NASHUA, N.H. — The Upper Valley Anglers 19Us scored four times in the first inning and rode Brendan Walker’s three-hit pitching to a 12-0 rout of Merrimack on Wednesday in a New Hampshire COVID Baseball League game at Daniel Webster College’s Harvey Woods Field.
The Anglers’ fifth shutout of the season was also their first win via the 10-run mercy rule.
Walker (Woodsville High) had little trouble with Merrimack (4-10), which currently sitting next-to-last in the 11-team NHCBL standings. Walker struck out seven and walked two, clinching the shutout by working out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Upper Valley (8-7) had the game well in hand by then.
Trey Chickering (Proctor Academy), Keegan Silovich (Hanover High) and Nolan Gantrish (Hanover) all singled and scored in the Anglers’ first-inning assault. Jack Loftus (Hanover) and Gantrish delivered RBI singles in the second to boost the lead to 6-0.
Chickering added a two-run single in the third for a 9-0 advantage. Josh Bucci (Hanover), Walker and Ben Williams (Hanover) all walked and scored in the fifth to activate the 10-run rule.
Chickering finished the night 3-for-4. Silovich and Gantrish both had doubles to highlight two-hit games for Upper Valley, which had 10 hits as a team. Casey Graham (Hanover) also slapped a two-bagger.
The Anglers head to Laconia’s Robbie Mills Park on Friday night for a makeup date with Lakes Region.