Londonderry's Steve Dvorak makes a throw to first base. For more photos, go to the Photo Album.
NASHUA – It only takes one throw, one swing or one error to change the complexion of a baseball game.
But it’s not often that a game-changer happens as early as it did on Monday.
Londonderry Post 27 went from having a runner thrown out at home for the first out of the game, to scoring four times in the top of the first inning thanks to three Manchester Post 79 errors.
And once Londonderry had the lead, starter Dan Kinnon held Manchester in check for the better part of seven innings as Post 27 moved a game closer to defending its American Legion state title with a 9-4 win over Post 79 at Holman Stadium.
Londonderry will take on the winner of Monday’s second game between Goffstown Post 16 and Rochester Post 7. If Goffstown wins, Post 16 and Post 27 will play at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face Rochester for the title. If Post 7 wins, it will take on Londonderry at the same time for the championship.
For Post 27 coach Rick Brothers, just playing one more day is enough, especially after his team opened the tournament with a 15-5 loss to Rochester.
“We’re just going one game at a time now,” he said. “These kids are hungry. They won the state last year, they won a Class L championship (at Londonderry High School in 2009). I’m proud of the kids.”
Post 79 coach Rich Fosher said the same about his squad, which returned to the tournament for the first time in a while.
“We had a great year,” Fosher said. “We’re trying to build this program again. We made it to the state tournament, that was our biggest thing. Hopefully we’ll get more kids coming out.
Londonderry's Dan Kinnon delivers a pitch.
“We made a few errors in the first couple of innings and then settled down. But it’s all about pitching. Without pitching, it hurts.”
Londonderry’s Dan Lagasse started the game by drawing a walk from Manchester’s Brian Lynch, and stole second base before trying to score on a single by Jake Finnegan. Manchester center fielder Connor Lyons made a strong throw home and catcher Sean Burke was waiting for Lagasse at the plate.
“I ran into that out to start the game,” Brothers said of his decision to send Lagasse. “That wasn’t too good.”
Geoff Fisher followed with a ground ball that shortstop JR Poissant couldn’t handle, allowing Finnegan to score to make it 1-0. CJ Flanders followed with a double and DJ Reed walked to load the bases.
After Steve Dvorak struck out for the second out, Jeff Parker hit another grounder to short that Poissant couldn’t handle, allowing Fisher to score. Ian McMullen followed by sending a pitch right back at Lynch, who had trouble handling the ball. Everyone was safe on the play, including Flanders with the third run of the inning.
Vinnie Parilla hit a ground ball to second baseman Travis Sylvia, but Sylvia couldn’t handle the grounder and Reed came around to score. Parker took a wide turn at third, and when Sylvia fired the ball to third, Parker went for home. Third baseman Brendon Warnock’s throw home beat Parker for the final out of the inning.
“It was very important for us to stay out front,” Brothers said. “That team came back twice (in the tournament). You’ve got to play every single out.”
Londonderry added another run in the top of the fifth on a RBI groundout by Parker. Kinnon kept Manchester off the board until the bottom of the inning, when Post 79 used two hits and a walk to make it a 5-1 game.
DJ Reed, center, and his Londonderry teammates wait to congratulate CJ Flanders after his two-run home run.
But Post 27 got the cushion it would need in the sixth. Parillo led off with a double and came around to score on a two-out single by Fisher. Flanders followed by crushing a home run down the left field line to make it 8-1.
Manchester added a single tally in the seventh, eighth and ninth, but it wasn’t enough.
Fisher finished the day 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs for Londonderry while Flanders was 2-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs. Reed also had three hits and two walks while McMullen and Parillo had two hits each.
Poissant led Manchester with three hits and two RBIs and Jim O’Connell and Burke each had two hits.
