Rochester Post 7 opens title defense with win over Bedford Post 54

NASHUA – When Thursday’s final game at the American Legion Senior baseball tournament was done, Rochester Post 7 coach B.J. Gagnon didn’t feel great about the way his team had played.

Bedford Post 54 coach Tim Conway did, but it was Rochester that was able to take advantage of opportunities to come away with a 6-1 win at Holman Stadium.

Four Bedford errors led to four runs for Post 7, and Ben Gravel added a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth to give Rochester some breathing room. Andrew Langdon also had two RBIs and Mac Struthers scored three runs to help Josh Gagne pick up the win.

Gagne went six innings and gave up one run on six hits and two walks while striking out nine. Six of those punchouts were recorded on Gagne’s first trip through the Bedford lineup, but after that, Post 54 made an adjustment and started putting runners on base.

Bedford loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but Gagne was able to get out of the inning, and Post 54 did it again in the sixth, but managed to get just one run.

“We knew (Gagne) was throwing outside all day and we made the adjustments and started putting the ball down the right field line,” Conway said. “Mike Kernan had that one hit, it was just right at the centerfielder.

“Going into the sixth inning, I felt like were winning the game. Even though we were down by one, I thought we were outhitting them and outpitching them and our energy was through the roof.”

While Gagne was holding Bedford without a hit until the fifth inning, Rochester couldn’t get much going against Grayson Jennings, but a pair of errors helped put Post 7 up 2-0 after four innings.

“We didn’t really show up with the bats until the seventh or eighth, but their kid was good,” Gagnon said. “You’ve got to give him credit. He had our guys off-balance. He was good.

“I thought it was closer than the final score. It was a dogfight. You’re up 2-0 and a double in the gap can tie the game at any time. I never felt comfortable until we got up 6-1 in the eighth.”

Jennings went 7 2/3 innings, allowing four runs – all unearned – on five hits and a walk to go with seven strikeouts.

“He pitched phenomenal,” Conway said. “The one thing that hurt him was that he had four 1-2 or 0-2 hits. It was one of the best games I’ve seen him pitch.”

While Jennings didn’t get help from his defense at times, Gagne did, and it helped the Rochester righty get out of the two bases loaded situations.

“On the mound and defensively, we were good,” Gagnon said. “We got ourselves into a couple of jams and we were able to make big pitches in big spots and get out of some jams. They were huge to get out of.”