HS notebook: Banas fires no-hitter for Hopkins Academy

Hopkins Academy’s Garrison Banas didn’t beat Pioneer Valley single-handedly Monday in Massachusetts action, but it was close.

Banas pitched a no-hitter and struck out 17 in his team’s 8-0 victory. He also assisted on the four other outs, which were ground balls back to the mound.

If not for issuing one walk, Banas, a senior who throws left-handed, would have pitched the second perfect game of his high school career. He threw a perfect game as a junior.

Hopkins Academy improved to 12-2 overall and 10-2 in the Hampshire League with the victory. Pioneer dropped to 12-5 overall and 8-5 in the league.

Even Delaney and Aiden Barrett each collected three hits for Hopkins, which scored four of its eight runs in the fourth inning.

Banas struck out 152 batters and walked 14 in 68 2/3 innings as a junior, when he won nine games, saved three others and posted a 0.30 ERA. Hopkins was 17-3 and earned the No. 3 seed in the 2010 Western Mass. Division III tournament.

Connecticut

Senior James Cooksey pitched the first no-hitter of his varsity career to help Norwalk defeat Brien McMahon 6-0 Monday.

Cooksey, who retired the first 12 batters he faced, struck out eight and allowed one baserunner (walk).

Brien McMahon entered the contest with eight victories in its last nine contests.

Maine

Westbrook’s Scott Heath began the season by tossing shutouts in each of his first four starts.

His fourth shutout came May 12, when he held Marshwood to one hit and struck out 10 in Westbrook’s 7-0 triumph. The victory raised Westbrook’s record to 8-0 and seven of those victories have been shutouts.

Heath, who throws left-handed, has committed to play for the University of Maine.

New Hampshire

Senior Keegan Taylor struck out nine in five innings Monday to help Portsmouth tie the national record for consecutive victories by beating Sanborn Regional, 2-0.

Portsmouth, which raised its Division II record to 12-0, has won 75 games in a row. Homer (Mich) High School posted a 75-game winning streak during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Portsmouth can break the record by beating Pembroke Academy on Wednesday.

Much of Monday’s game was played in heavy rain and the contest was called with one out in the top of the sixth.

Taylor, who has committed to play at Northeastern, struck out the final five batters he faced. He improved his pitching record to 20-0 during his varsity career.

Right fielder Connor McCauley collected two of Portsmouth’s five hits.

Rhode Island

Ryan O’Dell collected four hits and drove in five runs to help Lincoln raise its record to 13-3 overall and 12-3 in District-I North by beating Smithfield 13-3 Friday. Lincoln is battling with Moses Brown (11-4) and La Salle (10-5) for first place in the division.

O’Dell, a pitcher/shortstop, also plays football and hockey for Lincoln. He has committed to play baseball at the University of Rhode Island.

O’Dell was a Second Team All-State selection last season, when he hit .431.

Vermont

Colchester sophomore Devin Dessormeau made his first varsity hit a timely one.

Dessormeau’s one-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Jared Cayia with the game-winning run in Colchester’s 6-5 triumph over Mount Mansfield on May 12.

It was Colchester’s third extra-inning victory this season, and stretched the team’s winning streak to eight games.

Mount Mansfield tied the game by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh, and then took a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth. After Ryan Crowley tied the contest, Dessormeau delivered a game-winning single.