NASHUA — Ironically enough, an errant 11th-inning pitch settled a game dominated by superb pitching efforts.

Rick Holt doubled a fastball down the third base line to open the bottom of the 11th. He slid home when a two-out 1-2 offering went awry, giving Portsmouth Post 6 a thrilling 2-1 victory over Bedford Post 54 in an opening round game of the American Legion state baseball tournament Friday night.

“I was thinking that if the pitch went into the dirt I'd probably take off for home. Runs were hard to come by in this game,” said Holt, who came home on losing pitcher Ian Urquhart's wild pitch.

Kyle DiCesare, who pitched the top of the 11th inning without allowing a hit, earned the victory for Portsmouth.

The game, the third of four played at Nashua's Holman Stadium, featured two of the best pitchers from the Granite State's scholastic Class of 2012. New Hampshire Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year Jordan Bean started for Portsmouth while Division I Player of the Year Tom Hudon took the mound for defending champion Bedford.

It was the first time the aces had ever faced each other. Base runners were scarce as each ace's fastball showed some extra zip, while most every curve bit viciously.

Bedford's Mike Skilton collected the first hit of the game with one out in the fourth inning. Husband singled him home, giving Bedford a short-lived lead. Tufts University-bound Bean didn't surrender another hit until the 10th.

Ben Gareau broke up Hudon's no-hit bid with a one-out fifth-inning single and tied the score on Billy Hartmann's triple, which glanced off the mitt of leftfielder Justin Walsh diving toward the warning track.

“I'd heard a lot about (Hudon) and now I know why,” said Bean, after throwing 10 innings for the first time in his life. “His fastball was quick and had a lot of movement. Mix that in with his curve and change and you've got a real special pitcher.”

Southpaw Hudon, heading to St. Anselm College, pitched seven innings, striking out seven while allowing five hits and walking two. Righty Bean threw 10 innings, surrendering four hits and collecting 12 strikeouts without issuing a walk. Displaying his stamina, Bean struck out the side in the ninth.

“(Bean) was as advertised,” said Hudon. “Portsmouth hitters had better at-bats against me. I threw more pitches and didn't last as long. He proved his worth.”

Goffstown 10, Rochester 4: Goffstown Post 21 starting pitcher Ryan Smith watched his four-run lead shrink considerably when Rochester Post 7 plated three unearned runs in the fifth inning.

“That's seemed to happen all summer, and watch it disappear,” said Smith, a southpaw reliever for St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y. “But this time we showed how determined we are.”

Eleven Goffstown hitters worked during the club's next at bat. Five scored.

Smith, who had whiffed seven of the first 10 Rochester batters he faced, held the lead by pitching ahead in the count. He improved to 6-0 this summer by striking out 11, his high tally for this summer, while walking two, allowing five hits and one unearned run.

Goffstown, which averaged almost nine runs an outing this season, had 15 hits. Eight starters contributed hits and scored at least one run. Tucker Allard and Jake Glauser each had three hits and multiple RBIs. Smith and Kyle Indigaro each added two hits.

Rochester shortstop Luke Roberts doubled to right and drove home two runs in the fifth. Bobby Dow's single plated Zach Miller in the first.

Concord 4, Londonderry 3: Dancing around raindrops, Post 21 took advantage of three miscues to plate three runners in its final at bat and post a walk-off win in the tourney opener that experienced two rain delays.

Trailing by two runs heading into the bottom of the ninth, Concord's Ken Hart, Dillon Emerson and Joe Smith loaded the bases with no outs and ultimately reaching home on an error, fielder's choice and passed ball to win the game.

Londonderry Post 27 tallied built its lead on RBI singles from Dan Kinnon, Austin Marino and Cody Caron in the first, third and fifth innings. Concord commenced its comeback when Eddie Dionne singled and eventually scored on a passed ball in the fifth.

eemmerling@unionleader.com


Concord 4, Londonderry 3

Londonderry (0-1) 101-010-000—3-9-2

Concord (1-0) 000-010-003—4-5-2

Dan Kinnon, Keith Simpson 8, LP) and Cody Caron; Eddie Dionne, Autrey Gates (5, WP) and Joe Smith


Goffstown 10, Rochester 4

Rochester (0-1) 100-030-000—4-6-4

Goffstown (1-0) 400-150-00X—10-15-3

Jarrid Nason (LP), Zach Poisson (5), Nick Fontaine (7) and Alex Gray; Ryan Smith (WP), Jake Louis (8), Tanner Putnam (9) and Ryan Beal


Portsmouth 2, Bedford 1

Bedford (0-1) 000-100-000-00—1-4-1

Portsmouth (1-0) 000-010-01—11-6-1

Tom Hudon, Tim Michaud (8), Ian Urquhart (11, LP) and Andy Lalonde; Jordan Bean, Kyle DiCesare (11, WP) and Connor Trefethen