Vermont Eases Past New Hampshire in 2023 Twin State Baseball Classic

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

 

June 24, 2023

 

Vermont 15, New Hampshire 0

 

NORTHFIELD, Vt.— Evan Dennis of Blue Mountain drove in a pair of runs, and led a strong pitching staff, and Shane Starr of Union-32 added a three-run homer as Vermont blanked New Hampshire, 15-0, in the 2023 Twin State Baseball Classic Saturday morning at Norwich University’s Garrity Field. Due to inclement weather, the teams played only one nine-inning contest instead of the scheduled double-header of two seven-inning games.

 

The shutout was the first in seven classics since the border rivalry in its current format was renewed in 2015.

 

Dennis, who led Blue Mountain to the Vermont D4 state title two weeks earlier, picked up Most Valuable Player honors for the Green Mountain State. Along with his RBI-triple he walked and scored, and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Karter Deming of White Mountains Regional was the Most Valuable Player for New Hampshire hurling two solid innings and reaching base twice with a single and a walk. Like Dennis, Deming led his school to a state championship earlier in June, the New Hampshire D3 crown.

 

Vermont scored in every inning but the fourth, led 7-0 after three and broke it open with a four–run fifth.  It rapped out 11 hits while its pitchers limited New Hampshire to four singles. Dennis tripled and scored in the second and Starr belted his homer, a long shot to right field, in the third. Also with extra base hits were Malakai Callahan of Colchester and Trevor Arsenault of Spaulding with RBI-doubles, and a double by Burr and Burton’s Trevor Greene.

 

Deming, Liam Shaw of Colebrook, John McDevitt of Derryfield and Sam Caldwell of Prospect Mountain had the hits for New Hampshire.

 

All 18 players for Vermont reached base at least once, with nine different players having at least one hit. Arsenault was the lone player with two hits. In the field, Vermont had just one error while several miscues hurt the Granite State.

 

Dennis started on the mound and allowed one hit in two innings, Deming’s single, striking out two. Austin Wheeler of Lyndon followed in the third and fourth, allowing one baserunner with three strikeouts. Chris Robinson of Champlain Valley (one hit and one K) and Evan Lamothe of South Burlington (two hits, four strikeouts) each hurled two clean innings. Connor Hannan of Mount Anthony set down New Hampshire in the ninth striking out two. Vermont pitchers walked just three while its hitters drew seven walks.

 

Vermont won a pair in Northfield last year after the classic returned to the diamond after a two-year absence. 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 its Division’s 2, 3 and 4.

Thanks for the 2023 Twin State Baseball Classic go out to host Norwich University, especially head baseball coach Frank Pecora and his staff, and director of athletics Ed Hockenbury. While at Northfield High, Pecora was a Vermont Twin State coach several times and Hockenbury as a senior at Northfield, played in the classic.