ADDISON COUNTY — Local teams came up short in high school baseball action earlier this week, and Middlebury suffered a costly and apparently season-ending injury.
TIGERS
Middlebury (0-2) lost to visiting Mount Mansfield, 8-6, in eight innings on Tuesday, but received worse news in the bottom of the seventh after the Cougars scored twice to tie the game in the top of the inning. Matt Dunton reached base to lead off and stole second, but injured his leg sliding into the base. Coach Charlie Messenger said the game was delayed for 45 minutes while medical personnel attended to the senior, who he said would not return to action this spring.
Before the injury, Messenger said Dunton pitched well as the Tigers took a 5-1 lead, and he contributed a pair of hits. Oakley Gordon andCollin Champine also poked RBI hits for MUHS.
EAGLES
Visiting Essex breezed past the Eagles on Tuesday, 20-0. Matt Mullin stroked a double for Mount Abe, which dropped to 1-3 heading into a Thursday visit to MUHS.
OTTERS
Visiting Burr & Burton on Tuesday blanked Otter Valley, 6-0. OV fell to 0-5 and will be looking to break through at Windsor on Friday and at home vs. Fair Haven on Tuesday.
COMMODORES
Vergennes (1-4) dropped a pair of home games, 19-14 to BFA-St. Albans (1-2) on Monday and 22-2 to Colchester on Tuesday. On Monday the Commodores fell behind early, 11-1, but tied the game at 11-11 before the Bobwhites pulled away again. The slugfest was called in the sixth inning due to darkness.
On Tuesday, the 5-0 Lakers scored six runs in the fourth and tacked on seven in the seventh in their big win. Commodore Devon Kimball walked and scored on a Camden Simpson groundout for one VUHS run. Nate Rowell scored the other run on consecutive wild pitches after being hit by a pitch and stealing second.