RallyNorth.net

Mon, Apr 18, 2011 04:00 PM @ Salem

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Final
Nashua North	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	4
Salem	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2

One grounder, two errors, four runs: Poore, Salem upended by North

Monday, April, 18 By Hector Longo

 

SALEM – The Nashua North and Salem High baseball teams delivered yet another example in the need for league play around the Granite State yesterday, with the Titans pulling out the tense 4-2 win.

 

Two potential state title suitors, each sending their ace to the hill – St. John’s bound Kyle Turner for North and Boston College recruit Nick Poore for Salem – and the difference proved to be one routine, bases-loaded bounding ball.

 

All four North runs came home on that grounder, with two Salem throwing errors turning a 2-0 lead into a 4-2 deficit.

 

“Nick pitched well enough to win,” said Salem coach Dan Keleher of his southpaw, who fanned seven and didn’t walk a hitter in a seven-hitter. “His pitch count was way down. He threw outs.”

 

Salem suffered its first defeat in the young season at the hands of Turner, who spaced his five hits and six walks allowed, lifting North to a 3-0 start.

 

“So early in the season, it’s good for our hitters to see a kid like Turner, who in my eyes is the second-best pitcher in the state,” said Keleher.

 

Salem jumped on Turner for both runs in the bottom half of the first with Josh Treff doubling home Trevor Bouvier and then racing home on Joe DiPalma’s base hit.

 

Salem stranded a pair in the frame, a trend that would continue throughout the afternoon as the Blue Devils left nine on for the game.

 

The showdown left Keleher and Salem longing for more competition like this.

 

“We used to play home-and-home series against teams, and that was great,” said Keleher.

“Funny thing is, we added Andover and we tried to add Lawrence for the competition. They’ve added Andover, too. I told their coach we just should have added each other for another.”

 

Poore falls to 1-1, but his ERA remains perfect at 0.00 with 23 strikeouts and one walk in 14 innings. In all, Blue Devil pitchers have walked just three in 28 innings to date.