Big Improvement For Bethel Boys
By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

Last year’s dismal 0-14 season record for the Whitcomb Hornet boys baseball team is definitely old news, but without mentioning it, its current record is nothing but relative.

Sandwiched between a season-opening 7-5 loss at home to its Rochester Rocket rivals and its most recent trouncing, an 11-1 loss to the D-III Royals, are its season-sweep over the Twinfield Trojans at 8-2 and 5-2 in Bethel, and a 1-run 4-3 victory over the Wililiamstown Blue Devils at home. Its second season sweep came over Concord, both 15-rule wins at 17-1 and 16-2. Under the guidance of first-year head coach Jim Noel and his assistant Jeff Irish, the Hornets have developed into contenders.

Game Summary

In the opening loss, Hornet hurler Ryan Litchfield issued a game-high 17 strike-outs, but allowed six hits and five walks that got the Rockets across the plate two times more than their hosts for the victory.

That game served as incentive, as Whitcomb came out swinging early against the Trojans. Litchfield led with a single and a double. Ryan Rogler had three hits and four RBIs for the Hornets in the opener. Also making some noise were freshmen Dan Noel, who had a double along with two RBIs, and Brandon Kendall, who doubled.

Jacob Hunt was on the mound for Whitcomb in the first game, with four strike-outs and no walks. Rogler threw seven strike-outs, allowed three walks and gave up three hits. Litchfield had five hits, combined for the day with Rogler, who added two hits and two RBIs to his daily tally.

In the closest outing to date, Litchfield was hot from the mound with 14 strike-outs, two walks and allowing three hits. With Whitcomb up three-zip entering the fifth, the Blue Devils got lucky and scored three runs (two unearned) to tie things up. In the bottom, Hunt plated Litchfield for the one-run lead. Williamstown tried to sneak back into the lead by bunting its way on. Litchfield was able to charge for the ball, and managed to throw one runner out at third off one bunt, and another runner out at second off another. Hunt had two hits in the game.

Concord D.H.

At Concord, Hunt was impressive with 11 strike-outs, two walks and two hits in game number one. In game two, Rogler wasn’t far behind with 10 strike-outs, three walks and two hits, as the Hornets took its second season sweep.

Litchfield had a single and a double, with four RBIs and a three-RBI home run in each game respectively. Ben Cayer had two singles and an RBI in the first game. Rogler had a double and two RBIs in game one and five RBIs in the second game. Hunt and Joel Wright were both two-for-four.

SoRo Loss

South Royalton was "no surprise" said Coach Noel as the Royals managed to derail the "Hornet Express." It wasn’t a shutout, as Whitcomb stayed tough through three innings. Litchfield went four- and two-thirds innings, issuing six strike-outs, allowing three walks, and giving up seven hits as the starting pitcher. Hunt closed, giving up three hits and two runs. Rogler was one-for-three with a double and scored the lone Hornet run.

Win Over Rockets

Whitcomb blasted past its hosts, and extracted revenge for its season-opener loss to the Rockets, with a resounding 15-3 upset victory.

Whitcomb trailed the Rockets by one after one inning, before it went up by one in the second inning, and then proceeded to add to its tally with two more runs in the third, three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings, two more in the sixth, and three final runs in the seventh. Bethel only allowed two more runs throughout the remainder of the contest for the Rockets.

Noel and Kyle Ketner both reached first, when Noel’s bunt and Ketner’s hit to center were both over-throws! Both scored when Sam Taylor RBI’d Noel, and Ben Cayer hit in Ketner in the second inning. Both scored in the third when they singled to get on, then made it across the plate.

In the fourth, Wright, Rogler and Hunt scored after they reached a single, a double and a walk respectively. Wright walked on and scored in the fifth, while Litchfield homered him in for two RBIs. Rogler doubled the ball into the girl’s softball game and scored before the inning ended.

An Adam Sennett single and a Litchfield single gave the Hornets two more.

Whitcomb finished with a hit, a walk and another hit from Litchfield, Rogler and Noel, for the victory.

Whitcomb plays Craftsbury Monday, May 19 in Bethel. The game starts at 4:30 p.m.

____________