Written by Just one day after being totally shut down by the Keene Blackbirds, the Goffstown Grizzlies turned the tables and took it out on the Nashua South Panthers. Goffstown scored 2 or more runs in each of the first 3 innings and never let up.
A different day. A different result. Yesterday Goffstown managed just 2 hits in a 5-inning, 13-0 loss at Lion’s Field. This afternoon, Connor Hujsak set down the Panthers 1-2-3 in the top of the 1st inning. Then Hujsak led off the bottom of the inning with a double off of the left-center field fence. Bob Doherty reached on an infield single to deep shortstop. Will Soucy walked to load the bases. Jared Heidenreich had an infield single of his own, with two outs, to deep second base. Hujsak scored from third base, and Doherty scored all the way from second base when Roy Santiago Sanchez’s throw wasn’t scooped cleanly by Mason Matylewski at first base. It was 2-0 Grizzlies after one inning.
In the second inning, Hujsak walked Jake Smith with one out and then threw a ball into center field when Roy Santiago Sanchez hit a comebacker to the mound. Nashua South had runners at 1st and 3rd with one out. Then after a couple of pickoff attempts at first base, Liam Kilbreth threw Santiago Sanchez out at second base when he tried to steal. Hujsak struck out Ryan Lopez and the threat was over. Nashua South would only get two more baserunners for the balance of the game. Connor Hujsak ended up pitching 6 innings and allowed just one hit, a leadoff double to Santiago Sanchez in the 5th. Once again he was caught stealing, this time going to third base. Hujsak had 8 strikeouts, and issued one walk, on a total of 78 pitches.
Goffstown scored 3 runs in the second inning after Liam Kilbreth doubled to right-center, Hujsak struck out but reached on a 3rd-strike wild pitch, and Doherty walked to load the bases with 2 outs. Kilbreth scored on a balk by the tough-luck starter, Andres Hulfachor. Then Will Soucy tapped a ball back to the mound for the third time in 2 games, and Hulfachor sprinted toward the plate, picked up the ball and threw it down the right-field line. Hujsak and Doherty both scored, and the Grizzlies led 5-0 after 2 innings. In the third inning, Goffstown got singles from Heidenreich, Myles Green, and Kilbreth to load the bases with 1 out. Hujsak hit a ground ball to third but the ball went right through the legs of Nolan Foss, allowing Heidenreich and Green to score. Kilbreth went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a passed ball. It was 8-0 Grizzlies after three innings. Hulfachor pitched 3 innings, striking out 6 batters, allowing 7 hits, 8 runs, and just 2 earned runs.
With the threat of a run-rule finish looming, Kyle Evans came in to pitch for Nashua South and shut down the Grizzlies in the 4th and 5th innings. In the 6th inning, Clay Campbell led off with a bloop single to left. Jacob Bliven had a pinch-hit single to left-center. Both runners advanced a base when Panthers catcher, Ryan Lopez, threw down to second base with Campbell on the bag, but no defenders were there and the ball sailed into center field. Colin Burke hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Campbell, Bliven went to third. T.J. Dutton ripped an 0-2 pitch into left field scoring Bliven and the game was over. Heidenreich and Kilbreth had 2 hits apiece for the home team. Goffstown improved to 2-4 with the 10-0 win, while Nashua South dropped to 2-3 on the season. Goffstown travels to Pinkerton on Tuesday for their next game.