Bishop Guertin's Ben Geiger delivers on of the 74 pitches he threw in a complete game shutout of Nashua South on Monday at Holman Stadium. (AP photo)

NASHUA – Two artists were at work on Monday in the Holman Stadium chill, it’s just that the paint flowed a little smoother on the canvas for one of them.

That would have been Bishop Guertin’s Ben Geiger, who tossed a complete game 5-0 shutout over city rival Nashua High School South.

Geiger needed just 74 pitches, throwing just 18 balls, allowing two hits while striking out seven. It was a masterpiece.

That’s not to take away anything from South lefty starter Brendon Doughty, who gave up two runs in 6.1 frames, only one of them earned. He left after pitch No. 107 with one out and a runner on in a 1-0 game in the bottom of the sixth before Guertin plated four more runs. Doughty pitched well enough to win, but Geiger stood in the way.

“My body felt really good today, I just wanted to go in there and attack,” said the BG senior, bound for Ithica College next year. “Early it was mostly sliders and changeups, later in the game I finally got the curve ball working, and the fastball was there all game.”

“Both guys were good, both guys were n the zone,” Guertin coach Scott Painter said, his team getting its first win of the season at 1-2. “Ben was all over the zone, every pitch for strikes. That’s his MO, that’s what he’s done for us for three years now, place balls where he wants them…consistently, effortly.”

“What I was impressed with was he came right at us,” Gaj said. “He did not care. We talk about believing in ourselves, he believed he was better than us today. I will tip my cap to that kid all day long.”

Geiger allowed just three hits in a 2-0 season opening loss to Concord, but yesterday the Cards scored runs. They got an unearned one in the first when Nick Wyner’s liner to right went in and out of the glove of South outfielder Anderson Tolentino. BG made the Panthers pay with an RBI double by Gavin Santos.

It stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth. Doughty was pulled with one out after allowing walk, and righty reliever Marcus Conti gave up a two-run triple to BG’s Jake Bowen. An infield error and an RBI single by Wyner accounted for the final two runs.

Nashua South’s Brendon Doughty delivers a pitch during Monday’s all-city clash vs. Bishop Guertin at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Simply put, Doughty deserved better, as he did in a 1-0 loss to Exeter a week ago in the opener. He allowed three hits, striking out six while walking four and hitting a batter.

“Honestly we haven’t hit for him this year,” Gaj said. “The kid goes out there and believes in himself, and I think he’s the only guy right now on our team that believes in himself. We need these guys to go ahead and start playing like they can.

“Potentially we’re not an 0-3 baseball team. I think I said the same thing last year. Our record’s not good right now, we’ve been in games, we’re just not hitting when we need to.”

They’ll be back at it today at Holman vs. another local rival, Alvirne, while BG faces nemesis Bedford on the road Wednesday. An 0-3 mark going into that would’ve been tough.

“Both teams needed it, both teams wanted it,” Painter said. “They obviously let their guy (Doughty) go, he’s their horse.”

But BG’s horse won by at least a nose.

Bishop Guertin’s Liam Ireland is tagged out at second by Nashua South’s Garrett Schmidt during Monday’s all-city clash at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)