Sports
Little League season begins
The Little League season opened unceremoniously on Monday when the Mets caged the Tigers at Veira Park, 5-3. No speeches, no flag raising, no anthem, no celebrity throwing out the first pitch, simply an umpire calling "Play Ball."
Tiger James Cleary delivers the first pitch of the '09 Little League season to Sam Bresnick of the Mets. Photo by Ralph Stewart
Starting pitchers, James Cleary for the Tigers, Morgan Michalski for the Mets, issued a combined total of 18 bases on balls and struck out a like number of batters.
The Mets big inning was the fifth, when four of their runs came across the plate. Catcher Yannick Gonsalves drove in two of them with a triple.
The Tigers did their scoring in the bottom of the third. Kevin Cleary drove in two of the three runs with a single.
Tuesday the Cards squeaked by the Cubs, 4-3.
Minor League games
At Nunes Field, Edgartown, the Rockies and the Marlins played to a 14 to 14 tie. Curtis Fournier of the Rockies homered and tripled. Chace Soulagnet of the Marlins, playing in his first game ever, collected three hits, including two doubles, and drove in four. At Manter Field in West Tisbury, The Indians shot down the Blue Jays 12-10.
Tuesday the Rays topped the Reds, 10-5 despite Michael Habekost's grand slam in the fifth.
Many thanks
Martha's Vineyard Little League President Kris Lukowitz gratefully acknowledges that the league's boys and girls reap the fruits of the good works and generous donations which have improved Veira Park for players, fans, and neighbors: Doug Hoehn, Tashmoo Boatyard, LB Forms, Martha's Vineyard Tennis, Reliable Fence, Wild Violets, Vineyard Gardens, John Keene Excavation, Nick Peters, Marek Tree and Land, Our Market, Your Market, Cronig's Market, as well as anonymous donors.
Tracks to Bridgewater
The high school track and field teams took on West Bridgewater off Island, Tuesday, and came way with a girls' win and a boys' tie.
Kia Minor and Emma Lee Iversen gave the Vineyard wins in the shot put and discus events. Laura Gibson was third in both. West Bridgewater swept the javelin and won the long and triple jumps. HiIary Dreyer and Maddy Penicaude gave Martha's Vineyard first and third points in the high jump.
Iversen and Alexia Schroeder were place and show at the long jump, and Schroeder and Kim Carlomagno 2 and 3 in the triple jump.
The Martha's Vineyard girls piled up points in the running events. Ellie Hehre and Shivonne Schofield were 1 and 3 at two miles.
Penicaud was first over the 400m low hurdles.
Carlomagno and Minor were second and third in the 100m sprint. Dreyer took second at 800m. Iversen and Lauren Lucas were one-two over the high hurdles; Carlomagno and Renata da Silva were first and second at 400m. Schroeder was third a 200m.
Dreyer and Schofield were one-three in the mile.
The Vineyaders won both the 4x100 relay (Schroeder, Janek, Minor, Benedetto) and the 4x400 (Lucas, Hilary Dreyer, Penicaud and Megan Dreyer.
Martha's Vineyard 80, WB 56.
The Martha's Vineyard boys were without sure-fire hurdle winner Doug Asselin and so could only manage 50 points in the running events and ended in a 68-68 tie with the Wildcats.
Point winners in the field events were Micah Agnoli, second in the shot; Tyler Araujo and Agnoli two-three in the discus.
Debettencourt was best with the javelin, and Nick Gross was third.
Randall Jette took second in the high jump; Gross and Josh Baker were 2 and 3 in the long jump. The Wildcats swept the triple jump.
Martha's Vineyard took all the points at two miles: Max Miner, Corey Smith, and Rob Osmers. Rafael Maciel was second in the low hurdles. Conor Estes did the same in the highs. Mark Reppert and Michael Kendall were first and second at 800m. Reppert and Debettencourt were 2 & 3 at 400m. Will Nevin and Tom Sederholm were place and show at the mile.
The Islanders needed to win both relays for the tie, and they did: Baker, Jette, Dwane and Brewer at 4x100; Kendall, Sylva, Gross and Osmers at 4x400.
At the meet Emma Lee Iversen and Lauren Lucas qualified for the state meet in the high hurdles and Hilary Dreyer did as well in the high jump. The girls join others already qualified: Kim Carlomagno in the 400m and the 100m, Megan Dreyer in the mile, Mark Reppert in the 800m and Randall Jette in the 200m. The boys 4x400 relay team of Jette, Cody Brewer, Josh Baker and Ryan Dwane has also qualified for the States.
Lax out west
The high school boys varsity lacrosse team went west to take on St. Joseph's at Pittsfield on Saturday, and like Saladin at Jerusalem, foiled the Crusaders attack, valiant as it was, 12-8.
Liam O'Callahan led the Vineyard assault with five goals.
Both Shane Schofield and Erik Dolliver scored twice. The Islanders built a 10-4 lead by the end of the third quarter and O'Callahan's fifth goal made it 11-4. The Crusaders managed four late goals in a row, but the outcome of the game had been decided.
Tuesday the Islanders were hosts to Bishop Connelly and had little trouble clipping the Cougars' claws 17-3.
Bishop Stang visits today. Game time is 3:15. The team is at Dartmouth on Tuesday and hosts Nantucket next Thursday.
Devon Webster pitches for West Tisbury. Photo by Ralph Stewart
Blazers singe the Hawks
The Tisbury school softball team beat West Tisbury and lost to Oak Bluffs. The Tisbury baseball team lost to O,B., and tied West Tisbury, 3-3. The Edgartown baseball team doused the Oak Bluffs Blazers, 9-5.
On Monday the Oak Bluffs softies squeezed by West Tisbury, 6-5, a game that featured a rare triple play.
The Edgartown softball team lost its first game to Oak Bluffs, 7-6, then went on a tear, topping West Tisbury, 13-3, and Tisbury, 27-4. The Eagles baseball team beat Oak Bluffs and lost to WesTiz.
Hard luck hardball
Mashpee edged the Vineyard's varsity baseball team on Monday, 6-5, on a bases loaded walk in the final inning.
Falcon pitcher Tyler Shute allowed only four base hits and two earned runs. Even so, the game was a seesaw affair with the lead changing hands. Ben Ciciora took the hard luck loss after relieving starter Nick Billingham, who retired with an injury.
The Martha's Vineyard Junior Varsity won their game in a walk, 17-3.
On Tuesday Coyle & Cassidy's day-tripping varsity and junior varsity baseball teams came to enjoy a balmy Island afternoon and left with one-sided wins.
Islanders romp
At Bridgewater on Monday, Laura Jernegan led the undefeated Vineyard varsity lacrosse team to an 18-9 defeat of Bridgewater-Raynham. The speedy and daring Jernegan scored seven times and assisted thrice. Hayley Pierce finished with four goals, Molly Fisher had three, and Kate Cecilio had two. Cat Todd and Brianna Davies also scored.
Zoe Fisher made eight saves in goal.
Carolyn Davey winds up for a whistler. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Falcons hooded
Carline Davey pitched a no hitter on Monday against visiting Mashpee, allowing only one Falcon to reach base. She walked the very first batter she faced, but after that it was lights out. Meanwhile her teammates were crossing the plate with impunity, scoring 15 runs in a game shortened to five innings.
Alicia Oliveira went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs, scoring twice. Emma Forbes was 3-for-3, drove in one and scored two. Taylor Perotta was 2-for-3, including a double, and scored thrice, as did Katie Hines, who reached all four times she batted.
Bicentennial
The Martha's Vineyard high school boys tennis team posted its fifth win of the season against three losses with a solid 4-1 defeat of Coyle & Cassidy here, Monday. Andrew McHugh had no trouble at first singles, winning 6-1, 6-1. Reid Yennie had to work hard before claiming, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, at second singles.
Both of the Martha's Vineyard doubles teams won in straight sets: Win Grimm and Dylan Hutchinson, 6-1, 6-1, and Grant McCarthy and Thomas Tilton-Heylin, 6-3, 6-4.
Kyle Moran bowed at third singles, 6-3, 6-0.
The win was Ned Fennessey's 200th as Martha's Vineyard Regional High School boys tennis coach, almost twice as many as his losses, 102. How to go, Ned.
Nevin Wallis gains control of the ball under the watchful eye of referee Chris Decker.
Three and counting
Martha's Vineyard United, Martha's Vineyard's Under-10 soccer team, kept its win streak going by shutting out Fall River at the West Tisbury school field on Sunday, 5-0. Four players scored the five goals: Zachary Danz, Nicolas Andre, Joshua Tate and Jordan Tate (2).
It was the third win for the unbeaten Vineyarders.
This Sunday Martha's Vineyard United is home to Freetown-Lakeville. Game time is 12:30 at the West Tisbury school.
Evenly matched
The youth lacrosse teams hosted Sandwich at the Oak Bluffs School on Sunday, and found they were well matched.
The under-11 boys played to a 7-7 Tie. Greg McCarren scored four times and Jack Garrett twice. Lucas Debettencourt also scored
The under-13 team's game also ended in a 7-7 tie. Spencer Schofield turned a hat trick. Both Austin Chandler and Jack Yuen found the net, and Greg McCarren, the same player who played a large role in the U-11 game, scored twice in the final minutes to knot the score.
The under-15 boys lost to Sandwich, 6-11. Thomas Wilkins posted goals on the board four times. Tayman Brown and Tyler Paulson also scored.
This Sunday the youth lacrosse teams will entertain Lakeville at the Oak Bluffs School. The under-11 game starts at noon, the U-13 at 1:30 and the U-15 at 3:00 pm.
Babes vs. Bourne
Martha's Vineyard's three Babe Ruth teams were busy last weekend. On Saturday, here, the Martha's Vineyard Sharks lost a one-sided game to the Bourne Athletics, 13-1, then evened the count by trouncing the Bourne Orioles, 13-6.
The Martha's Vineyard Bonitos won their game with the Orioles, 15-2, and lost to the A's 13-2.
The Martha's Vineyard Thrashers fared similarly but in closer games at Bourne on Sunday, defeating the O's 8-6 and bowing to the A's 6-8.
Wins away and at home
The Martha's Vineyard Girls Youth Lacrosse Under-15 team dominated Falmouth away, a week ago Sunday, in an impressive all-out effort on the part of the short handed Islanders (the bench consisted of only two players).
Hat tricks were earned by Texeira Craig and Jennie Lindland. Zoe Nugent, Hannah Moore, and Alice Keenan each scored twice. Molly Wallace, Sam Maltais, and Taylor Poggi also scored. Kelly Geddis played well in goal.
The Under-13 team played to a tie, also at Falmouth. Sam Hargy impressed in goal. Leila Gardner scored five times. Aubrey Ashman added three as the Islanders overcame a two-point deficit against the larger Falmouth squad.
The U-15s kept their record clean last Sunday with a runaway win over visiting Lowell here. Alayna Hutchinson led all scorers with four points. Jennie Lindland had three. Both Alice Keenan and Sam Maltais contributed a pair. Also scoring were Ray Filley, Emma Yuan, Taylor Poggi, Sarah Alexander, Molly Wallace, and Hannah Moore. Martha's Vineyard goalie Keila Geddis was the bored Martha's Vineyard goalie.
Also Sunday, the U-13 team posted its first win of the season. Both Leila Gardiner and Aubrey Ashmun had hat tricks. Kylie Hatt also scored. Ashmun and Addie Hayman assisted. Sam Hargy made eight saves.
Figure Skates
Two Island ice skaters entered the Colonial Figure Skating Club's annual basic skills competition on Sunday, at Boxborough.
Lily Davey placed fourth in Freeskate Showcase. Amanda Bernard was third in Freeskate Showcase and Compulsory Moves.
The girls are coached by Jane Elizabeth Taylor.
Kudos for Elin
Elin Nelson, of West Tisbury, a senior at Falmouth Academy, is an important part of the Lady Mariners lacrosse team's defensive unit, often drawing the most challenging defensive assignments. She is one of the team's leaders in ground balls. On Saturday, with her team trailing the league-leading Williams School 11-5, Elin not only helped stop the Williams attack, she also scored three of her career-high four goals in the last nine minutes of the game, sparking a Falmouth rally to a 12-12 tie.
Coach Harold Chapdelaine lauds her tenacity and her ability to elevate her game as competition dictates.
Drivers Ed
For the twelfth consecutive year the PGA and LPGA will offer free 10-minute golf lessons in May, PGA Free Lesson Month. At some point in May the millionth free lesson will be reached.
According to PlayGolfAmerica.com, the nearest pros offering free lessons are Matthew Burgess at the Falmouth Country Club and Glen Kelly at the Woods Hole Golf Club.
Rainbows & Brownies
The 35th Martha's Vineyard Rod & Gun Club's annual Trout Tournament will cast off at Duarte's Pond on Saturday, May 9. Volunteer helpers and/or prize donors please call Cooper Gilkes at 627-8202.
