Chemistry between a pitcher and catcher is always important. Having a new catcher for a four-year starter in the circle can always be a challenge, but Dan Meserve of Hopkinton was “interested to see how the two Alexises (Blanchette and Ferns) do” in the team’s first game.
The chemistry seemed to be there, as the Hopkinton softball team won, 7-3, over Hillsboro-Deering.
Blanchette, a returning senior, and Ferns, in her first year behind the plate, contributed in both aspects of the game. Ferns’s first varsity hit drove in two runs in the first inning, giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead to pace the team for the rest of the game. Blanchette pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits and one earned run, as well as scoring in the fourth inning after a triple by Lily Scammon. Scammon then scored on a Caroline Flood single, and Flood scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to 6-0.
“H-D kept battling after the fourth,” Meserve said. “They hit a double down the line and then a single drove her in.”
H-D added two unearned runs, as a fielder’s choice and a bad throw allowed two more runs to score, but in the sixth inning Flood crushed a home run to bring the game to its final score.
“We don’t have a fence, but (Flood) hit it far enough that it would’ve been gone anywhere else,” Meserve said. “She’s not really known as a power hitter, but she certainly has good pop in her bat.”
Scammon finished 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBI, Flood had two RBI and scored twice, Kasey Smith had two hits and Blanchette struck out six in the win.
H-D catcher Melissa Veitch had a good day behind the plate, gunning out two runners attempting steals.
“A good first win against a much-improved Hillsboro team,” Meserve said. “(We had) some key two-out hits and nice defense backed a well-pitched first game.”
From Monitor staff reports
Softball
Winnacunnet 13, Concord 7
Key players: Concord – Abby Rochette (2-for-3, triple, 3 runs, RBI), Zoe Honigberg (2 walks, threw runner out at home), Sam Clapp (2-for-4), Emmily Attocknie (hit), Kelly Varnell (hit), Nicole Cacciola (2 walks, 2 runs)
Highlights/key moments: Winnacunnet broke the game open with four runs in both the third and fourth innings before Concord rallied with a four-run seventh. Rochette, a freshman, had a strong varsity debut, and pitched a shutout seventh inning in relief.
Coach’s quote: “We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re going to get better. It’s not who this team really is.” – Concord’s Duke Sawyer
Records: Concord 0-1; Winnacunnet 1-0
Pembroke 13, Manchester West 0
Key players: Pembroke – Alexis Palmisano (5 IP, 1 hit), Rachel Denoncourt (3-for-4), Danielle Parent (2-for-3), Stephanie Berube (2-for-4)
Highlights/key moments: Berube recorded her first varsity hit in the Spartan victory.
Records: Pembroke 1-0; West 0-1
Kingswood 7, Merrimack Valley 4
Key player: MV – Lindsay Balch (RBI triple)
Highlights/key moments: Kingswood broke the game open with five runs in the third inning. The Pride brought it back within one run in the bottom of the sixth, but Kingswood plated two more runs to secure the win.
Records: Kingswood 1-0; MV 0-1
Winnisquam 14, Laconia 2, 5 inn.
Key players: Winnisquam – Lindsay Raymond (2-for-3, 3 RBI), Ema Atherton (2-for-3), Marissa DeBlasie (2-for-4), Lauren Bolstridge (2-for-5), Talia DeBlasie (5 IP, 2 hits, 4 K)
Highlights/key moments: Talia DeBlasie picked up her first varsity win in the circle, and the Bears took advantage of 13 walks and a pair of hit batters.
Coach’s quote: “It was nice to get the first game in. I thought we hit the ball well and Talia did a good job throwing strikes.” – Winnisquam’s Kevin Dame
Records: Winnisquam 1-0; Laconia 0-1
Coe-Brown 8, Plymouth 1, 6 inn.
Key players: Coe-Brown – Brody Ashley (win, 5 IP, 0 hits, 8 K, 3 BB), Bryce Twombly (3-for-3, RBI), Jayson Cleveland (2-for-3, RBI), Andrew Therrien (2-for-2, steal)
Highlights/key moments: With Ashley holding Plymouth hitless through five innings, the Bears backed him with a three-spot in both the third and fifth innings to break it open. The game was called after six innings because of darkness.
Coach’s quote: “For the first time out, we did a lot of good things.” – Coe-Brown’s Sean Ashley
Records: Coe-Brown 1-0; Plymouth 0-1
Kingswood 14, MV 1
Key players: MV – Brian Nylen (hit), Cole Laliberte (hit, run), Mark Barton (hit, walk)
Highlights/key moments: Kingswood plated seven runs in the top half of the third inning and built its lead for the entire game.
Records: MV 0-1; Kingswood 1-0
Hopkinton 10, Hillsboro-Deering 0
Key players: Hopkinton – Dustin Rose (2 hits), Ben McManus (2 hits), Alex Lajeunesse (2 hits), Will Rhynhart (2 hits), Kyle Slevira (2 RBI, 4 IP, 4 K, win), Dave Nelson (2 IP, 3 K, 1 ER)
Highlights/key moments: With runners on second and third and one out in the second inning, Slevira was facing a 1-2 count. He put the ball in play and the H-D first baseman overthrew the pitcher, allowing two runs to score and jump-starting a five-run inning for the Hawks.
Coach’s quote: “That second inning was huge, because if (Kyle Slevira) strikes out on that count instead of putting the ball in play, we have two outs and no runs. Instead, we got two runs with one out and were able to build our lead.” – Hopkinton’s Dave Chase
Records: Hopkinton 1-0; H-D 0-1
Laconia 7, Winnisquam 3
Key players: Winnisquam – Blaise Ross (2-for-5), Mikey Lowrey (hit, 2 runs), Tim Harmon (6+ IP, four ER)
Highlights/key moments: An RBI double by Laconia’s Carter Doherty broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning.
Coach’s quote: “We had a chance to get on the board early and couldn’t come up with the big hit. We left bases loaded twice and second and third twice in the first four innings and left 13 on base for the game. Despite that, we battled back from a 3-0 deficit and tied the score heading into the seventh inning against one of the deeper teams in our Division.” – Winnisquam’s Fred Caruso
Records: Laconia 1-0; Winnisquam 0-1
Pittsfield 5, Derryfield 2
Key players: Pittsfield – Casey Clark (7 IP, 5 hits, 5 K, 0 ER), Kyle Stockman (2 hits, double, RBI), Noah MacGlashing (2 hits, RBI), Cam Darrah (hit, walk, 2 runs)
Highlights/key moments: Clark allowed just five hits in a complete-game effort, with no earned runs.
Coach’s quote: “This was a solid win for this young team. Casey threw strikes tonight and we played pretty good defense behind him. We have a long ways to go and lots to work on, but I’m very proud the way we played tonight.” – Pittsfield’s Rob Stockman
Records: Pittsfield 1-0; Derryfield 0-1
Coe-Brown 6, Bishop Brady 3
Key players: Coe-Brown – Holly Roman (8-5 win at No. 2), Bailey Docko (8-1 win at No. 4), Cameron Chick (8-2 win at No. 5), Jillian Gordon (8-0 win at No. 6), Megan Wimsatt/Mary Lee (8-3 win at No. 2 doubles), Tayla George/Docko (8-5 win at No. 3 doubles); Bishop Brady – Sydney Herrington (8-0 win at No. 1), Iantha Beane (8-4 win at No. 3), Herrington/Ravalika Damerla (8-6 win at No. 1 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: Beane defeated Taylor George in a very tough match at the No. 3 singles. The freshman duo of Wimsatt/Lee secured the win for Coe-Brown.
Coach’s quote: “A lot of challenging matches today which required various strategies to be successful.” – Coe-Brown’s Mark Struthers
Records: Coe-Brown 3-0; Bishop Brady 1-2
Bow 8, Sanborn 1
Key players: Bow – Laura Zbehlik (8-0 at No. 1), Claire Mulvaney (8-2 win at No. 2), Casey Day (8-3 at No. 3), Sarah Zecha (8-3 at No. 5), Julia Currier (8-1 at No. 6)
Highlights/key moments: Currier picked up her first career win in her first match.
Records: Bow 1-0; Sanborn 0-1
St. Thomas 12, Bishop Brady 7
Key players: Bishop Brady – Sam Will (3 goals), Abby Tremblay (goal), Abby Scharpf (goal), Sophia Palangas (goal), Dana Beauregard (goal), Emily Tremblay (16 saves)
Highlights/key moments: The Giants played a tightly contested game, backed by Emily Tremblay’s 16 saves in net. St. Thomas’s top attack scored seven goals to pace the Saints, eventually pulling away in the latter stages of the game.
Records: Bishop Brady 0-1; St. Thomas 1-0
Kearsarge 20, Merrimack Valley 3
Key players: Kearsarge – Eleanor Angus (2 goals, 5 assists), Leslie Angus (3 goals, assist), Anna Stowell (5 goals), Kaileigh Davis (2 goals, assist, 6 steals)
Highlights/key moments: Kearsarge spread the wealth, with more than a handful of players scoring goals.
Records: Kearsarge 1-0; MV 0-1
Boys’ volleyball
Souhegan 3, John Stark 2
Key players: Stark – Sawyer Lemay and Robert Blouin (solid setting), Aedan McCarron and Rob Yell (fine play in the middle), Griffin Caswell, Cody Lemay and David Hewey (active defensive play)
Highlights/key moments: Stark pulled out a hard-fought 30-28 first set and then traded wins in tight games 2, 3 and 4 against a solid Souhegan squad. Souhegan was able to hold off Stark for a 15-12 final set to take the match.
Coach’s quote: “Both teams demonstrated the ability to play quality volleyball throughout the match. We’ve got a few things yet to clean up but I’m confident that we’ve got the elements needed for a great season.” – Stark’s Dave Simeone
Records: Souhegan 1-0; John Stark 0-1
Coe-Brown 3, Dover 1
Key players: Coe-Brown – Liam Clinch (15 assists, 10 digs), Josh Moreshead (8 kills), McKenzie Moehlmann (12 digs)
Records: Coe-Brown 1-0; Dover 0-1