Anderson leads the way as Bishop Guertin baseball opens playoffs with win over Manchester Central

NASHUA – True game-changing type players affect the game on both sides of the field.

Brett Anderson of the Bishop Guertin High School baseball team passed that test with flying colors on Thursday.

The junior starting pitcher earned the win on the mound, giving up two runs in six innings, while also going 3 for 3 in the lineup during a 6-2 win over Manchester Central in the first round of the Division I tournament at Holman Stadium.

“Brett will tell you that he did not have his best stuff on the mound on Thursday, but he competes at every angle,” said Cardinals coach Scott Painter. “He knew he had to compete at the plate against (Central senior starter Olvis Genao). It was a tough matchup for a lefty batter with a lefty pitcher, but he did what he has done for us all year.”

The third-seeded Cardinals (16-5) will take on No. 6 Bedford, which beat No. 10 Winnacunnet 10-0, on Saturday in the quarterfinal round.

Anderson, who was New Hampshire's Gatorade Player of the Year for baseball, struck out eight batters, while giving up six hits and walking two. He finished with three singles, while picking up an RBI and a run scored. Seniors Sam Boudreau (2 for 3, two runs, RBI) and Alex George (two-run homer in fifth) were major factors in the Cardinals’ lineup.

Leading the way for the 14th-seeded Little Green (9-11) was junior Jaron Franco Mora (2 for 3, double, run). Genao was as good as advertised during the early stages, holding the Cardinals scoreless through three and allowing only one hit during those frames. In the end, Bishop Guertin was able to generate four runs and six hits off Genao, who was charged with the loss in 4¹⁄3 innings, despite striking out six.

The Little Green came to life in the fourth with a leadoff triple to right-center by senior Kyle Swetland. A suicide-squeeze play by junior Jakob Privey allowed Swetland to trot across home with the game’s first run.

“The kids came in a little bit nervous and a little tentative (Thursday),” said Painter. “Last year’s first-round knockout against (Nashua) North was surely in their memories. I thought the approach was good and they felt pretty confident in the early at bats, even though we struggled a little bit.”

Bishop Guertin fired right back, as Anderson led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to left, and then during the next at bat, Boudreau connected on an infield single. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, senior Taylor Proulx came up with a two-run double to left, giving the hosts the lead for good at 2-1.

The Cardinals were back on the attack in the fifth, as a one-out single to shortstop by junior Billy Gonya put runners at the corners. An RBI single up the middle by Anderson gave Bishop Guertin a 3-1 lead, and then a one-run single through the left side by Boudreau made it a three-run game.

George sent the dagger into Central’s heart, crushing a two-run, two-out shot over the fence in left-center, pushing the lead up to 6-1.

A one-run, ground-rule double to left in the sixth by junior Nick Von Breeden pulled the visitors to within 6-2.

“We were able to see some of Genao’s stuff early on,” said Painter. “The second time around our guys talked in the dugout about what they saw. We jumped on the first-pitch fastball when he was throwing it. We were patient in the zone and did not chase a lot.”