New Hampshire: Barton Has Week to Remember

It was an action-packed week for Franklin High School's Amanda Barton, and a week she'll probably never forget.

On Tuesday, Barton learned that she had been selected as Gatorade's New Hampshire Softball Player of the Year. Two days later she struck out 20 batters to lead Franklin to a 1-0, 10-inning victory over Raymond in the Class M tournament's semifinal round. Barton then wrapped up the week by striking out 12 in a 2-0 triumph over Somersworth in the Class M championship game.

Barton, a junior, allowed one run this season. She pitched six no-hitters and three perfect games.

"In the past we've had some pretty successful pitchers come along, a few have gone onto college," Franklin coach Skip Dubois said. "Right now Amanda is further ahead of any of the other pitchers we've had. She has a full complement of pitches."

Top-seeded Franklin completed its season with a 19-0 record and won the first state championship in the program's history.

Second-seeded Somersworth finished with a 17-2 record, and both losses came against Franklin.

Three other state champions were crowned in softball Saturday:

• Top-seeded Salem (23-1) won its 14th championship in the last 16 years by beating second-seeded Londonderry, 5-1, in the Class L championship game. Three Salem pitchers - Alex Gallant, Emily Wolf and Chelsea Durso - held Londonderry (20-3) to three hits.
• Despite being held to one hit, eighth-seeded St. Thomas (15-4) won its first state title with a 3-1 triumph over sixth-seeded Souhegan (14-5) in the Class I championship game. Souhegan's Bethany Nishimoto carried a perfect game into the sixth inning, when the Saints received a two-run double from junior Sia Karamourtopoulos.
• Gabby Trombley's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning handed top-seeded Wilton-Lyndeborough a 3-1 victory over second-seeded Groveton in the Class S championship game. Wilton-Lyndeborough (23-1) had suffered losses in the 2005 and 2006 Class S championship games. Groveton finished 20-2.

• Eighth-seeded Hollis-Brookline (14-5) won its first Class I championship and the third title in school history by beating third-seeded Plymouth, 4-2, Saturday. Plymouth (16-3) was attempting to win the program's seventh Class I championship.
• Fourth-seeded Prospect Mountain needed eight innings to defeat third-seeded Franklin, 2-1, in the Class M championship game. Prospect Mountain (16-3) received a RBI single from senior Alex Bourdeau in the top of the eighth to take a 2-1 lead. John Pickowicz struck out nine in eight innings for Franklin (15-4).
• Lisbon beat Derryfield, 7-2, to win the Class S championship in Tom White's final game as Lisbon's head coach. White is retiring after guiding the Pathers to 10 state championships in 25 seasons with the program.

Lacrosse: Teams Show Finishing Touch

The boys and girls lacrosse championships were decided earlier last week. Hanover (Division I), St. Thomas (Division II) and Merrimack Valley (Division III) won boys titles, and Nashua South (Division I), Bow (Division II) and Portsmouth (Division III) captured the girls championships.

Boys: Grady Chaltain scored six goals to help top-seeded Hanover defeat second-seeded Bishop Guertin, 11-8; top-seeded St. Thomas won its second state championship in as many years by beating third-seeded Bow, 7-5; and fourth-seeded Merrimack Valley scored the game's first five goals in its 10-6 victory over third-seeded Portsmouth.

Girls: Senior Allie Morgan scored six goals to lift fourth-seeded Nashua South to a 10-7 victory over second-seeded Souhegan; top-seeded Bow outscored second-seeded Hanover, 17-16, to win its third title in the last five years; and top-seeded Portsmouth completed an unbeaten season (16-0) by beating second-seeded Hollis-Brookline, 10-8.

Track and Field: Keene's Huckins Sets Record

No New Hampshire athlete turned in a more impressive performance at the New England Meet last Saturday than Keene junior Kelsey Huckins, who broke the event's record in the discus with a toss that traveled 158 feet, 9 inches.

The former record (152-8) was set by Brockton (Mass.) High School's Pia Iacova in 1979.

Huckins is scheduled to compete in the discus and hammer throw at the Nike Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., this weekend.