2017 Connecticut River Ironmen Win in Freshman Year at Connecticut River Valley
Connecticut River Valley Baseball League
Connecticut River Ironmen 8, Walpole Wild Blue 6
Bottom row left to right – Brandan LaChance, Jon Emerson, Duncan MacDonald, Dan Fellicitti, Joey Fenuncio, Brandon Pillsbury, Jake Davis. Top row left to right– Ray Royce, David Isom, Alex Morey, Branden Mayhew, Nick Fenuncio, Scott Karlan, Brady Boisvert, Kris Keelty, Nick Vorvis, Eric Olson. (Not pictured – Justin Devoid).
‘From Sixth to First…Ironmen Gel in Playoffs’
Supplied by Ernie Broglio, Connecticut River Ironmen
The Connecticut River Ironmen won the 2017 Connecticut River Valley Baseball League (CRVBL) championship on Sunday August 6 at Hubbard field by defeating the Walpole Wild Blue 8 to 6. The CVRBL is a wooden bat adult baseball league for players 19 and over (pitchers 28 and over). The Ironmen overcame the Walpole Maples (2-1) and 
the Putney Fossils(10-8 in 10 innings) the prior weekend to reach the 16th annual CRVBL championship game. Ironmen workhorse Duncan MacDonald earned the victory by pitching eight innings giving up six runs (1 earned) on 11 hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Kris Keelty pitched the ninth with a strikeout and induced a game-ending double play.
Offensively, the Ironmen collected 10 singles, three doubles, and a triple along with five free-passes. Lead-off hitter Joey Fenuncio had three hits, a run, and an rbi. Brady Boisvert went 2 for 3 with a triple, two rbi and a run. Nick Vorvis lasered two doubles and a single leading to one rbi and two runs. Duncan MacDonald helped his own cause with a double, single, and three rbi. His battery-mate Jake Davis went 2 for 4 with a run. Brenden Mayhew was 2 for 4 with a run. Dan Fellicitti (double) and Nick Fenuncio each scored a run.
The Ironmen overcame early game defensive issues with the help two 6-4-3 double plays to
end the fourth and fifth innings. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, shortstop Fellicitti snagged a soft liner and alertly threw the ball to first baseman David Isom to double-up the first base runner to end the game and the season.
It was the Ironmen’s first season in the CRVBL after six seasons in the Green Mountain Baseball League (GMBL). The Ironmen finished the regular season in sixth place out of seven teams. The challenge of being a league newcomer plus the loss of the team’s best player was coupled with the addition of five new players. At playoff time the new players had returned to form after between two and nine years of baseball inactivity. Ironmen players are from Norwich, VT; Canaan, NH; Enfield, NH; Lebanon, NH; Woodstock, VT; Hartford, VT; Hartland, VT; Windsor, VT; and Keene, NH.