2018 Armadillos Overtake Woodchucks in Extras for Vermont Upper Division Title

Vermont Senior Baseball League, Upper Division

Williston Armadillos 5, Middlebury Woodchucks 4 (10 innings)

‘Johnson Rips Game Winning Hit in Extras’

Submitted by Reid Crosby, Armadillos manager

On a beautiful day for baseball, the Middlebury Woodchucks and the Williston Armadillos squared off at Montpelier Rec Field on September 23rd in a rematch of last season’s championship game in the Vermont Senior Baseball League. Pairing the league’s top two seeds in the title game for the first time since 2008, the game lived up to the billing. The well-played, back and forth game culminated with Williston prevailing in a walk-off victory.

Middlebury took the early lead, plating two runs on four straight singles by P.J. Larocque, Mark Tierney, Chad Whittemore and Joe Larock in the second inning. Williston starter and ace Ken Freeman quickly settled down, however, getting the last two batters of the inning to start a streak of sixteen straight batters retired.

Meanwhile, the Armadillos got runners on base every inning, but were unable to plate any runs, leaving eight left on base over the first five innings. In the sixth inning, they finally broke through. With one runner on and two outs, Jason LeFebvre hit a towering home run to left center field to tie the game at two.

The Armadillos struck again in the bottom of the eighth, mounting a two out rally and pushing a run across on Dann Van Der Vliet’s infield single to take their first lead of the game, 3-2.

The lead would be short-lived. In the top of the ninth, Middlebury’s first hitter singled. After a ground ball fielder’s choice, Eric Wedge hit a triple to deep center field to tie the game. Tim Paquette followed with a sacrifice fly to right to give the Woodchucks the lead 4-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

The Armadillos quickly struck back. Dan Peck led off the inning with a double to right-center, and Mat Robinson drove the first pitch he saw into right field to plate the tying run, sending the game to extra innings.

Reid Crosby relieved Ken Freeman in the tenth and after retiring the Woodchucks 1-2-3 in the top of the inning, Crosby led off the bottom of the tenth with a double. One batter later, Todd Johnson ripped a base hit just inside the line over third base and Crosby raced home with the winning run.

With the victory, the Armadillos claimed their fourth league title, having previously won in 2007, 2012, and 2013. They also became the first regular season champion to win the playoff title since 2009 and, at 17-0, the first undefeated league champion since 2008.

In the lower division title game, the Champlain Whales defeated the Waterbury Warthogs 7-3.