Good Morning! With the Border Country Sports Blog, I'm Keith Harington.
What a big weekend coming up. There are several things to do for local sports fans. Saturday is the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga featuring one of the top horses in the country, Swiss Skydiver. Also Saturday the annual Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl football game between the graduated seniors of Vermont and New Hampshire will be contested. The 68th edition of the event will kick off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Castleton University's Dave Wolk Stadium. And on Sunday the best dirt modified racers in the northeast converge on Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven for the annual "Battle of the Bowl." It is a sports fan's fantasy weekend.
I will be at Saratoga on Friday and will take in the "Battle of the Bowl" on Sunday. Can't wait!
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Hartford Wins Thriller to Earn TCML Softball Championship
They always say it's not how you start, but how you finish. That could be said both about the Hartford TCML softball team's season, and their performance in Monday's championship game. The team made up of players from not only Hartford, but also Fort Edward and one player from Poultney, Vermont who attends Rutland HIgh School rallied from a large early deficit to defeat Warrensburg 14-13 to garner the league's championship.
Hartford came into the playoffs ranked third, but also took out #2 Granville along with Warrensburg.
Top seeded Warrensburg has looked like the team to beat all summer, and they took control early, taking an 8-2 lead after two innings.
Hartford began their rally in the third, scoring three runs in the third to pull within 8-5, and then tallied seven runs combined in the fourth and fifth to grab a 12-11 lead. A two-run double by Soleia Lamoureux was the key blow in the frame.
In the seventh Hartford pitcher Raeghan Liebig made a defensive gem, grabbing a line drive to end a Warresnburg threat with the tying run on third.
Liebig earned the pitching win in the circle for Hartford.
Emma Wade was 3 for 3 with a home run, a double and three RBIs for Hartford. Ava Nadeau was 2 for 5 with a triple and an RBI. Lamoureux and Olivia Lindridge had two hits and drove in a pair of runs each. Liebig was 2 for 3 at the plate.
Leigha Barnaby was 3 for 5 with two doubles for Warrensburg. Hope Sherman, Zailey Baker, and Alexis Brodie added three hits apiece. Maddie Monahan was 2 for 5.
Hartford finishes the season 8-6. Warrensburg ends the season 11-3.
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With the Border Country Sports Blog, I'm Keith Harrington.
Hartford is the 2021 TCML Softball Champions with a 14-13 win over Warrensburg.