The game had been postponed Friday night with one out in the top of the seventh inning, with the game tied at 4 and runners at second and third for the Cardinals.

Salem scored two runs in that inning to take a 6-4 lead, but Nashua answered right back to tie it and force extra innings. After two scoreless frames, the Cardinals put a run on the board in the top of the 10th and while the Chiefs had two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the inning, they couldn’t get a run across.

After winning the title the two previous seasons over the Cardinals, the Chiefs couldn’t come up with a three-peat.

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Salem shortstop Trevor Bouvier holds up his glove after tagging Nashua's Nick Puleo at second base. Puleo was called out on the stolen base attempt.

NASHUA – The evening sky had cycled through a plethora of colors, settling on red, purple and black when a menacing bolt of lightning shattered the stillness above Holman Stadium.

The light spider-webbed its way through the clouds above, much like the effect a foul ball’s impact would have on the windshield of an unsuspecting parked car.

“We just reset the clock,” someone in the stands said, sarcasm and frustration dripping from each word.

The clock was reset too many times to count Friday during a 90-minute lightning delay that postponed the conclusion of the Senior Babe Ruth Southern League tournament championship game to 9:30 a.m. today at the stadium.

When play resumes, the Salem Cardinals and Nashua Chiefs will be tied 4-4 with one out in the top of the seventh inning, with runners on second and third for the Cardinals.

The maddening part is, it could have ended earlier.

To read the rest, go here.

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After play was rained out on Wednesday, the Chiefs and the Nashua Marauders meet in the final of the loser’s bracket on Thursday. The Chiefs broke a scoreless tie by plating six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on to win 6-0.

Following that win, the Chiefs continued to cruise, beating Salem 7-0 Thursday night to stay alive. The teams will meet for the third time in this tournament, having split the first two games.

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BG's Matt Bayne Ward was named the Division I Offensive Player of the Year.

Bishop Guertin high school lacrosse players Matt Bayne Ward and Adam Hall helped lead the Cardinals to their third Division I championship this spring.

Both players were recognized for their individual seasons, as Bayne Ward was named the DI Offensive Player of the Year and Hall earned the division’s Defensive Player of the Year award. The Cards also placed eight players on the division’s first-team, as a total of 14 BG players received recognition.

Joining Bayne Ward and Hall on the first team are Jack Kryston, Matt Thistle, Tom Labadini, Erik Kelly, Al Eaton and Nick Carluccio. BG’s Nick Astarita, Beau Brooks, Luke Solms, Bob Fahey and Chris Keating were named to the second-team.

Also making the second team were Souhegan’s Steve Jellison and Brendan Laine, and Nashua North’s Mark Lavine. Honorable mention went to Colin Delea (BG), Jon Ritter (North), Will Naber (Nashua South) and Adam Stokes (Souhegan).

In Division II, Bedford coach Matt Guerard was named Coach of the Year while the Bulldogs’ Trevor Morrissette was named to the first-team. Nate Larave and Mike Marinelli of Bedford, along

Merrimack's Mike Currie received Division II second-team honors.

with Mike Currie of Merrimack, were named to the second-team.

Hollis/Brookline’s Kyle Moynihan and Justin Shutt were both named to the Division III first-team, while the Cavaliers’ Pat Clark and Zach Dunn received second-team honors. H/B’s Brandon Rocha was named honorable mention.

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Souhegan, Nashua South, Bishop Guertin, Merrimack and Hollis/Brookline each had six girls receive all-state honors.

In Division I, Souhegan’s Rachel Dobbs and South’s Stephanie Haftel were both named to the first-team, while Alexa Katsiginais and Chelsea Larivee of Souhegan reveived second-team honors.

Nashua North’s Erin Duffy, Ellie Shuman and Maddie Cody and South’s Mikayla Feehan were named to the third team. Morgan King (Souhegan), Meggie Whitney (Souhegan), Ashley Philips (Souhegan), Caitlin Ackerman (South), Vanessa Viola (South), Kelly McIntyre (South), Kristie Cox (South) and Kaylee Murray (North) recevied honorable mention.

Bishop Guertin’s Kristianna Purington and Julia Wright were both named to the Division II first-team, as was Merrimack’s Sarah Rothhaus.

Nicole Pettiglio of BG, Emily Pollard of Merrimack and Demi Bennett of Bedford all made the second-team, while BG’s Callie Santos and Merrimack’s Joslyn Schwalbe received third-team honors.

Receiving honorable mention were Meghan Maguire (BG), Tiffany Stanton (BG), Caitlin Heaps (Bedford), Taylor Hogan (Merrimack) and Erin Maclean (Merrimack).

H/B had three players named to the Division III first-team: Kati Sousa, Lorin Field and Alicia Papineau.

The Cavaliers also had three players receive second-team honors: Emily Dutile, Leigh Kowalski and Julie Worthern.

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Chris Chininis went 2 for 2 with two walks, four runs and two stolen bases and Bobby Graham went 2 for 3 and scored two runs.

The Pirates bounced back with a 13-3 win over the Nashua Mavericks on Sunday.

Paul Becotte picked up his first win, striking out one and allowing seven hits over four innings. James Astbury threw two innings of relief, recording four strikeouts.

Chris Chininis (two runs, double, four steals  and Chris Almeida (two runs, two RBIs, two doubles) both went 3 for 4. DJ Petropulos (two runs, two RBIs), Kyle Beaulieu (one run, a double, one RBI), Astbury (three runs, two RBIs) and Bobby Graham (three RBIs) each had two hits.

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Tyler Hansis pitched a complete game, striking out three and walking three while allowing two earned runs.

Zack Polio and James Asbury each tripled in the second inning for the Pirates’ first run. Souhegan (7-1) took the lead in the third on RBI singles by Matt Schagrin and Kyle Beaulieu.

Schagrin finished 4 for 4 with three RBIs and two doubles while Beaulieu had two hits and two RBIs. Polio was 3 for 3 and drove in a run, and Astbury was 2 for 3 and also had a RBI.

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Matt Schagrin pitched a complete game, scattering five hits and four walks, allowing one earned run to go with four strikeouts.

Kyle Beaulieu went 3 for 3, including a solo home run, and Nick Hession was 2 for 3. Paul BecotteJames Astbury and Robby McCormick drove in two runs each, while Tyler Hansis had a two-run triple and Chris Almeida had a RBI.

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Zack Polio pitched a complete for the Pirates (4-1), scattering four hits and two walks while allowing one earned run and striking out two.

Nashua’s Jake Mellen went five innings in the loss, allowing four runs and striking out six. Mellen also had two hits and a walk.

Chris Almeida went 3 for 4 with three stolen bases and DJ Petropulos was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Nick Hession (three RBIs) and Tim Beliveau both went 2 for 3.

Technorati Tags: baseball, Nashua Marauders, Senior Babe Ruth, Souhegan

Nashua's Matt Paradise had 11 strikeouts in the Mavericks' win over Salem. For more photos, go to the Photo Album.

NASHUA – Matt Paradise had the Salem Cardinals doing one of two things to his pitches Saturday night.

Swinging and missing, or swinging and hitting.

The Nashua Mavericks starter got all six outs in the first two innings by way of strikeout, but Paradise also gave up five runs – three earned – on six hits, a walk and an error over that same span.

But the Nashua offense was keeping pace, and Paradise settled in to cruise through the final five innings, giving up one run on four hits, three walks and a hit batter in the Mavericks’ 15-6 win over Salem in Senior Babe Ruth action at Holman Stadium.

Paradise finished with 11 strikeouts in a complete-game performance, while Addison Hanscom and Jim Buckley scored four runs apiece and Dee Maffe had two hits, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Trevor Bouvier had two hits and drove in three runs for Salem and Joe Lemenager added two hits and scored two runs.

Those two, along with Paul Trabucco got the scoring started for the Cardinals in the first, getting three straight singles for a 1-0 lead.

But Paradise rebounded by striking out the next three batters to end the inning, and the Mavericks responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame for a 5-1 lead.

Salem again got the first three batters on in the second inning, and the Cardinals tied the game with one out before Paradise ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

Nashua put two more runs on the board in the second to take a 7-5 lead.

Nashua's Frankie Guarino fields the throw at second base as Salem's Trevor Bouvier tries to slide around him. Bouvier was out on the play.

“Trying to get settled in and was leaving pitches up that they got hits off,” Paradise said. “Certain batters, I was hitting the spots I wanted to hit. It takes me a long time to settle in and get that arm feeling good. I felt confident with my catcher (Maffe). He was calling the right ones.”

As the Mavericks scored more runs, getting four in both the fourth and the fifth, Paradise was able to take more chances on the mound. Although Salem had at least one runner on in each inning, only one made it beyond first base over the final four innings.

“I was definitely tired,” Paradise said. “I wanted to finish it out. I felt strong enough to go seven innings.”

The Mavericks are back on the field on Sunday at 4 p.m., as they take on the Nashua Chiefs at Holman Stadium.

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