Sweeney Post 2 baseball ends Bedford Post 54’s win streak at 11 games

BEDFORD – If it weren’t for Sweeney Post 2, the Bedford Post 54 American Legion senior baseball team might be running away with the District A.

Post 54 went into Friday night’s game having won 11 games in row, with its lone loss on the year in its first game against Sweeney.

Now make it two losses.

Sweeney scored three runs in the top of the first and pulled away with five unearned runs in the seventh to snap Bedford’s win streak with an 8-2 win.

It’s also the seventh win a row for Post 2 over Post 54 since the two teams were put in the same district before the 2013 season, with one of those wins coming in last year’s state tournament. In those games, Sweeney has outscored Bedford 55-17.

“Two wins against them are probably two of our biggest wins of the year,” Sweeney pitcher Connor Walsh said. “Our lineup, I’d put it up against anyone else in the state of New Hampshire. One through nine, we hit and we make the plays. That usually gives us a chance to win every game.”

Walsh made plenty of them Friday as he pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks with one strikeout, to get the win. After allowing a run in the first inning, Walsh worked around trouble, as Bedford put two runners on in the second, fifth and sixth innings.

“Connor Walsh gave us a great game and he’s been like that all year,” Sweeney coach David Flurey said. “He’s as mentally tough a kid as we have. He doesn’t let the situation get too big and he doesn’t let it get too low. If there’s a guy out there we want pitching in a jam, it’s certainly him.”

Ryan Baldwin led the Sweeney (10-3) offense, going 2 for 4 with a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. Cody Bassett also drove in two runs with a single in the seventh, awhile Walsh and Brendan Sullivan scored two runs apiece.

Sweeney’s two through six hitters were a combined 8 for 20, with four RBIs and seven runs.

“When those guys are on, they can hit any pitcher in the state,” Flurey said. “I’ll match this lineup against anybody’s when we’re hitting on all cylinders. It’s a good mix of young and old (players).”

Grayson Jennings took the loss for Bedford (11-2) as he allowed five runs – two earned – on eight hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. Jennings was hurt by a couple of dropped flyballs, including one in the first inning that could have prevented Sweeney from scoring.

“The errors got us there and that didn’t help Grayson very much,” Bedford coach Tim Conway said. “He was able to battle out of there and he kept us in it for a while. If we’re catching the ball and doing the right thing, good things are happening. Sweeney has had our number for the last couple of years, but that’s our big test for the playoffs. We’re going to have to do beat teams like that.”

Brett Veilleux led Post 54 by going 3 for 3 with an RBI, while Ryan Lang scored both runs for Bedford. Jennings and Tyler O’Brien also had two hits for Bedford, but every time it would put runners on base, the next big hit wouldn’t come.

“We just couldn’t get the finishing punch,” Conway said. “We were waiting for that big hit and just couldn’t get it. We have to learn from what’s going on right now. With the way our games have been going, it’s good to have a game where we’re challenge and we have some things to work on now.”

Bedford returns to the field Sunday, when it hosts Jutras Post 43, while Sweeney is off until Tuesday, when it hosts Laconia Post 1.