BY RYAN O'CONNOR
Hooksett assistant coach Jim White said his team’s No. 1 priority is to improve each year as it faces similar foes in postseason all-star play.
Last year, as 9- and 10-year-olds in the District 1 Little League all-star tournament, the team finished 3-2 and lost, 16-8, to Pelham.
This year, in the 10- and 11-year-old bracket, Hooksett avenged last year’s loss to Pelham with a 10-2 victory in the losers bracket finale and compiled a 5-2 record, losing both its games to offensive juggernaut Goffstown, including a 6-1 tournament championship defeat on Saturday, July 21.
“Winning is nice, but it’s really about constantly improving and coming together as a team, and they did that,” said White.
“Goffstown is a perennial winner, so next year, hopefully it’s the same thing. We beat Pelham this year. Maybe we come back and we’re the ones carrying the trophy next year.”
Though Hooksett allowed five home runs to Goffstown in a 11-1 loss June 30, knocking the locals into the losers bracket, manager Mike Boucher promised his team would limit Goffstown’s power in the rematch.
The District 1 champs went ahead in the top of the first inning, 2-0, but Hooksett quickly rebounded to keep the contest close.
Aidan White hit a one-out double and scored two batters later, when Drew Groves plated him with an RBI single, bringing the contest to 2-1.
The next inning, however, Goffstown scored four more runs. Still, Hooksett players maintained their focus and prevented the opposition from scoring again.
After White, Hooksett’s starting pitcher, kept Goffstown scoreless in the third, Matt Paradis pitched three innings, allowing one hit and fanning three.
But at the plate, Hooksett had difficulty grouping hits.
“It’s cliché, but we kept telling the kids, ‘It’s not over ’til it’s over.’ We’ve been hitting so well this year that we just said, ‘Keep your heads in it, try to stay patient at the plate, string some hits together, and make it a game,’” said White. “We started making some contact, but everything we hit was right at them, and they made some really nice plays to keep us from getting back in it.”
White reached base twice, as did Scott Robidoux, who singled and walked.
Others reaching included Groves on the RBI single, Brian Jutras on a base hit, and Cam St. George who drew a base on balls.
The elder White added that in the championship loss, much like the rest of the tournament, he was impressed with his team’s versatility.
“We never had one player stand out every single game,” he said. “Each time we played, different players stepped up and did something to make us win. Goffstown just prevented one or two players from really stepping up today.”
Hooksett’s contributors throughout the tournament included Reed Macey, Chris Moquin, Conner Boucher, Austin Sprague, Tanner Walls and Jake Parker.
Prior to the championship setback, Hooksett crushed Bedford, 20-8; edged Manchester West, 8-6; lost to Goffstown; squeaked past Manchester East, 2-1; slammed Suncook, 9-1; and took revenge on Pelham.