Londonderry baseball answers the bell early against Concord, clinches D1 title bid

NASHUA - How a team responds to adversity, no matter when it arrives in a game, can be the difference between a win or a loss.

The choice to rise or fall came early for the Londonderry High School baseball team in Tuesday’s Division I semifinal against Concord, and the Lancers did not shy away from the moment.

Londonderry’s three-run second inning helped starter Nolan Lincoln regain his confidence after a shaky first inning, and it all added up to a 4-1 upset win for the fourth-seeded Lancers over the top-seeded Crimson Tide at Holman Stadium. Londonderry, which advances to its first title game since 2014, will take on No. 6 Bedford in Monday’s D1 final at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester.

After Concord scored a 1-0 lead by way of two hits and an error in its first turn, Londonderry wasted no time getting the run back and more. Brandon Fish gave the Lancers what ended up being the only lead they’d need with a two-run single and Reece Manor followed with an RBI double a batter later. Four of Londonderry’s seven hits came in the second inning.

“I think we’re a little underestimated with our offense,” Londonderry coach Brent Demas said. “We can hit good pitching. … At the top of the order with Manor and Fish, we’re talking about two guys that have 35 hits each this year or some ungodly number like that. We know once we get those guys going, the rest is going to fall into place.”

Manor, Fish and Owen MacDonnell each finished with two hits while Manor and MacDonnell each scored a run. Zach Miles was the only Concord player with multiple hits, posting three to go with a run scored.

Londonderry added its other run when Manor scored on a passed ball in fifth, which was a mere luxury considering Lincoln found his bearings after the first inning and never let up.

The junior ended up scattering seven hits and did not issue a walk while striking out six in a complete-game effort. Lincoln allowed just one runner past second base after Concord scored its lone run in the first inning.

“He has to adjust to the game and the moment,” said Demas of Lincoln’s early struggles, which have occurred in the righty’s other playoff appearances. “But once he does, he locks right in. I knew the lead was going to be enough once we got it to 3-1. I was confident in Nolan, one of the best pitchers in Division I.”

Lincoln said he was energized by his offense and the efforts of the defense behind him, but his success also stemmed from simply sticking to his game plan.

“I just tried to attack them early and get strikes early,” Lincoln said. “I struggled with walking guys the last couple of weeks. I really worked on that and tried to pound the zone.”

Concord’s opportunities against Lincoln were limited as it stranded just five runners on base. However, Crimson Tide coach Scott Owen thought his offense, which was one of the most consistent in D1 all season, could’ve capitalized at least a couple times.

“I don’t know what we were with guys on second base, but I’ll guess it wasn’t real good,” Owen said. “We got guys on and couldn’t get the hits when we needed them. They strung their hits together while we spread them out. That’s the difference.”