BASEBALL

Despite the overcast skies and the lopsided score, ConVal baseball coach Matthew Harris saw a bright spot in his team’s 10-0 loss to Souhegan High School on Wednesday.

Through five innings, senior pitcher Liam O’Mahony allowed only one run, giving his team the best shot at their first win of the season.

“The biggest thing he did was hit his spots,” said Harris. “That’s what I’ve been telling my pitchers all year; if you hit your spots you are going to be effective.”

O’Mahony, who Harris said he had only intended to pitch the first inning, began to tire in the sixth, eventually getting charged with two of the nine runs Souhegan scored in the inning.

ConVal has struggled to score runs this year, being held to four or fewer runs in every game. Those struggles continued, as Souhegan pitcher Brayden Hickman earned the complete-game win holding the Cougars to three hits.

With the loss, the Cougars fell to 0-9 before facing Laconia on Friday.

“We got to get that win so we can get that goose egg out of the win column,” Harris said.

The Cougars did just that, scoring the 5-4 road victory.

– Maddie Carpentiere

Conant downs Kearsage

The Conant baseball team rolled to their its fourth straight victory with a 12-2 win over Kearsarge on Friday.

Conant pitcher Lane LeClair went the distance, holding Kearsarge to four hits and striking out nine. Conant’s offense struck early and often, racking up 12 hits.

“We hit the ball hard,” said head coach Aric LeClair, whose team improved to 5-2 on the season. “We’ve been working on trying to use the whole field and I think we had six opposite field hits today.”

Gavin Leblanc, Hunter Schultz, Lane LeClair and Joe Bergeron each collected multiple hits for Conant. Leblanc, who led the offense with a triple, a double and two RBI, feels the team will benefit down the stretch from his teammates’ versatility.

“We have a lot of guys who can do more than just one job and we’re getting better every day,” said Leblanc.

Conant was scheduled to face Newport High School on the road at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 8.

– Maddie Carpentiere

SOFTBALL

ConVal takes pair

ConVal went on an unexpected trip to Souhegan May 3 to play their home game, scoring a 21-7 victory.

Lily Mandel pitched three innings, allowing no hits or walks and striking out three. Olivia Riley made her varsity debut on the mound pitching and went two innings, giving up seven runs on two hits and eight walks. She stuck out two.

The Cougars jumped out, scoring two runs in the first, adding six more in the second and third and seven in the fourth. Samantha Henderson was 4-5 with three singles, a double, four runs and four RBI, while Morgan Bemont was 1-1 with a single and four runs on two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Kendall Sullivan had five RBI and scored two runs, and Avery Moore was 1-2 with a three RBI and three runs scored.

The Cougars followed up the victory with an 8-6 win over Laconia Friday. ConVal jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third after Moore walked, stole second, and Sullivan drove her in. The Sachems answered with two of their own in the bottom of the fourth, but the Cougars scored two in the top of the fifth after Moore walked, Henderson singled to score Moore and Sullivan singled to plate Henderson.

The Sachems scored one in the sixth to tie it at three, and both teams scored one in the seventh to push to the eighth. Henderson reached in the seventh on a single, stole second, and again Sullivan drover her in. The Cougars scored four runs in the eighth, as OpaleBarrick, Moore, Henderson and Bemont all had singles and the ConVal took advantage of two wild pitches. Mandel plated Bemont. The Sachems scored two in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough.

Sullivan was 3-5 with three RBI. Bemont had three RBI. Henderson was 3-5 and scored three runs as did Moore.

Mandel pitched all eight innings, walking none, and striking out three. She gave up six runs (one earned) on nine hits.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Conant drops close one to Pelham

The Conant girls’ tennis team lost 5-4 to Pelham Friday.

In singles, Margaret Winiecki won 8-0 at first singles, Kelly Williams lost 8-4 at second singles, Jess Yap won 9-8 in third singles, Lilly Rennie lost 8-2 at fourth singles, Nobley Walker won 8-6 at fifth singles and Grace Lewis lost 8-6 at sixth singles.

With the teams splitting singles, Pelham took two of the three doubles matches to claim the victory. Winiecki and Williams won 8-0 at first doubles, but Yap and Rennie lost 8-1 at second doubles and Walker and Lewis lost 8-3 at third doubles.

Conant is scheduled to have a busy week, with matches Monday at home against Monadnock and Wednesday against St. Thomas Aquinas, at Lebanon on Thursday and at Monadnock Friday.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

ConVal nets two of three

The ConVal girls’ lacross team had three matches last week, taking the first two before losing the third.

On Wednesday, ConVal beat Alvirne 18-2. Addie Lustenberger had four goals and an assist. Hayden Kaltsas, Makenna McPherson and Abby Lussier had three goals apiece.

ConVal beat Pembroke 10-4 Thursday. Kaltsas had four goals, with McPherson scoring three and Addie Lustenberger adding two. Lydia Cleveland had nine saves.

The Cougars lost 16-10 to Keene Friday. Kaltsas had four goals, and Lussier and Lustenberger each had two goals. Cleveland had 15 saves.

BOYS’ TRACK

ConVal athletes shine at meet

Six boys from ConVal’s sophomore class placed high in the standings in several events at the 2023 Doug Sargent Freshman Sophomore Invitational in Keene on Saturday, May 6.

Kendrick Edwards won the 100-meter (11.41 seconds) and 200-meter (23.73 seconds) dashes, and William Simard finished second in the 3,200-meter run in 10:01.26. Elliot Featherstone finished third in the 100-meter (11.93 seconds) and 200-meter (24.84 seconds) dashes, while Maxx Telofski finished third in the shot put (35-feet, 7-inches) and discus (98-feet, 7-inches).

Roman Cadwallader finished fourth in the shot put (35-feet, 1-inch). Bishop Benham finished fifth in the discus (88-feet, 9-inches) and sixth in the shot put (34-feet, 1.25-inches).

Several of these results were personal-best performances, including Featherstone’s 100- and 200-meter runs. Benham’s discus throw also was a personal best.

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