NASHUA — After Saturday night’s mercy-rule loss, Weare Post 65 baseball was only one defeat away from elimination. The squad needed an ace in the hole. Luckily, Post 65 has one.
Austin Hazzard pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout, fanning nine batters to lead Weare (11-10) to a 4-0 victory over Dover Post 8 (9-11) on Sunday at the American Legion Senior State Tournament at Holman Stadium in Nashua.
The victory means that Weare lives to fight another day in the double elimination tournament and sets up a rematch with Nashua Post 3, the team that Post 65 upset in the opening round.
Catcher Noah Brent (1-for-4, two RBI) singled home Brady Philibotte (2-for-4, two runs) in the top of the first to give Weare a 1-0 lead.
Hazzard walked the first two Dover batters he faced in the game, but was lights out from there, only walking one more batter and allowing two hits – both singles for the rest of the game.
“When his breaking ball is working out well it really throws (batters) off,” Post 65 head coach Dennis Pelletier said. “He has a good rhythm to his pitching. When Austin is pitching he is in control of the entire field. … That’s why last year in the high school playoffs he was the most dominant player.”
The two Dover batters who singled didn’t get much further. Zephan Yoder singled in the fifth, but Hazzard picked him off at first. David Williams singled in the sixth, but catcher Brent threw him out attempting to steal second.
Hazzard led John Stark to the Division II championship title in 2021 and is now a relief pitcher for the New England College Pilgrims. He appeared in 17.2 innings and struck out 16 batters for NEC this past spring.
Nathan Innerfield (1-for-2, double, two walks) scored on sacrifice fly by Brent in the fifth for a 2-0 lead, and Alex Moore (1-for-4) and Philibotte both scored in the seventh when the Dover catcher overthrew third base (trying to pick off Moore) and the errant throw went into the outfield.
Weare’s defense played error-free ball and Hazzard put his stamp on the game by striking out the side in the seventh.
“We knew we had one ace in the hole and we had to play him in a certain situation,” Pelletier said. “When your back is against the wall and you can’t lose another game, that’s the call.”
Weare faced Nashua (18-3) at 4 p.m. on Monday. The winner took on Londonderry Post 27 (12-8) at 7 p.m. to determine who plays Concord Post 21 in the championship.
Games were not completed at press time.
In the first two games Concord Post 21 won with pitching and defense, but Sunday’s game showed Concord’s prowess at the plate.
All nine players in the Post 21 lineup had at least one hit, combining for 12 total as Concord took an early lead and held on for a 7-5 win.
The victory sends Concord (17-4) directly to Tuesday’s championship against an opponent to be determined based on Monday’s results.
Post 21 led 5-0 through two innings thanks to Nater Wachter (3-for-5, RBI, run), Trevor Smith (two-run double, run scored), Brooks Craigue (double, run), Cam McGonigle (1-for-3, walk, run) and Mike Stoddard (1-for-3, RBI, run, walk).
A two-run single in the bottom of the third by Jack Marshall (3-for-4, triple, three RBI, run) put Londonderry on the board to cut Concord’s lead to 5-2.
Ryan Kastle (2-for-4, run), Dawson Fancher (double), Kyle Martin (1-for-2, walk, hit by pitch) and Dan Revellese (RBI single, run) put together a rally in the fourth inning to go back up 7-2.
But Post 27 starter Kevin Rourke walked three in a row and Londonderry made a pitching change. Reliever Brady Gillis held Concord scoreless for the remaining 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out three.
Concord starter Simon Keary – a Penacook resident who plays for Merrimack Valley High School – went the distance on the mound, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out two and walking two, but didn’t let Londonderry get back in the game.
Keary’s seven-inning effort meant that Concord didn’t need to use any other pitchers in its rotation. That, plus an extra day of rest for everyone on Monday, means that Post 21 has nearly its entire arsenal of arms available for Tuesday’s championship.
If any other team is going to win the state title, it will have to beat undefeated Concord twice to get there. The first pitch of Tuesday’s championship is scheduled for 4 p.m., with a second game scheduled for 7 p.m. if Post 21 loses the first gam e.