the plate while Smith and Chrisman each singled and doubled in three trips as Vermont had 10 hits in game one.

Below: 2016 Twin State Baseball Classic MVPs: New Hampshire's Cole Cruz of Sunapee (L) and Vermont's Codi Smith of Hartford.

Successful Fifth Annual VBCA Junior Showcase Held June 16 at Castleton U.

Forty-eight Student-Athletes Workout For Over 23 Collegiate Programs

Contact: Bruce Bosley: bbosley.vbca@gmail.com

CASTLETON, Vt. -- For the fifth straight year the annual Vermont Baseball Coaches Association Junior Showcase was a success as the underclass athletes worked out in front of coaches from over 23 collegiate programs. This year's showcase was held Thursday, June 16, 2016 at Castleton University's Spartan Field.

Forty-eight Vermont high school baseball student-athletes displayed their skills and participated in a simulated and controlled game for over the many New England and Northeast region college baseball coaches from all three NCAA divisions. 

The following schools were represented at the showcase in 2016: UAlbany, Fairfield, Siena, Maine, Southern New Hampshire, Assumption,  Franklin Pierce, College of St, Josephs (Vt.), Castleton, Lyndon State, Norwich, Southern Vermont, Colby Sawyer, Keene State, New England College, St, Joseph's (Maine), Mass College Liberal Arts, Wheaton, Endicott, Nichols, Worcester (Mass.) St., Skidmore, RPI, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Union, Plattsburgh St. and www.prepbaseballreport.com.

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Special thanks for their efforts for the fifth annual showcase go out to: Ted Shipley of host Castleton University for the use of his program's facility; Vermont umpires Larry Riegert and Denny Barnard for donating their time; Tim Mitchell of Mitchell Tees; the Vermont Principals Organization and Spalding for the baseballs; and the many head coaches and assistants from VBCA member schools for volunteering at the showcase.

For the fifth straight season over 70 former Vermont high school players from all four statewide divisions were represented on 2015 NCAA Division I, II and III and USCAA baseball rosters. Many of the freshmen, sophomores and juniors on this year's collegiate rosters participated in the first three VBCA Junior Showcases. Several Vermonters earned all-conference honors or participated on teams that advanced to the NCAA Baseball Championship. Here is a link to the list of Vermonters on 2016 collegiate rosters: http://www.vermontbaseball.org/2016/05/at-least-70-vermonters-on-four-year.html

2016 Vermont Twin State Baseball Classic Team Announced

Annual Classic To Be Held Saturday June 18 in Lyndon

June 13, 2016

Contact: Bruce Bosley (bbosley.vbca@gmail.com)

Eighteen of the finest senior baseball players from the Green Mountain State will compete for Vermont in this year's Twin State Baseball Classic against New Hampshire on Saturday, June 18, 2016 in Lyndon, Vermont. The Vermont Baseball Coaches Association announced its roster today.

The 2016 Vermont team consists of: Elijah Baez, IF, Essex; Andrew Bortnick, RHP/IF/OF, Champlain Valley; Jason Chrisman, 1B, Burlington; Mark Connor, RHP/IF, BFA St. Albans; Henry Cunningham, C, South Burlington; James Gaboriault, RHP/IF, Mount Mansfield; Andrew Gonyaw, C, North Country; Andy Kenosh, RHP/1B, Rutland; Eamonn McCabe, LHP/1B, St. Johnsbury; Sam Mikell, RHP/3B, Champlain Valley; Noah Normyle, IF, Mount Anthony; Sam Ognenoff, IF, Brattleboro; Matt Page, RHP/OF, Blue Mountain; Jacob Perkins, IF, Hartford; Mark Puffer, C, Blue Mountain; Codi Smith, OF, Hartford; Zachary Streeter, OF/RHP, Bellows Falls; and Ben Sykes, LHP/OF, North Country.

The Green Mountain State's squad is made up of student-athletes from 14 different high schools from all corners of the state. The New Hampshire roster will be finalized and announced this week.

Mike Brown (BFA Fairfax) is the Vermont head coach and assisting him will be Scott Blood (Blue Mountain), Bob Lockerby (Bellows Falls) and Marcel Girouard (Burlington).

First pitch of game one of the doubleheader (two seven-inning games) will be at 11 a.m. at Skip Pound Field on the campus of Lyndon State College in Lyndon, Vt. Admission is free. The rain date for the 2016 classic is Sunday, June 19. 

Originally held from 1983 to 2004, the Twin State Baseball Classic returned to the diamond at Nashua's Holman Stadium in June of 2015 with the two teams splitting a pair of games. The site will alternate between states each year.