BY JERRY LIPTAK

Each team at the District 1 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star tournament is good, and Lamprey River, with a roster full of fine athletes, is no exception. But after an opening-round win for the locals, it was a case of their good team running into simply better teams.

Following a 10-0, four-inning loss to Derry American on Saturday, June 30, Lamprey River was knocked from the tourney. The group also fell to Salem American on June 27, 9-0.

“This is a good group of guys,” said manager John Sytulek. “These last two games they haven’t hit at all, but they’re capable of much more than that.”

Early in the game against Salem American, it looked like Lamprey River was certainly capable. After leadoff hitter John Cooper of Candia grounded out on a close play at first, Jacob Gallant singled to center.

It was Lamprey River’s lone tournament hit for the next 10 innings.

Speedy Troy Pelletier reached base twice, once against Salem American in the third inning and another time against Derry American in the fourth inning. In that tourney-ending contest, Chris Souhlaris advanced Pelletier to second, and he scampered to third on a passed ball but was stranded there.

Clean-up hitter and pitching ace Jake Hamel came out of the Derry American game after one uncharacteristically wild inning. He easily retired the first two Derry hitters, but then Hamel walked four, contributing to two unearned runs that scored on an error.

The Candia native left the game with shoulder pain, having tossed 41 pitches.

That performance was in direct contrast to Hamel’s crisp 85-pitch effort – spanning 6 2/3 innings – in Lamprey River’s tourney-opening 3-1 victory against Manchester Central.

Following six scoreless frames, Hamel reached base in the top of the seventh. Then Lamprey River started to slug the ball.

First, Nate Mullen tripled, driving in Hamel. Then Collin Shaughnessy sent a fly ball to the left-field fence. It was caught, but Mullen hurried home on the sacrifice fly. A Pelletier single followed, then Mike Fitzpatrick tripled in Pelletier.

Central touched Hamel for a run in the home half of the seventh, but, with the tying runs on base, Gallant struck out the potential winning run to pick up the save.

Tim Hazam of Candia, John Tomasewski, Ben Sytulek, Zack Reardon, Jordan Richard and David Jenkins completed Lamprey River’s all-star roster.

The team is eligible to compete in the Fraser Tournament for squads with two losses in the District 1 tournament. Visit www.nhlittleleague.com for details.