Londonderry High softball star Brooke Beaudet worked this win in walk-off fashion.

In the year’s closest race for the New Hampshire Union Leader Athlete of the Month award, the power pitcher and power hitter is April’s top athlete. The senior standout scored her fourth first-place vote on the eighth — and final —judge’s ballot to snap a two-way tie and close with 20 points.

“I went out there trying to win some games. That’s all I thought about,” said Beaudet, who will attend Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts. “The only numbers that really matter are the team averages. The only way we’re going to win is if everybody is contributing.”

Similarly, all 11 candidates on the April ballot were recognized for their contributions. Every athlete received votes from the judges.

Before the final ballot was cast, Beaudet and Pinkerton Academy of Derry boys’ lacrosse force Bobby Dattilo were tied for the top spot with 15 points apiece. The Astros’ senior midfielder finished second with 16 points.

Bow’s Sherry Darrell of Southern New Hampshire University women’s lax clinched third place with 14 points. Londonderry’s Beau Darak of Keene State College baseball and Londonderry High girls’ lax star Kayla Green each tallied 13 points to tie for fourth.

April, however, belonged to Beaudet. She was nearly lights out for the Lancers, who went 8-1 in Class L.

On the mound, Beaudet finished the month with a 4-1 record, one save, 69 strikeouts, eight walks and an earned-run average of 1.16. Her top pitching performance came in a 7-0 win over Bishop Guertin of Nashua on April 23. She tossed a complete-game one-hitter that included 16 strikeouts and just one walk.

Two games later, in a 4-1 win over Nashua South on April 30, she threw a complete game that included 15 strikeouts and no walks. She also had a pair of 11-strikeout games in wins at Merrimack (8-0 on April 9) and at Alvirne of Hudson (6-3 on April 18).

At the plate, she hit .412 (14-for-34), belted five home runs and knocked in 20 runs. She had at least one hit in all nine games. She had five RBIs against Merrimack, and four RBIs apiece against Manchester Central and Exeter.

And, in Londonderry’s 1-0 win over Spaulding of Rochester on April 21, Beaudet knocked in the game’s only run with a homer. She also earned the save after pitching the seventh inning and striking out the side with two runners on base and nobody out.

“I’m proud to be a captain of the team this year,” Beaudet said. “They’re a great bunch of girls. Everybody contributes. Everybody does something.”

The April ballot also included Amherst’s McKinley Curro (Boston University women’s lax); Samantha Langlois (Raymond High softball); Londonderry’s Larry Longo (Derryfield of Manchester baseball); Dover’s Brandon Newbould (Boston Marathon’s first New Hampshire male finisher); Durham’s Cathy O’Brien (Boston Marathon’s first N.H. female finisher); and Justin Sproul (Londonderry High boys’ lax).

New Hampshire Union Leader Athlete of the Month winners (2008)

January: Trevor Dearden, Salem (Salem High wrestling).

February: Shawn Sweeney, Plymouth (Plymouth High wrestling and boys’ basketball).

March: Jeff Pelkey, Fitzwilliam (Monadnock High of East Swanzey boys’ basketball).