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college softball

Local roundup: Bulldogs power past Bernardians

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In a battle of Fitchburg-based schools, the Bulldogs came out on top.

The Monty Tech softball team powered past crosstown rival St. Bernard’s, 15-5, Wednesday afternoon at Bulldog Field.

Bridget Divoll picked up the win for the Bulldogs (13-3), going five innings in relief of Danielle Belliveau. She gave up three runs (none earned) on three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Elaina Sarsfield pitched the last two innings, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out a pair.

Lynn Warren suffered the loss for St. Bernard’s (5-10), pitching six innings and giving up 15 runs (11 earned) on 18 hits, striking out seven and walking four.

Monty Tech's Bridget Divoll delivers a pitch to St. Bernard's Samantha Suomala during Wednesday's game. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)
Monty Tech’s Bridget Divoll delivers a pitch to St. Bernard’s Samantha Suomala during Wednesday’s game. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)

Haley Fleming led the Bulldog offense with four hits, including a triple and a double, and three RBI, while Belliveau had three hits, including a double, and three RBI.

Sophia Gaidanowicz had three hits and drove in a pair, while Nallely Valentin had two hits and drove in three. Jordan Higbee chipped in with a pair of hits for Monty Tech, including a triple.

Lunenburg 10, Quabbin 9: Lillian Grebinar (2-for-4, home run, five RBI) delivered a bases-loaded RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel the host Blue Knights (7-8).

Ava Koziol earned the win in the circle for the Blue Knights going the distance and striking out seven . Lunenburg’s Sarah Viveiros and Chloe Koziol led the Blue Knights with three hits each.

Baseball

Fitchburg 13, North Middlesex 3: Albert Ascenio (2-for-3, home run, three runs), Steven Escano (2-for-3, two runs) and James Geehan (3-for-3, run) each drove in a pair for the Red Raiders (9-8). Henry Bruun allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks, striking out eight in five innings to earn the win.

Ryan Arsenault was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI for the Patriots.

Leominster 12, Shrewsbury 0: The Blue Devils improve to 14-1 with the victory.

Boys track and field

Ayer-Shirley Regional won the Mid-Wach E championship with 212 points at Tuesday’s meet, easily outdistancing Tahanto Regional (125) and Maynard (110).

Jacob Kalgren won the 110 hurdles, 200, shot put and discus to pace the Panthers. Cole New won the 400 and placed both in triple jump and 200.

Volleyball

Fitchburg 3, Ayer-Shirley 1: Set scores were 25-14, 25-16, 17-25 and 25-20.

Junior middle hitter Dodge DeGagne had five blocks and an ace for the Panthers (4-10), while junior setter and middle hitter David Batchelor had four blocks, four kills and an ace.

Girls track and field

Ayer Shirley girls won the Mid-Wach E title on Tuesday with 231 points, followed by Tahanto (106) and Maynard (78).

Alison Gravelle won the shot put and the discus to lead the way for the Panthers, while Emily Churchill won the javelin and 400 and anchored the winning 4×400 team. Grace Flanagan added a victory in the 110 hurdles and placed third in high jump.

College baseball

Fitchburg State saw three players named to the 2023 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) All-Conference Teams on Wednesday.

Senior Vincent Eramo and graduate student Lowell Pare were selected to the All-Conference First Team, while sophomore Jacob Hurrell earned All-Conference Second Team honors.

Eramo, a Shirley native, picks up his third MASCAC All-Conference honor after posting a .395 batting average with 58 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 37 runs scored, 55 RBI, 18 walks and 13 stolen bases, while setting the Falcons’ single season records for RBI, home runs and total bases as well setting the program record for career home runs (22) and total bases (280).

Pare, a Leominster High grad, collects his first MASCAC All-Conference nod after registering an ERA of 3.88 with a record of 9-2 with two saves and 59 strikeouts over 51 innings of work, setting the Falcons’ single season record for wins in a season (nine) and games pitched (23).

Fitchburg State recently concluded its 2023 campaign with an overall record of 19-21 and a 9-12 clip in conference play.

College softball

Fitchburg State saw a pair of players named to the 2023 MASCAC All-Conference Teams on Wednesday., as senior Sarah Cahill  and junior Julia Gauvin earned All-Conference Second Team honors

Cahill notches her second MASCAC All-Conference honors after posting an ERA of 4.47 with a team-leading 101 strikeouts over 109.2 innings pitched, en route to an overall record of 7-9, while batting .275 with 14 hits, three doubles, four runs scored, 11 RBI and three walks.

Gauvin collects her second MASCAC All-Conference accolades as well after hitting .295 with 33 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, one home run, 21 runs scored, 19 RBI, eight walks and three stolen bases for the Falcons.

Fitchburg State recently concluded its 2023 campaign with an overall record of 15-23 and a 7-7 mark within the MASCAC.

Lunenburg native Abigail Koziol of Worcester State landed on the  MASCAC All-Conference First team, along with teammate Bella Gasbarro, of Leominster. Fellow Leominster High grad Lauren Dube earned a spot on the All-Conference second team after a strong season with the Lancers.

Local roundup: Eramo sets record as Falcons split with MCLA

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After getting trounced in the opener of a doubleheader with MCLA on Friday, the Fitchburg State baseball team rebounded in the nightcap and saw some history made in the process.

The Falcons fell 17-1 in the first game before blasting the Trailblazers 15-4 in the second game, earning a split with their conference rivals.

The victory saw Vincent Eramo finish 5-for-6 at the plate, with a home run, three runs scored and six RBI. With the half dozen driven in, the Shirley native takes over the top spot in program history for career RBI with 119.

Down 3-2 heading to the second inning of the second contest, the Falcons (17-16, 8-10) went ahead as Maxwell Kelly and Matthew Smith notched RBIs before Eramo belted a two-run shot for a 6-3 advantage.

The lead expanded to 9-4 in the third as Adam Koza scored on an error before Smith and Eramo drove in runs.

Eramo and Jacob Hurrell each plated a pair in the sixth and Nolan Hills and Kelly each pushed across single runs as the Falcons rolled to the win.

Lowell Pare earned the victory, allowing four runs (one earned) on nine hits in six innings while striking out six.

In the opener, the Falcons were steamrolled, scoring their lone run in the seventh as Cole DuHaime drove in a run with a fielder’s choice.

College softball

Fitchburg State registered a sweep of MCLA  in MASCAC action at the Donna Lee Withington Softball Field by scores of 10-1 and 10-2.

In Game One, Fitchburg State opened the scoring in the bottom of the second as junior Lauren Kirkconnell  and sophomore Isabella Sousa singled before senior Sarah Cahill ripped a two-run single up the middle and senior Dana Cisowski followed with an RBI single for a 3-0 edge.

After MCLA responded in the top of the third, he Falcons pushed the lead to 6-1 in the bottom half with Kirkconnell plating sophomore Kiara Bigeau, while sophomore Hannah Pelletier connected on an RBI single to left that scored Kirkconnell and Madison Mantegani brought in Sousa with run scoring fielder’s choice

The Falcons (14-21, 6-6 MASCAC) capped the scoring in the bottom of the fourth when Kirkconnell and Sousa notched RBI base knocks, while Cahill added a sacrifice fly.

Sousa paced the Falcons, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI, while Cahill finished 1-for-3 with a double, one run scored and three RBI. Cahill also collected the win for Fitchburg State, allowing one unearned run on three hits and seven Ks in the complete-game effort

Fitchburg State grabbed a 3-0 edge in the opening frame as senior Mantegani singled, Cisowski and Molly Grass walked to load the bases, while Bigeau plated Mantegani and Cisowski with a groundout and throwing miscue before Kirkconnell added an RBI groundout.

The Falcons secured the victory in the bottom of the fourth, plating seven runs on four hits with Cisowksi notching a two-run double, while Gauvin, Grass and Sousa followed with RBI base knocks, to make the score 10-0.

Grass paced the Falcons, going 2-for-2 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI, while Sousa finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.

Mary Kate Moreau notched the win for Fitchburg State, yielding two runs on five hits and two strikeouts over five innings pitched

High school baseball

Leominster 1, Shrewsbury 0: Tom Gosson notched a two-out RBI single in the fourth, driving in Nick Massa with the game’s only run as the Blue Devils improved to 8-0.

Tyler Godin tossed 4.1 innings, allowing one hit, walking four and striking out three to get the win. Ryan Garner went 2.2 innings to close the game out, allowing one hit and striking out a pair.

North Middlesex 5, Fitchburg 1: Jackson Hendley drove in two and scored twice and Cameron Haley surrendered five hits in 4.1 innings of work to pick up the win. Ashton Donia notched a pair of hits and an RBI for the Patriots.

Albert Ascenio drove in the lone run for the Red Raiders.

Oakmont 5, Tyngsboro 0: The win lifts the Spartans to 8-1.

Lunenburg 6, Littleton 3: Tristan Dance and Sean Delaney each notched a pair of hits for the Blue Knights (3-3).

Marlboro 2, Nashoba 1: Nick Pavia went the distance on the hill and struck out 14 hitters, surrendering just two hits, but it wasn’t as the Panthers scratched across two runs in the fourth.

The Wolves (5-5) scored their only run in the second inning when Chase Barrett scored from third on a delayed double steal attempt.

High school softball

Tyngsboro 14, Oakmont 12: Lauren Collazo drove in a pair for the Spartans (2-8), Alison Hazel and Olivia Souers each scored three times.

Volleyball

Abby Kelley 3, Ayer-Shirley 1. Set scores were 25-13, 25-9, 15-25 and 25-10.

Junior outside hitter Harrison Tu had three aces and a block for the Panthers (2-5) and junior right side and setter David Batchelor had five assists, three aces and two kills.

Boys tennis

Nashoba 5, Leominster 0: Jesse Gjeltema, Victor Xu and Philip Baykov swept the singles matches without dropping a single game for the Wolves (7-1).

Tyler Brown and Alex Jangro took the first doubles match, while Brian Quill-Schuffels and Leo Lima won in second doubles.

Girls tennis

Nashoba 4, Leominster 1: Maryam Mulyono and J.J. Bravo picked up singles victories for Nashoba (5-4), while the first doubles tandem of Bella Cosentino and Grace Hanley rolled to a win. Nina Salvatelli and Audrey Russell were victorious in second doubles action.

Arielle Kouadio won in first singles for the Blue Devils (5-4).

Local roundup: Blue Devils erupt to top Patriots

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North Middlesex Regional put a scare into the Leominster High baseball team Tuesday, but the Blue Devils turned it on late to remain unbeaten with a 14-6 victory.

After racing out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, the Blue Devils watched as the Patriots pulled even at 6-all in the fourth inning.

Dom Swaine, Tom Gosson and Tony Salvatelli each drove in a pair for Leominster (5-0), which broke a 6-all tie with single runs in the fifth and sixth before exploding for six runs in the seventh.

Nick Massa earned the win with three innings of shutout relief, striking out a pair without allowing a hit or issuing a walk.

Colin Lake and Michael Archambault each drove in a run for the Patriots.

Fitchburg 12, South 2: Shawn Escano and Tyler Brassard (3-for-3) each drove in three for the Red Raiders (3-2), while James Geehan pitched all five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a pair of walks, striking out five. Nyle Sim was 4-for-4 in the win, scoring three times and driving in a run.

Monty Tech 12, North 1: Kyle Pernaa allowed just a pair of hits and struck out seven in five innings for the visiting Bulldogs (1-3).

Boys lacrosse

Nashoba 16, Chicopee Comp 5: Dillon Kelleher (four assists) and Liam Duhame (1 assist) each netted five goals, while Jack Schartner potted three markers and a trop of helpers for the Wolves (4-1).

College baseball

Fitchburg State 11, Worcester State 9: The Falcons (13-12, 4-6 MASCAC) erased a 7-2 deficit and scored twice in the 10th to leave Worcester with a victory in tow.

Down five runs in the seventh, Adam Koza came to the plate with the bases full and belted the first pitch he saw over the centerfield fence for a grand slam, pulling the Falcons to within one run.

A sacrifice fly by Michael Cooper tied the game at 7 in the top of the eighth.

Worcester State regained the lead in the bottom of the frame, but Fitchburg State pulled even again in the top of the ninth courtesy of a Matthew Kelly RBI single before grabbing a 9-8 lead on a Zachary Malek RBI double.

The hosts knotted the game at 9 with an RBI single from Anthony Lamarone before Kelly drove in Vincent Eramo in the 10th and the Falcons added an insurance run with a double steal that plated Jacob Hurrell.

Lowell Pare pitched a clean 10th to earn the victory for the Falcons.

College softball

Fitchburg State split a pair with Worcester State Tuesday, winning 2-1 in the opener before falling 4-1 in the nightcap at Donna Lee Withington Memorial Field.

In the first game, Fitchburg State knotted the score at 1 in the bottom half of the second when sophomore Isabella Sousa singled down the left field line before junior Lauren Kirkconnell ripped an RBI double to right center.

The Lancers threatened in the top of the seventh with newcomer Lauren Dube blasted a double to right center, moved to third on a groundout, but Falcon center fielder Madison Mantegani made a game saving diving catch to keep the game tied at 1.

The Falcons secured the victory in the bottom of the seventh as Kirkconnell singled and advanced to third on a single off the bat of Mantegani before crossing the plate with the winning run following a fielding miscue.

Kirkconnell led the way for the Falcons, going 3-of-3 with a double, run scored and an RBI in the opener, while Sousa finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Senior Sarah Cahill  picked up the win for Fitchburg State, allowing one run on six hits with two Ks in the complete game effort.

In the second game, the Falcons (9-18, 4-4 MASCAC) scored their lone run on the bottom of the sixth as junior Dana Cisowski singled down the left field line, advanced to third on a single from senior Molly Grass and scored on an RBI double to left off the bat of sophomore Julia Gauvin.

Junior Mary Kate Moreau suffered the setback for Fitchburg State, yielding four runs on 10 hits and four strikeouts in five innings pitched.

College track and field

Fitchburg State junior Taban Manyok was recently named MASCAC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week office on Tuesday, while sophomore Ephemian Bailey was tabbed MASCAC Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.

Manyok earns his second weekly accolade this season after placing fifth in the 1,500 meter with a personal best and DIII New England qualifying time of 3:58.02, while adding a 12th-place effort in the 10,000 meter with a personal best and All-NE qualifying time of 32:02.73 at the Silfen Invitational, hosted by Connecticut College this past weekend.

Bailey picks up her second weekly accolade on the year after finishing fourth in the discus with a new school record, personal best and DIII New England qualifying toss of 38.61 meters, surpassing the previous mark of 36.88 meters by Karen Duggan (1984).

Bailey added a fourth-place effort in a DIII New England qualifying mark of 11.51 meters in the shotput, while finishing 33rd  in the hammer throw with a personal best throw of 24.18 meters in the hammer throw at the Silfen Invitational..

The Fitchburg State outdoor track and field teams return to action Saturday as they compete at the Shane Collier Invitational, hosted by MIT.

Red-hot Falcons sweep Bay Path

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The Fitchburg State softball team pushed its winning streak to five games on Monday, sweeping a doubleheader at Bay Path University to improve to 7-14. The Falcons won the opener 8-4 before storming to a 21-3 victory in six innings in the nightcap.

The losses drop the Wildcats to 5-15.

In the opener, the Falcons got out to a 2-0 lead in the first courtesy of a two-run single by sophomore Kiara Bigeau. The Fitchburg State catcher added a three-run homer in the fifth inning to propel the guests to a 5-1 edge.

After Dana Cisowski plated a run with a single in the sixth, Molly Grass belted an RBI triple and later scored on a passed ball to cap the Fitchburg State scoring.

Sarah Cahill earned the victory, going seven innings and allowing three earned runs on 10 hits while striking out eight and walking one.

Bigeau finished 2-for-3 with five RBI and Grass was 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Julia Gauvin (two runs) and Cisowski (run) were each 2-for-4.

The second contest saw the Falcons score in every frame except the sixth, including a nine-run fourth.

Grass was red-hot early, notching a two-run double in the first and a three-run triple in the second. She scored on a passed ball to put the Falcons up 6-1 in the top of the second.

Bryanna O’Connor and Madison Mantegani picked up RBIs in the third before Allison Pogorek scored on a passed ball for a 9-1 lead.

Bigeau belted a two-run homer in the fourth and O’Connor added a two-run single as Fitchburg State led 13-3. The Falcons were far from done at the plate as Mary Kate Moreau added an RBI single before Bigeau and Sydney Gabay each notched two-run singles as the guests took an 18-3 lead to the last of the fourth.

Moreau added another RBI on a walk in the fifth and Bigeau capped her huge afternoon with a two-run double to cap the Fitchburg State scoring.

Bigeau finished the second game 3-for-5 with a home run, double, six RBI and a run scored, while Grass was 2-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. Mantegani scored four runs in the game, while Moreau was 1-for-1 with two runs driven in.

Mackenzie Leveille got the win, pitching three innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits to go with two strikeouts and a walk. Moreau gave up two hits in two innings of relief, striking out a pair.

Fitchburg State returns to action Wednesday when it visits Lasell for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.

Local notebook: Gray heading home to Doyle

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It’s not every day that a Super Bowl champion visits Central Massachusetts.

Even more rare is the opportunity to learn on the gridiron from a player who has hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

The latter is exactly what youth and high school football players will get at the third annual Noah Gray Football Clinic, set to be held at Doyle Field on June 17.

Gray, a former Leominster High standout who won the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs this year in his second NFL season, will lead the clinic with guest coaches from the college ranks and the Leominster High coaching staff.

The one-day camp will feature a middle school session from 9 a.m. to 11:30, while high schoolers will take to the turf from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets for the clinic go for $75 per participant and $30 for a second child in a family. More information and tickets can be found here.

Proceeds from the clinic will go to multiple area high school football programs.

Gray graduated from Leominster High School in 2017 and played four seasons of collegiate football at Duke University. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

In his two pro seasons, the 6-foot-3 tight end has 28 receptions for 299 yards, scoring once receiving and one more time rushing the ball. Gray had one reception in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 as Kansas City topped the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35.

Gasbarro earns recognition

Worcester State freshman Bella Gasbarro, of Leominster, was named MASCAC Softball Rookie of the Week on Monday after a strong week which saw her Lancers go 4-0.

Leominster native and Worcester State freshman Bella Gasbarro has been named MASCAC Softball Rookie of the Week. (Courtesy Worcester State Athletics)
Leominster native and Worcester State freshman Bella Gasbarro has been named MASCAC Softball Rookie of the Week. (Courtesy Worcester State Athletics)

The infielder batted .533 (8-for-15) with a double, two triples, home run, four RBI, six runs scored, a 1.067 slugging percentage and .533 on-base percentage last week for the Lancers.

Gasbarro went 5-for-7 with a double, triple, two RBI and two runs scored in the doubleheader sweep of Anna Maria last Monday before going 3-for-8 with a triple, home run, two RBI and three runs scored in the doubleheader sweep of MCLA on Saturday.

Instant classic to open the season

In case you missed it, the Leominster High baseball team opened the season in thrilling fashion Saturday, topping Central Catholic, 2-1, in 12 innings.

Trailing early, Zach Casey pulled the Blue Devils even in the fourth inning, before both sides rattled off scoreless frames. Angel Baez eventually came through with the big hit, notching his second knock of the day in the 12th to score Nick Massa and propel the Blue Devils to the walk-off win.

Just as big as the timely hitting of Baez was the lockdown pitching of Ryan Garner. The Husson-bound senior pitched six shutout innings in the win, striking out seven. The southpaw allowed just one hit and issued just a single base on balls in earning the victory.

The Blue Devils return to the diamond Tuesday, traveling to Ashburnham to face 3-0 Oakmont Regional.

Local roundup: Bernardians open season with win

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The St. Bernard’s girls lacrosse team started its spring season in strong fashion Monday, topping Monty Tech/Sizer, 19-4, at Game On Fitchburg.

The Bernardians will look to go 2-0 when they travel to Advanced Math and Science on Wednesday, while the Bulldogs hope to earn their first victory when they host Blackstone Valley Wednesday afternoon.

Baseball

Oakmont 9, Marlboro 1: The Spartans (1-0) host Tyngsboro on Wednesday afternoon.

Softball

Notre Dame 10, North Middlesex 5: The Patriots (0-1) will head to Wachusett Regional on Wednesday in search of win No. 1.

Marlboro 5, Oakmont 4: The Spartans dropped their opener on the road. They return to action Wednesday, hosting Tyngsboro.

St. Bernard’s 9, Worcester Tech 5: Paris Cuevas had a double and a pair of RBI, while Abbey Barriera notched two hits in the season-opening victory.

St. Bernard's Erin Canning drives while Monty Tech's Mabel Matheson defends Monday afternoon at Game On Fitchburg. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Alan Arsenault)
St. Bernard’s Erin Canning drives while Monty Tech’s Mabel Matheson defends Monday afternoon at Game On Fitchburg. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Alan Arsenault)

Boys tennis

Shrewsbury 4, Nashoba 1: Victor Xu earned a third singles win for the Wolves in the season opener for both programs.

Girls tennis

Leominster 5, Gardner 0: Arielle Kouadio, Kaitlyn Perrault and Caroline Bjornvig each had 6-0, 6-0 singles wins as the Blue Devils won their season opener at Doyle Field.

Gina Iacoboni and Victoria Miele were victorious in first doubles action, as were Alaina Garcia and Adrianna Lattanzio in second doubles.

Shrewsbury 4, Nashoba 1: Maryam Mulyono was the lone winner for the Wolves in their opener.

Boys volleyball

Leominster 3, South Lancaster 1: Set scores were 25-15, 25-18, 23-25 and 25-11 in favor of the Blue Devils in the opener for both teams.

Daniel Caetano and Andy Troung each had 11 service points, while right side hitter Brady Troung had a strong game in victory.

College softball

Westfield State swept a MASCAC doubleheader against Fitchburg State, winning 4-3 and 7-3 at the Donna Lee Withington Memorial Softball Field.

In the opener, the Falcons (2-13, 0-2) fell behind 2-0 before Sarah Cahill doubled to score Kiara Bigeau in the bottom of the fourth. The Owls (12-6, 2-0) responded with runs in the fifth and seventh to take a 4-1 lead to the bottom of the seventh.

Fitchburg State made things interesting courtesy of a two-run double by Molly Grass, but was unable to pull even.

Cahill took the loss, pitching all seven innings and giving up six hits while striking out 10 and walking two.

Madison Mantegani finished the first game 3-for-4 at the plate, scoring once.

In the second contest, Fitchburg State fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first before plating a run in the bottom of the frame as Mackenzie Leveille brought home Dana Cisowski with a sac fly.

The Falcons managed to pull even in the third as Grass belted an RBI double to center and later came in to score on a wild pitch.

But the visiting Owls plated a pair in the top of the fourth to take the lead back and pushed across two more in the final frame to put the game far out of reach.

Leveille suffered the loss for Fitchburg State, throwing 3.2 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits. The hurler struck out four and walked three.

Mantegani, Cisowski (two runs) and Grass each went 2-for-3 in the second game, with Grass notching a pair of doubles.