SALEM, N.H. — Neither an early lead nor a late comeback could prevent the Lebanon Post 22 junior American Legion baseball team from falling, 11-10, to Hudson Post 48 on Friday during a first-round state tournament game at Michele Park.
Lebanon led, 5-1, after its third at-bat against Hudson, which was the home team by virtue of finishing second in District B. Post 22, third in District A, scored four runs during the seventh and final inning.
Despite having the bases loaded with no outs, however, the Northern representatives couldn’t do more. John Hill struck out looking, Ian Hedgepeth lined to a diving first baseman and Hudson’s second baseman threw out John Currier from a knee.
Post 22 committed four physical errors and mentally hiccupped at times. Starting pitcher Josh Bucci, of Hanover High, allowed six hits and seven runs, five of them earned, while striking out one batter and walking four in three-plus innings.
“Mistakes cost us today,” said Lebanon coach Travis Pelletier, whose 6-11 team faces Salem Post 63 at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday in an elimination game. “During one inning, we allowed five runs by giving them six or seven outs.
“It’s not that the kids aren’t trying, but physical mistakes are part of the game and we made them at tough times.”
Lebanon leaped ahead on center fielder Ben Williams’ triple to begin the game. Shortstop Sam Sacerdote followed his Hanover High teammate with a single and first baseman Casey Graham, another Marauder, belted a double to make the score 2-0. Hedgepeth later singled home Lebanon High catcher Calvin Bates to push the lead to 3-0.
Hudson got a run back during its half of the first inning, but Lebanon went up, 5-1, in the third. Hill doubled and later scored on a throwing error that allowed batter Hedgepeth to reach second. He took third on a groundout by Lebanon High outfielder Jorgen Leuthauser and scored on a Sacerdote single.
Post 48 parlayed three singles and two walks to cut its deficit to 5-4 after three innings. Post 22 extended its lead to 6-4 in the fourth frame, Lebanon High’s Braden Falzarano singling, taking third on a Hedgepeth double and scoring on a wild pitch.
Hudson scored five runs during the fourth for a 9-6 lead. Bucci committed a throwing error to put the leadoff man on second base before issuing a walk and committing a fielding error. He was relieved by Sacerdote, who allowed a single before retiring the side.
Post 48 took advantage of two more errors during the fifth when Hedgepeth mishandled a grounder at third base and belatedly threw the ball away. Combined with two singles, a double and a walk, Hudson’s lead swelled to 11-6.
Lebanon slipped back during the seventh. Lebanon High’s Currier smacked a leadoff double, Rivendell’s Sean Maddock walked, Williams was hit by a pitch and Sacerdote walked. Hudson inserted its fifth pitcher of the game, but an infield throwing error, a Falzarano single and a Bates walk loaded the bases with no outs.
A strange interlude occurred while Bates jogged to first base and Hudson pitcher Alex Boulay screamed a curse at home plate umpire Ed Emond. The arbiter showed no reaction despite Lebanon fans howling for the hurler’s ejection. Asked his thoughts after the game, Pelletier just shook his head and moved on to other topics.
“Everybody’s frustrated, but we did a good job of hanging around after we lost the lead,” he said. “We had a one-batter-at-a-time mentality. You look up and it’s a three-run game, a two-run game and now the winning run’s on base. You have to give (Hudson) credit for some great defensive plays to end it.
“This is the kids’ time to just go and play for fun. If you put extra pressure on them, that’s when it gets really difficult. I think we’ll be ready tomorrow.”
Lebanon had 14 hits. Sacerdote, Hill and Falzarano each had three and Hedgepeth and Williams each had two.
Notes: Currier played despite a case of poison ivy that left him with bandages on each wrist and on his chin. … Salem (9-10) lost to Nashua Post 124, 10-0, in its first-round game. Nashua is 17-0. … The junior American Legion New England regionals will be played in Concord next weekend. … Edmond lost track of the count during a Hudson at-bat and mistakenly awarded a walk to a Post 48 batter before Lebanon assistant and scorekeeper Dan Griswold objected. The batter then singled. … Pelletier at one point told reserve pitcher Dawson Bates to warm up, but called the youngster “Sam,” the name of his identical twin brother. … Bucci pitched one varsity inning at Hanover this spring.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.