VERGENNES — In a Tuesday baseball game at Vergennes Union High School that mixed in solid pitching and sparkling defense with a few critical miscues, the host Commodores rallied past Middlebury for a rare victory over their county rivals, 4-2.

The Commodores trailed throughout until rallying for three runs in the bottom of the sixth on two walks, a throwing error, and a wild pitch.

They stayed in the game with steady and at times spectacular defense behind junior pitcher Ryan Wright, who earned a complete-game win by keeping the Tigers off balance most of the game. He allowed six hits and two walks while striking out two and letting his fielders do the rest.

VUHS Coach Andy O’Brien, whose team improved to 5-3, praised his pitcher and senior catcher, Reese Paquette, and Tiger sophomore hurler Tucker Wright, who struck out seven and allowed seven hits and three walks in six innings.

“Credit to the Middlebury pitcher. He was good today. But Ryan Wright really showed what he was made of today. That was an 80-pitch complete game,” O’Brien said. “Our catcher and Ryan have a really good relationship. So Ryan really trusts what Reese is calling for pitches, and Reese really calls a good game.”

VUHS PITCHER RYAN Wright tossed a complete game in defeating visiting Middlebury, 4-2, in Tuesday’s baseball game in Vergennes.
Independent photo/Steve James

Tiger Coach Tim Paquette is fielding a different team than the senior laden outfit that won the Division II title a year ago. But his team has been playing better of late, even if a 1-5 record against a tough schedule does not reflect it.

But on Tuesday he felt the Tigers lacked discipline at the plate.

“Each game we’re getting better. We’re cutting down on our not-so-clean baseball,” he said. “You’ve got to play fundamental baseball to win games. And hit the ball, and today we didn’t do that.”

The fundamentals also deserted MUHS in the sixth inning, Paquette acknowledged.

“One bad inning made this game today,” he said.

The Tigers took the lead in the first. After Gabe Velez walked, he moved to second on a muffed pickoff throw. From there he advanced on a Tucker Morter groundout and scored on a wild pitch, and the Tigers were up, 1-0.

The Commodores threatened in the second with two out on a walk to Izaak Wolniewicz and a Liam McGuire single, but Wright fanned the next batter — striking out the side in the process — to snuff the rally.

TIGER SENIOR TUCKER Morter makes contact with a big swing during Tuesday’s baseball game in Vergennes.
Independent photo/Steve James

The Tigers opened the third with back-to-back singles by Velez and Ryan Brouillard. Morter followed with a hard grounder to third base that Gabe Scribner adeptly snared, stepped on the bag and fired to first for the double play, the Commodores’ first of the season.

Morter, the Tiger first baseman, got a bit of payback in the bottom of the inning when he ranged down the right field line to dive and snare Reese Paquette’s foul pop.

The Tigers also turned a double play to end the VUHS fourth and keep their 1-0 lead. Wright struck out a batter and catcher Owen Butterfield caught Liam Paquette, who had reached on an infield hit, stealing on the same play.

The Tigers made it 2-0 in the top of the fifth. Leadoff hitter Alex Sperry cracked a double, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Velez sacrifice fly.

The Commodores broke through for a run in the bottom of the fifth. Colton Reed reached second on a double Tiger error on his ground ball and then stole third. He scored when Paquette beat out an infield hit.

The Tigers went down in order in the sixth, in part because center fielder Aiden Fuller raced into right center and dove full out to rob Butterfield of a hit.

TIGER TUCKER WRIGHT is out at first base on a bang-bang play as VUHS first baseman Izaak Wolniewicz takes the throw during Tuesday’s baseball game in Vergennes.
Independent photo/Steve James

Then came the Commodore sixth. Scribner and Fuller walked, and Liam Paquette dropped down a bunt. The throw to first sailed high out of Morter’s reach, and Scribner scored, and Fuller and Paquette ended up on second and third.

A low pitch then skipped past the catcher and bounced off the backstop to the left. Fuller scored without a play at the plate. Paquette, who had taken a huge lead off second base with the infield drawn in to cut down a runner at the plate on a grounder, never stopped running. The play looked close, but the ball came loose, and Paquette scored to make it 4-2. Wright retired the next three batters, but the damage was done.

Ryan Wright allowed one baserunner in the ninth, but induced yet one more ground-ball out to nail down the win.

The Commodores were coming off a sub-par effort in a loss on Monday, and O’Brien was pleased with the response.

“After yesterday’s performance the kids really came back and showed what they’re made of, he said. “So credit to these guys. They really showed up.”

He added the Commodores have been working on their defense, and it showed on Tuesday and overall in the team’s record.

“We haven’t been 5-3 eight games into the season for as long as I can remember,” O’Brien said. “The kids find a way to win.”

COMMODORE IZAAK WOLNIEWICZ rumbles safely into third base as the throw bounces away from MUHS third baseman Wesley Audet during Tuesday’s baseball game in Vergennes.
Independent photo/Steve James

The vibes have been improving for the Tigers despite their struggles, according to Coach Paquette. Only two seniors returned from the 2024 title team, and Paquette allowed them, rather than he and his assistant coaches, to talk to their teammates after Tuesday’s game.

“They’re coming around. They’re finding out it’s not like last year,” Paquette said. “We had some big bats … and a lot of senior leaders. So right now we’ve got two senior leaders, and they’re going to take care of it, and we’ll see what happens after today.”