Claremont
“We can’t hit, but we can pitch,” said Raymond coach Tom Brusso, the Rams’ 32-year coach who, as a youth, played for Raymond in a playoff game against Claremont’s St. Mary High School at Barnes Park in 1965.
It was the second consecutive postseason gem for the Rams pitching staff as Alex Sweeney tossed a 2-0 two-hitter in Raymond’s opener over Gilford on Thursday.
Stevens also got outstanding pitching as junior Noah Spaulding battled all night, losing with a one-hitter.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a game like this,” said Stevens coach Paul Silva.
The only run in the game came in the fourth inning. Dupuis opened the inning with a walk and stole second base. A hesistant Dupuis got to third only on James Cheevers’ bloop single to right, but a Joe Hutchinson sacrifice fly to right brought him in for the game’s only run. Cody Schoolcraft, the Stevens right fielder, battled the lights and just did make the catch, falling to the ground as he did.
Raymond also played errorless defense while Stevens had two miscues that didn’t factor in the game. “We’ve been good on defense all year,” said Brusso.
The Rams will head to the semifinals on Thursday in Laconia for the second year ih a row.
Dupuis threw 95 pitches in hurling his gem. He walked six and struck out six. Spaulding walked four and struck out four. He also hit a couple batters in a 104-pitch effort.
Raymond, the fifth seed at 14-5, have given up few runs all year; the Rams now have had 10 games in which they have given up no more than one run. They’ve allowed only 44 runs to be scored on them this year against 64 scored.
Stevens, the fourth seed at 14-4, scored 165 and allowed 97.
Stevens did have a chance in the seventh with runners on second and third with one out. Herni Bourque walked and was sacrificed to second by Brendan Bean. Trey Theriault also walked, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. However, Dupuis got a strikeout and a fly ball to end the game.
Stevens had a couple of other chances as well. In the second inning Bourque walked with one out, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, but could get no farther. In the third, with two down, Spaulding and Drew Grenier both walked, but Dupuis got a fly ball to get out of it. Coby Hussey drilled a pitch to deep center in the sixth only to have it hauled down.
“I can’t hide it; I’m a little disappointed,” said Silva. “This team won 14 games this year, which hasn’t been done since 1991. And the seniors have won 54 games over their careers. It would have been nice to win another one.”