Hector Longo photo / Nashua's Jack Bergin executes the sacrifice bunt perfectly, leading to the game-tying run in the bottom of the fifth. Portsmouth spoiled the day, though, knocking off Coffey Post, 8-5, to force a decisive game for the state title on Wednesday afternoon.

NASHUA – For the first time over the extended championship weekend, Nashua Coffey Post did not pounce on opportunity.

That inefficiency vs. Booma Post of Portsmouth, combined with some swiftly moving Tuesday night thunder storms, forced a State American Legion winner-take-all title matinee again here at Historic Holman Stadium, Wednesday at 2 p.m.

The hosts could have run the four-game table with a win over Portsmouth on Tuesday, but the visitors from the Seacoast broke open a 5-5 game with three unearned runs in the top of the seventh, handing Nashua an 8-5 defeat – its first of the tourney.

“The mistakes in the field, mistakes on the bases, that’s baseball. You can’t play perfect every day,” said Coffey Post coach Tim Lunn. “It’s just a hell of a time for it to happen today.”

On three days’ rest, Nashua starter Corey O’Day pitched his heart out, going six plus innings.

“Corey gave us everything he had, you can’t ask for any more from him on the mound,” said Nashua coach Tim Lunn. “If we play a little bit better on defense, a little better situationally, maybe we could have limited them a little bit more.

“He was a bulldog on the mound out there.”

O’Day, who threw 75 pitches to beat Concord in the opener on Friday, fired 102 more yesterday. He allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits, striking out two with a pair of walks.

Behind him, Nashua committed three errors, including a pair in the fateful, decisive top of the seventh.

Tied at 5-5, O’Day allowed a solid single to Portsmouth slugger Max Lalime to start the seventh and was relieved by Nolan Mederos, who walked the first hitter he faced, Miles Sargent.

Coffey Post looked like it was going to escape when first baseman Kyle Lavigne dove to pull in an absolute laser off the bat of Owen Fox and doubled off Lalime at second.

But that’s when the defense went awry. Back-to-back grounders that should have ended the inning were booted, plating the game-winner and setting up for insurance runs on singles by Brandon Kady and Davon Paquette.

Offensively, as well, it just wasn’t the same Coffey Post, which wasted a bundle of opportunities vs. the lefty Fox, stranding eight runners on base in innings 2-5.

“That was our Achilles Heel today,” said Lunn. “In the third and fourth innings, we had bases loaded with one out, and we only scored one run.

“We really haven’t done that since the first week of the season … Ultimately, we just couldn’t come up with that big hit.”

Drew Gryniewicz doubled in Lavigne, who had doubled to start the second. Catcher Ryan Bourgeois (2 for 3) singled in Gryniewicz with a clutch two-out RBI hit.

Isaac Zhang singled and scored on a wild pitch in the third. He added an RBI base hit in the fourth, plating Bourgeois who had singled.

Later on in the fifth, designated hitter Hayden Shattuck forged the 5-5 deadlock with a sharp, two-out, two-strike RBI hit to score Kam Thibault.

Thibault had beaten out an infield hit and moved to second on an errant throw, then pushed to third on Jack Bergin’s sac bunt.

The rain started just as Portsmouth reliever Colin Marshall struck out the side to nail the victory down in the bottom of the seventh.

Portsmouth, with the postponement, avoided playing its second straight doubleheader, but Lunn doesn’t feel the delay helps or hinders either club.

“Honestly, I don’t think the rain helps either team, both pitchers threw Saturday can come back,” he said. “Our pitching lineup is the same tomorrow (as it would have been if they played on Tuesday night).”

Padraig Mac Seain will get the start, and Mederos is again available to relieve. The bullpen will be stacked with Lavigne, Gryniewicz and Jake Mitchell, if needed.

“I’m assuming they will throw (lefty Boden) Driscoll at us,” said Lunn. “It’s going to come down to who can play the best defense, who can throw strikes, and who can come up with the big hit when the situation arrives.”

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: Portsmouth 12, Dover 2 (Dover eliminated)

Game 10: Keene 4, Exeter 3 (Exeter eliminated)

Game 11: Nashua 4, Laconia 0

Monday’s Games

Game 12: Portsmouth 3, Keene 1 (Keene eliminated)

Game 13: Portsmouth 9, Laconia 7 (Laconia eliminated)

Tuesday’s Game

Game 14: Portsmouth 8, Nashua 5

Wednesday’s Game

Championship: Portsmouth vs. Nashua, 2 p.m.

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