NASHUA – Another day, another outstanding performance on the mound by Concord Post 21. This time, it was Trevor Smith’s turn to pitch a gem.
Smith had a no-hitter and perfect game going until the sixth inning, and his teammates scored three runs off sacrifice flies and played excellent defense in the seventh to hold of Portsmouth Post 6 in a 3-2 victory on Saturday at the American Senior Legion State Tournament at Holman Stadium.
Smith pitched 6.1 innings, striking out four, walking three and only allowing one hit and one run in the sixth inning.
Smith was also a force at the plate hitting 2-for-4, scoring the game’s first run in the top of the first inning, reaching base on a single and coming home on Cam McGonigle’s sacrifice to deep center. Smith also drove home Kalan Gaudreault (1-for-3, reached on error) on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to extend Concord’s lead to 3-1.
“I think it speaks for itself. The story of the game is Trevor Smith obviously. Look at what he did,” head coach Nate Craigue said. “He’s locating his fastball very well. His curveball was down, it usually goes up. He’s a competitor.”
Smith – a former Concord High standout – recently graduated from St. Paul’s School. He was named the Lakes Region League Most Valuable Player this past spring and had a 3-0 record on the mound with a 0.95 earned run average in Legion district play. He is off to Colby College this fall and will pitch for the Mules.
Brooks Craigue sent Kyle Martin home on another sacrifice to deep center in the top of the fifth to make it 2-0.
Smith walked Devon Paquette in the bottom of the sixth and Justin Blumenthal spoiled the no-hit bid with a single to drive home Paquette to make it 2-1, but Smith got that run back, driving home Gaudreault in the top of the seventh to make it 3-1.
Post 6 threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with a pair of walks and an error on the Post 21 infield with only one out before Craigue came in to close out the game.
“It was really hard to take (Smith) out at the end,” coach Craigue said. “But he carried us through that six and one third and it was time for his team to help him out.”
Dawson Fancher – who was sharp at third base all game – threw to catcher Gaudreault for a force out at home, keeping the bases loaded, but with two outs.
Paquette hit a single at the next at bat (only Portsmouth’s second hit of the game) that brought home Damon Chase to make it 3-2.
Bailey Wright tried to run home to tie the game on the same play, but Fancher and Gaudreault caught him in a rundown, with Gaudreault applying the tag for the final out.
Craigue (shortstop before relieving Smith), McGonigle (second base), Mike Stoddard (first base), Ryan Kastle (right field, single) and Nater Wachter (center field, double) stood out in the field.
Concord (16-4) was scheduled to play Londonderry Post 27 (12-7) in the late game on Sunday night to determine which team would automatically proceed to Tuesday night’s championship game.
A shorthanded Weare Post 65 team took the field with just 12 players and virtually no eligible pitchers.
Londonderry Post 27 scored one run in the first, five in the second and two in the third for an early 8-0 lead, forcing head coach Dennis Pelletier to make several adjustments in the lineup early.
Hunter Keim pitched two scoreless, 1-2-3 innings in relief, but Post 27 plated two more runs in the sixth to end the game early via the 10-run rule.
Weare (10-10) used five pitchers in Friday night’s upset over top-ranked Nashua and none of them were available for Saturday’s contest. That, combined with the absence of some key players on Post 65’s roster, put Weare in a tough spot before the opening pitch was even thrown.
“Hunter hasn’t pitched since Babe Ruth league,” Pelletier said. “But he was the last guy who had pitched within the last year. I thought he did pretty well. He took one for the team. Deltyn (Williams) took one for the team. We were pretty dejected knowing the situation that we were in and it had a bad effect on us coming in.”
Brady Philibotte (one inning, one run, one hit), Williams (two innings, seven runs, seven hits), Keim (2.2 innings, two runs, three hits) and Joey Dykstra (0.1 innings, one hit) all took the hill for Weare, most of whom are not listed as pitchers on the roster.
Alex Moore, Nathan Innerfield, Hayden Nunley and Dykstra all had singles for Weare.
Jack Marshall (4-for-4, three doubles, four RBI, two runs), Liam Stott (2-for-4, run), Owen Carey, three runs, RBI, double, two walks), Brady Anderson (1-for-3, reached on error and fielder’s choice, two runs, two RBI) and Kevin Rourke (two RBI) led Londonderry’s offense and Michael Crowley (four strikeouts, one walk, four hits allowed in six innings) was strong on the mound.
Post 65’s fortunes should improve for the remainder of the double elimination tournament as ace Austin Hazzard, who had the save against Nashua, was available to start in Sunday’s elimination game against Dover Post 8 (9-10). The game was not completed at press time.