Burlington girls Ultimate's break-through title last year was a nail-biting, disc-gripping, sudden-death win.
The Seahorses (13-0) would have none of that this season as the state’s top seed ran to a second consecutive high school title with a 15-6 drubbing of third-seeded No. 3 South Burlington (10-6) capping a perfect season.
Burlington jumped out to an 8-1 lead at halftime and pushed their lead to 15 after Lily Besaw had an immaculate diving score in the endzone, which Burlington coach Karen Spach called “the catch of the day.” Eliodie Dietschi caught the game-winning score.
“Grit, tenacity and a little bit of goofy is what defines our team and has produced our back-to-back state championships. I’m incredibly proud of them,” Spach said in an email.
Haven Steiner, the savior in last spring’s championship against St. Johnsbury, tallied six goals for a dominating performance, while Seahorse handler Scout Harper tallied a goal with eight assists and captain Rosalie Brown had one score and three helpers to round out Burlington’s leading tallies.
Maria Worden and Medea Daly had two scores each, while Besaw, Sadie Harris and Dietschi tallied a score. Tess Barker and Greta Larsen factored in with two assists apiece.
“This team has been a joy to coach,” Spach said.“They have developed a strong and supportive community, while also working hard to improve. I’ve seen impressive game-over-game improvement from these girls.”
BOYS ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Montpelier returns to the top
Montpelier is again the boys Ultimate capital of Vermont.
The No. 5 Solons (8-2) knocked off third-seeded Champlain Valley 12-10 at South Burlington High School on Saturday afternoon.
The title is Montpelier’s first since the 2019 season when the Solons won the sport’s inaugural title against Burlington.
The Solons’ balanced attack led by Ethan Borland, Jovan Strange, Olin Duggan and Beorn Morrow-Caron all tallied two goals to run Montpelier’s lead to 11-8 with nine minutes remaining in regulation. Cale Ellingson added four assists, while Jovan Strange had three passes defensed and Duggan and Morrow-Caron supplied two.
Champlain Valley’s (9-1) DJ Steinman and Victor Colon (four pass defenses) supplied three goals each. Brendan Fellows and Thomas Garavelli both had two helpers. Garavelli and Quinn Bagnato denied a trio of passes.
DIVISION III SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Oxbow completes three-peat run
Hadlee Allen led off the bottom of the first inning with an inside-the-park homer and ace Anastase Bourgeois threw a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts as No. 1 Oxbow breezed past second-seeded Thetford 9-0 in the D-III title game at Castleton on Saturday.
The Olympians (19-0) have won three D-III titles in a row and five overall since 2017.
More:Yates tosses no-hit masterpiece, BFA seals perfect season in D-I softball final
Bourgeois went 6 2/3 innings, did not issue a walk and allowed just a fourth-inning single in her 80-pitch performance.
Maggi Elsworth also homered in a three-RBI day while Mazie Bourgeois (2-for-4, 2B, RBI), Braylee Phelps (1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs) and Faith Eastman (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) also had big days at the plate for Oxbow.
Rebecca Osgood had Thetford's lone hit.
DIVISION IV SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Rallies propel Blue Mountain to crown
No. 3 Blue Mountain struck for four runs in the fourth inning, four in the fifth and tacked on a six-run sixth frame to pull away from No. 1 West Rutland in a 17-6 triumph at Castleton on Saturday.
It's Blue Mountain's first championship since 2015.
Lauren Joy had a two-run homer to give the Bucks a 4-0 lead through two innings. But West Rutland tallied a five-run third to take a 5-4 margin.
In the fourth, Blue Mountain regained the lead and pitcher Kyra Nelson then worked out of a bases-loaded jam to keep it a 7-5 game after four full innings. Blue Mountain then opened it up in its fifth and sixth inning rallies.
Karli Blood went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored to pace Blue Mountain, while Joy (2-for-4), Kaylee Hamlett (3-for-3) and Felicity Sulham each knocked in three runs. Nelson earned the win, tossing a six-hitter.
DIVISION III BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Oshoniyi lifts Thetford to first title in over three decades
The moment for Xander Oshoniyi wasn’t too big.
The freshman took the mound at historic Centennial Field as Thetford Academy baseball searched for its first banner-hanging performance in 37 years.
Oshoniyi carried a no-hit bid through six innings before surrendering a single back through the middle, but the right-handed ace had already delivered for well-earned hardware to add to the Panthers’ trophy case.
Behind Oshoniyi’s two-hitter with eight strikeouts, No. 3 Thetford (14-6) thumped fifth-seeded White River Valley (15-6) 6-0 on Saturday afternoon.
“This is what we worked for all season,” Oshoniyi said. “Just listen to what the coaches are telling us and staying together as a team no matter what happens.”
Thetford’s JD Farrell relieved Oshoniyi in the seventh with no outs and two runners on after Ty Couture broke the no-hitter and Tattin Griffin followed with a single.
Farrell, who had a two-RBI single at the plate in the sixth to make it a 6-0 advantage, struck out the Wildcats’ seventh and eighth hitter before getting the six-hole to ground into a fielder's choice.
Oshoniyi started Thetford’s three-run first inning with a triple to left and came into score on an error. Nolan Pepe, the Panther’s No. 2 hitter, worked a walk and scored on Justin Robinson’s double.
White River Valley’s Robby McShinsky picked up the loss going 3 1/3 innings allowing four earned runs on four hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts.
“It's not something you really focus about and you just try to go out there and throw strikes, throw a good game and in the end we got the win and that's all that matters,” Oshoniyi said of the no-hit bid.
The title was Thetford’s second in program history.
DIVISION IV BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Dennis twirls a gem
Evan Dennis’ emotions began to simmer before the last out of the Division IV baseball title.
The passion, years in the making, finally boiled over as Dennis and Blue Mountain recorded the final out to book their 10th baseball title for the Northeast Kingdom program. After committing the final out in losing efforts the last two championships, top-seeded Blue Mountain (18-1) dispatched Arlington 9-0 behind Dennis’ 18-strikeout gem.
The ace threw a complete-game effort allowing just one hit, a bloop single in the seventh, over 109 pitches. The righty held a perfect game through four innings and surrendered just two walks on Saturday night at Centennial Field. But winning a title, the Bucks’ first since 2015, and his teammates were on the mind of the senior as he pushed a third strike past Arlington for the final time.
“I started to tear-up before that last pitch because I just, I'm gonna miss this team,” Dennis said.
Leading 3-0 in the fourth, Brody Kingsbury hit a towering solo home run to right field, some 340-feet and, two innings later, Dennis smacked a stand-up, three-RBI triple down the first-base line. Cameron Roy followed Dennis with another solo home run on Blue Mountain’s 10th hit of the contest for a 9-0 advantage.
Kason Blood was 2-for-4 at the plate and Hayden Carle went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs. Nine-hole hitter Keegan Frigon picked up a pair of RBIs on an error after a hard-hit line drive to shortstop in the second inning.
“Last year we came in with a lot of nerves and didn't have a lot of energy and I think this year we made sure to bring energy and try to get those nerves out early,” Dennis said.
Cosby Lux picked up the loss for Arlington (10-8) with a complete-game performance, allowing six earned runs and two walks with three strikeouts. Lewis Douglas had the Eagles’ lone hit.
D-II GIRLS LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP
U-32 claims first crown since 2018
Amelia Woodard and Zoe Hilferty each tallied twice goals while Emily Fuller posted seven saves as No. 2 U-32 toppled fifth-seeded Woodstock 8-4 to seize the program's first title since 2018, and fourth overall, in the D-II final at Norwich University.
The Raiders erased an early 3-1 deficit with a four-goal unanswered run for a 5-3 halftime lead, and then clamped down in the second half to complete a 16-2 campaign.
More:BBA outlasts CVU in 2OT for first D-I girls lacrosse championship
Woodard's second tally gave U-32 a 7-4 edge with 9:12 to play, while Willa Long struck with 6:01 to go for the game's final margin at 8-4.
For Woodstock, Claudia Shoemaker posted three goals and Hannah Gubbins had the other tally. Audrey Emery made a dozen saves in net.
D-II BOYS LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP
Hartford breaks through for program's first crown
After five winless attempts in the state final in history, including last year's defeat to Rice, Hartford finally solved the championship round on Saturday.
Despite not scoring in the fourth quarter, the No. 1 Hurricanes outlasted No. 3 Mount Anthony for a 7-6 victory in the D-II final at Norwich University.
Hartford finishes at 18-0.
The Hurricanes led 5-3 after the opening quarter and 5-4 at the break. Cavan Benjamin scored twice in transition in the third quarter and Joseph Barwood converted on a man-up advantage for a 7-5 lead entering the fourth.
D-II GIRLS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
MMU rolls to first title in program history
The fourth-seeded Mount Mansfield girls tennis team raced to the program's first championship on Saturday afternoon, topping No. 3 Burr and Burton for a 6-1 decision in the D-II title match.
Bea Molson, MMU's ace, kicked off the match with a straight-sets victory at No. 1 singles. Ada Krull (No. 2 singles) and Hannah Agran and Estelle First (No. 1 doubles) did the same, giving MMU a 3-0 edge.
Avela Krull's win at No. 4 singles clinched the title for the Cougars.
Full results:
Singles: Bea Molson, MM def. Alex Faucher, BB 6-1, 6-0; Ada Krull, MM def. Meri Haber, BB 6-3, 6-3; Iran Adii, MM def. Nora O'Donnell, BB 6-2, 7-5; Avela Krull, MM def. Sophia Witkin, BB 6-1, 6-3; Zoe Rosen, MM def. Madi Miesek, BB 8-3.
Doubles: Hannah Agran/Estelle First, MM def. Molly Hershberg/Frannie Tully, BB 7-5, 6-2; Kenzie Morgan/Coco Eyren, BB def. Ava Poehlmann/Tulip Griesel, MM 6-7 (7-2), 6-4.
Become a member of theVermont Varsity InsiderFacebookgroup athttps://bit.ly/2MGSfvX.
Contact Alex Abrami ataabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter:@aabrami5.
Contact Jacob RousseauatJRousseau@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter:@ByJacobRousseau.
