Salem Cardinals Head to Finals After Winning First Three Playoff Games
by Tommy Gates
Jordan Estevez
Everything has been falling into place quite nicely for Salem Cardinal manager Bobby Larson and his Senior Babe Ruth League Cardinals since they opened the playoffs last week. The Cardinals had been missing a few pitchers and were dealing with a couple of injuries and lapses in defense until last week. Another thing that’s been helping out nicely is the fact that every time Larson decided to have a kid come in and pinch-hit off the bench, the kid ends up delivering. Whether it’s Jason Martin, Cal Beneze, Matt Gioia or C. J. Demarco, they seem to come through in the clutch majority of the time. Larson’s pitching staff has banded to give him three straight complete game wins heading into the finals, and freshman lefty Nick Poore got the team off to a great playoff start with a 2 - 0 win over the Mavericks at Michele Park. Poore only yielded five hits while striking out 11 and he didn’t walk a single batter. Salem centerfielder, Mark Bergeron, would score both of Salem’s runs and he’d do it early after stealing a couple of bases. The first time Bergeron did this was in the first inning when teammate Shawn Yelle drove him home with a single for a 1 - 0 lead. In the third, Bergeron singled and stole second only to have Darren Brown knock him in with another RBI single. And that’s the way it ended.
Cj DeMarco
Fresh off that 2 - 0 win over the Mavericks, the Cardinals headed to Holman Stadium to take on a Hollis/Brookline team that had beaten them twice in the regular season. Larson decided to throw Jake Lambert out on the hill for Salem, and Hollis would get several hits and four runs off Lambert in the first two innings, but Lambert shut the door from there on. Hollis took a 4 - 1 lead after two innings, and Salem wouldn’t get their bats going until the fifth inning when they would erupt for four runs to take a 5 - 4 lead. Catcher Josh Treff again was superb behind the plate, but in this game he also had a big hit and scored on Lambert’s single. Lambert later would score when Beneze’s pinch-hit single waved him to third, and he scored on Martin’s pinch-hit double as the Cardinals crept closer to Hollis/Brookline. Shortstop Jordan Estevez then joined in on the fun and he singled home Beneze. Bergeron tied the game at 4 - 4 when his grounder plated Martin, and “Downtown” Brown singled home Estevez, which would turn out to be the winning run in this 5 - 4 thriller over Hollis/Brookline.
Sunday night Larson gave the ball to Jared Scali as the Cardinals took on the Nashua Chiefs in the finals of the winners bracket. Salem jumped to a 2 - 0 lead in the first inning, but the Chiefs got three back in the last of the first. When Salem tied it at 3 - 3 in the top of the second, the Chiefs would tack on single runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 5 - 3 lead. The Cardinals didn’t help themselves early on with three errors, which led to three unearned runs, but they kept chipping away and came back to knot it at 5 - 5 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Beneze started the rally by reaching on an error and with one out Bergeron singled to center. Brown reached on a fielder’s choice, and Beneze would score later when the Chiefs’ pitcher balked him in from third for a 5 - 4 game. Yelle then stepped up and tied the game at 5 - 5 when he singled Brown home. In the top of the seventh, Martin got things rolling for Salem with a leadoff single. Estevez reached on an error and while Martin was called out for interference Estevez stole second, and scored the eventual game winner when Brown doubled him home. Salem then ended this game in fine fashion as the Chiefs had runners on first and third with one out. Their batter hit a liner to center that looked like a sure single, but Bergeron came racing in to glove it before it hit the ground, and he then threw a “frozen pea” on a line to DeMarco at third base to double off the runner for a game-ending double play that had Salem coaches Larsen and Dan Keleher Sr., grinning from ear to ear.
Cefalo Hurls a Beauty as Salem American Beats Hooksett 4 - 3, But Loses to Bedford
by Tommy Gates
Mark Cefalo
Mark Cefalo tossed five super innings last week against mighty Hooksett before running into his 85-pitch maximum. Cefalo’s teammate, 11-year old pitcher Josh Perrault for the second time in a week came out of the bullpen and earned the save as Salem American stayed alive in the Little League District I Tournament with a 4 - 3 win over Hooksett. Saturday, Bedford came to Michelle Park and the Salem American All-Stars had a tough time hitting Bedford’s starting pitcher Jimmy Cassidy after they fell behind 2-0. The Americans looked like they were ready to get back into the game in the top of the second inning after Jared Rooney was hit by a pitch and Colin Parnell singled with nobody out. Drew Hulshult dropped down a bunt but Cassidy got the force at third for the first out. Conner Burke drew a base on balls to load them up with only one out. Matt Survillas lined to short, and Cefalo walked to force in Salem’s first run of the game.
But, the American All-Stars left the bases loaded. Bedford tacked on four runs in the last of the second inning to stretch the lead to 6 - 1, but it appeared the Salem kids were fighting to get right back into it. In the top of the third inning Brad Marggraf singled and went to second when Rooney walked and then scored when Colin Parnell singled, making it a 6 - 2 game. Salem later got another single but had a runner cut down at the plate. Bedford increased its lead to 9 - 2 with three more runs in the third and Colin Parnell had come in to pitch for Mitchell Dufton. Salem American’s last chance at tightening the game came in the fourth inning when Survillas singled, Mitch Dufton was hit by a pitch, and Jake White blasted a three-run homer to straight-away centerfield to cut Bedford’s lead to 9 - 5, but that’s as close as Salem American could get, losing 14 - 5.
Manager Mitch Dufton and assistant coach Brian Guptill knew they were in for a battle against Hooksett earlier in the week, but Survillas and Cefalo were performing their offensive jobs to a tee by getting on base with two singles to start the game and then score when Parnell and Rooney knocked them in. This gave Cefalo an early 2 - 0 lead and he was pitching a gem for the American Stars. Survillas and Cefalo struck again in the fourth inning on a walk and a double, but Dufton would reach on an error and both would score on a wild pitch and an error.
Cefalo ran into his pitch limit with one out in the sixth inning and two on, before being lifted for Josh Perrault. Hooksett loaded the bases on a walk and a hit, a force play and another error had Hooksett trailing 4 - 3 with two outs in the sixth inning. Perrault then go the last batter to smash one up the middle that he knocked down, and then from his knees, threw to first to end the game. Manager Dufton just shook his head and said, “You know what kind of pressure was on that 11-year-old kid? I hate to do that, but it was our best shot at holding on and Perrault bailed us out. Now we have to worry about Bedford.”
Salem Cyclones U-10 Girls Softball Earn Trip to Regionals in Connecticut
by Tommy Gates
Salem manager Greg Dawson and his coaching staff had the 10-year-old Cyclone girls softball team pumped and jacked last weekend at the Babe Ruth South New Hampshire Tournament as they went 3 - 2 in the tourney and were leading in both losses to eventual champion Rochester. Dawson admits his team had plenty of heroes, starting with catcher Holly Peterson who belted a long grand slam Friday night to give her team an early 5 - 1 lead over Rochester. Peterson was immense behind the plate sharing the catching duties with Michaela Woefel all weekend and she killed the ball all over the park. Rochester scrapped its way back to even the score late in the game, and Salem had scoring chances but just couldn’t connect with the big hit with girls in scoring position, allowing Rochester to nip Salem 7 - 5.
These Salem girls didn’t get down because of the loss, but instead went out and scorched the ball around the park in their next game against Atkinson. Salem scored early and often as Allie Adaschik, Meghan O’Brien, Shauna Cloutier, and Rachel Towler all came through with big hits and made heads-up plays in the outfield allowing Salem to run away with the 16 - 5 win. This team got brilliant pitching all through the tournament from Katie Dawson, Rachel Towler, and Montana Davis as well as timely hitting from all three girls. Salem stayed alive in the next game by beating the Windham girls. Cammie Hanninen, Brook Murphy, (who incidentally celebrated her ninth birthday this weekend) Katie Dawson, Erica Pierce, and Madison Borelli all whacked the ball all over the park for Salem.
For the Salem girls to get another shot at Rochester, they would have to beat a very good Dover team Sunday morning and this would be an exciting game from start to finish. Salem would go up 7 - 1 early in the game, but Dover kept pecking away at the lead. Manager Greg Dawson hoped that Montana Davis could get him through the third and fourth inning so that he could bring in Katie Dawson to pitch the final two innings, because that was all she was eligible to pitch. Montana didn’t let anyone down getting out of trouble in those two innings and striking out the last girls in the fourth inning with the tying run on third base. Davis then went above and beyond the call of duty when she came up with two outs and a runner on second and scorched a massive triple to left centerfield to give her team an 8 - 6 lead. Dover closed it to 8 - 7, but Erica Pierce then came up and hit a two-run double to deep left field to put Salem ahead 10 - 7 and that’s the way it would end when Dawson set Dover down in order for the sixth inning.
Salem jumped to an early 2 - 0 lead in the championship game against Rochester with two runs in the first inning, but Rochester tied it up with a pair in the last of the second inning. Katie Dawson and Rachel Towler split this game on the mound with three innings apiece, but after tying it up at 3 - 3 in the top of the sixth inning, Rochester pushed the winning run across and won the state title with the 4 - 3 win over Salem. Greg Dawson and his assistant coaches were all very proud of their young team and they are very excited to be going to the Regional Tournament July 25-27 in Stamford, Connecticut, where they’ll be competing against the best teams from New England.
Salem National Stars Eliminated by Bedford
by Tommy Gates
Dominic Gigante
The end of the line for the Salem National Little League All-Stars came last Monday night, but not before manager George Morin and his assistants Paul Soucy and Chris Mahn, had made sure their kids had given it everything they had. Bedford recently held a warm heart for playing at Michele Park in Salem, after beating Salem on Saturday afternoon, but they’d have to go against big right-hander Dominic Gigante on Monday night. Bedford threw Jimmy Merservy on the mound and both pitchers fared very well for the first four innings, because their defense was making the big plays behind them. Salem National had won its first three tournament games on the road, beating Merrimack Valley 10 - 0, Hooksett 4 - 3 and Manchester East 14 - 4, before losing to unbeaten Manchester North last week 9 - 2 at Michele Park.
Salem had a scoring threat in the first inning when Santino Brancato and Gigante walked, but Merservy struck out the other three batters. In the top of the second Bedford pushed a run across on three singles to lead 1 - 0. Two base hits and a big error by Salem led to two more Bedford runs in the top of the third, but trailing 3 - 0, the Salem Nationals appeared to have a rally going. In the last of the third inning, Zach Guilmet led off with a walk and then went to second on a single down the first base line by Brancato. With Salem runners on first and second with nobody out, 10 seconds after the play, the Bedford manager came out and chatted with the home plate umpire, and after a few more seconds, both walked out to second to talk to the base umpire. After another 10 seconds, the home plate umpire walked near Salem National manager George Morin and told him his batter on second is out, because he thinks the ball hit him. Morin looked at the umpire and slowly walked away, but there were several other local fans who voiced their displeasure, but held back for the children’s sake. Neither team did much of anything for the next inning and a half, until Gigante decided he’d have something to say and he did, a rocket that zoomed out of centerfield and cut Bedford’s lead to 3 - 1. Gigante would have two of Salem National’s three hits in the game, but Bedford blew it open with five more runs in the fifth to take the game 8 - 1.
Salem 13 Babe Ruth Stars Lose in Districts
by Tommy Gates
What started off with a nice 9 - 7 win over a good Concord team, ended in a nagging 8 - 7 last-inning loss to Manchester Monday night at Michele Park for the Salem 13-year old Babe Ruth All-Stars. Phil Smith started on the hill for Salem Friday night against Concord and he earned the win by going four innings, and giving up five hits and four runs. Jake Ratka pitched the fifth and sixth innings and kept the Concord bats quiet, giving up only two runs on three hits, before John McQuarrie came in to earn the save for Salem. Matt Barbin was slick with the glove around shortstop and he belted three hits in the game, while Ryan Decker, Phil Smith, and Joe Lemenenger all banged out three hits apiece for the home Salem boys.
These kids ran into a terrific pitcher from Nashua the next day and he kept Salem’s hits and scoring chances to a minimum. Ryan Decker didn’t deserve to lose this game on the mound for Salem either. Decker issued a walk to lead off the game and a sacrifice bunt, was followed by an infield hit and two strikeouts, but still gave Nashua an early 1 - 0 lead that it would not relinquish. Salem had a serious threat in the last of the third inning when big Jake Rakta lined a one-out double into left centerfield and then Smith dropped a single into short right, with Ratka having had to hold up to see if it could have been caught. Joe Dube followed and lined a shot that looked as if it’s into left field for a single, but Nashua’s shortstop lunged to snare it and turned it into an inning-ending double. Decker had given up only one hit in the first inning to Nashua, but it would get a one- out double in the fourth inning, and a groundout and sacrifice fly would make it 2 - 0 Nashua. Lemenenger was super behind the plate, as the left-handed catcher had Nashua runners on their toes. Salem had another scoring chance in the fifth, but couldn’t crack this Nashua pitcher, and Nashua added two late runs for the 4 - 0 victory.
Last Monday the Salem 13-year olders jumped out to a 3 - 0 first inning lead. Barbin walked to get things rolling, Decker reached on an error and John McQuarrie slapped a single to left for a 1 - 0 lead. Lemenenger then jumped the lead on Manchester to 2 - 0 with a hit and Dube’s single gave Salem a 3 - 0 lead. Smith was shutting down Manchester on two hits and one run for the first three innings, but Manchester broke things open a bit in the top of the fourth. Several hits, a few walks, a couple of errors, and just like that Manchester tallied five runs to take a 6 - 3 lead. Salem didn’t back down as it came right back to plate four runs on three walks, two errors and a clutch two-run hit by Barbin. By the time the dust cleared, Salem regained the lead 7 - 6, but Manchester scraped two runs across in the fifth off McQuarrie, who really did a nice relief job. Dan Farias tried to get a seventh-inning rally going for Salem, but a double play and a fly ball to right had Manchester take the 8 - 7 win that eliminated Salem from the District 1 Tournament.
22-0 Blue Devils Win State Title over Trinity - 2008 Class L Boys Basketball Champions
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