SALEM, N.H. — The Lebanon Post 22 junior American Legion baseball team’s season continues Sunday, the result of a 5-0 defeat of Salem Post 63 on Saturday during the state tournament at Michele Park.
Lebanon (7-11) plays in a 4:15 p.m. elimination game Sunday against Manchester Jutras Post 43, which defeated defending state champion Dover Post 8 on Saturday night.
Rising Hanover High freshman Ben Williams stroked his second triple in as many days and reached base for the eighth time in 10 trips to the plate at the double-elimination event. Lebanon High’s Braeden Falzarano, a rising Lebanon High sophomore, threw a three-hitter, striking out seven batters and walking one.
“We’re still alive, and I don’t think we felt like we were down and out after yesterday,” said Post 22 coach Travis Pelletier, whose team lost, 11-10, to Hudson Post 48. “We have a lot of young guys, but they have state tournament experience now and we’ve gained confidence.
“We got a great pitching experience out of Braeden, who plays a lot of baseball during the year. I don’t think any moment he faces here is going to be too big for him.”
Lebanon, District A’s third-place finisher, opened the scoring during the first inning against Salem, District B’s fourth-place team. Williams singled, stole second and scored after Casey Graham’s groundout to the pitcher resulted in the first baseman throwing wildly to third base.
Post 22 stranded two runners during the third inning and went down in order during the fourth, but scored again an inning later. Williams drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored when Graham grounded to the second baseman, who threw the ball away.
The home team’s final three runs came during the sixth. Lebanon High catcher Calvin Bates reached on the shortstop’s throwing error, Hanover High’s John Hill singled and fellow Marauder Ian Hedgepeth singled home Bates. Hanover’s Mason Gantrish moved Hill to third with a sacrifice bunt and Hill scored on a ground out by Lebanon High’s Jorgen Leuthauser.
Williams then belted his triple to close the scoring and Falzarano set down Salem in order to end the game.
“Ben’s our leadoff hitter because he’s going to get on base pretty much every time he comes to bat,” Pelletier said. “Yesterday, they tried to pitch around him and walked and hit him. He sets a great tone by going up there with such confidence and everybody feeds off that.”
Williams, a Philadelphia native, was adopted shortly after birth. His father works at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and his mother is a hypnotist. The family made a short stop in Rochester, N.Y., before moving to Hanover, where their son has grown up.
The engaging outfielder said his goal for the coming school year is to play varsity basketball and baseball at Hanover High. Williams praised the Upper Valley as a whole and his hometown in particular, but noted he may later attend prep school or find another option in order to maximize his college recruiting chances.
“We’re kind of isolated here,” said Williams, wearing a skull wrap, shiny stud earrings, a gold chain and a knotted red bandana around his neck before boarding the Post 22 bus. “This spring I was playing in the New England Elite league, where the skill level is probably a little better than (junior Legion). The kids here are bigger, though.
“I hit in the cage so often that I feel like I can hit pretty much every fastball I’m going to see.”
Said Pelletier: “We’ve just got to minimize mistakes. We had a couple today that nearly bit us. If we’re throwing strikes and playing defense, I’ll put our offense up against anybody.”
Notes: Lebanon had six hits. … Salem lost its first two tournament games by a combined 15-0. … Pelletier said Sacerdote, a rising freshman, will be his starting pitcher on Sunday. … Graham, the son of Hanover Improvement Society general manager Jeff Graham, has been nicknamed “Goon” by his Post 22 teammates. The same sobriquet once belonged to Lebanon High principal and former Hanover High assistant principal Ian Smith, who was a standout Raiders athlete during his teenage years. … Lebanon High standout soccer goalkeeper and basketball forward Sally Rainey attended the contest, sporting a Post 22 camouflage hat. … Pitch counts at the New Hampshire junior and senior tournaments are kept on a new, $1,300 electronic board that uses eight batteries, but promises 15 hours of unplugged usage.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.