BY RYAN O'CONNOR

For three innings it looked like Suncook, behind solid pitching and defense, was headed to the losers bracket final of the District 1 10- and 11-year old Little League all-star tournament.

But a 1-0 lead heading into the fourth quickly turned into a 9-1 defeat to neighboring Hooksett.

Suncook’s lone run came in the first inning when Kyle Haas reached on a single, then took second base on a passed ball. After Dillon Girard moved Haas to third on a base hit, Chris Gauss knocked him in on a fielder’s choice.

Shane St. Onge shut the opposition down for nine outs, but Hooksett’s offense broke through in the fourth inning with six runs and added three more in the fifth.

“Obviously, we would have liked to have played a tighter game, but once the snowball starts rolling down the hill, it’s tough to stop,”  said Suncook manager Mike Caraway. “I thought Hooksett was a tremendous team, and if we were going to lose, I’m glad it was to somebody close to home and not down in the southern part of the state.

“It’s nice to see this area represented by players that conduct themselves well on both sides.”

Though the season ended in defeat, Caraway said it was a successful run for Suncook, which finished 3-2 in the tournament, including a 9-3 opening-round victory over Windham, a 12-5 drubbing of Manchester East, and a 4-1 win over Lamprey River.

“We were really pleased to finish fourth in the tournament, there’s no doubt about it,” Caraway said. “You go in never knowing the types of teams you’re going to run into, but I thought the kids all represented Suncook well and had a great experience.”

Prior to its loss to Hooksett, Suncook’s lone defeat came in a 3-2 heartbreaker to Pelham in the winners bracket semifinals.

Had Suncook beaten Hooksett, it would have played Pelham again in the losers bracket final.

Game notes

Haas walked and singled in the game, and Gus Connely added a base hit. Gauss was hit by a pitch and had an RBI on a fielder’s choice.

St. Onge, Ricky Morin and Dylan Gage each walked once. Others contributing included Girard,  Kyle Rainville, Cody Merchant, Joe Caraway, Parker Heath and Kody St. Germain.