Bishop Guertin's Gavin Santos fields a throw at second as Trinity's Ollie Service tries to steal second during Wednesday's Division I clash at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Bishop Guertin High School baseball coach Scott Painter knew he’d have to change pitchers a couple of times Wednesday just to keep the highly regarded Trinity Pioneers attack a little of balance.

But six pitchers? Not in the game plan, and neither was a 10-6 loss in a three-hour, seven-inning contest at Holman Stadium that featured a combined 19 walks.

Pretty it wasn’t – for either team.

“We walked or hit 12,” Painter said. “You’ve got to throw the ball where the umpire calls the strikes. We have to pound the zone, we have to throw strikes. It (walks) affects the defense, it builds momentum for the other team’s offense.

Bishop Guertin’s Brian Webb delivers a pitch during Wednesday’s game vs. Trinity at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

And as Painter said, lack of control on the mound was evident in the two big innings each team had. Down 4-0, BG plated six in the fourth, with four walks being huge boost. But in the top of the sixth, Trinity enjoyed the same thing, as four walks helped the 2-0 Pioneers to their own six-run frame and that was that.

“We’re going to work through it, we knew we’re going to have to outhit teams at times,” Trinity coach Matt Bouchard said. “It’s game two, week one. … What we have to remember is we have one of the better defenses around. We’ve got to let them play. … It was an ugly win but we’re happy to be 2-0.”

Trinity led 2-0 with both runs scoring without a hit, then Levi Locke delivered a two-run single in the fourth, both runners reaching on … yeah, walks.

Guertin’s time came in the bottom half o the inning as Pioneer starter Mason Ellison lost the plate. The Cards got RBI hits by Caden Siraco and Liam Ireland to cut the deficit in half, then two bases loaded walks tied things up. Enter reliever Mason Devall, who struggled at first with a wild pitch plating a run and then giving up an RBI hit to BG’s Tyler Parks to make it 6-4.

But that was it for the BG scoring. Cards lefty reliever Pat Lemay got out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth but exited after a leadoff hit in the sixth and it was downhill thereafter as the floodgates opened vs. a parade of Cardinal arms. Two bases loaded walks tied it and Chris Centerino’s two-run double off BG hurler Cooper Hand gave Trinity the lead for good, 8-6.

“When their guy wasn’t throwing strikes we turned it into a six-run inning,” Painter said. “Then we allowed them to do the same thing.

“We have good arms. We have guys that can pitch. That’s the message I just gave them. We have to pound the zone. We have to out-compete them there, and we didn’t do it.”

Painter said being early in the season isn’t a factor. “These guys have been active since January when they’re allowed to go,” he said. “They’ve been throwing. Everyone’s been doing the same things around the state. We’ve just got to be more competitive there, that’s all.”

Devall settled down, and ironically he was likely one batter away from exiting when the Cards loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out looking for the comeback. But he fanned Jake Bowen and got Ireland to fly to center to end the game unharmed.

“We’ll bounce back,” Painter said. “That’s (Trinity) a good team, and this is a good team here. I’m confident.”