Salem Observer : Salem, baseball

Salem American wins four straight to take Fraser Tournament

Salem Editor — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:14:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Brett Barrett helped Salem American’s 11- and 12-year-old all-star baseball team end the Fraser Tournament in style.

Barrett, the starting shortstop, made a diving stop in the hole, then threw to first baseman Pat McCarty, who picked the ball out of the dirt, capping a 14-0 win over Manchester North and the tournament victory on Friday, July 24.

Salem pounded out the 14 runs on 14 hits, and Josh Perreault pitched four innings, striking out six batters for a mercy-rule complete-game victory. In Little League District 1 play and the Fraser and Salem tournaments, Perreault threw 19 innings and allowed no runs.

Barrett, who collected two hits and three RBI, led the offense, while Austin Hall drove in two runs, Justin McQuarrie added three hits and two runs scored, Trevor Couture delivered two hits, and Matt Meisner, Bob Dortona, Derek Britner and Dan Barbin had one hit apiece.

In consecutive losses in its first two games of District 1 play, Salem managed just two runs, but in four Fraser games the team racked up 41.

Manager Gary Barbin said his team’s approach at the plate in the Fraser Tournament was the same as during district competition, despite the run differential.

“We did everything we did in districts, except the bats just came alive,” said Barbin. “In district play if you get a tough draw and the bats go silent, you’re going to get a quick exit.”

Almost as impressive as American’s offensive explosion against North was its ability to shut down the Manchester bats, which produced 37 runs in three games entering the Fraser championship.

Perreault limited the opponents to two harmless hits during the four-inning game.

Salem knocked off Nashua, Derry National and Auburn before cruising to victory in its last contest.

“Getting them up and excited for every game and practice was easy,” said Barbin. “They still had that bad taste in their mouth after districts, and this was able to help them get that out a little bit.”

The Salem roster included Dan Barbin, Barrett, Britner, Couture, Dortona, Hall, Andrew Hulshult, McCarty, McQuarrie, Miesner, Perrault and Anthony Salvo.

While it wasn’t the trophy American players had hoped to earn entering the summer, Gary Barbin said the experience of winning the Fraser bracket still improves his players’ development.

“It’s still very good baseball,” said Barbin. “It was exciting that with the caliber of play we faced that we were able to come out on top.”

Tough start in losers’ bracket final means end to Salem National’s season

Salem Editor — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:46:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Salem National’s bats went silent in its final two games, but the locals still made plenty of noise during the Little League District 1 baseball tournament.

The 11- and 12-year-olds were eliminated following an 8-3 loss in the losers’ bracket final to eventual District 1 champion Bedford on Thursday, July 16, ending a lengthy tournament run that included four victories.

While Jeremy Bagley allowed four first-inning runs, he also showed a great deal of composure, settling into a groove in the middle innings and giving his team a chance to come back.

In its previous game, a winners’ bracket final loss to Windham, Salem was blanked without managing a single base runner.

“You just can’t start the game slow,” said National manager Paul Soucy. “This is the second game in a row, and it did us in. But I was still proud of the way we fought to stay in the game.”

John Cerretani did his best to help Salem climb back within striking distance, launching two majestic solo home runs; one landed well in the woods behind Goffstown’s Villa Augustina field.

Cerretani also delivered an RBI single in the top of the first that temporarily gave his team a 1-0 edge.

“You’d love to have a few more John Cerretanis on your team,” said Soucy. “We ran into a combination of quiet bats and great pitching. We knew that’s what we were going to be in for, and good pitching beats good hitting.”

Despite his team’s elimination, Soucy said he believed this was the best performance of any Salem team in District 1 play.

Unfortunately for Salem, the game served as redemption for Bedford after National handed the champs their only loss of the tournament, 3-2, on July 9.

After knocking off Salem, Bedford conquered Windham in consecutive games to earn a match up with Portsmouth, the District 2 representative.

Twelve-year-old members from this year’s National team were Cody Soucy, Ricky Covino, Cerretani, Bagley, Jason Michalsky, Tyler Pickett, Reed Grubbs, Jake Shepley and Jacob Genest. Paul Soucy said the deep run should help the players as they move to the 90- foot diamond.

The team also featured three 11-year-olds – Kenny Calabrese, Dominic Palermo and Zach Martineau. Soucy added these ballplayers, all eligible for all-star play in 2010, gain an obvious edge.

“We had some kids who were new to this level of baseball. For the kids staying at this level, the experience is second to none, and this season was a great way for the 12-yearolds to end their Little League careers,” said Soucy. “This was just a tremendous group of boys to coach.”

Salem National edges Bedford

Salem Editor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:26:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Three days prior to their winners’ bracket setback to Windham, Salem National overcame an early 2-0 deficit to nip Bedford, 3-2, at Joseph A. Bergeron Memorial Field in Salem.

Jeremy Bagley earned the win for National, throwing a complete game for the locals.

Salem fell behind in the bottom of the first inning when Bagley surrendered a two-run home run. But he grew stronger as the game progressed. By the sixth inning, he was in complete control. In fact, it was Bagley’s lone one-twothree inning.

National tied the game in the top of the second. Cody Soucy and Dominic Palermo both walked to open the frame. After Bagley bounced into a fielder’s choice, Both Soucy and Palermo scored on Tyler Pickett’s RBI groundout and a subsequent error.

After Bagley worked around a jam in the bottom of the second – one of many he faced – Salem took the lead for good in the top of the third. With one out, John Cerretani singled up the middle.

He stole second and third, ultimately scoring on Cody Soucy’s RBI to left.

Salem National pitches, defends, hits … and wins

Salem Editor — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:13:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Salem National is making a pitch for a deep tournament run, hoping to ride its duo of strong arms past the semifinals of the Little League 11- and 12-year-old District 1 tournament.

The locals outlasted Auburn, 4-2, in the first round of the bracket on June 29 to earn a match up with Hooksett. Salem won the baseball game, 5-4, on Wednesday, July 1.

After its second-round victory, National cruised into the semifinals on Friday, July 3, by pounding Bow, 11-1, to set up a home contest with Bedford that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 8.

A win sends the team to the winners’ bracket finals on Saturday, July 11.

John Cerretani allowed just one run in the two games he pitched so far this summer for National, while Jeremy Bagley held Hooksett down long enough to help set his team up for a dramatic win.

With the score tied at 4-4 in the top of the sixth inning, leadoff hitter Ricky Covino blasted a ball off the base of the foul pole in right field for an RBI double that provided the difference against Hooksett.

“Their ability to pick up on the execution things we’ve been doing has been a huge surprise to me,” said manager Paul Soucy. “So far it’s been pitching and timely hitting that have been huge for us.”

Covino also added a home run in the first round against Auburn, and John Cerretani jolted a home run in the tilt with Hooksett before contributing two doubles in the win over Bow.

Salem’s defense has also been a critical factor, with right fielder Kenny Calabrese backing up an overthrow and gunning down a Hooksett base runner attempting to scamper back to first late in the game.

Woodbury rolls to pair of postseason wins, takes title

Salem Editor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:31:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

During its regular-season meetings with Hudson and Londonderry, Woodbury Middle School won by a combined five runs.

The postseason was a different story.

After a first-round bye in the Tri-County tournament, the Warriors pounded out 33 runs in two games to cruise to the league title.

On June 2, Woodbury blasted Londonderry, 18-1, in the semifinals, pounding out 19 hits in only four innings of play against a team that took the Warriors to nine innings during the regular season. Woodbury followed that dominating performance with another mercy-rule win when facing Hudson in the league final.

Hudson jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Warriors scored 15 unanswered runs and earned a 15-3 victory on June 5, also in four innings.

In two abbreviated playoff games, the Warriors smashed 35 hits and scored 33 runs, led by Samantha Cloutier’s 5-for- 8 performance that included eight runs scored.

Kaitlyn Arsenault was also 5-for-8 and scored five runs, while Rachel Morrissey and Amanda Bickford were each 5-for-7 and Jillian McCollgan and Rachel Murphy went 4- for-5 apiece.

Of the 35 hits in the two games, 31 were singles, and Woodbury batted .583 as a team.

“The whole focus was to start learning to make adjustments to pitches,” said head coach Rino Beninati. “If they weren’t able to catch up on the fastball or they had two strikes on them, they were just trying to make contact. They weren’t going to smash the ball, but they weren’t going to strike out.”

Beninati said he was most impressed because his offense turned in such a dominating performance against pitchers who had previously proven to be among the better arms in the Tri-County League.

Beninati was particularly pleased that 20 of his squad’s 33 runs crossed the plate with two outs.

While winning the championship was an accomplishment for his team, Beninati said he is more focused on the contributions his players can make once they leave him.

“We’ve won many titles, to the point where you don’t remember the records or who you beat. It’s about the program, and it starts before me,” said Beninati. “When I look at how well the high school does, that’s the goal. We want to prepare them to be a part of that. Winning is secondary.”

The mentor said the key to his team’s success was the focus on fundamentals and repetition.

Despite having many successful teams, Beninati hasn’t had a team swing the way this year’s Warriors did in the playoffs.

“I’ve had teams that were much more talented than this one,” said Beninati. “I’ve never had anyone who’s performed that well before.”

Timberlane flashes leather, crashes Salem’s party

Salem Editor — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:25:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Salem High filled the air with well-struck fly balls during a first-round Class L baseball playoff game. Yet Timberlane gloves, similar to gravity, were a force SHS couldn’t avoid.

The ninth-seeded Owls played flawless defense, deflated a last-inning rally and knocked the eighth-seeded Blue Devils from the tournament with a 4-1 win at Michele Park on Thursday, June 4. Salem’s first 18 outs went as follows: a pair of strikeouts, two runners caught stealing and 14 fly ball, line drive or pop up outs.

It wasn’t until the locals chased Timberlane starter Matt Faia that the Owls recorded a ground ball out. The Blue Devils entered the last half of the seventh and final inning in a 4-0 hole, but Darren Brown lined a single to left to open the frame. Sam Fazzioli then leaned into a Faia offering, putting runners at first and second and raising the decibel level on Salem’s bench and among the crowd.

When Josh Treff followed with an RBI single to left, the tying run came to bat. Timberlane countered with its star hurler, P.J. Singster, who induced a grounder to shortstop, foul pop behind home plate and comebacker to eliminate Salem.

“They made the plays, four or five of them. There’s not much else we could’ve done,” said Salem’s head coach, Dan Keleher. “We did as well as we could (at the plate) to win this game – as far as our approach – but no regrets.”

Salem starter Jake Lambert struggled early and wasn’t helped by some tough luck: in the second inning, three infield singles and a bad-hop hit to left, along with a bases loaded walk and clean single, plated two Owls in the second.

An error and walk to open the top of the third forced Keleher to call on Nick Poore, who retired the next three Timberlane hitters, but not before another Owl scooted home. A bunt single plated the visitors’ final run in the fifth.

Time and again, Timberlane’s outfielders were tested. In every instance, they made the plays. The top of Salem’s lineup – Jordan Estevez, Matt Gioia and Josh Heil – was sent back to the bench after especially hard outs.

The Blue Devils, 11-9 entering the postseason, lose Heil, Lambert and Jerry Acosta to graduation. The entire team, said Keleher, earned his thanks for their efforts in 2009.

“You can’t be disappointed with their approach. Not every coach gets to have a group of kids like this,” he said. “I’m sorry the season is over.”

Salem’s arms, defense mean team should be a tough tourney out

Salem Editor — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:42:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Salem Blue Devils are right where their head coach expected them to be, but Dan Keleher said his team should be able to exceed expectations.

Salem finds itself in the middle of the Class L postseason picture with an 8-7 record, but the Blue Devils need to find offensive firepower to return to where last season ended – in the state title game.

Keleher’s team has averaged little more than four runs per game, an issue the mentor anticipated entering the year.

“In certain areas, like defense, they’re up to par. It’s just been a lack of offense that has gotten us so far,” said Keleher. “It’s something that we predicted.”

The struggles at the plate may be partially explained by the opponents on the mound; Keleher said his lineup has seen just about every team’s No. 1 pitcher. The coach said the experience bodes well for his team entering the postseason since the players know what to expect from potential playoff foes.

For the Blue Devils to make another deep tournament run this year, they need to continue to pile up solid performances from starting pitchers Nick Poore and Jake Lambert.

Both have been consistent this year, with two of Poore’s setbacks coming against Central and Keene, when his offense mustered a combined two runs.

“Some people say you need three starters to be successful, but you definitely need two to go deep in the tournament,” said Keleher. “There are a lot of teams that have that, but our guys are just as good as anyone else’s aces.”

One of the most consistent aspects for the Blue Devils has been the middle-infield play of second baseman Matt Gioia and shortstop Jordan Estevez, who also hit at the top of the order.

Keleher said the two play defense so well that anything they add offensively is a bonus.

Captain Josh Heil showed his leadership skills after seeing his team struggle to find someone to fortify the center field position with any success. Heil, who started the year as a third baseman, volunteered to make the move to the outfield, where he has played for the last five games.

“It’s not surprising. He’s done everything since the winter for these guys,” said Keleher. “The amount of respect they show every day is evident. He’s a great team leader.”

Despite hovering around the .500 mark, Keleher knows the Class L bracket is wide open.

“With solid pitching, which we have, you can be in the semifinals in what seems like the blink of an eye,” said the coach. “Once you get there, anything can happen.”

While bats stay hot, Salem slips slightly in standings

Salem Editor — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Harold Sachs doesn’t flash many signs from the third base coach’s box, but there is one he frequently sends to his batters.

Swing.

Salem High is averaging close to 10 runs per game, a stat helped by a 32-0 season-opening victory over West.

It isn’t often Sachs gives the bunt signal.

“The girls get to the plate, look at me for a sign, and I just want them to swing,” said Sachs. “To us, to give up an out by choice doesn’t make any sense. That’s helping (the opponent) out. We would rather get up there and swing.”

Despite scoring six runs on Wednesday, May 6, in a home contest with Concord, the Blue Devils dropped a second consecutive decision, falling 9-6 to the Crimson Tide.

After allowing a firstinning run to now 9-1 Concord, Salem bounced back quickly with three runs in the home half of the frame, capped by shortstop Amanda Vaudreuil’s two-run single.

But Concord struck for five runs in the third and three in the fifth, and Salem was unable to respond.

Though Sachs had hoped to make a statement against the team now tied for first place in Class L play, he was happy to see the noise his batters made against a formidable foe in Crimson Tide pitcher Paige Hansen.

“Our upside is that we were able to score six runs,” said Sachs. “There weren’t a lot of gifts. We just hit the ball well.”

Another bright spot for Salem was the pitching performance of Nora Galvin, who came on in relief to strike out nine batters during five innings in the circle.

Galvin has been overpowering this season, taking the loss in a 1-0 setback to Alvirne on May 6, despite not allowing a hit until a two-out home run in the seventh.

In the outing before that, Galvin came within two outs of a no-hitter.

“We’re still very frustrated. We believe we should be playing much better defense,” said Sachs, whose team sports a 7-3 record. “(Concord) is clearly a step above us, but as long as you’re ready to go at the end, that’s all that matters.”

Salem battles, betters host West with last-inning rally

Salem Editor — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:54:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The third time wasn’t a charm, it was a relief. After apparently tying the game twice, only to have the runs wiped off the board, Salem completed a 6-4 comeback victory against West to open the baseball season on April 15, at Gill Stadium.

Trailing in the top of the sixth inning, 4-3, Shaun Yelle smacked a single to open the frame and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Josh Treff.

Sam Fazioli appeared to tie the game with an RBI double, but as the next Blue Devil hitter dug into the box, the home plate umpire ruled Yelle had stepped over home plate, and he was the second out of the inning, which ended a batter later.

Then in the top of the seventh, pesky Matt Gioia came around from first base to knot the score on an errant throw, but he was sent back to third after umpires decided the ball had left the field of play.

This time Salem bounced back with consecutive clutch hits to take the lead for good. Josh Heil’s RBI single evened things up, and Darren Brown put his team on top with a two-RBI base hit.

“We really didn’t hit until the seventh inning,” said head coach Dan Keleher. “We couldn’t get in a situation to bunt and make things happen. We needed a walk to get things going, and then a clutch hit.”

This season, Keleher is relying on the small ball approach – bunting, stealing – after 13 seniors graduated from the slugging 2008 team that narrowly lost in the state title game.

Treff, who caught some last year, and Heil are the only players with varsity experience. Heil played shortstop in ’08 before converting to third base this season.

“Last year we hit all the way through the lineup,” said Keleher. “I think these guys will scratch a few more runs out. Last year there wasn’t a lot of sacrifice bunting. You’ll see more of that from this team.”

Gioia, hitting ninth in the order, was 0-for-1 on the day, but sparked both run-scoring innings for the Blue Devils.

In addition to scoring the game-tying run after walking in the seventh, the second baseman led off the third with a walk, stole second and later scored the first of three Salem runs in the frame.

Keleher said it was a boost for his inexperienced team to come from behind in its first game of the year.

“I followed these guys all the way up. It’s basically the JV team from last year,” the coach said. “That’s the type of kids they are. They’re never going to be out of a game. It is a confidence boost, but I had a lot of confidence in them to begin with.”

Salem Little League's 14s come close but fall to Goffstown, then Keene at states

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:36:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Salem’s 14-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team had eased past Keene with a 3-0 victory earlier in the state tournament, but Keene grabbed a more important win, eliminating Salem, 2-1, in the losers bracket final on Saturday, July 26.

After reaching the final of the winners bracket, Salem lost consecutive games, unable to muster an offensive attack. The winners bracket final was twice rained out before Goffstown came back for a 6-2 victory on Friday, July 25. Goffstown scored one run in the bottom of the fifth to cut Salem’s lead to 2-1, then the locals walked four batters in a five-run Goffstown sixth.

“That was just one bad inning for us,” said Salem’s manager, Al McQuarrie. “We just had some luck that didn’t go our way. We couldn’t answer after that. I thought it was evenly matched, and we were with one another throughout. Both pitchers were doing well keeping each other off the bases.”

Despite the loss, Salem was still alive in the final of the losers bracket on Saturday, July 26, hoping to earn a spot in the state title game later that afternoon.

But Keene jumped to a 2-0 lead and never relinquished it. Salem scored one run on a defensive error.

“We were anxious to play, so I don’t think the rainouts affected us too much,” said Mc- Quarrie. “We didn’t hit that well (against Goffstown), and we didn’t hit that well in the game against Keene. The kids had been hitting much better previous to that. Perhaps that cooled our bats down.”

In the loss to Keene, Salem starting pitcher Evan Breen came in to replace injured starting pitcher Paul Trabuco, and did so successfully. Breen didn’t allow a hit in his three innings of relief.

Joe Morin, Brendan Dunn, Sean Swansen, Mike Downing and Brandon Travaglini collected Salem’s only hits against Keene, while Downing and Morin each chipped in two hits in the loss to Goffstown.

Dunn was 1-for-3 in the loss to Goffstown with the team’s only RBI. The only other run scored on a balk.

McQuarrie said he expects the team to challenge for the tournament title again next season.

“They’re a very strong group of kids, and they were just a little off at the plate,” he said. “I think you’ll see them next year in the thick of things.”

Salem American pushes state champs to final inning of final game

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:17:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Those who follow sports know momentum often carries over from one game to another. But those who know baseball understand momentum isn’t nearly as important as the next contest’s starting pitcher.

Salem American’s 8- and 9- year-old Little League all-stars, 11-2 losers in game one of the best-of-three state championship, rebounded and took a 14- 5 lead into the final inning of game two. Portsmouth scored seven runs before American recorded the final out, forcing a third and deciding contest on Sunday, July 27, in Belmont. There, Salem’s Jake Dufton pitched 3 1/3 innings of nearly shutdown ball, helping his team take a 5-1 lead in the rubber match.

“We’ve faced (Dufton) before, but he was using a change up, and he had some of our bigger guys off balance,” said Portsmouth coach Joe Arsenault. “He pitched a great game. He did everything he had to do to keep his team in it, and they were in it right to the end, for sure.”

Still, Portsmouth stormed back to take an 8-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth, before the local all-stars, behind the bats of Matt Vartanian, Matt Meisner, Max Greeley, Johnny Cail and Jake Sylvester, proved equally resilient, knotting the contest in the top of the fifth.

A Portsmouth run in the bottom of fifth and two stranded Salem runners in the top of the sixth relegated American to second place, 9-8.

“They’re a very disciplined team over there,” said Arsenault. “They make you pitch, and when your pitchers start to struggle, they’re not going to start chasing bad pitches. They hurt our pitching, I mean we climbed in the pitch counts … but in baseball, usually the team that hits the ball more wins … and unfortunately only one team gets to run around the field with the banner.”

That’s true, said Salem manager Fred Russo, which is why he said the final game was a fitting conclusion to both team’s runs.

“It was a great series, and this is how it should have ended. This shouldn’t have been a blowout by either team,” said Russo.

“You need to get lucky to make a run like this, too,” he added “You can have all the talent in the world and most teams can’t make a run like this, but our kids got a little lucky, and they had that mindset and that attitude that they were never going to quit.”

After being mercy-ruled in their opening-round contest against Windham, the boys won nine games in a row to wear the District 1 crown.

Even then, few people gave them much of a chance against Portsmouth, a perennial District 2 and state power in all age groups.

Yet there they were, one shot away from slaying Goliath.

“I don’t think people thought we were the best Salem team in the tournament to start, and we made our run and I think we surprised a lot of teams,” said Russo. “I don’t think these Portsmouth guys were surprised by us. I think they were expecting a battle.”

Arsenault, however, admitted his players may have taken Salem lightly after the first game blowout.

“Even though they say they won’t, even though the coaches told them not to, parents plan parties. They hear the murmurs. They know they beat the team by 10 … What they don’t realize is Windham beat them by 10, and then they 10-runned Windham,” he said. “Today, nobody was taking anything for granted. They knew today was the last day of baseball, regardless.”

Team notes

Each and every player contributed with either their bat, their glove or their arm, said Russo.

Jake Sylvester, Johnny Cail, Max Greeley, Matt Meisner, Matt Vartanian, Jake Pappalardo, Nick Shumski, Anthony Russo, Kyle Nagri, Connor Greenfield, James Dohil and Jake Dufton had a hand in Salem’s run.

Coaches Bryan Sylvester, Stan Dogil and Chris Greeley, added Russo, put in countless hours of patience and dedication.

After opening-round loss, Salem American Little League team wins District 1

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:27:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Not many would have figured it after their 10-3 opening-round loss to Windham. Not even Fred Russo, coach of the Salem American 9- and 10-yearold Little League all-stars, could have made the prediction.

But on Sunday, July 20, the locals won their ninth-straight elimination game – including a 13-3 mercy-rule triumph against that same Windham team – to take the District 1 title.

“We were bad. To be honest with you, we were horrible,” said Russo. “We started off barely beating teams we should have beat, and then we got to the point where we were winning games against teams we had no business beating. That was our battle cry, though, ‘We want it more.’”

They certainly didn’t make it easy on themselves.

One day after handing Goffstown its first tournament loss by nailing a runner at the plate for the final out in a 4- 1 win, they came back from a 6-0 fourth-inning deficit to defeat the same foe, 8-7. Matt Meisner delivered the final blow, driving Matt Varanian home in the bottom of the sixth inning to give his squad the walk-off victory.

“I think it’s safe to say that was the biggest hit of his life,” said Russo.

“Wow, what a fantastic run by these kids,” he added. “This is just incredible. I mean, we were devastated in the fourth inning, but they never gave up. They kept battling, and once you get your confidence back, that’s the key.”

Anthony Russo, Nick Shumski, Jake Pappalardo, Jake Dufton, Max Greeley, Johnny Cail, Jake Sylvester, Connor Greenfield and James Dogil each found a way to contribute with their bat or glove.

Shumski started the contest on the mound and prevented a hot-hitting Goffstown fire from spreading, and Greeley came into the contest in the fourth inning and put out the flames for good.

“So many kids played different roles on this team,” said Russo. “There were no superstars on this team, no one person that carried this team. It was everybody, and that’s what made this such a magical season.”

Salem American was scheduled to open the best-of- three state finals against District 2 champ Portsmouth on Wednesday, July 23. Game two is set for Saturday, July 26, at 12 p.m. at Belmont.

“Our guys, they’re battlers. They never quit,” said Russo. “I don’t know what the challenge is going to bring … Portsmouth is obviously a very good team, but so are we, so it should be a great series.”

Bedford rolls past Salem National in Little League losers bracket

Salem Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:48:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

When Bedford took the diamond in the losers bracket quarterfinals on Monday, July 14, the team in the opposite dugout, Salem National, held the advantage of a week’s worth of rest. Yet Bedford remained game-tested by winning twice in that span. At the end of the day, tested beat rested.

Bedford limited a potent National lineup to one hit and earned a 8-1 victory to advance to the losers bracket semifinal.

“We had a seven-day layoff, so we were a little rusty out there,” said Salem National’s manager, George Morin. “You know, we practiced, even had some professional batting coaches help us, but sometimes that’s what you get.

“Twenty-eight teams entered the tournament, and we ended up No. 6. That’s something to be proud of,” he continued. “There’s a lot of good teams here, and Bedford is as solid as I’ve seen.”

Bedford’s manager, David Cassidy, said the additional games helped his squad.

“We are definitely rolling,” he said. “We’ve won three in a row, the bats are alive, the pitching is good, everybody is hitting, everybody is contributing.”

The game was close for the first four and a half innings. Taylor Grande doubled Xander Kalil home in the second to give Bedford an early lead. Bedford padded its lead when John Cassidy led off with a single and was driven home on a David Cannone triple. Ryan Bliss notched a base hit to push Cannone across the plate, giving Bedford a 3-0 lead in the third.

Then Salem National pitcher Dominic Gigante took over. He struck out the next three batters and led off the next inning with a towering home run to straight-away center field. That was the lone hit given up by Bedford starter Cameron Meservey.

Gigante held Bedford down in the bottom of the fourth, but a series of tough bounces and errant throws in the fifth inning aided a five-run Bedford outburst, and Kalil closed the game out from the mound in the top of the sixth.

“I thought we were going to take it back, but we just couldn’t get a hop,” said Morin. “I give (Bedford) credit, they put the bat on the ball.”

In addition to Gigante, those contributing during Salem’s 3-2 tournament run include Alexander Mahn, Kole Ouellette, Cody Soucy, Daniel Morin, Sean Watson, Austin Wilson, Carleton Beaulieu, Zachary Guilmet, Zachary Fuller, Jared Williamson and Santino Brancato.

Salem baseball falls to Goffstown in Class L finale

Salem Editor — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:50:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Matt Benson didn’t want to imagine it any other way.

Dan Keleher had something different in mind.

On Saturday, June 14, at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester, it was Benson who got his wish.

The fifth-year Goffstown baseball coach watched his nine seniors carry their teammates on their shoulders and across the threshold for the first Class L championship in program history.

Keleher, who three years ago led Salem to a state title, was forced to say goodbye to 13 of his leaders following a heartbreaking 4-3 loss.

“I told them they’re kids, and it’s going to take them a little while to not be mad or sad at this, but I will never think negatively about these kids,” said Keleher. “They’ve done so much for the town of Salem baseball.”

Still, Keleher admitted if his squad were to lose, he couldn’t think of a better rival to shake hands with following the game.

“We’re pretty close, Matt and I. We talk a lot in the offseason, and watch a lot of Babe Ruth games together in the summer,” he said. “I know all those guys. They’re a good, solid ball club and they’re evenly matched with our guys. They’ve had some battles since they were in Little League.“

In fact, Keleher said if the two high school squads played 10 times, the outcome would undoubtedly be 5-5.

The most recent contest, he added, may have been the most competitive title game he’s witnessed.

“It’s probably up there in the tops,” he said. “I mean, we had runners in scoring position in the seventh with less than two outs. We had a chance to do it and we didn’t.”

Indeed, Salem produced many opportunities throughout the contest.

After falling into a 2-0 hole in the third inning, and then losing another run in the fourth, the Blue Devils battled back. In the bottom of the fourth, Joe O’Dell and Kyle Johnson led off with back-to-back singles, and Larry Weymouth walked to load the bases.

After two quick outs, Brad White came into the game and notched a pinch-hit single to bring home O’Dell and pinch runner Mark Bergeron.

Weymouth and Matt Hardy kept Goffstown at bay from the pitching mound, and in the sixth inning Salem once again juiced the bases – this time with one out. Junior Josh Jones took a free pass to bring Greg Bates home and tie the contest.

But in the seventh inning, Goffstown plated the go-ahead run and put the pressure back on Salem. O’Dell and Johnson again reached with no outs – this time on walks – and then advanced on a passed ball.

After two outs, Hardy was hit by a pitch load the bases for the third time in the game, but the Blue Devils never produced the tying run.

Though the loss stung, Keleher said the bitter ending takes nothing away the team’s many accomplishments this season.

“Losing in the first round (the last two years), it’s devastating, but the end is so quick you don’t have a lot of time to reflect,” he said. “We have so many memories of the last three playoff games with these guys. It’s easy to look back and say we had a tremendous season.”

Despite graduating the majority of his team Keleher said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Salem is right back at the top of Class L next season.

“We had a pretty competitive JV team, you know, 19-4, but I don’t use teams like rebuilding or reloading. We just come out here every year and try to put a winning team on the field.

“We’ll be OK. We’re going to be right in the mix again.”

In addition to O’Dell, Bates, Hardy, Johnson, Weymouth and White, the Blue Devils graduate Hal Landers, Joe Moritz, Peter Allain, Greg Gardner, Ryan Phillips, Eric Perrault, and Matthew Peters.

Three for all – Young trio teaches younger charges on the diamond

Salem Editor — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:11:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Will Demars and Tim Costa have been playing baseball together since they were 10 years old.

A year later, Peter Catalano made the same Pelham Little League all-star team as Demars and Costa.

The three have been practically inseparable since, maintaining an on-the-diamond bond that has lasted through Little League, Babe Ruth, high school and three seasons of American Legion baseball.

Now, with their baseball careers primarily in the past – Costa still plays for Division III Thomas College in Waterville, Maine – the Pelham trio has found a new way to share their summers.

They are coaching the Salem American Legion junior baseball team, a first-year program for developing 15- to 17-year-old players into high school stars and legitimate college prospects.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Costa, Catalano and Demars helped build the legion program from the ground
up, winning two games four years ago in its first season, four games the next year, then 13 wins and a playoff appearance in 2006.

And John Ryan, who managed the three on the Legion’s senior team for three years and runs the Post 63 program, said he could not find a better group to tutor his future players.

Ryan, coaching for more than 25 years, said Demars is the toughest baseball player he has ever met, something he knew would rub off on the younger players.

“I mean, he was hit 18 times last year, his on-base percentage was .600, and he’s an outstanding catcher,” said Ryan. “He doesn’t necessarily have a lot of great natural ability. He’s a good athlete, but he always pushed himself to get to that next level on sheer desire.”

Catalano and Costa are similar, he said, with Catalano fighting through diabetes to become a great ball player and Costa consistently being one of the most aggressive guys on the field.

“I wanted some of those younger kids to get that mentality instilled in them,” said Ryan. “It’s that desire that has driven those kids that I wanted to see in the younger kids coming up.”

For the Pelham threesome, the opportunity was too enticing to miss.

“We had no commitments and no conflict except that we all work during the day, so we took him up on it,” said Demars. “He pretty much gave us all the freedom to run the team like we wanted.”

But Ryan knew how they would coach, and he knew they would be a cohesive unit.

“Having played together for so long, it made it a lot easier to run our team,” said Demars. “We all came from the same program and have the same idea of how we want to play baseball and how we want to conduct ourselves.
“We’re all on the same page all the time.”

Though their team fell one win short of making the first-annual American Legion junior baseball tournament, Ryan was happy with what he saw.

“I didn’t push them to win games,” said Ryan. “I pushed them to develop players and teach them to play baseball, and I think they’ve done that.”

Aside from wins and loses, Costa said there was something special about coaching with his former teammates, a bond created only through the rigors of many years playing through rain and hot weather.

“The weirdest thing is a lot of time Will would be coaching third, and I’d run something by him, and he would look at me funny and say he had been thinking the same thing. So it’s just stuff like that, which happened all the time, that gave us all assurance on our philosophies and baseball knowledge,” said Costa of his roommate at Bentley College.

“Plus the fact that I played middle infield with Peter for so many years, we would always go to say the same thing to the same player, which was funny, but it was also good because (as a player) it’s not like you were getting two different concepts,” Costa continued. “You’re getting the same advice with two sets of eyes to make sure you were doing things right.”

Though uncertain where time will take his mates and him, Catalano said he just wants to continue enjoying the present.

“I definitely want to coach this team for a few more years with these guys and who knows what’s going to happen a few years from now,” he said. “But I miss playing, and coaching has really filled that void. So hopefully we get to continue doing this in the future.”