Redhawk’s baseball season hits troubled waters

After starting the season with a spotless record, going unbeaten in its first eight games, the Champlain Valley Union baseball team has hit a rough patch, losing two in a row.

With roughly a week and a half remaining in the regular season, how the Redhawks deal with these blemishes on its record will determine how this year’s baseball campaign is remembered.

Photo by Al FreyTravis Stroh connects at the plate during CVU’s 12-8 loss to Mount Mansfield on Saturday.
Photo by Al Frey
Travis Stroh connects at the plate during CVU’s 12-8 loss to Mount Mansfield on Saturday.

The term assistant coach Samuel Fontaine used is “FASCO.” He said every team faces failures, adversity, setbacks, challenges and obstacles.

How CVU responds to their FASCO as a team and as individuals is paramount to discovering who they are as a team and what their postseason will look like.

“We need to just go back to what we were successful at in the beginning of the season, which was to stay ahead in counts, put the ball in play, and execute stellar defense,” Fontaine said. “Our goal was to be near the top at the end of the regular season.”

CVU is scheduled to host Rice on the day this newspaper comes out, Thursday, May 18.

CVU 10, St. Johnsbury 3
The Redhawks got back to their winning ways with a 10-3 win at St. Johnsbury (5-7) on Tuesday, May 16.

Stephen Rickert pitched six innings for CVU (9-2) in the win, giving up seven hits while striking out seven with one walk

Zach Santos led things on offense for CVU, going 3-for-5 at the plate with two singles and a double that led to two RBIs.

Travis Stroh was 2-for-5, getting a single and a double. He also notched two RBIs.

Rickert helped his cause at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

As a team, the Redhawks had 17 hits.

Mount Mansfield 12, CVU 8

This past Saturday, May 13, the Redhawks dropped to 8-2 for the season after a loss to Mount Mansfield in Hinesburg.

The Cougars scored eight runs in the third inning to build a sizable lead. The Redhawksd to mo had six errors that lest of Mount Mansfield’s (8-3) scoring total.

Lewis Kerest was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. Declan Cummings was 1-for-4 with a double and one RBI.

South Burlington 11, CVU 10
The first loss of the season came on Thursday, May 11, also at home against South Burlington (9-2).

The Wolves jumped out to a 7-1 lead after scoring five runs in the second inning.

In the seventh CVU scored seven runs, but the comeback attempt failed when the Redhawks left two runners in scoring position in the last inning.

Kyle Tivnan led the scoring for the Redhawks, going 2-for-3, with a single, a double and two RBIs. Zach Santos was 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI.

CVU 12, Burlington 1
The Redhawks dealt Burlington (2-8) a loss in a six-inning 12-1 game behind the pitching of Elise Berger.

She pitched four innings giving up a walk, an error and two hits, while notching six strikeouts in the Tuesday, May 9, game.

CVU (8-0) scored six runs in the fourth and five in the sixth.

CVU 6, Burr & Burton 5
The Redhawks broke out the scoring in the fifth inning with four runs, behind Robbie Fragola’s two RBI single on Saturday, May 6.

Bulldogs (5-3) battled back in the seventh inning when they scored three runs, but fell short when failing to knock in the tying run from second.

CVU 12, Essex 2
The Redhawks dropped Essex 12-2 on May 5 in a game that was ended after five innings.

Tivnan went 2-for-2 at the plate with a single, a triple and three RBIs. In her sole trip to the plate, Berger hit a double, knocking in two runs.