Ghosts Lose in Quarter-Finals
By Jill D. Montgomery

It took Otter Valley just 20 minutes to end Randolph's playoff hopes Tuesday as they came to town to finish a raindelayed and rain-postponed game that started Saturday, June 2.

Otter Valley headed into the seventh inning with a 6-3 edge after leading by as much as 6-0 on Saturday. The outof town team resumed their places with the bases loaded and no outs. Cody Montgomery pitched to the first batter, who, after two strikes, hit a double to the gap between center and right fields, bringing in two more runs. Montgomery then moved to left field and Mike Czok took the mound for Randolph.

Czok got the next batter out swinging and the following batter was retired when third baseman David Maxfield fielded a hard shot and threw to first baseman Andy Bent. The next batter, however, reached on an error and brought another run in for the 9-3 lead. Otter Valley scored their next run on an overthrow, followed by a triple that brought the 11th run across the plate. Randolph's center fielder, Kyle Connolly put an end to the scoring with a fly ball out.

Randolph's hitting woes carried over from Saturday, where they hit the ball, but either right to Otter Valley or the fielder made a great defensive play. Bent got hold of a good pitch but the right fielder made the catch. Maxfield hit a bouncer to the shortstop for the second out and Czok ended the game with Otter Valley's 4-3 defensive play. The final score was 11-3, and Otter Valley played Vergennes Wednesday. Saturday's Portion

Sophomore Jon White started Saturday's game on the mound and pitched six full innings and the beginning of the seventh before thunder and lightning ended the contest. Randolph saw just four batters in the first inning, with defensive plays at second, and center field. The Ghosts led off in good shape with Maxfield hitting to right field, but he was left stranded.

Otter Valley took a 2-0 edge after the top of the second with three outfield hits. Bent had some spectacular stretches at first base throughout the game to get the throws from his teammates.

Connolly threatened in the bottom of the inning when he got on from a fielder's choice, stole second and moved to third on another fielder's choice. Things looked promising when Russel Messier pounded the ball towards right field but the first baseman made a great leaping catch to end the inning.

Otter Valley added four more runs in the third with balls hit in the gaps and a couple of Randolph errors before the Ghosts closed the doors. Bent led off the bottom of the inning with a single, followed by a single to center field from Maxfield. And although Damon Dyer, running for Bent, made it to third, he got pegged out on a fake steal play and again the Ghosts couldn't put one across home plate.

Otter Valley put two men on with a two-out rally in the fifth, before shortstop Dustin Brassard dove into second to get the runner out and got more than the third out: Brassard got a spike to the chin but waited until after the game to make the trip to the hospital, where he basically had it super glued!

Brassard struck first blood offensively as well when he walked to lead off the next inning and advanced around to home on Maxfield's triple to right. White's double to the center field gap brought in Maxfield, and Czok hit White home. Randolph had closed the gap to three, 6-3 by the end of the fifth.

Randolph ended the next inning with a 5-4-3 double play between Maxfield- Brassard-Bent. Montgomery led off with a single for the Ghosts but was left stranded. That set the stage for the interrupted portion of the playoff game. Win Over Solons

Randolph started its playoff season with a 7-3 win over Montpelier last Thursday, May 31 at home.

Montgomery pitched the entire game with five strikeouts and five walks. Good pitching and good defense by Maxfield and Bent made quick work of the Solons in the first. The Ghosts answered with two runs off a triple from White, a single from Czok and a bunt from Montgomery.

The second and third innings went just as fast for the Ghosts defensively, while they added four more runs in the bottom of the third for the 6-0 edge. Thomas Jacobs, Connolly and Brassard all had singles.

Montpelier loaded the bases in the fourth but Randolph ended their hopes with a 6-4- 3, White-Czok-Bent double play. Randolph added its seventh run with a combination of bunts, base hits and a past ball.

Montpelier put across two runs in the fifth and added the final run of the game in the sixth, but it wasn't enough.

The boys did a great job this year for a team that wasn't expected to do more than break even after losing many seniors and starters last year. The team loses four to graduation this year- Bent, Czok, Messier and Montgomery.