After losing six of their last seven games, the Pittsfield baseball team was searching for a parachute to stop the free fall.
The Panthers may have fumbled a bit trying to pull the ripcord on Thursday – they committed five errors and fell behind both early and late – but in the end they landed a critical 9-8, extra-inning win against visiting Nute.
“We needed it because we had been falling in the standings,” Pittsfield Coach Rob Stockman said. “We’re trying to stay out of that bottom four and if we can beat Epping (on Friday, Pittsfield’s next-to-last game of the regular season), and I think that’s a winnable game for us, we’re right back into that No. 8, No. 9 area, and we could have a home playoff game, you just never know.”
Nute (3-9) scored one in the top of the first and two in the third to take a 3-0 lead. The Panthers (6-8) came back with two in the fourth when Jesse Slater (1-for-3, three runs) scored on a double from Noah MacGlashing (2-for-4, three RBI), who eventually came home on an error, one of four Nute committed on the day.
The Rams replied with four in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead, but Pittsfield took advantage of a series of Nute miscues to make it 7-5 after six. The Panthers got one in the fifth when Brian Sullivan walked, stole second, stole third and came home on a passed ball. And Pittsfield used an error, a walk and three passed balls to plate two in the sixth.
Slater started a two-out, seventh-inning rally with a walk and a stolen base. He came home on a double from Casey Clark, who scored the tying run on a single up the middle from MacGlashing.
“One thing the kids have done all year is stay in it,” Stockman said. “They do battle back.”
It’s a good thing, because they had to battle back again after giving up an unearned run in the eighth. Devin Bedell, an eighth grader, led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and proceeded to steal second and third. After two failed attempts at a safety squeeze, Bedell came home on a passed ball to make it 8-8.
The Rams looked ready to retake the lead in the ninth when they loaded the bases with one out, but MacGlashing came on in relief to shut the door. The junior struck out the top two batters in Nute’s order on curveballs to end the threat and send the Panthers into bottom of the ninth with some momentum.
“That was really big for Noah and for us,” Stockman said. “We thought if we could get out of that inning we’d be in good shape because we had the top of the lineup coming up. We were feeling good right there.”
The feelings and faith in the top of the order were justified. Slater walked with one out, stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Nute pulled the infield in, but that didn’t help when MacGlashing hit a ground ball to the third baseman and he came home with it, but not in time to beat Slater’s slide.
“The boys went crazy and ran out onto the field and I had to reign them in a little bit,” Stockman said. “But you have to understand it, we’re such a young group – we start three freshmen, an eighth grader and three sophomores – so they were excited. And we needed that win.”
From coaches’ reports
Keene 9, Concord 5
Key players: Concord – Zach Miles (2 hits, RBI), Jared Grondin and Sean Fallon (pitched well in losing effort)
Highlights/key moments: Concord got out to a 2-0 lead before losing that and battling back to 8-5.
Coach’s quote: “Proud of the way the kids battled today.” – Concord’s Scott Owen
Records: Keene 13-3, Concord 4-11
John Stark 9, Lebanon 7, 8 inn.
Key players: Adam Tower (3-for-4, 2 RBI, game-winning hit), Aaron Robertson (3-for-3, RBI, 2 runs, SB), Derek Goldrick (2-for-4, RBI, double; 3 IP, 2 ER, win)
Highlights/key moments: On Wednesday in Lebanon, the Generals trailed 7-4 with two outs in the seventh before pulling out the extra-inning win. Egan Nickerson started the seventh-inning rally, Goldrick followed with a double and Wes Lamphere sent everyone home with a home run. In the eighth Caleb Morrison came through with a pinch hit single and Roberston followed with a single of his own before Tower plated them both with a single up the middle. Nickerson came on to work a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for the save.
Records: John Stark 10-2; Lebanon 4-10
Concord 16,
Manchester Memorial 2
Key players: Concord – Izzy Dunn (2-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R), Jill Dusseault (2-for-2, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R), Nicole Cacciola (2-for-4, triple, 2 RBI, run), Emmily Attocknie (2-for-2, RBI, run), Zoe Honigberg (triple, run), Franny Redlon (double, 2 R, RBI, SB), Haley Munroe (hit, run, RBI), Caitlyn Shea (win, 5 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 6 H, 5 K; 1-for-2, 2 BB)
Highlights/key moments: Concord sent 16 batters to the plate in the third inning, turning a 2-1 deficit into a blowout that ended in the fifth by the mercy rule.
Coach’s quote: “It was nice to get some hits, and Caitlyn pitched well for us.” – Concord’s Duke Sawyer
Records: Concord 6-9; Man. Memorial 4-12
Mascenic 7, Bishop Brady 4
Key players: Bishop Brady – Abby Santis (2 hits, RBI), Jamie Cookingham and Aniecia Vargas (double, run, RBI each) Jackie Hill and Becca Olson (single, SB)
Highlights/key moments: After being down 6-1 in the 6th inning, the Green Giants tacked on three runs but couldn’t complete the comeback when Mascenic added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning.
Coach’s quote: “I was proud of our players to make a game of it once we settled down and the bats woke up, but a case of too little, too late.” – Bishop Brady’s Freddy Rivera
Records: Mascenic 10-3; Bishop Brady 9-4
Nute 18, Pittsfield 8
Key players: Pittsfield – Heather Cole (2-for-3, BB 2 doubles), Bobbi-Jean Small (2-for-3 double, 2 walks), Kira Wood (2 walks, triple)
Coach’s quote: “We hit the ball well, just couldn’t put enough together.” – Pittsfield’s Buddy Carchide
Records: Nute 4-7; Pittsfield 0-13
Bishop Brady 17, Belmont 4
Key players: Bishop Brady – Bryce Johnson (9 goals, assist), Aidan Plumpton (3 goals, assist), Kyle Cioffi (2 goals, 3 assists), Colby Garcia (goal, assist), Cooper Nadeau (goal, assist), Connor Dougherty (goal)
Highlights/key moments: Bishop Brady led 14-4 after three and ran the clock out in the fourth.
Coach’s quote: “A nice win after losing to two very good teams. It’s been a long week for this team and we finally got back in the win column.” – Bishop Brady’s Justin Loring
Records: Bishop Brady 6-6; Belmont 1-10
Monadnock 17, Coe-Brown 4
Key players: Coe-Brown – Jacob Switzer (19 saves), Liam Taylor (2 goals), Ben Heyliger and Sam Godwin (goal)
Coach’s quote: “Tough end to a back-to-back against a very fast and aggressive team. Just couldn’t keep up with them.” – Coe-Brown’s Ryan Hanavan
Records: Coe-Brown 2-10; Monadnock 9-2
Concord 8, Salem 7
Key players: Concord – Steph Resnick (3 goals, assist) Christina Soule (2 goals), Becca Proulx, Tori Pelletier and Julia Ek (goal, assist each)
Highlights/key moments: It was a goal-for-goal game for the majority of the 50 minutes, with the game-winner coming from Ek with 2:50 left in the game.
Coach’s quote: “This was a big win for us. It came at a good time and we still have three more games left.” – Concord’s Steph Johnson
Records: Concord 5-7; Salem 4-8
Bishop Brady 21, Belmont 10
Key players: Bishop Brady – Shannon Drouin (5 goals), Isabel Leeming, Sam Will, and Alex Saco (3 goals each), Abbey Tremblay (2 goals), Sophia Palangas, Mary Anne Wiley, Dana Beauregard (goal)
Records: Bishop Brady 3-9; Belmont 1-10
Bow 14, Lebanon 10
Key players: Bow – Taylor Darrell (5 goals, assist), Amanda Murray (3 goals), Oliva Krause (2 goals), Pinky Fleury (10 saves)
Records: Bow 8-5; Lebanon 5-6
Portsmouth 6, Bishop Brady 3
Key players: Bishop Brady – Sydney Herrington (8-1 win at No. 1 singles; 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles); Ravalika Damerla (8-6 win at No. 2 singles; 8-6 win at No. 1 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: Ravalika Damerla earned an impressive 8-6 victory over an extremely tough opponent on the state’s best team, at No. 2 singles and then teamed with Sydney Herrington to upset the previously undefeated No. 1 doubles team from Portsmouth, completing the Brady duo’s undefeated season at No. 1 doubles.
Coach’s quote: “Portsmouth, with its 14-0 record, must be considered the number one team in the state, so we did well to take 3 points in this season-ending match. Portsmouth’s overall skill and depth make them the favorite to take the state title away from Hanover.” – Bishop Brady’s Lee Herrington
Records: Portsmouth 14-0; Bishop Brady 4-10