Nashua shortstop Brandon Karkhanis tries to turn a double play as Londonderry's Vinnie Parilla slides into second.
NASHUA – The win was there for Nashua Coffey Post 3 to take.
Nashua loaded the bases twice with no more than one out and stranded a runner at second base four times in a 10-6 loss to Londonderry Post 27 on Monday at Holman Stadium.
Post 3 left 12 runners on base, and despite getting nine hits, didn’t have more than one in an inning after the first.
“It’s been kind of the way things have been going,” Nashua coach Kevin Palanski said. “We don’t seem to get any timely hitting that I think we should get. We had opportunities to break it open, but we didn’t.”
Those chances came right away, as Nashua scored two runs off Londonderry starter Dan Kinnon in the first inning, and loaded the bases with only one out. But Kinnon battled back to get out of the inning, and after allowing another run in the second, the Post 27 starter settled down to go six innings while allowing four runs on six hits and four walks.
Nashua loaded the bases again in the eighth inning on one hit and two walks, this time with no one out, but Londonderry reliever Chris Crutcher was able to escape the jam, allowing only one run.
“They gave us some walks,” Palanski said. “They gave us some opportunities that we just didn’t take advantage of. We’ve been handed some things and been giving it right back.”
Kevin McGowan delivers a pitch.
Joe Breen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Nashua while Alek Morency drove in two runs and Kevin McGowan had two hits, two runs and a RBI.
McGowan also suffered the loss, going four-plus innings and giving up seven runs on nine hits and three walks. Tony Phillips pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk. Kyle Turner pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, retiring all five batters he faced.
After getting a 3-0 lead through two innings, McGowan surrendered a run in the third before Londonderry loaded the bases with none out in the fourth. A fielder’s choice by Steve Dvorak made it a 3-2 game and DJ Reed followed with a two-run double to give Post 27 the lead.
McGowan was able to escape the fourth without any further damage, but the first three Londonderry batters reached in the fifth – including another two-run double, this time by Jeff Parker – to end McGowan’s day on the mound.
Phillips was able to keep Post 27 off the board until the eighth inning, as Post 3 added single runs in the fifth and seventh to make it a 7-5 Londonderry lead.
But in the eighth inning, CJ Flanders drove a two-run homer to left field and Londonderry added another run to make it 10-5 and chase Phillips.
“We hung in it,” Palanski said. “Tony pitched well for two and then gave up the home run. It took the wind out of our sails.”
Adam Leith led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and Chris Hughes and Mike Spirito walked to load the bases with no one out. Brandon Karkhanis grounded out to drive in Leith, but Crutcher got McGowan to pop up and struck out Morency to end the inning.
Nashua had runners at first and second with two out in the ninth, but left both stranded.
“The chemistry is there,” Palanski said. “The players get along. I don’t know if we’re just in kind of a funk or what it is.”
Post 3 will get back on the field at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday against Hudson Post 48 at Alvirne High School.