Goffstown Post 16 picks up win over Bedford Post 54
BEDFORD – The formula was a simple one for Goffstown Post 16 in Tuesday’s win over Bedford Post 54.
BEDFORD – The formula was a simple one for Goffstown Post 16 in Tuesday’s win over Bedford Post 54.
Every inning Goffstown put the leadoff runner on base, it scored at least a run, and combined with another stellar pitching performance from Chris Hood, Goffstown came away with an 8-1 win over Bedford at Riley Field in American Legion Senior District A action.
Hood pitched eight shutout innings, giving up eight hits while striking out five and walking no one. The Goffstown pitcher also worked out of a couple of jams, escaping tough situations in the second, fourth and eighth innings.
“The thing with Chris is that he doesn’t walk a lot of people,” Goffstown coach Lenny Pappas said. “He throws strikes and he’s got enough offspeed stuff that he gets ahead and keeps guys off balance. We made some great plays behind him. That’s the key, don’t walk anybody and make the plays behind him.”
And when Post 16 put the first runner on base, it found ways to get him home.
Michael Bailey and Kyle Chisolm each had two hits and scored two runs for Post 16 (4-6) while Hood went 1 for 4 two RBIs and a run scored.
“We seem to be a team that, if we get the leadoff guy on, we’re scoring runs,” Pappas said. “If we don’t, we’re getting two-out hits, get first and second, and then leave the guys stranded. It’s been that way all season and it makes no sense. We can’t get that clutch, two-out hit. When we get that leadoff guy, it builds momentum and the guys jump on.”
Bedford (7-5) also got a solid start from Kyle Anderson, as he went seven innings, giving up three runs – two earned – on eight hits and two walks while striking out eight.
“I thought Kyle threw an excellent game,” Bedford coach Tim Conway said. “I wanted to see him do exactly what he did, and he threw a good game.
“(Hood) threw a lot of strikes and kept us off balance with a good curveball. The first couple of innings, he didn’t throw his hardest, and he started to speed up as the game went on.”
It was a 3-0 game when Tyler O’Brien came on in relief for Post 54 in the eighth, but O’Brien retired just one batter, allowing five runs – three earned – on four hits and a hit batter.
Bedford made it interesting, loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but Hood got Ryan Lang to line out to right on the first pitch and then struck out A.J. Schiappa on three pitches to end the inning.
“Drown everyone else and do my thing,” Hood said of he battled back. “I knew I had my team behind me. It takes all nine to win a game, and all the bench players. Getting those five runs was a huge relief off my chest and everyone else’s. It just allowed us to lay back just a little bit.”
Kyle Perrone came in to pitch the ninth for Goffstown, and with two outs, loaded the bases on a walk and two hit batters. Brett Veilleux then walked to bring in Eric Sabean for Bedford’s lone run before Perrone got O’Brien to ground out to end the game.
Goffstown took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Bailey reached to leadoff and scored. Bedford looked like it might at least tie it in the second as Schiappa and Grayson Jennings opened with back-to-back singles and moved to third and second, respectively, on a sacrifice by Sabean.
But Hood got Justin Mickelson to hit a ground ball to third baseman Tyler Perrone, who threw home to get Shiappa for the second out. Mickelson later got caught in a run down to end the inning.
In the third, Hood reached on an error to open the inning and later scored on another error to make it 2-0, and in the fifth, Chisolm drew a leadoff walk and scored on a single by Hood.
Both teams are on the road Thursday, as Bedford heads to Concord and Goffstown goes to Plymouth.
