Goffstown Post 16 cruises past Milford Post 23 to keep American Legion playoff hopes alive

GOFFSTOWN – The Goffstown Post 16 senior baseball team has struggled holding on to leads late in games this season.

Against Milford Post 23 on Tuesday, Goffstown made sure it never made it that far.

Post 16 got a big offensive days from Kyle Perron and Chris Hood while Jason Thomas was stellar on the mound in a 14-1 win over Milford that was called after seven innings due to the mercy-rule.

Perron hit a grand slam in the first inning and a two-run single in the sixth, part of a day that saw him go 2 for 3 with six RBIs and three runs, while Hood was also 2 for 3 with a double, a home run and five RBIs. David Nelson was also 3 for 4 with three runs scored and Ryan Pinard also drove in two.

Thomas got the win for Goffstown (7-6) by pitching all seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Milford (9-6) put the first two runners of the game on base, but hit into a double play, and never had more than one runner  at a time on base the rest of the way.

“Overall, we played well as a team and that’s a big thing with us,” Goffstown coach Lenny Pappas said. “Thomas was superb on the mound. The thing he does is he doesn’t fool you. He comes right at you and challenges hitters. His best pitch is his fastball and that’s what he brings. You’re going to beat him with his best pitch.”

Joe Grassett went 2 for 3 for Milford, including a double, and scored the lone run for Post 23 on a fifth-inning single by Tommy Bennett. CJ Bilodeau was also 2 for 3, but no one else had a hit for Milford.

“We were ready to play a game that we needed to score a lot of runs in and they threw a pretty good pitcher,” Milford coach Frank Douglas said. “He mixed it up pretty well in the beginning. The pitch I liked the best from him was the fastball he was throwing down in the zone. That’s tough to square up to.”

After a double play helped Thomas get out of the top of the first inning unscathed, it looked like Milford pitcher Alec Burns would get the same help when Pinard hit a groundball to first base. Post 23 got the out at second, but no one covered first base and Pinard was safe to keep the inning alive.

Tim Riehl and Nelson followed with singles to load the bases and Perron crushed a pitch from Burns to left-center field to make it 4-0.

Goffstown put two more on in the second, but Burns looked like he might get out of the inning again after striking out Dylan Skinner for the second out. But Pinard delivered a two-run single to make it 6-0.

A two-run double by Hood in the fifth made it 8-1 and chased Burns, who allowed nine runs on eight hits and five walks in four-plus innings.

In the sixth, Perron made it 11-1 with a two-run single off Ryan Aho, and Hood put the game away with a shot into the right-center gap. The ball landed in some bushes along the fence, and the Milford outfielders raised their arms to signal the ball was out of view.

But neither umpire made a call for a ground-rule double, and Perron and Hood continued around the bases for a three-run, inside-the-park home run to finish off the scoring.

Both teams remain in the hunt for one of the four postseason spots from District A. Milford will try to hold off Plymouth (9-6) on Wednesday before finishing the regular season against Laconia (2-11) and Jutras (1-14).

Goffstown has five games remaining, starting with Thursday’s game at Bedford (12-4). Post 16 also plays Jutras, Concord (8-7) and finishes the regular season with a doubleheader against Laconia.