From the Sidelines

Okay, so the spring sports season is a little bit more than half over, but with all the early snow delays behind us (hopefully), many area teams are hitting their strides. Here's how each are looking with only a couple of weeks left in the season.

BASEBALL
**Brattleboro -- The Colonels have had their moments of struggle, but in recent games, seem to be coming together. That was evident in Tuesday's walkoff win over Mount Anthony, when Andrew Cavanagh, Kyle Whitworth and Ryan Smith strung together some seventh-inning hits and allowed Brattleboro to come back from a 3-2 deficit to win, 4-3. Wins have been coming more consistently lately, and Brattleboro might be able to ride its key hits and strong pitching by Joel Martell all the way to the playoffs.
**Bellows Falls -- Speaking of winning, that's all the Terriers seem to be doing lately. After starting the season 2-2, Bellows Falls has won seven straight, including Wednesday's 9-8 walkoff win over Windsor. The Terriers have gotten consistent play from Justin Spaulding, Justin Beebe, Quentin Young and Zach Whitcomb, and recently discovered the pitching prowess of sophomore Ben Hewitt, who had never started a game before Tuesday and threw a one-hitter into the sixth. Not only is Bellows Falls a shoe-in for the playoffs, the Terriers should be favored and have at least one home game.
**Leland & Gray -- With a deep rotation and a lot of dangerous bats, the Rebels are a team to be reckoned with this year. Not even the touch-and-go availability of senior Ryan Lawley, originally thought to be the team's ace, because of soreness hasn't stopped Leland & Gray, who, after losing its first game against Fall Mountain, hasn't done it again, winning eight straight. Lawley and Corey Bills have hit multiple home runs this year and Tyler Chapin and Gabe Pozzi have also shined on the mound.
**Twin Valley -- It's been a difficult year for the Wildcats, who have won only one game so far this season. Twin Valley has had some strong moments from its players, but might be running out of time for the playoffs. It could be a year in transition for Twin Valley, with several freshmen and sophomores on the team, and the Wildcats could come back much stronger in 2009.
**Green Mountain -- The Chieftains have shown flashes both positive and negative this season. They've had big losses thanks to some bad errors, but have also had some big wins. After six errors cost Green Mountain a game against Division I Mount Anthony, the Chieftains rebounded with a strong performance (and even stronger fielding) against West Rutland last week. Green Mountain still doesn't have a winning record, but despite losing its last game (10-5 to a surging Leland & Gray squad), coach Dave Farrar said it was the best game his team has played.
**Hinsdale -- With the pitching power of Cody Rogers and Kevin Hudon, not to mention Rogers' ability at the plate, the Hinsdale baseball team has had some shining moments of brilliance in a division (NHIAA's Class S) with a lot of parity. In any given game, anybody can beat anybody, which should make playoffs that much more interesting.

SOFTBALL
**Brattleboro -- While the Colonels' bats haven't quite showed up to every game, Brattleboro's pitching has been a pleasant surprise. The pitching scene was cloudy entering the season, with both probably throwers, juniors Melissa Kent and Briana Smith, having never played at the varsity level. Both have proven themselves to be strong at placement, not overpowering batters, but inducing the groundouts and flyouts when necessary. Their batterymate, senior catcher Stephanie Wright, had never put on the pads before this season and she has proven to be a natural. When the Colonels struggled with passed balls in Monday's game against Bellows Falls, it was the backstop-blocking ability of Wright that gave the Colonels the win. Brattleboro should make the playoffs and possibly find some success there, if the Colonels' hitting starts coming together.
**Bellows Falls -- The Terriers are strong, very strong. With losses only to Division I teams or the strongest teams in Division II (Mill River and Otter Valley), Bellows Falls is something a force this season. Pitchers Sami Hodgkins and Sarah Harmon have been strong, and Hodgkins and Kealy Chipman have been knocking the ball around, as well. Look for a strong playoff showing by the Terriers.
**Leland & Gray -- The Rebels have shown flashes of brilliance in some of their games, including a come-from-behind win over Twin Valley. Pitcher Ashley Russ has gotten stronger as the season has progressed, which is a good sign for Leland & Gray, and with any luck, they should have a .500 or higher record by the end of the month. Sluggers Devon Cooke, Olivia Miller and Aubrey Paraspolo put plenty of heart in the middle of the lineup.
**Twin Valley -- For six innings a game, the Wildcats could be an undefeated team. The Achilles' heel for the squad has been the one inning where it seems its opponent is unstoppable, putting up a large amount of runs that makes the lead all but insurmountable. When the Twin Valley can avoid that, as it did Monday against Windsor, its record will be pretty impressive. Molly Corse and Katelyn Boyd have been solid on the mound and with so many underclassmen on the team, the more games the Wildcats play, the stronger they will be.
**Green Mountain -- After a difficult start to the season, including a 33-1 loss to Black River, coach Howard Paul attempted to find a backup for pitcher Sara Groshens for when she struggled. Out of the woodwork came sophomore Emma Lisle, who had never pitched before but has turned into the Chieftains' version of Jonathan Papelbon. Pair that with the hitting of Meghan Farrell, Britta Kilgus and Groshens and Green Mountain is suddenly a force.
**Hinsdale -- The Pacers seem to have everything it takes to make a great softball team: a dominating pitcher (Kayla Matuszewski), a big slugger (Brittany Young) and a lineup filled with players who can put the ball in play and break out for a big hit at any time. Not to mention the speedy baserunning skills of catcher Courtney Sanville. Hinsdale making the playoffs won't be the question; whether or not they become state champs will be.