Windham 11- and 12-year-old all-star baseball catcher Mike Goglia had the perfect view of batterymate Tim Hillman’s perfect game on Saturday, July 11.

The backstop watched 18 Salem National batters step into the box. Most returned to the bench without putting the ball in play.

Yet as Hillman’s gem neared completion, pressure mounted. Goglia said that, during the sixth inning, he felt the same way every National batter felt throughout the New Hampshire Little League District 1 winners’ bracket final:

“It was nerve-racking.” Actually, Hillman made it look easy, fanning 16 batters. No batted ball – there were two pop outs – left the infield.

Windham, on the other hand, jumped on hard-throwing Salem starter John Cerretani for three first-inning runs.

The bottom of Windham’s lineup sparked a two-run rally in the top of the sixth, and the team finds itself one win from the D-1 championship after a 5-0 victory at the Villa Augustina fields in Goffstown.

“The kid threw a perfect game in a perfect spot,” said Salem National’s manager, Paul Soucy. “With a pitcher who’s that dominant, everyone else can really relax and know not much is going to be hit hard at them.”

Windham’s manager, Jim Bail, said no one mentioned the possibility of a perfect game until the sixth inning, when a teammate told Hillman about it. Bail said the tall 12-year-old simply smiled, then returned to the hill and finished what he started by focusing on each pitch, each moment.

“They’re very mature for 12-year-olds,” said Bail. “We don’t have any weak spots. We have some guys who aren’t playing as much as they normally do, but it hasn’t been a problem at all. Everyone’s contributed when called upon.”

No. 2 hitter Kellin Bail, for example, started the firstinning outburst with a line single past shortstop. He then stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored after forcing an errant throw to the base. Hillman, who had walked, moved to third on a sharp single from 11-year-old Connor Moynihan, then scored on a wild pitch, as did pinch runner Brendan Mullen.

After that trouble, Cerretani matched Hillman zero for zero into the fifth inning, when the Salem hurler reached the 85-pitch limit.

The bottom of Windham’s order capped the scoring against Salem reliever Jason Michalsky. Christian Thompson smacked a double to leftcenter field to open the sixth.

One out later, No. 8 hitter Ben Vitolo tripled down the rightfield line to plate Thompson. He quickly scored on Nick Worden’s sacrifice fly to center.

Bail, a scout with the Atlanta Braves, thanked former Boston Red Sox firstround draft pick Jay Yannaco for helping his team prepare for Cerretani’s fastball.

Yannaco threw batting practice to Windham’s players – right down to emulating Cerretani’s arm motion – the day before the game.

Windham finds itself in territory usually occupied by Bedford, Goffstown or one of the Manchester teams, waiting a week and needing a single victory to represent District 1 in the state tournament at month’s end – in Windham.

“These baseball dynasties (in Goffstown and Bedford) are cultures,” said Bail, “and we’re developing a winning culture.”

Salem National, meanwhile, next plays on Thursday, July 16, in the losers’ bracket final. A win means a rematch with Windham on Saturday, July 18.

Victory there pushes District 1 play to a winner-take-all game on Sunday, July 19. The weekend games take place at the Villa fields.

Moynihan is most likely to start Saturday’s game. If necessary, Hillman awaits on Sunday.