LUDLOW, Vt. – The Lakes Region baseball team is integrating a handful of new pieces for the American Legion season.
One of those new guys is Proctor ace Aaron Brock. Brock shined in his first American Legion start, helping lead the Lakers to a 6-1 victory against Ludlow Post 36 on Wednesday night, at Pullinen Field, on the campus of the old Black River High School.
The game was the return of Legion baseball to Ludlow, and it looked like it might be a good return early on. Tanner Swisher and Milo Tucker both singled to get the bottom of the first inning going, and Swisher scored on an Aiden Garvey groundout to tie the game 1-1 at the time.
Those good vibes would quickly be snatched away as Brock settled in nicely, not allowing another hit in final four innings of work.
“The first inning, [Aaron] was just trying to figure out how Legion ball works as a first-year player,” said Lakes Region coach Parth Patel. “I think as he got confident he did a pretty good job. He was pounding the zone and trusting the defense and that’s the only thing I ask of him.”
The defense behind Brock was elite all day, playing errorless ball. Brock contributed to that himself as well, making great stab to his left on a grounder that got him out of the fifth inning.
The Proctor standout pitched into the sixth inning, but was relieved by Alex Patch after Brock walked Swisher to open the frame.
Brock allowed just those two first-inning hits and gave out two free passes, while striking out five in his Legion debut.
“It was the first time these guys have actually seen him,” said Ludlow coach Jeremy Parker. “We’re a young team and [Lakes Region] has a lot of talent. A lot of these kids have never played Legion baseball. Here we are, we’re building it up.”
Lakes Region got its first inning run from an error on a ball that Fair Haven alumnus Carson Babbie hit and scored Otter Valley’s Jacob Warrell, but the Lakers really took control in the third inning, where they plated three runs.
Warrell got the inning going with his second walk of the day, and two batters later, Babbie rocketed a ball into the gap. Cleanup man Cody Nelson came up next and drove in a run, before Babbie scored on a passed ball, and Nelson scored on a walk to Fair Haven’s Luke Senecal.
That was the beginning of a great day for Nelson, who drove in the final two runs for Lakes Region, in the fourth and sixth, both on singles. The first plated his brother Caleb Nelson and the second Warrell.
Cody and Caleb Nelson, from Granville, N.Y., broke onto the Lakes Region scene last year, and should be key cogs this summer as well.
“Cody is one of the older guys, and he does a really good job not only on the field, but taking care of the team,” Patel said. “He’s a great leader. We lost a lot of great leaders from last year, like Sawyer [Ramey] and those boys.”
Ludlow showed some signs of life with the bats in the bottom of the seventh. Garvey was hit by a pitch to open the inning, and Green Mountain’s Evan Farrar notched the team’s first hit since the first inning, before Tate Pellerin walked to load the bases.
Post 36 had the tying run at the plate with lefty batter Cole Blodgett, but Patch got him out to end the game.
Lakes Region (1-0) hosts a doubleheader against Manchester Union Underground on Saturday, at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., at St. Peter’s Field. Ludlow Post 36 is at Bellows Falls Post 37 for a doubleheader at the same times on Saturday.
Post 36 made Wednesday’s game an experience with pregame introductions, an honorary first pitch, and a booming concession table along the first-base side.
Parker and his squad love having Legion baseball back in Ludlow. With Black River High School closing a handful of years ago, something has been missing in the town.
“It means a lot. I’ve been coaching some of these kids, some of them since they were 7 or 8,” Parker said. “It’s special for the town, too. I’m hoping we can keep it rolling for many years.”
Written by Adam Aucoin, Rutland Herald sports editor.