By Beacon Sports Staff

This past summer the Yankee Small College Conference restructured its softball schedule when it had to abandon the conventional schedule of teams traveling once or twice a week to play away games. This year YSCC softball schools are hosting multiple traveling teams at their home games.

This past Saturday SMCC and the Lady SeaWolves hosted New Hampshire Technical Institute, the College of St. Joseph of Vermont and Great Bay Community College, and all four teams played doubleheaders with Casco Bay as the backdrop. The ‘Wolves opened their season in Concord, NH on the 16th when they took to the diamond against the Saints of St. Joseph’s; they would finish the day against Great Bay.

Kristen Mackenzie would take to the mound against a potent Saints lineup. The Lady ‘Wolves would get on the big board in the top of the first when Meranda Martin scored from second on an Emma Burns double. The SeaWolves lead was short lived, however: The Saints would plate four runners in their half of the inning.

Kahli Philibotte would generate the second run for the SeaWolves in the top of the fourth inning when she “tattooed” a solo homer over the left field fence. The ‘Wolves would hold the Saints scoreless in the bottom of the fourth inning. The fifth inning the Saints’ bats came alive again, forcing across five runs and securing a 9-2 win over the SeaWolves.

In the second game, the ‘Wolves would jump all over the Herons, plating three runs in the first inning. The ‘Wolves would score a run in the second, and two in the fourth inning. Meranda Martin would take to the circle to pitch for the ‘Wolves and help her own effort by going 3-for-3 at bat.

This past Saturday, the ‘Wolves took to the diamond against NHTI in the day’s opening game. After spotting the Lynx a run in the first inning the ‘Wolves plated two runs, taking a 2-1 lead after one inning of play. The ‘Wolves would score the two runs behind three hits and an error. After holding the Lynx scoreless in the top of the second, they would pad their small lead with a run in the bottom of the second when Meranda Martin singled in Amber Randell.

NHTI would plate five runners in the top of the third, taking the lead back, adding to it in the fourth and fifth innings with three and two runs, respectively. The Lady SeaWolves would plate at least one run in all of their innings except for the sixth inning. In the end, it was not enough, as the Lynx would outlast the ‘Wolves 12-7.

The Lady SeaWolves would end their day next to Casco Bay with a 5-3 win over Great Bay. The ‘Wolves hold a 2-2 record so far and will be traveling to Great Bay Community College, where they will again play the St. Joseph Saints and the Lynx of NHTI.

On the men’s side of the diamond, the ‘Wolves are in the midst of a solid season. Currently their record stands at 7-3 in conference play, the team having gone 5-3 over the last two weeks. The SeaWolves started the two-week stint traveling to Auburn to take on the Mustangs of Central Maine Community College.

The ‘Wolves would prevail in both games, 8-1 and 3-1, allowing no earned runs over the course of the 14 innings played; only two Mustang batters crossed the plate. Dylan Francoeur got the nod to take to the mound in the first game, while James Parisi touched the rubber for his first collegiate start. Both pitchers earned their first YSCC win also.

The ‘Wolves would face the Mustangs again on the 21st with the same sets of results, as SMCC topped CMCC 7-1 in the first game and 9-5 in the second game. Like the first two games against CMCC, it was pitching that got the best of the Mustangs. In the first game, Amos Herrin took to the mound in his first start of the year. Amos threw a complete game, striking out nine, after working out of trouble in the first inning. No Mustang base runner reached second after the first inning.

The SeaWolf bats did their fair amount of damage as they got started in the first inning when they plated three runs. Carter Chabot and Cody Bryant collected RBIs with singles. The third inning saw Sean Adams smack his conference-leading third home run of the season. In the fifth inning Caleb Chambers and Nathaniel Cyr went yard, padding SMCC’s lead by 6.  

The second game of the day (and the last one SMCC and CMCC will play until the fall invitational) had a different tone: The Mustangs plated two runs in the first and tied the game in the fourth inning after SMCC took a 5-2 lead in the second inning. In the seventh inning the ‘Wolves would score four times, when Herrin and Francoeur drove in two runs apiece.

While the SeaWolves have owned the Mustangs this season and much of last season, NHTI has been the team that has given them fits this year. The SeaWolves have only won one game out of four against the Lynx, when they took a 9-5 win in Concord this past Saturday.

The Lynx grabbed a two-run lead in the top of the first. The Lynx would get one run back in the bottom of the opening inning. NHTI would plate three more runs in fifth inning, taking a 4-2 lead that would hold until the top of the seventh inning, when the ‘Wolves would plate seven runs.

The ‘Wolves would allow one run in the bottom of the seventh. Devin Sawyer started the game, lasting five innings and giving up four runs. Sean Adams pitched the final two innings, allowing one run.

The ‘Wolves would drop the second game of the doubleheader 13-6, as the SeaWolves would build a four-run lead over the course of the first three innings. The Lynx would score six times in the bottom of the third, grabbing a 6-4 lead that they would pad over the rest of the game.

While the Lynx have taken the season series from the SeaWolves, there is an exciting side note that should be mentioned. In the Sept. 16 game against NHTI, Timothy Greenlaw smashed a grand slam over the right-field fence, shrinking the SMCC deficit against NHTI from 11-5 to 11-9. While the ‘Wolves came up short against the Lynx, one might assume that not too many grand slams have been hit here at SMCC. Hopefully, The Beacon will have an answer for you in our next paper. Till then we look forward to seeing you at the games.