Vermont Rallies to Split 2017 Twin State Baseball Classic

June 24, 2017

Game One: New Hampshire 5, Vermont 4 

Game Two: Vermont 6, New Hampshire 5

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

CONCORD, N.H.— Brady Illingworth of Bellows Falls delivered a key two-run single and hurled two innings of scoreless relief as Vermont held off New Hampshire, 6-5, in game two to earn a split in the 2017 Twin State Baseball Classic at Warren Doane Diamond at Memorial Field Saturday afternoon. 

The Granite State held off a late Vermont rally to earn a 5-4 win in the lidlifter. The border rivals have now split six one-run decisions since the series resumed in 2015 after an 11-year absence.

Illingworth, named the Vermont MVP, shut the door on the mound in the nightcap with two scoreless frames to pick up the victory after New Hampshire jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first two innings. Illingworth's two-run single triggered Vermont's five-run fourth to take the lead. After they loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch to Griff Stalcup (Burr & Burton), a single by Jordan Bell (Colchester) and a walk to Greg Johnson (Randolph), Galen Goodenough (Randolph) singled for one run before Illingworth plated two more. Two more came home on a fielder's choice by Patrick Greenan (St. Johnsbury) and a New Hampshire fielding error.

New Hampshire added a run on an error in the top of the sixth to make it 5-3 before Chris O'Brien (Champlain Valley) led the Vermont half with a long double to center. Two outs later he scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-3. Down to its last out, New Hampshire bounced back with two with two outs in the top of the seventh with a run scoring single by Granite State MVP Cole Contigiani (Belmont) and a double by Andrew Coulombe (Berlin). Abe Kovel (Essex) stranded Coulombe in scoring position retiring the last batter on a fly to center to earn the save.

Vermont had just five hits in the nightcap, three in its five-run fifth, but drew five walks while New Hampshire had 11 hits.

In game one, New Hampshire scored five times in the bottom of the second with J.P. Record (Conant) singling in two and Contigiani another. Vermont was held to one hit over the first four innings, and finished with only four, but chipped away with two in the fifth and single runs in the final two. Jake Hakey (BFA Fairfax) had a RBI-single in the fifth and Chris Fenimore (Burlington) had a run-scoring double with one out in the seventh. He and Greenan were left in scoring position as Scott Humphrey (Mascenic) struck out the last two hitters for the narrow victory. 

The Twin State Baseball Classic will return to Vermont in 2018.

(above: 2017 Twin State Baseball Classic MVPs: Brady Illingworth (Bellows Falls) for Vermont (L); Cole Contigiani (Belmont) for New Hampshire (R); Photo credits: VBCA)