BY SAPNA PATHAK
Eric MacDonald was excited and optimistic. It turns out he had good reason to be.
The Bedford all-star went 3-for-4 at the plate and held a surging Goffstown offense to one run in 5-plus innings of mound work.
In fact, it was hard to identify the main source behind MacDonald’s smile when his impressive outing concluded on Monday, July 2.
“I don’t really know what feels better,” said MacDonald, surrounded by his teammates after Bedford’s 5-1 District 1 Little League all-star win over Goffstown. “Getting all those hits feels good, but then again, stopping them from scoring any runs feels really good. I thought if I could hold them to one or two (runs) that would be good … I didn’t think I’d shut them out.”
MacDonald’s 12-to-6 curveball, powerful fastball and diving sinker were all the weapons the ace needed to quiet a Goffstown lineup that scored in double digits in the first three games of this year’s 11- and 12-year-old tournament.
Bedford’s all-stars struck early when MacDonald led off the first inning with a double and Ben Philbrick, battling back from an 0-2 count, drew a walk. With two on, catcher Andy Lalond crushed a three-run shot into the wind for a 3-0 Bedford lead.
“I knew it was gone as soon I heard the ball sound off the bat,” said Lalond of his center-field blast. “It was a good pitch, I got a good touch on it and sent it flying. I knew we had to score early because Goffstown’s really good and could come back quick if they wanted.”
Goffstown entered the game, at Bedford’s John Ho Sang Field, after handily beating Derry American, Suncook and Nashua. But it was the winners bracket semifinal match-up with Bedford its all-stars anticipated most.
“I tell ya,’ us coaches were really motivated to send them to the losers bracket,” said Goffstown coach Jeff Benjamin. “They did it to us last year, and now we’re back to moving our way through the losers bracket. We just hit a good pitcher tonight, but this is just one game, and as long as we keep our focus, there should be another meeting between us and them again.”
In his first season at the helm, Bedford manager Tony Spagnuolo agreed.
“It always seems to come down to Bedford and Goffstown playing the games that really matter,” he said.
This game did matter, and Bedford advances to the winners bracket final on Saturday, July 7, to face Manchester North at 1 p.m. Goffstown, meanwhile, faces an undetermined opponent on Monday, July 9, at 6 p.m.
Bedford extended its lead in the home-half of the third, scoring its fourth run when Goffstown starter, Nick Larose, walked in a run; Casey Schehl drew the walk to score Lalond.
Larose threw 71 pitches in 2 1/3 innings before giving way to reliever Ryan Sharby, who started the game at third base. Sharby gave up one run on four hits, striking out three; Larose allowed four runs on four hits, struck out four and walked three.
Mike O’ Donnell and first baseman Danny Ciruzzi accounted for Goffstown’s two hits. Goffstown’s lone run came in the sixth when left fielder Aleks Holms came around on a fielder's choice.
Philbrick took over for MacDonald after the starter exceeded Little League’s maximum pitch count of 85. Philbrick recorded the final three outs on 10 pitches via two forceouts and a strikeout.
“They have to get through us to get to their goal,” said Spagnuolo. “And we have to go through them to reach our goal. We were fully aware of what their offense is capable of, but Eric did a good job of keeping them off balance. I fully expect them to emerge, and we might have to see them again.”