Lebanon
There were five hours of baseball involving four teams, a military veterans color guard and honor ceremony, and hot dogs and hamburgers sizzling on the grill. In a departure from the downpours of the day before, the sun shone, a few clouds wafted overhead and temperatures climbed into the mid-80s.
The only downer from the local perspective? A pair of Post 22 losses, dropping Lebanon’s youngsters to 3-3 and its older team to 7-2.
Juniors: Alton 10, Lebanon 4
The hosts built a 2-0 lead after an inning. Leadoff man Ethan Brueckner, from Mascoma High, doubled and scored on a Andrew Hadlock grounder. Hadlock, a Kimball Union Academy student, came home courtesy of a Jack Loftus double and Cedric Elkouh’s sacrifice fly. From there, however, things went awry for Post 22.
Starting pitcher Joey Perras managed to strand two baserunners during the first inning but allowed a single, two doubles and two runs during the second frame. The inning started off badly when Elkouh dropped a fly ball in center field.
Perras, from Hanover High, retired the side in order during the third inning but the fourth was a disaster. He surrendered two singles and two walks and his infielders committed three errors, two on the same play.
Lebanon High’s Kyle Pelletier took the mound with one out in the fourth and runners on second and third. He gave up two singles, one of which scored Alton’s third run of the inning. Post 72 led, 8-2, after four innings.
“We had that inning where we got hit around and made some bad fielding plays just when we needed our defense to step up,” said Lebanon coach Travis Pelletier, whose team is off until hosting Milford on Saturday, part of another Post 22 junior-senior doubleheader. “I had Joey penciled in as our No. 1 starter, but he just didn’t have it all today. He’ll get more chances, and I’m not too worried.”
Pelletier said he’s used the first six games to get an idea for what his 17 players from eight schools can do. From here on, however, Lebanon will go with a more consistent lineup in pursuit of a top-four finish in the nine-team District A standings and a resulting state tournament berth. There are two New Hampshire divisions this season, and Post 22 figures to be in the top half of its grouping with the likes of Jutras, Nashua and Alton.
“The coaches are going to get together this week and figure out who’s a starter, who’s coming off the bench, who’s a reliever,” Pelletier said, adding that Perras, Kyle Pelletier and Woodsville’s Zach Moore are the tentative starting pitchers, with Elkouh throwing only on the senior level for now. “If we can play all our kids and get into the tournament while on a streak where we’re playing well, I’ll be happy.”
Brueckner was Lebanon’s only player with more than one hit, smacking a double and a single and being hit by a pitch. KUA’s Kyle Young faced the final five Alton batters, striking out the side in the seventh.
Seniors: Laconia 2, Lebanon 1
The hosts had Dashiel Fukushima on second base with no outs during the ninth inning. However, the rising Rivendell Academy senior was picked off by the catcher and a strikeout followed on the next pitch. The next batter flied out to end the game.
Post 22 managed just four hits, two by Fukushima and the others by Eli Jaynes and Caleb Broughton. Derek Griffin threw 102 pitches during six innings and took the loss, striking out six batters, walking two and hitting three. Lebanon, which stranded six runners, hosts Plymouth on Thursday.
Notes: Pete St. Pierre, Post 22’s baseball administrative manager, said a recent exhibition game with White River Junction Post 84 raised $15,000 that will be turned over to the family of late local umpire Bob Ammel. The plan is for those funds to sustain scholarships to assist players from each post. … Brueckner “scored” the junior game’s first run when he avoided a tag at the plate but didn’t touch the dish. Alton catcher Ryan Dube either ignored or couldn’t hear shouts to apply a late tag, and the umpire stood motionless until the ball was returned to the pitcher, at which point he signaled that a run should be put on the scoreboard. … Hadlock picked a runner off second base during the fourth inning of the junior game. … Post 22 juniors assistant coach Sam Fazio is the former director of food services at Alice Peck Day Hospital. He’s also Kearsarge High’s junior varsity coach, working under Travis Pelletier. … A woman supporting Alton loudly offered Post 72 batter Jagger Bernier a meal of Chinese food if he could produce a sixth-inning hit. Sadly, the Kingswood High student struck out.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.