Hector Longo photo/ Lefty Isaac Zhang delivered four strong innings on Saturday, earning the win as Nashua Coffey Post knocked off Portsmouth, 4-2.

NASHUA — Win the battles. Win the war.

Every time Saturday evening’s game with Booma Post of Portsmouth turned dicey, somebody in Nashua’s Coffey Post “Baby Blue” stepped up and made a play.

The formula was simple, efficient and for the second straight day lethal as Nashua again rallied from an early deficit and knocked off Portsmouth, 4-2. The host team and top seed at Historic Holman Stadium will now face Laconia in the winners bracket final here on Sunday night (7 p.m.).

Two wins down, two more will lock down a second straight state title.

“Two years ago I was on the team, and it’s same situation that we’re in (now),” said one of Coffey Post’s many Saturday heroes, second baseman Drew Gryniewicz. “Just take it one day at a time. We know we have to win (Sunday).”

Lefty Isaac Zhang gutted out four strong innings for the win. Fellow southpaw Padraig Mac Seain delivered as courageous a two-inning hold as you’ll ever come across. And big righty Kyle Lavigne grunted his way through a scoreless seventh, blowing away the final two hitters he saw to lock down the save.

Coach Tim Lunn could not have penned a more perfect pitching script.

“Isaac gave it to us, and (Mac Seain) gave us two really gritty innings, and Kyle came and shut the door,” said Lunn. “I can’t ask for anything more.”

Nothing came easily, but again Nashua just aced every potential turning-point moment.

It started in the top of the first when with runners at first-and-third and two outs, Portsmouth’s Colin Marshall blistered a wicked one-hop liner up the middle.

Gryniewicz somehow got a piece of it.

“It was hit really hard, so I just had to keep my body in front of it and I knew if I just cave in in front of it, I had a chance,” the Hollis Brookline High School product said about the bullet that caromed a few feet away from him.

“I had to stick with it, I found Kyle (Lavigne) at first base and just made the play. That changes the entire game right there. That’s two runs right there with those two runners on.”

Zhang escaped there but was touched for both Portsmouth runs in the second, courtesy of Max Lalime’s two-run single. He did strand two Post 6 runners, and that was huge as Nashua found its offense.

The hosts picked up a cheapie in the bottom of the second when Corey O’Day’s grounder was kicked at third, allowing Kam Thibault to score.

Trailing 2-1 ,Nashua took the lead in the third with a monster two-out hit from Gryniewicz.

Zhang singled and Lavigne was grazed by a breaking ball to put two on. Gryniewicz got ahead in the count and made no mistakes.

“It was a 2-1 count, so I knew I was getting a fastball. (Portsmouth starter Damon Chase) was throwing a lot of fastballs when he was behind,” said Gryniewicz, who pounced on an inside heater, ripping it down the line in left for a two-run triple to make it 3-2.

“I knew I had to be on time fastball, and I just drove it. I was very happy to give my team the lead. That was the momentum we needed to get the team going. We didn’t give the lead up from there.”

Opportunistic Nashua made it 4-2 in the fifth when Thibault would double in Lavigne, who had reached on an infield error and stolen second.

“We had our mistakes, they had theirs. All it comes down to is who can capitalize more,” said Lunn. “We had a couple of huge hits, and luckily we came out on the right side.”

Coffey Post did so thanks to some serious work on the mound.

Zhang allowed the two runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts over four innings.

Mac Seain, another Hollis Brookline guy, turned adventure time into victory in both of his innings.

After stranding one Portsmouth runner at second in the fifth, Post 6 loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, via a Lalime single and two walks, with one away.

“You have to grit it out in games like that. They’re a very good team. They’re scrappy at the plate. You have to compete,” said Lunn.

“He was in trouble. He was kind of getting a little antsy, he was rushing, and I just went out there, told him settle down, come at these guys and trust your defense. He comes back and gets those two huge strikeouts. That’s the bulldog mentality we had to have today.”

Back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat and basically the night for Post 6.

“He just kept his composure,” said Gryniewicz of his fellow Class of 2022 Cavalier. “To come up with strikeouts both times, he showed he can pitch in those moments. Pivotal. Once he did that in the sixth inning, we knew we pretty much had that game.”

Lavigne came on in the seventh, watching the leadoff man reach on an error before inducing a flyout and a pair of strikeouts to end it.

“We could have very easily have folded after going down two-nothing, but we chipped away, fought back, and the kids competed, so I can’t ask for anything more,” said Lunn. “It’s a big spot, tournament play, but it’s a close group. They really like each other, and that plays a factor. They know they have each other’s backs.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE AMERICAN LEGION STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Tourney Scores, Schedule

All games at Holman Stadium

Friday’s Games

Game 1: Nashua 5, Concord 2

Game 2: Laconia 10, Dover 7

Game 3: Portsmouth 9, Keene 2

Game 4: Exeter 4, Weare 2

Saturday’s Games

Game 5: Keene 7, Concord 4 (Concord eliminated)

Game 6: Dover 8, Weare 3 (Weare eliminated)

Game 7: Nashua 4, Portsmouth 2

Game 8: Laconia 6, Exeter 5

Sunday’s Games

Game 9: Dover vs. Portsmouth, 1 p.m.

Game 10: Keene vs. Exeter, 4 p.m.

Game 11: Nashua vs. Laconia, 7 p.m.

Newsletter