CONCORD — Rye pitching was cooking under Sunday afternoon's sweltering sun in an 11-and-12-year old Little League District II semifinal game.

Kandym Tulo threw heat and Max Malila tossed in some spice, combining to two-hit Hooksett, 5-0, as Rye earned a berth in Wednesday's winner-take-all District II title game against Lamprey River, a 10-0 victor over Bow in the first game of a doubleheader held a Grappone Park before a couple hundred enthusiastic spectators seeking shade under portable canopies.

“Kandym had his fastball working and seemed to be striking out everyone early and then Max came in and fooled them with his knuckle curve. It was a great combination,” said Rye catcher Jack Reaney.

Hooksett's power-hitting Brady Dupuis broke up Tulo's no-hit bid with one out in the fourth inning by bouncing a single off the center field fence. Tulo threw a succession of first-strike pitches and struck out eight while walking two before Malila, and his vast array of off-speed stuff, took over mound duties in the fifth.

Malila conceded a single to tough-luck losing pitcher Declan Knieriem in the sixth. Dupuis then worked a full-count walk, but second baseman Trevor Durkin ended the game and the last-gasp rally by making a bare-handed grab of a grounder and flipping to second for the force out.

Knieriem, a lefty pitcher and righthanded hitter who was hit by a pitch in the left shoulder in the top of the first, struck out the first two Rye batters he faced before Reaney lofted a two-strike offering over the center field fence for his first-ever homer.

Hooksett (5-4) was one strike away from avoiding disaster the rest of the game. Rye netted three runs in the second inning with Mike Sanborn, Will Garrison, Tulo and Durkin contributing two-strike hits. Jonathon Swenson, who was thrown out at the plate in a second-inning rundown, slid safely home in the fourth inning on a similar play.

“Outside of the second and fourth innings it was a one-run game. Still, we had trouble hitting the ball today,” said Hooksett manager Jeff Knieriem, Declan's father, who said this team was nicknamed the dirt dogs for the players' work ethic.

Hooksett, like Bow, reached the semis in its second year of competition in District II after moving from District I.

Rye (8-1) needed extra innings to beat Lamprey River, 5-3, in a meeting during the round-robin portion of the tourney.

“It (the title game) should be exciting,” said Rye manager Derek Malila. “We have similar playing styles. They swing the ball well one through nine down the batting order.

Lamprey River 10, Bow 0: The Longhorns (7-2), based in Raymond, advanced to their second straight District II title game behind the strong pitching of veterans Brian Lambert and Andrew Dupuis. The duo, who played on last summer's squad, combined forces for a four-hit shutout.

Starter Lambert struck out three and allowed an equal number of hits. Dupuis entered in the fourth, allowing one hit with one whiff.

Three double plays proved pivotal in stifling potential Bow (6-3) rallies. Eric Reardon initiated two with fine fielding at second and then finished one in the fourth. Bow's Jack Corriveau singled eventually advanced to third, where he tried scoring on Cole Johnson's grounder. Dupuis backhanded the hit at the mound and fired home for one out and then catcher Andrew Lufkin fired a strike to second to snare Johnson attempting to advance.

“We work over situational drills all the time at practice telling the kids that eventually something like this would happen in a game,” said Lamprey River manager Mark Dupuis. “We think everyone on this team is special and the key is that everyone contributes.”

Tucker Arnold, hitting eighth in the Longhorns' batting order, contributed two key hits, stroking a first-inning single to drive home the game's first score and tripling with the bases loaded in the fifth, plating three of the five runs scored in the rally. Also, Johnny Cantwell had two hits, drove home two runs and swiped third.

Bow turned two double plays with shortstop Rich Sullivan making an unassisted play at second before firing to Ben Guertin at first in the fourth and Corriveau catching a fly in deep center before throwing a strike home to catch a runner attempting to score from second.

The game was closer than the score indicated until Lamprey River scored three in the top of the sixth.

“I never really felt that we were out of it because we came from behind in almost all of wins during the tournament,” said Bow manager Pete Johnson. “This is the furthest we've ever advanced in tourney play and I'm proud of the kids' accomplishment.”

eemmerling@unionleader.com

District II semifinals

At CONCORD

Lamprey River 10, Bow 0

Lamp. River (7-2) 011-053— 10-13-3
Bow (6-3) 000-000— 0- 4-3

Brian Lambert (WP), Andrew Dupuis (4) and Andrew Lufkin; Caleb Olson (LP), Noah Butt (5), Ben Guertin (5), Ben Kimball (6) and Cole Johnson

Rye 5, Hooksett 0

Hooksett (5-4) 000-000— 0-2-2
Rye (8-1) 030-10x— 5-8-0

Declan Knieriem (LP) and Brendon Lewis; Kandym Tulo (WP), Max Malila (5) and Jack Reaney
Homer: R – Jack Reaney (first inning, solo)