The rain and the hits kept coming for Goffstown’s 9- and 10-year-old Little League baseball all-stars, even when their coach wanted both to stop.

In the third and decisive game of the state championship series against Portsmouth on Wednesday, July 29, Goffstown, to say the least, started quickly.

After surrendering two runs in the top of the first inning, Goffstown struck for nine runs before a single out was recorded.

However, with a steady rain falling, both teams were aware of the chance the game would be stopped.

According to Little League rules, if the first inning has not been completed, the game is started over from the beginning.

If the opening frame is completed, the game resumes at the point weather halted it. So after opening a wide lead, manager Steve Bond instructed his team to swing at any pitch close to the strike zone.

“When we told the kids to do that, they looked at us in shock,” said Bond. “It went against what we had taught them, but we were worried that all of those runs were going to be erased.” Thirteen runs later, the inning ended after Goffstown ran into two outs.

“As a coach you’re not relieved to get outs,” said Bond. “But in this case we were.”

Ultimately, the weather didn’t shorten the game, but the mercy rule did, with Goffstown winning, 16-3, in four innings. A seven-run fifth inning for Portsmouth on July 25 led to an 8-3 loss for the locals, who needed two wins for a state title.

On July 26, Goffstown earned the first one by a 3-2 margin, setting up the winnertake- all finale.

Colby St. Pierre absorbed the loss in the opening game, but he earned a complete-game win in the closing contest. Bond said having three teams win titles during the 50th anniversary of Goffstown Junior Baseball was the perfect end of the summer.

“Goffstown has great tradition at all levels, and it really starts at the beginning,” said Bond. “This was really the icing.”

Championship team members include Cam Bond, Ryan Hall, Dakota Mulcay, Mickey Bridgeman, Nate Proulx, St. Pierre, Camden Gagnon, Ian MacDonald, Sam Heidenreich, Taylor Post, Alex Gamache, Robby Girardin and Jordan Cassette.