Bedford Post 54 holds off Dover Post 8 to win first tourney game since 2011 (video)

NASHUA – The Bedford Post 54 baseball team entered the American Legion senior baseball state tournament with the mindset that it could beat any of the other seven teams if it played its game.

On Friday, Bedford did just that and managed to take out one of the tournament’s top seeds, beating Dover Post 8 3-2 at Holman Stadium. The win is Bedford’s first in the tournament since 2011, snapping a six-game losing streak.

“It’s huge because the last (few) years, we’ve made it and went 0-2,” Bedford’s Mike Kernan said. “To win a game against a No. 1 seed, that’s so big. A little bit less pressure. We weren’t sure which pitcher they were going to throw but it didn’t matter because they’re a good team. We had to come up big.”

Kernan helped deliver in the big moments for Post 54, scoring the first run of the game after drawing a leadoff walk in the second, and then driving in the go-ahead runs in the eighth. He also pitched two innings of relief to get a save.

“That’s how he’s been all season,” Bedford coach Tim Conway said. “We’ve seen a lot of improvement in Mike this year. His plate approach and his confidence is through the roof now. If he gets a pitch, he punishes it. I haven’t seen too many pitchers that can put it by him.”

The win advances Bedford to a winners’ bracket game against Exeter Post 32, which beat Sweeney Post 2 7-3 in the first game of the day. Bedford and Exeter play at 4 p.m. on Saturday, while Sweeney will face Dover at 9 a.m.

Sam Sylvain picked up the win for Post 54, going seven-plus innings and allowing an unearned run on five hits and three walks while striking out five.

Sylvain was able to work out of a handful of jams with the help of his defense, as Dover had two runners on in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and had a runner reach third in the seventh, but couldn’t score.

“In the games we’ve won this year, that’s how (pitching and defense has performed),” Conway said. “When a big spot comes up, (Sylvain) always steps up.”

It looked like Sylvain would get some breathing room in the second inning, when Kernan led off with a walk against Dover’s Kevin Gould, and Ryan Lee and Brian Fyfe followed with back-to-back singles.

But with the bases loaded and no one out, Gould struck out Nick Mokas before Mitch Roy grounded out to short to drive in Kernan. With first base open, Gould hit Will Edwards to reload the bases, but bounced back to get Matt Giligan to ground out.

“We were looking to put up more, but it turns out that one run came up huge,” Kernan said. “It was a pitchers’ battle (Friday). We’ve just got to push another run across. You’ve got to be scrappy some times.”

Bedford couldn’t do much against Gould after the second, getting just three runners on through the seventh inning. Gould retired 15 of 17 batters at one point, and went eight innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts.

With one out in the top of the eighth, Andrew Fyfe reached on an error and Ryan Linehand drew a six-pitch walk to put two on for Kernan. After a ball and a meeting on the mound, Kernan ripped a shot into the left-center gap to score Fyfe to make it 2-0.

Linehan went into the third on the play, but when the ball was overthrown, he was able to score to make it 3-0.

“Coach just told me to do what I’ve been doing all season, which is hit line drives and driving in people,” Kernan said. “It felt good. It felt like a one-run game forever and to get those across was huge.”

The runs turned out to be big, as Dover finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning. A single by Ryan Connolly to lead off the inning chased Sylvain, and Chris Clement drew a walk.

Kernan came back to strikeout Griffin Young and Gould, but a throwing error on a steal by Connolly led to a run and Avella drove in Clement to make it 3-2. Bedford got out of the inning when Linehan threw out Avella trying to steal second.

Dover went down in order in the ninth to end the game.

“It was exactly the way I expected them to (play),” Conway said. “I knew if we played our game, we stood a good chance against any team in the state, and they played hard. They were focused for nine innings. If they play their game and focus, we can beat any team.”