EXETER – It’s now how you start, it’s how you finish.
And the Exeter High School softball team finished strong on Wednesday, May 27 in its Division I game against Bishop Guertin.
Bishop Guertin scored seven runs in the first inning, but only scored one run over the next five. Conversely, the Blue Hawks chipped away, scoring three runs in each of the first two innings, two in the third, five in both the fourth and fifth and two in the sixth for a 20-8 win.
Both teams are now 8-9 on the season.
Lana Ruffner had two hits and a team-high four RBIs for the Blue Hawks, while Jill Ryan had three hits and three RBIs, Mack Clark had two hits and three RBIs, and Maddy Mann had one hit and two RBIs.
Teammate Alexa Papakonstantis had three hits, and Grace Goodreau, Ava Minghella and Lilah Smalley all had two hits, and Lillian Kelley had one hit, and Braelyn McAniff had one RBI.
Landyn Theberge allowed one run over five innings, earning the win.
SOFTBALL
Winnacunnet 11
Nashua South 1
HAMPTON – Charlie Edwards had four hits, including a solo home run, and drove in five for Winnacunnet in its Division I win.
Lucy Gelbstein had two hits and two RBIs for the Warriors, while Celina King had two hits and one RBI. Teammate Khloe Towler added two hits, and Arden Langmaid and Colette both had one.
St. Thomas Aquinas 18
Hopkinton 1
DOVER – Sophomore Hailey Anzmann allowed three hits and struck out nine, including the 100th of her career to end this Division III five-inning game.
St. Thomas Aquinas ends its regular season with a 13-3 regular-season record.
Sophomore Olivia Semprini had two hits and four RBIs for the Saints, while Mollie Gaynor (two hits, RBI, three runs), Bizzie Pelletier (two hits, three runs), Maddie Hamilton (two hits, two RBIs), and Kaity Kelly (hit, RBI, two runs) all contributed.
Newmarket 19
Nute 0
NEWMARKET – Emma Surina struck out seven in a complete-game, five-inning win for the Mules on Senior Night.
Surina, the lone Newmarket senior, had two hits and four RBIs, while Paige Sweitzer had three hits and two RBIs, Brielle Duffy had two hits and two RBIs, Ava Zundell had one hit and three RBIs, Hannah Chesley scored four runs, Anika Benson drove in two, Grace Hiera had a hit and an RBI, Annaleigha Dotson had a hit and two RBIs, and Chloe Walker had two RBIs.
BASEBALL
Portsmouth 8
Keene 1
KEENE – In a must-win game, the Clippers scored two runs in the first inning, one in both the second and fourth, and four in the seventh to keep their Division I playoff hopes alive.
Portsmouth, now 6-12, will host Salem on Thursday in a win-and-in tournament scenario for both teams.
Zavier Lampert went 3-for-4 with a double, his fifth home run of the season, and drove in two for the Clippers. Lampert also threw a complete-game five-hitter, allowing an unearned run and striking out five.
Jake Poulin, Nate Delaney, Hugh Herter, and Max Herter all had two hits for the Clippers.
Bishop Guertin 11
Exeter 4
NASHUA – Andrew Martin and Brennan Schimoler both had two hits for Exeter (12-7) in its Division I loss.
Bishop Guertin broke open a 4-2 game with two runs in the fourth and five in the fifth. Exeter scored two runs in the seventh.
Bedford 5
Spaulding 1
BEDFORD – Parker Wheeler’s RBI double scored Ty Lindsay with the lone run for Spaulding (7-10) in its Division I loss.
Spaulding starter James Mabey allowed one earned run over five innings. Garrett Truax also had a hit for the Red Raiders.
Portsmouth Christian 9
Wilton-Lyndeborough 4
DOVER – Junior Grady Howe allowed one earned run over seven innings, striking out eight in this Division IV win for PCA (9-6).
Zech Beal led the Eagles with two hits and two RBIs, while Logan Summers had two hits and one RBI, and Elias Chamberlain had one hit and two RBIs.
Newmarket 14
Nute 3
NEWMARKET – Cason Donahue didn’t allow a hit and struck out three over five innings in this Division IV complete-game win.
Jackie Prompradit had three hits and two RBIs for the Mules, while Charlie Tudor had one hit and three RBIs, and Evan Sheehan had one hit and two RBIs.
Marshwood 1
Biddeford 0, 11 inn.
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine – Jack Eardley’s fielder’s choice to third base scored Brady Isabelle with the no outs as Marshwood walked-off with this 11-inning Class A South contest.
Eardley ripped a line drive to third base, Isabelle took off on contact and slid home safely for the game-winning run.
Isabelle allowed one hit and struck out seven over the final five innings, earning the win. Marshwood starter Sawyer Reimels allowed three hits and struck out six over the first six innings. Michael Sbrizza had a team-high three hits for the Hawks.
York 21
Traip Academy 0
KITTERY, Maine – Robbie Hanscom went 3-for-3, including two home runs, drew two walks, drove in six and scored five runs as Class B York improved to 6-6 with this win over Class C Traip.
The Wildcats scored five runs in the first inning, two in both the second and third, seven in the fourth and five in the fifth. The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Sam Jancovic had four hits and five RBIs for York, while freshman Dylan Olsson, in his first varsity start, allowed one hit and struck out four over two innings.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Portsmouth 18
Central/West 0
MANCHESTER – Eighteen different players scored a goal for Portsmouth (14-0) in its Division I win.
Ava Barrows, Sage Bussiere, Maddy Houghton, Lily Patterson, Lily Remsen, Ginger Vinciguerra, Georgia Bouvier, Izzy Getman, Emery Lawton, Raegan Lawton, Liv Russo, Hailey Stallkamp, Elliot Blenkinsop, Ava Brunelle, Tessa Bresnahan, Ellie Patrick, Breleigh Vischer and Molly Malinowski all scored.
Winnacunnet 19
Hanover 6
HANOVER – Elle Emery had three goals and nine assists, and McKinley Fowler had five goals and one assist as Winnacunnet improved to 13-3 with this Division II win.
Ari Rizzo had three goals and two assists for the Warriors, and Emily Arlington had three goals. Teammates Addy McErlain (two goals, assist), Reese Gandt (goal, assist), Hannah Curtin (goal) and May Mitchell (goal) all figured in the scoring.
Winnacunnet goalie Benten Lyford had six saves.
St. Thomas Aquinas 22
Pembroke Academy 6
PEMBROKE – Talula Gregg and Lizzy Holden both had four goals, and Julia Bryan had three for St. Thomas Aquinas in its Division III win.
Charlotte De Tolla and Kate Kreycik both had two goals for the Saints, while Addy Allen, Ava Goodwin, Charlotte Kelly, Sophia Kelly, Annita Parmelee, Maia Scanlon and Vanessa Williams all had one.
STA goalies Reese Foss (two) and Lucy Broom (six) combined for six saves. Defensively, Cara Forest and Izzy Taylor starred.
VOLLEYBALL
Mascenic 3
Winnacunnet 1
HAMPTON – Robert Caulmare had six kills and 14 digs for Winnacunnet in its Division I loss. Individual game scores were 10-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-17.
BOYS TENNIS
No. 9 Oyster River 5
No. 8 Milford 4
MILFORD – Connor Monette (No. 1, 8-5), Ethan Boysen (No. 3, 8-3), Will Sowers (No. 4, 8-1), and Santino Leo (No. 5, 9-7) all won in singles as Oyster River upset Milford in a Division II first-round game.
Oyster River will visit No. 1 Goffstown on Friday in a quarterfinal.
In doubles, Boysen and Sowers closed the match out with an 8-5 win at No. 2 doubles.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast Wednesday Roundup, Exeter softball rallies from 7-run deficit