Nashua North players mob Mario Ramirez after his game-winning hit over Merrimack as a disappointed Keegan Ponder (12) leaves the field on Monday at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It never fails. In baseball, the famous Yogi Berra “It ain’t over til it’s over” saying always rings true.

That was certainly the case on Monday at sun-splashed Holman Stadium, when the Nashua High School North Titans rallied for a stunning walk-off 4-3 win in the bottom of the seventh over previously unbeaten Merrimack.

This was nothing new for the 3-1 Titans, who staged another late rally last week to beat Goffstown.

“We’ve been in this situation before,” North coach Zach Harris said, as his team went into the bottom of the seventh down 3-0 to Tomhawks’ ace Ryan Mainey before plating four. “That’s (Merrimack) a really good team. I’m just really proud of the guys. … You never know. That’s why you just keep playing.”

The Tomahawks had been the talk of Division I, just three outs away from a 6-0 start. But North loaded the bases with nobody out on a single by Nolan Sullivan, walk to Tyler Madeira, and a single by Ryder Clancy. The Titan bench was getting louder.

Mainey, who had tossed six shutout innings allowing just two hits, was done in favor of’Hawks ‘Hawks freshman reliever Kyle Brander, one of three freshmen the team likes to use as closers. Brander then gave up what had to be a frustrating swinging bunt infield hit to Titan Chris Patterson, scoring a run. Next,leadoff hitter Austin Suchecki, doubled in the right center gap to tie the game at 3.

“Honestly, nothing was going through my mind,” Suchecki said. “I just get in the box, lock in, and I had a good hit …”

That left runners at second and third with nobody out. After a pop out and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases again, it was cleanup hitter Mario Ramirez’ turn, and his mind was churning at the plate.

“I knew (Brander) was going to start me with a curve ball,” Ramirez said. “As soon as I saw the curve ball, I was expecting fastball, either down the middle or just outside.”

And he got it, singling in the hole past short to plate the game-winner.

“Mario, this is year three,” Harris said. “He’s in a much different spot than he was last year (when hitting down in the order). We had the conversation, ‘They’re going to start you backwards. At some point, they’re going to have to throw you a fastball, be ready for it.'”

Meanwhile, Harris also had confidence in Suchecki.

“Austin’s only a junior, he’s been playing for us for three years, and he’s kind of seen it all,” Harris said. “He’s so much more confident, and he was the right man in the right spot.”

Then Ramirez delivered, handing the ‘Hawks their first loss – shocking, because of the situation.

“They finally hit, they came alive in the last inning,” Merrimack coach Mike Dudash said of the Titans. “I don’t know what we could’ve done different.”

Dudash said the only thing was to lift Mainey earlier, or not even bring him out for the seventh. But the decision was to go with their best as long as they could.

“He was fantastic, his pitch count was in the high 80s, we figured we’d stay with him,” Dudash said. “Once they got two guys on, went out and spoke to him, we still wanted to go with him another batter. It didn’t work out.”

It was a fantastic game all around. A pop up just beyond in the infield into the blinding sun opened the door for two Merrimack runs off Titan reliever Mason Tanner, who later gave up an RBI single to Keegan Ponder and plunked Shay Collins with the bases loaded for a 2-0 ‘Hawks lead. A wild pitch plated a run in the sixth for that 3-0 edge, and there was nothing to really signal disaster for Merrimack. They survived a bases loaded one-out jam in the third on a nice 4-3 double play by infielder Garron Brown.

“The key for us this season has been our two senior leaders, Eliot Medlock and Garron Brown,” Dudash said. “And pitching, you saw how Mainey pitched today, he’s been pitching like that all year.”

Nashua North’s Austin Suchecki slides into second ahead of the tag by Merrimack’s Garren Brown during Monday’s game at Holman Stadium. (Telegrapph photo by TOM KING)

Nashua North’s Austin Suchecki slides into second ahead of the tag by Merrimack’s Garron Brown during Monday’s game at Holman Stadium. (Telegrapph photo by TOM KING)

Ryan Forcier pitched a scoreless seventh for North in relief to get the win. And now for Merrimack it’s a question of how they respond/bounce back.

“They’re all down right now,” Dudash said. “No one expected us to be 5-1. So keep our heads up, come tomorrow and have a good practice and go right back to it. But hats off to Zach Harris and the boys, they didn’t give up.”

“Normally you’d think the attitude’s pretty down,” Suchecki said of the Titan mindset going into the bottom of the seventh. “But our team is really good at getting back up in these last couple of innings. … We’re starting to get used to that feeling.”