Dan Keleher hates the system, and he’s not about to sugarcoat or deny his disdain, not even this year, as his Salem baseball team continues to win despite the conflicts the NHIAA’s playoff format creates for top seeds like the No. 1 Blue Devils.

With rules limiting a pitcher’s innings and consecutive starts, coaches like Keleher are forced to make a decision in a 16-team playoff format: throw your ace in the first round against the opposition’s top pitcher, or risk your season with your No. 2 against that stopper and try to save your No. 1 for the quarterfinals. The last two years Salem, despite a high seed, has fallen in the opening round.

“It certainly doesn’t give the top teams an advantage, you know, (No. 2) Keene got bumped by the No. 15 seed this year. I just don’t agree with it,” said Keleher. “Some people make suggestions we should go with a double elimination, and I understand that’s going to be a tough thing. But in my mind the solution is simple, and we used to do it. The top 12 make it, and the top four get byes. I mean, the regular season’s got to mean something.”

Despite earning no negligible advantage following a 16-4 regular season – outside of hosting a first-round contest – the Blue Devils advanced to the Class L semifinals with a 2-1 walkoff victory against Nashua South in a virtual home game for the underdogs at Nashua’s Holman Stadium on Saturday, June 7.

“It’s been a couple years since we’ve been here, but when you have a pitcher like (Nashua South’s) Dan Feehan on the mound, you expect a (close) game like this, and that’s what we got,” said Keleher. “Our guy did the same for us.”

Indeed, Larry Weymouth outpitched the South ace – who held Salem to five hits – with a three-hit gem of his own. He allowed one run while striking out nine batters.

But it was the late-inning heroics of Peter Allain that pushed Salem to the semis. After Josh Jones led off with a full-count walk, Joe Moritz came in to pinch hit and laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt. South’s first baseman overthrew the ball, and Jones advanced to third.

Hal Landers took a free pass to load the bases with no outs, then Allain stepped in and drove Jones home on a hard chopper that skipped past a diving third baseman.

“This team, I think they were freshmen the last time we were in the championship, so as far as being a team that’s used to being here, well, these guys aren’t,” said Keleher. “But they showed tonight, just like they showed (in a 4-0 win) against Dover in the first round, they have the poise to win these close ball games.”