Players on the South Burlington High School baseball team played with swagger and spoke confidently of a championship run.
“I say this as humbly as possible, but we are the best team in the state and we are going to prove it,” Sam Mazza-Bergeron said after the semifinals.
“We talked all week about playing our game because we knew we were the best team for this,” South Burlington’s Nick Kelly said.
Actions speak louder than words, but the Wolves showed how to do both. And on Saturday they left no doubt about who would lift the Division I championship trophy.
Opportunistic by hitting six runs in the first inning and taking advantage of Kelly’s complete game, four hits and the top seed, South Burlington cruised to a 6-2 victory over No. 3 and defending champion Champlain Valley at Centennial Field, taking first program status. title since 2018.
“We just had to be ourselves, be ourselves. We just did it,” said Kelly, who also went all the way in the semifinal victory. “I knew we were going to win because I have faith in myself, I trust my guys behind me.”
Taking advantage of a pair of CVU errors in the first inning, the Wolves (16-3) scored all six runs with two outs, highlighted by James Chagnon’s bases-clearing triple.
“I knew a curveball was coming and I got my hands inside the ball and put it in right field and when you put it in play, good things happen,” Chagnon said. “It was super surreal. I wish I could experience it all again.”
Further:Vermont HS Championship Results, June 14-16 Results
That was more than enough for Kelly, the left-handed ace who is headed to Fairfield University in the fall to continue his baseball career. Over seven innings, Kelly faced 28 batters and threw 60 of 90 pitches for strikes, allowing four hits, two runs (none earned) and two walks while he fanned seven.
Kelly, who sent CVU down in order in three of the seven frames, only allowed runs to cross the plate on consecutive singles by Travis Stroh and Russell Willoughby in the fifth.
“He was a dog on the mound,” South Burlington coach Luke Goyette said. “He’s been looking forward to this moment for years.”
And so did Kelly’s teammates.
“When you have a special group like this, that started when we were 8 years old, just pushing ourselves every day and working hard with great mentors, great guys to guide us… there’s not much more you can ask for there,” South said. Burlington shortstop Andre Bouffard said. “It’s the culmination of everything, really.”
South Burlington’s big entrance almost wasn’t. CVU turned a 4-6-3 double play to negate Bouffard being hit by a pitch to open the frame. Then Lucas Van Mullen singled, Mazza-Bergeron walked on a 3-2 count and catcher Kiefer McGrath beat Orion Yates to first base on a called error to load the bases for Chagnon.
Chagnon cut a liner to right, evading Aaron LaRose’s attempt, for a three-RBI triple and a 3-0 lead. Cedric Lamothe followed with an RBI hit to left and Bouffard scored two more runs when his grounder to short was misplayed for an error.
“Honestly, I already thought we won it,” Chagnon said. “That’s where she was at, but you can’t take it for granted (CVU).”
Starter Stephen Rickert and the Redhawks (15-5), who have lost three times to South Burlington this season, settled in after the first quarter. Rickert went five innings and allowed no earned runs, while CVU’s defense produced several gems to hold the Wolves to six runs.
“We’ve been resilient all year and knew we had to play well defensively to have a chance. But I’m really proud of my group and the way they fought in every game all season long,” the CVU coach said , Nicky Elderton. saying. “SB is a really good team and they can hit the ball. Congratulations to them.
“A bad tackle, but that doesn’t define us as a team.”
While Goyette admitted he didn’t love his players’ outward displays of confidence, there was no denying their work ethic and determination.
“I’m not a fan of pop-offs under any situation. But they worked and right now, with this group, I’m fine with it,” Goyette said. “They wanted to earn it. The guys earned it.”
And for the 10 South Burlington seniors, it was a perfect send-off.
“It looks like the job is done. There’s no better way to go out,” Chagnon said.
Become a member of the Vermont Varsity Insider facebook group in https://bit.ly/2MGSfvX.
Contact Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.