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Pinkerton Astros Baseball '14

Sat, Jun 14, 2014 TBA @ Pinkerton
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Final
Londonderry 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 4
Pinkerton 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1

Londonderry lances state title

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Saturday, June, 14 By Jeff Hamrick
Staff writer

MANCHESTER — Given a second chance, Londonderry walked off the NE Delta Dental Stadium yesterday much more euphorically than a year ago.

 


Twelve months after dropping a heartbreaking Division I state title game in a one-run decision to Exeter, the fifth-seeded Lancers knocked off third-seeded border-rival Pinkerton 4-1 to win the progam's fifth New Hampshire championship in six tries and third since 2004.

 


"This is what this was all about," said senior outfield Ben Byerly, who had two big hits from his spot at the bottom of the order. "We did it not just for ourselves, but for last year's guys who were in it too. It feels really good."

 


Playing against a Pinkerton squad that had won six straight and allowed one run or fewer in each of its past five, Byerly ignited the Lancers in the third, scorching a leadoff triple to left center. Jimmy Zimolka then delivered a one-out single up the middle followed by Rob DelSignore's run-scoring double for a 2-0 lead.

 


"I knew (Pinkerton starter Connor Donahue) was going to come at me on the 1-1 pitch with a curveball," said Byerly, who added an RBI single in the fourth. "He kind of hung it up there, so I took advantage of it and it worked out for us."

 


Although hitting at just a .224 clip with three RBIs entering the contest, the No. 9 batter knew he was going to come up big yesterday.

 


"He had a great couple swings," Londonderry coach Brent Demas said. "He didn't have a great playoff series, but he told me 'I'm going to make them pay.' So I said, 'OK, you're our guy.' "

 


With Tom Corey shutting out the Astros (16-7), the Lancers all but secured matters in a two-run fourth. In addition to Byerly's hit, Corey lashed a double and Jonny Meskell singled while Zimolka added his second RBI on a ground out.

 


"Getting ahead is huge for confidence," Byerly said. "Sometimes what happens is when you get a team on the ropes, it can start feeling the pressure, and that's big. And that can cover you a lot in the state champion game."

 


The Londonderry defense did its share of work with inning-ending, ground-ball double plays in the third and fourth.

 


"There's nothing better," Demas said of the double plays. "I'll take them every single time. They were prepared. They knew what we were doing, and had a great week of practice."



Pinkerton finally got to Corey in the sixth when Nate Rossi drilled a one-out double and scored on Chris Gerossie's single. But with only eight baserunners in the game, the Astros mounted few challenges.



"We knew runs were going to be at a premium," Pinkerton coach Steve Campo said. "They did a better job of hitting Connor's mistakes than we did hitting Tom. He stepped up and pitched a big game. (The Lancers) made plays when they needed to."
 

 

 

Game Statistics:

Londonderry (4) Brett Evangelista ss 2-0-0, Jimmy Zimolka lf 4-1-1, Rob DelSignore 1b 2-0-2, Nick Salcito cr 0-0-0, Geoff Kayo 2b 4-0-1, Colby Joncas c 3-0-0, Jonny Meskell 3b 4-0-1, Troy Nielson cr 0-1-0, Zach Tavano cf 3-0-0, Tom Corey p 3-0-1, Fred Mackay-Wright cr 0-1-0, Ben Byerly rf 2-1-2. Totals 27-4-8-4

Pinkerton (1) Joe Murphy ss 3-0-0, Nate Rossi c 3-1-2, Chris Gerossie cf 3-0-1, Connor Donahue p/1b 3-0-0, John Polichetti dh 3-0-0, Tom Diskin 2b 0-0-0, Chace Spears rf 3-0-1, Riley Cahil lf 3-0-0, Mike Albetski 1b 0-0-0, Cameron Riley 2b 2-0-1, Ryan Day 3b 2-0-0. Totals 25-1-5

RBI: L Zimolka 2, DelSignore, Byerly; P — Gerossie

2B: L — DelSignore, Corey; P — Rossi. 3B:  Byerly.

WP Corey (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K); LP Donnahue (3 1/3, 6, 4, 4, 3, 0)

 

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