BY RYAN O'CONNOR

He made the promise. His team delivered.

Ernie Gauvin, manager of the Goffstown 10- and 11-year-old Little League all-star team, told fans to get to the District 1 title game early because his team would not wait to put runs on the board.

Gauvin made the guarantee 11 days earlier, following his team’s 7-2 defeat of Pelham in the winners bracket finale.

Then, as he did in the previous game, Gauvin selected the visitors dugout after winning the coin flip, giving his hitters first crack.

Goffstown didn’t win via the mercy rule, as it had in three of four prior tournament appearances.

It didn’t slam five home runs, as it did in an 11-1 win over Hooksett on June 30.

But the locals did score six times in the first two innings on  their way to a 6-1 victory.

After Zach Storro and Tom Hurley led with back-to-back doubles for a quick run, Hurley advanced to third base on a Griffin Barbaro ground out. Cody Fifty singled him home.

Hooksett scored once in the bottom of the first, but Pat Kelsey and Christian Hood hit consecutive doubles for Goffstown, answering immediately and initiating another offensive surge.

Storro hit into a fielder’s choice, but after the runners advanced on a passed ball, Hurley plated two more with his second two-bagger in as many innings. Barbaro again moved Hurley to third on a ground out, and, after Fifty walked, Kyle Indingaro capped Goffstown’s scoring with a two-run double.

“We still hit. After another long period of time (off), they came ready to play again,” said Gauvin, whose team averaged 15 runs per game in the tourney. “It’s hard (for an opponent) to come back after that, when you make your impression early. These kids are hitters, and they earned this – going undefeated throughout the state division title.”

Because District 2 doesn’t offer a 10- and 11-year-old all-star team to face the District 1 champs, Goffstown essentially won the state title with the victory.

By winning the game, the team brought Goffstown its second Little League District 1 championship in the last week, following the 9- and 10-year-old team which took the title seven days earlier.

Following the match-up, Hooksett assistant coach Jim White recognized Goffstown’s continued excellence.

“Goffstown is a perennial contender,” said White. “They just shut us down and didn’t let any of our players step up and get us back in the game.”

Game notes

Hood pitched a five-strikeout complete game, allowing one run on five Hooksett hits.

In addition to Hurley’s two doubles, he walked once in the three-RBI effort.

Fifty worked two walks, in addition to his RBI base hit, and Indingaro notched a double, a single and two RBI.

Mike MacNeilly and Ben Genest each added a single, and Kyle Gauvin and Ashton Florence both reached by fielder’s choice.

Others contributing to the championship were Jacob Zylak and Ben Couture.