NHIAA teams pass final test
- Updated: June 10, 2023
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Division I
Londonderry 4, Pinkerton 3
After allowing two runs in the top of the eighth inning, top-seeded Londonderry (22-1) scored three times in the bottom half of the inning to pull out a 4-3 win against third-seeded Pinkerton Academy at Delta Dental Stadium.
Jet Jones set off a celebration for those wearing blue when he singled to drive in pinch-runner Zach Mantegari with the game-winning run.
Earlier in the inning a Johan Pena single drove in Brett McKinnon to make it 3-2 before Liam Stott’s RBI single with one out scored Owen Carey with the game-tying run.
Pinkerton (19-5) looked like it might pull out the victory when Jayden Hamilton was thrown out at the plate on the same play that scored McKinnon. That left runners on first and second with one out, but each of the next three Londonderry batters reached base.
Michael Crowley got the win for recording the final two outs in the top of the eighth. Londonderry starter Connor Fennell gave up three runs on nine hits. He struck out seven.
Cole Yennaco, Lorenzo Corsetto and Matthew Barbuto each had two hits for the Astros. Hamilton and Pena each had a two-hit game for the Lancers.
The game was tied, 1-1, until Yennaco’s RBI double in the top of the eighth inning gave the Astros a 2-1 lead. Cyle Archer followed with an RBI single that drove in Yennaco to make it 3-1.
Londonderry took a 1-0 lead in the first when Kevin Rourke’s single drove in Hamilton from third. Pinkerton tied the game in the fourth on a two-out single from pinch-hitter Josh Jones that scored Elijah Sharp from second.
DIVISION II
Hollis-Brookline 5, Plymouth 0
Charlie Hale pitched a complete game and struck out 14 to lead the second-seeded Hollis-Brookline to its second consecutive Division II championship.
Hale allowed three hits and faced 22 batters – one over the minimum.
Zak Lussier, Jack Hale and Alex Razzaboni each had two hits for Hollis-Brookline (16-3). Hale added two RBIs, and Razzaboni, the Division II Player of the Year, scored twice.
Lucas Diamond collected two of Plymouth’s’ three hits, all of which were singles. Thomas Daigneault had Plymouth’s other hit. The Bobcats (12-8) made a strong tournament run after losing their last five regular season games.
Plymouth starting pitcher Johnny Flaherty surrendered three runs on six hits in four innings. He walked two and struck out two. The Cavaliers scored their two other runs against reliever Logan Finkle. Both runs came on Jack Lager’s two-run single in the fifth.
It was scoreless until the Cavaliers scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth. After back-to-back singles by Lussier and Razzaboni, Lussier put Hollis-Brookline up 1-0 by scoring on an infield error. Razzaboni made it 2-0 when he scored from third on a fielder’s choice, and Gavin Knudsen’s RBI single drove in Dylan Morelli with Hollis-Brookline’s third run.
DIVISION III
White Mountains 2, Monadnock 0
Karter Deming pitched a complete game and struck out 16 as third-seeded White Mountains (18-2) ended Monadnock’s 43-game winning streak.
Deming, the only senior on the White Mountains roster, allowed three hits and struck out the side in the second and fourth innings. He struck out Cam Olivo, the Division III Player of the Year, in each of his three at-bats.
Noah Covell scored both runs in the game. He gave the Spartants a 1-0 lead by scoring on Ian St. Cyr’s sacrifice fly in the second, and made it 2-0 when he scored on St. Cyr’s RBI single in the fourth. St. Cyr collected two of White Mountains’ four hits.
Top-seeded Monadnock (18-1) won the Division III championship in 2021 and 2022.
DIVISION IV
Newmarket 5, Littleton 4
Fifth-seeded Newmarket (18-2) built a 5-0 lead through five innings and held on to win the Division IV championship.
Third-seeded Littleton made it a 5-4 game by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Littleton (17-3) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but failed to score. Nick Nigro pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
Graham Willerer limited Littleton to two hits and struck out 10 in six innings to earn the win. He walked seven, hit one batter and surrendered two earned runs. Willerer also had two hits, and RBI and scored a run,
Cam Moran led the Newmarket offense with three hits — all singles — and an RBI.
J.P. Perez tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless relief for Litteton.
Newmarket ended its season on a 14-game winning streak.
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