COLCHESTER, Vt. — John O’Hara, coach of the White River Junction Post 84 senior American Legion baseball team, first floated the idea to his assistants on Thursday. By Friday, he had decided: His club had barely reached the state tournament, so what did it have to lose in the eight-team event?
“We’re playing with house money and we’re gonna roll the dice,” the bearded bench boss said Saturday before Post 84 tackled the top-seeded and host Colchester Cannons in the double-elimination event.
That translated to O’Hara releasing his lineup only minutes before the first pitch, the better to hide the choice of little-used pitcher Ryan Pepe as his starter. And it continued once play began in the form of White River Junction’s aggressive baserunning and in its issuing five intentional walks to set up double-play possibilities.
You think we’re a pushover, asked the South Division’s fourth and final entrant? Well, you might be right, but you might also have a heck of a game on your hands.
It turned into the latter, with Post 84 staging a dramatic, three-run comeback to tie the game after the regulation seven innings before falling, 7-6, in nine.
“We wanted Robert late on the mound in a tight game and to have a chance to win and that’s how it played out,” said O’Hara, whose 2018 team looked somewhat sloppy in losing its first two tournament games. “It’s exactly what we asked for. Our comeback in the seventh inning showed character and we showed we’re not here to roll over.
“Nobody likes a loss but now the younger guys know that we’re for real and that we can play with anybody in a tough tournament.”
Pepe, a rising Thetford Academy senior, had thrown only about 10 innings this season, so his appearance on the mound caused puzzlement among the Cannons, who use electronics and extensive statistical analysis.
“This kid looks like he’s 12 years old,” one Cannon said as Pepe took his pregame warmup throws.
By that time, however, White River Junction was leading, 2-0 and Cannons ace Saul Minaya had been pulled. Hunter Perkins walked, stole second and scored on Kyle Hamilton’s single for a 1-0 lead. Hamilton took second when Brady Clark was hit by a pitch, then scored on a Robert Slocum single.
Pepe surrendered four hits and three runs during the bottom half of the first and another two hits and two runs during the second, but he ate up enough at-bats for O’Hara to bring in Slocum one out into the second. The recent Windsor High graduate gave up two hits and another run, giving Colchester a 6-2 lead after two innings, but went the rest of the way, throwing 104 pitches in a valiant effort.
“I asked a tall order of Pepe today against a great team,” O’Hara said. “All I wanted was for to keep us close and he did that.”
Colchester didn’t score again until the ninth inning. Meanwhile, Post 84 scored once in the fourth and lulled a crowd of roughly 400 into a sun-induced stupor before beginning its seventh-inning comeback. Perkins led off with a doubled and was sacrificed to third by Hamilton. Clark belted a triple and Slocum a double, making the score 6-5.
With two outs, Woodstock High’s Tom Bissaillon singled Slocum home for a 6-6 tie. He attempted to steal second, but was thrown out, despite a low slide on which he said he felt no tag.
Post 84 (12-13) went down in order in the eighth and the Cannons stranded two runners during their half of the frame. Hamilton smacked a one-out double in the ninth, but Clark struck out and Slocum flied out.
Colchester (23-2) began its ninth at-bat with a strike out and a walk. Runner Mike Mansfield stole his team’s fifth base of the afternoon and O’Hara ordered No. 8 hitter Lucas McClanahan intentionally walked. Pinch hitter Nate Lamphere struck out but Tyler Daniels singled up the middle, scoring Mansfield with the winning run.
“I don’t like losing, but with such a young team, I’ll take it,” said O’Hara, whose team had to win its last three regular season games to reach the postseason. “This is why these kids signed up to play. We try to offer everybody on the Vermont side of the Upper Valley a chance to play competitive ball on the big stage.”
Slocum allowed six hits and two runs while striking out five batters and walking eight, five of them intentionally. Hamilton delivered a double and two singles and two RBIs and Slocum had a single and a double. Bissaillon had two singles.
“It was a nine-inning fight,” Bissaillon said. “We’ve worked really hard to get where we are and I think that showed in how we played. There’s not much more you can ask for than a chance to win and we had that today. We just couldn’t seize it.”
Notes: After two seasons as a Post 84 assistant and three as its head coach, O’Hara said he will step down after the current campaign ends to spend more time with his wife and young children. … Post 84 is expected to start Hartford High ace Alex Bushway with Thetford Academy’s Jake Colby in relief at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, when it plays Rutland. … Minaya will play at NCAA Division II Franklin Pierce College next season. … In other senior Legion news, Lebanon Post 22 senior pitcher and outfielder Trey Parker said Friday he will play at NCAA Division III Roanoke (Va.) College next season. He’ll join former Hanover High and Post 22 outfielder Will Smith with the Maroons. … Colby-Sawyer baseball coach Jim Broughton scouted Saturday’s game, along with several of his NCAA Division III peers. … Colchester player Matt Brault delivered an outstanding version of the national anthem on an electric guitar prior to Saturday’s first pitch. … Bissaillon, as he often is, was outfitted in Dartmouth College athleisure wear following the game. His father, Mike, is the Big Green’s head equipment manager. … Colchester High’s field dimensions are 355 feet down the left field line, 352 down the right field line and 384 to center. … Colchester won state titles in 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.