BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Suncook gave Bow its best effort, but could not pull out a victory as it was eliminated from the District 1 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star baseball tournament in a 10-9 loss on Monday, July 2.

Tim Coarre scored the first run of the game in the first inning after leading off with a walk. He came in from third when Tom Graziano was caught in a rundown.

After handing a 4-1 lead to Bow in the bottom of the inning, Suncook came right back to score two runs on a Logan David triple.

Bow scored again in the bottom of the inning, but Suncook plated two to tie the contest at 5-5.

In the top of the fourth, Suncook took an 8-6 lead on a two-run single by Zach Mabie, but could not hold on.

Following the game, Suncook’s manager, Keith Gates, said his focus in the back-and forth match-up was scoring more runs faster.

“This is what Little League is all about right here,” he said. “Neither team should feel bad.”

Two days earlier, the locals stayed alive in the tournament by defeating Manchester Central, 12-8, in what Gates called “a real seesaw battle.”

Autrey Gates started that game and pitched into the fifth-inning, throwing 87 pitches with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Colby Chown knocked in the two go-ahead runs in the fourth inning to put Suncook ahead, 8-6, and his team held on for the victory.

“We spread it around pretty good,” said the elder Gates. “Defensively, I can’t recall a single error. The other team hit the ball pretty well, but we contained it, if you can call giving up eight runs containing it.”

Game notes

Against Central, Graziano had two hits and three RBI.  David, Jake Devoe and McFarland each contributed two hits and two RBI, and Gates added another two hits and an RBI.

Mabie and Brad Shaefer each delivered a base hit.

The manager said his team moves to the Fraser Tournament in search of continued offensive success.