The Gilford High School girls' tennis team advances to the semi-final round of the NHIAA Division III tournament after narrowly defeating Monadnock, 5-4, on Wednesday.
Scoring in singles play for Gilford were Cheralynn Corsack, Charleyne Panner, Abby Lines and Kayla Vieten. Vieten and Lines, comprising Gilford's third doubles team, earned their team passage to the next round by defeating their opponents.
Gilford is scheduled to play Bow this afternoon in the semi-final round.

The Gilford High School softball team avenged its only loss of the season by beating Franklin 4-1 on Senior Day at the Gilford field. Prior to the game, Gilford held a brief ceremony to honor the seven graduating seniors at their final regular season home game. The seniors are manager Sophie Brunt, outfielders Alannah Mattice, Alyssa Wilson and Hannah Chase, 1st baseman Abby Harris, catcher Paige Laliberte, and pitcher Sydney Strout. Strout needed 11 strikeouts to beat the 619 career strikeout record held by Alyssa Crowell. The 11th strikeout came in the 6th inning after Franklin's Jill Roberts hit a lead off double and then Strout struck out the next 2 batters. Strout recorded one more strikeout in the 7th inning to now have a total of 621 career strikeouts. Strout also had the game winning hit in the 4th inning when she drove in Kelsey Buckley on a deep sacrifice fly to center field to break the 1-1 tie. Strout also pitched Gilford out of a bases loaded jam with no outs by striking out the next 3 batters to end the 3rd inning.
Gilford scored one run in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Sarah Lachapelle hit a lead off single and scored on a wild pitch. The lead was short lived when Franklin's Lexi Colpack came up in the top of the 3rd and hit a lead off homerun over the fence. Gilford scored 2 runs in the 4th inning. After Strout hit the sacrifice fly to score Buckley, Mollie Dignan who got on with a fielder's choice, scored on a Lisa Osborne single to give Gilford a 3-1 lead. Gilford scored one more in the 5th when Paige Laliberte led off with a walk, advanced to 2nd on a Sarah Lachapelle sacrifice bunt and scored from 2nd on a Caitlin Houston single.
Gilford finished with 9 hits. Leading the offense was Abby Harris 3/4 (1 double), Lisa Osborne 3/4 (1 RBI), and one hit apiece by Mollie Dignan (1 run scored), Sarah Lachapelle (1 run scored), and Caitlin Houston (1 RBI).
Sydney Strout allowed one run, recorded 12 strikeouts, gave up 4 hits and walked one.
Gilford's next game is at Belmont on Friday.

MEREDITH — The scoreboard wasn't very kind to the Inter-Lakes Middle Tier softball team over the past two seasons. Regardless, coach Risa Jurius taught her team that the game can be fun without winning, that team cameraderie and athletic competition are reward in itself. This season, Jurius learned something from her players – together, they can help heal one another's grieving hearts.
When the team earned its first win this season, they dedicated the game to Lily Johnson, a 14 year-old Laconia girl who was killed on the afternoon of April 19, when a vehicle drove onto the sidewalk near Laconia Middle School and struck her and Allyssa Miner, also 14, as they were walking. Miner was seriously injured and is now home and recovering.
The team's second win was also played in honor of Lily, said Jurius. With four games left this season, the team boasts a record of 6-3. They've done more than play for Lily, they've also dedicated this year's fund raising efforts to benefit the "Lily Johnson Memorial Fund/Allyssa Miner Benefit Fund", established at Franklin Savings Bank. On Thursday, the team presented a representative of the bank with a check for $240.
Jurius said the team began its fund raising campaign with the goal of raising enough to defray the cost of team jackets, until parent Jim Dyer volunteered to cover the entire bill. Instead, Jurius decided to follow the lead already established by her players, who were thinking of and talking about the recent tragedy, and she redirected the money to help the families of two girls in a neighboring town. "I just piggybacked on their idea," said Jurius.
Fund raising activities included two bake sales and the raffle of a candy basket.
Although Lily and Allyssa are from another town and another school, many of the Inter-Lakes softball players knew them, some quite well. Rebecca Wild often hung out with Lily when the two found themselves watching a basketball game played by their younger siblings. When Wild was feeling lonely, she knew she could find company by Lily's side. "She had a really sweet personality, she was so nice. If you needed someone to talk to, she was always there for you."
"A lot of us knew them, we all had a kind of connection," said Rebecca Otis. "We wanted to help out because we knew it was something terrible that happened."
The girls on the team said the act of helping others brought a measure of relief from their own grief. Lindsey Rosette said, "I think it was awesome that we pulled together as a team for two special people and their families... It definitely helped me."
"It helped us feel better that we did something that helped," said Brianna Knauss.
Jurius said, "Inter-Lakes has had a lot of hard years as far as softball wins and losses. I'm happy we can put it all together – we've compassion and caring, and we have a winning record this year."
Winning record or no, Inter-Lakes Middle Tier principal Everett Bennett said the team has put together an exemplary season. "What they did is the example of what we want to be all about at the Middle Tier... They should be so proud of themselves."