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By: Bruce Bosley
PBR New England Scout

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Vermont Spotlight Game: Champlain Valley vs South Burlington

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. -- In a matchup of two longtime neighboring rivals, South Burlington came back to knock off Champlain Valley Union, 5-4, in a game that finished Friday after it was suspended by weather on Thursday. 

The Rebels (8-5) trailed 3-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth before scoring one on the fifth and four in the sixth. They held off a late Redhawks rally to win for the fourth time in the last five games. CVU, ranked 5th in the latest PBR Vermont Power Rankings, dropped to 9-4.

SB freshman righty Jack Ambrosino came in when the game resumed in the top of the third to hold off the veteran laden Redhawks tossing four innings of two-hit relief. He entered in the top of the third with a runner on second and no outs, one run already home before a storm caused the game to be stopped. He retired the first three hitters he faced, allowing another run on a sacrifice fly by junior Liam Reiner.

The Redhawks made it 3-0 with a two-out unearned run in the fifth.

CVU senior Chris O'Brien, who is bound for Union (N.Y.), reached with two down on an infield error, went to second on a passed ball and scored on a RBI-single by Reiner.

Junior Sammy Premsager's two-out RBI single in the fifth made it 3-1 before South Burlington plated four in the sixth while sending 10 hitters to the plate. Senior Eamonn Sheridan drove in the first run on an infield out before junior John Thibeault's RBI single made it 3-2. Danny Terhune was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie it then junior Andrew Cunningham singled in another to give SB a 4-3 advantage. With the bases still loaded, junior Ethan Klesch walked to force in a key fifth run. Ambrosino followed with a key shutdown inning in the sixth departing for Thibeault in the seventh.

CVU would rally in the seventh.

Sophomore infielder Tyler Skaflestad led with a single and was sacrificed to second. After a walk to O'Brien, Premsager came in for Thibeault and allowed another run-scoring base hit by Reiner to make it a one-run game. Premsager picked off Reiner for the second out before walking junior Jacob Bortnick to put runners on the corners. After an eight-pitch battle, he induced freshman Storm Rushford to pop up to end the game.

Top Performers

South Burlington High:

• Sammy Premsager, IF/RHP- In addition to the save on the mound, Premsager went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI for the Rebels. 
• Jack Ambrosino, RHP- hard throwing freshman allowed two singles in four innings of relief to pick up the win. He did not walk a batter and struck out two. The lone run he gave up was unearned.
• John Thibeault- IF/RHP- started the game at second base, also pitched and played third. Went two-for-three at the plate with a stolen base

Champlain Valley Union High:

• Liam Reiner, 3B- Junior infielder- good athlete- drove in three of CVU’s four runs going two for three at the plate with a long sacrifice fly.
• Colin Vincent, SS- Junior made several solid infield plays and reached twice in three trips with a walk and a single along with a stolen base.
• George Davis, CF – Senior center fielder made a web gem diving catch with two outs in the second taking a triple away and at least one run away from the Rebels.