Written by On a dark, rainy afternoon in Goffstown baseball was played despite the weather. If this was a game two weeks ago, it probably would have been postponed. Although, with so many rainouts across the state this spring, every effort was made to get today’s game in. Goffstown is glad they played it though, as they came back from a 6-2 deficit in the 5th inning, to win the game, 7-6.
It seemed like both teams showed up to Lion’s Field on the Piscataquog River with thoughts that this game might be rained out. The two teams went down 1-2-3 in the first inning on a total of just 25 pitches. By the second inning, the reality of the game being played seemed to slowly set in, and things ramped up from there.
Nate Bonacorsi started on the mound for Goffstown which was playing their fourth game in five days. Nate pitched pretty well overall. In the second inning, he gave up a bloop single to Foster Stacey into right field when nobody appeared motivated to catch the pop-up. Ryan Stultz singled to left, as did Rob Launier, to load the bases for Trinity with no outs. Bonacorsi elevated his game and retired Joe Songen on strikes. Then he got a fly ball to center from Ryan Glass. It wasn’t hit too deep so it wasn’t much of a threat to score a runner from third base. Will Soucy made the catch and fired a throw to his cutoff man in Colin Burke right at the mound. Burke turned and fired a strike to Myles Green at third base and nabbed Foster Stacey who had tagged up and went too far to get back before Green slapped the tag on him to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, Will Soucy followed up his defense with a single to left field, then was balked to second base. Myles Green promptly singled to center field and Soucy scored. Liam Kilbreth hit a shot up the middle but Trinity starter, Peter Hamill, got a piece of it and the ball caromed to second baseman Rob Launier who was able to throw Kilbreth out at first base. Goffstown led 1-0 after 2 innings.
In the third inning, the visiting Pioneers loaded the bases again, this time with one out. Liam Ryan walked to lead things off, then Louis Rosenthall did the same. Cam Tomko singled to load em up. Foster Stacey hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Then Ryan Stultz singled again, this time off of the center field fence to drive in a run. Rob Launier singled in the third run of the inning with a bullet to left field. Trinity led 3-1 after two and a half.
Goffstown got one run back in the bottom of the third when Ben Dodge led off with an infield single to third. Connor Hujsak struck out but reached when he beat the throw to first base when Ryan Glass made a stop of a pitch in the dirt. Clay Campbell bunted a pitch beautifully between the mound and third base and by the time Peter Hamill fielded it and turned to throw to first, Campbell was already getting to the bag. With the bases loaded, Bob Doherty worked an RBI walk with nobody out, and the Grizzlies were poised to have a huge inning. But Hamill turned it up a notch and got Soucy and Green to pop up, and Kilbreth to ground out to third base. Grizzlies trailed 3-2.
Nate Bonacorsi bounced back nicely in the fourth inning, with a pair of K’s, a harmless walk, and a flyout. Goffstown also went quietly in the fourth, going down 1-2-3.
The fifth inning was explosive for both clubs. Clay Campbell who had thrown 106 pitches on Monday came in for some relief work for Goffstown. Campbell struck out Cam Tomko to start the inning. Foster Stacey then reached on a throwing error by Myles Green. Stultz crushed another ball off of the fence, this time for a loud double putting runners at second and third. Stacey scored on a wild pitch, and Rob Launier was hit by a pitch. Campbell got Rob Bernier (pinch-hitter) on strikes. Then Ryan Glass hit a shot wide of third base. Myles Green made a sensational diving stop on the one-hopper but then threw the ball away and Stultz and Launier both scored. Trinity led 6-2 after the top of the fifth.
Goffstown responded immediately. Connor Hujsak singled to left on a nice swing waiting on a breaking ball. Campbell roped an RBI double that short-hopped the left field fence and went to third on a throwing miscue on the Trinity cut off attempt. Bob Doherty singled to center, scoring Campbell. Doherty stole second base and went to third base when Will Soucy flew out to right field. Myles Green slammed a hard grounder at Cam Tomko playing shortstop. Tomko couldn’t make the play, an error, and Doherty scored to cut the Trinity lead back to one run.
Clay Campbell walked Chris Chow and Louis Rosenthall to start the sixth inning. Goffstown made a pitching change to Wednesday’s relief hero Riley Belleau. All Riley did was get a flyout, a pop out, and a fly out, in order, on just 6 pitches to get out of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Goffstown continued their comeback. Hujsak lined a home run to center field that still may be rising, to tie the game at 6. After Campbell struck out, Doherty reached on an infield hit deep to the hole at shortstop. Doherty stole second base, this time on a very close play after a great throw from Ryan Glass. Myles Green hit a line drive ticketed to right field but Launier grabbed it to steal a sure RBI single and get the second out for Trinity. Liam Kilbreth had an epic nine-pitch battle with Ryan Stultz who had relieved Hamill in the 5th. After falling behind in the count and fouling off several pitches, Kilbreth walked to load the bases. Colin Burke calmly lined a 2-1 pitch into left field for the game-winning RBI single that scored Doherty. Goffstown led again, 7-6 after six innings.
Belleau returned to the mound for the seventh inning and walked the first two batters. He got Glass on a bunt attempt when Burke made a great play as the first baseman pounced all over the bunt and threw out Launier in a force play at third base. Belleau got Liam Ryan on strikes and then Chris Chow to fly out for the final out of the ballgame. Belleau got his second relief win of the week, completing 5 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings between Wednesday and this afternoon.
Peter Hamill pitched well for the Pioneers going 4 1/3 innings and striking out 4 batters while walking just one. Ryan Stultz had 2 singles and a double for Trinity. Rob Launier singled twice, was hit by a pitch and walked while also scoring a run.
Goffstown got 2 hits and 2 runs from Hujsak including his second home run of the week. Campbell had 2 hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Doherty had 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI’s and a walk. Colin Burke came through with a huge two-out hit that was the game-winning RBI.
Goffstown ends the week with 3 straight wins to even their record at 6-6 on the season. They jumped up to the #11 spot in the standings. The Grizzlies are scheduled to play four games next week. At Windham (6-6) on Monday. Home against Bishop Guertin (11-1) on Tuesday. At Bedford (6-5) on Thursday. Then home against Manchester Memorial (7-5) on Friday.