Merrimack Post 98 baseball beats Lebanon Post 22 for first tournament win

NASHUA – Kyle Lawson has been around long enough to know what a win Saturday would mean for the Merrimack Post 98 baseball team.

The Merrimack pitcher has played for Post 98 for four years, and for the first time, he was making a start in the American Legion senior baseball tournament.

Lawson made the most of it, allowing two runs over eight innings, and Merrimack played stellar defense behind him on the way to a 9-2 win over Lebanon Post 22 at Holman Stadium. The game was called after eight innings due to the mercy rule.

The win keeps Merrimack (9-7) alive, as Post 98 was scheduled to play at 4 p.m. Sunday, while Lebanon was eliminated from the tournament. Also advancing Sunday was Sweeney Post 2, which eliminated Dover Post 8 2-1 in Saturday’s first game.

Seven of Merrimack’s starting nine had two hits or more, as Post 98 had 18 hits, and after making five errors in Friday’s loss to Milford, Merrimack had none on Saturday.

“We came in at the beginning ready to go and that was the difference,” Merrimack coach Chris Shanahan said. “Any time we got in trouble, we figured it out. Defensive didn’t boot the ball around and that was huge. We’re a lot better when we don’t boot the ball around. Kick the ball around, you’re young, you take yourself out. You don’t kick the ball around, and it’s a lot easier.”

Alex Thornton led the offense, going 3 for 5 with five RBIs, while Justin Grassini was 4 for 5, scored three runs and drove in two more. Brendan Carter (2 for 4) also drove in two runs and scored two, and Grant Coy was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

“I’m not used to (the run support),” Lawson said. “Playing on teams before this, it’s tough to get the support. It’s great. We’ve had great offense all year. It backed me up and made it so much easier.

“It means so much (to get the first win). I’ve been on the team for four years and we’d never even made it to the playoffs. To win one, it’s great. Can’t wait to see where it takes us.”

Lawson pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out five. He picked off two Lebanon (12-6) base runners, including one to end the fourth inning, and worked out of a jam in the sixth and seventh.

“He battled,” Shanahan said. “He came in and said he was little tired. I said just give me whatever you can and he just battles. He’s been in the program, he’s one of the longer guys, that’s what he does. He battles.”

Merrimack got the scoring started in the bottom of the first, as Grassini led off with a double and scored on a single by Thornton. Lebanon tied it in the top of the second on Regan Silouich’s RBI single, but Post 98 went back in front on a run-scoring single by Coy.

In the fourth, control started to become a problem for Lebanon pitcher Matt Braley, who came on in relief of Chase Hussey to start the third. Braley hit Tyler DeNeill to leadoff the inning and walked Logan Chaput before Coy singled to load the bases.

Grassini followed with a single to score Chaput and Braley walked Carter to bring in Coy to make it 5-1 Merrimack. Jacob Tetley came on in relief of Braley, but he hit Andrew Thibault to bring in another run and gave up a two-run single to Thornton to make it 8-1.

It was still a seven-run game when Merrimack added two more in the seventh on another two-run single by Thornton. After an RBI triple by Hussey got another run on the board for Lebanon in the top of the eight, Post 98 scored three times in the bottom of the inning, ending it on Carter’s RBI single.

“We’ve got guys who can hit,” Shanahan said. “I saw a different group of kids (Saturday) when we started. I could see the intensity in their eyes.

“The kids who have been around for a while, they’ve seen what the program does and how we take steps every year. Now with a playoff win, it’s another step for us and hopefully we’ll pull more guys in who don’t play.”