Hartford 5-1 in summer baseball play

The Hartford summer baseball team continued its hot streak last week, ripping off three straight wins in Tri-County Middle League play. Hartford hasn’t lost since the season opener against Salem-Cambridge.

Last Monday night Hartford did something the team hadn’t done in the last two games: gave up a couple of hits. It didn’t matter, however, as the Tanagers recorded their third win in a row, topping Hudson Falls, 6-3.

Joe Allen tossed a gem to earn the win on the bump. Allen tossed a two-hitter, striking out 10 and walking five in six innings of work. Jace Venner came on to pitch the seventh.

The teams were tied 1-1 after an inning but the Tanagers scored two runs in both the third and the fourth to build a 5-2 lead and held on the rest of the way.

Braden Whitney led Hartford at the plate, going 2 for 4 with three RBIs.

Allen, Joey Happy and Landon Cook contributed two hits each for the Tanagers.

Aiden Swezey and Logan Jensen each added hits for Hartford.

Hartford improved to 3-1 on the season.

Last Wednesday was an interesting day for Allen. One moment he was in a dentist’s chair having some teeth pulled. The next he was smacking the key hit of the game. Allen came out of sedation soon enough to nail an RBI double that gave Hartford a thrilling 3-2 victory over Warrensburg at Bob Wilkins Field.

The contest was a rematch of last year’s TCML championship game won by Warrensburg.

In the bottom of the sixth, Allen doubled in Aiden Sweezey with the go-ahead run, then scored on an error to provide the winning run for the Tanagers.

“He did it just hours after having his wisdom teeth pulled,” said Hartford coach Ken Whitney.

Runs were scarce as Hartford’s Venner and Warrensburg’s Louis Lang hooked up in a pitcher’s duel.

Warrensburg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Tanagers were quick to answer. Hartford drew even in the bottom of the frame when Allen walked and scored on an RBI single by Landon Cook.

Warrensburg threatened in the fifth and sixth, but Venner was able to close the door.

Clinging to a 3-1 lead, the Tanagers had to turn back one more Warrensburg rally attempt in the top of the seventh. A pair of Hartford fielding miscues chopped their advantage to 3-2. Venner received some help from his catcher Swezey who threw out a runner at third for a key out.

Venner pitched a complete game, scattering five hits with seven strikeouts. Allen finished 2 for 2 at the plate for Hartford.

Jace Hubert had a single and a double for Warrensburg.

Hartford won its fourth in a row to move to 4-1. Warrensburg fell to 3-2.

Hartford had to overcome an early deficit and less-than-ideal weather conditions to defeat Chestertown 17-6 on Friday evening. It was the fifth win in a row for the Tanagers.

Chestertown jumped out to a 1-0 lead and led 3-2 in the top of the third.

An eight-run bottom of the third and a seven-run fourth put the game away for Hartford.

The Tanagers only had five hits but took advantage of 18 walks.

Kile Whitney picked up the win on the mound, throwing 4.1 innings and striking out nine. Happy came on to record the final two outs.

The Tanagers were paced at the plate by Venner’s two hits and four RBIs. Logan Jensen added a hit and four RBIs, and Braden Whitney had a hit and drove in two runs. Daman Duhame also contributed a hit.

Hartford is now 5-1 on the season.

Class C football schedule changes again

One of the most difficult challenges first-year Granville-Whitehall football coach Kevin Gebo is dealing with is getting to know the opponents his team will be facing. That task is proving even more difficult than expected because the schedule keeps changing.

A couple of weeks ago the Section II athletic council announced that Class C would field 11 teams with an eight-team playoff. This was set in stone, right? In the words of ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso, “Not so fast my friends.”

Corinth/Hadley-Luzerne announced that it would have a junior varsity team only, according to Section II football chairman Bob Dorrance. So with the Mountaineers dropping out of varsity competition for the year, the schedule had to be revamped.

Class C will now have 10 teams in two divisions instead of 11 and will play a nine-week schedule. Only four teams will now make the playoffs instead of eight.

“We would like to make the playoffs,” Gebo said. “I’m trying to learn about our opponents, but it keeps changing.”

Often teams don’t know what their varsity numbers look like until practice begins in August. A low turnout could result in more squads opting out.

Besides the Corinth/Hadley-Luzerne game, Granville-Whitehall also loses a game with Cambridge-Salem and a bye week from the schedule. New games added include matchups with Taconic Hills and Johnstown.

Granville-Whitehall was supposed to open the season with a pair of home games. Now they’ll play three games on the road before the home opener against Watervliet on Sept. 23 in Whitehall.

Here is the updated schedule as it currently stands. Whether this is the final schedule remains to be seen.

• Sept. 2: At Taconic Hills
• Sept. 8: At Rensselaer
• Sept. 16: At Coxsackie-Athens
• Sept. 23: Vs. Watervliet at Ambrose Gilligan Field in Whitehall
• Sept. 29: Vs. Johnstown at Sam Eppolito Field in Granville
• Oct. 6: Vs. Schuylerville at Ambrose Gilligan Field in Whitehall
• Oct. 13: At Cobleskill-Richmondville
• Oct. 20: Vs. Hoosick Falls-Tamarac at Sam Eppolito Field in Granville
• Oct. 27: At Fonda
• Nov. 3-4: Playoff semifinals/crossovers