DIAMOND TOURNEYS: There could be some jewels in mix
Nashua South's Brendon Doughty hopes to lead the Panthers to a deep tourney run after they finished the regular season strong. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)
The tourney pairings are out, and Wednesday Holman Stadium is the place to be.
Not only can you see a morning Nashua Silver Knights baseball game, but then later in the afternoon catch a high school Division I tournament baseball game as well.
Bishop Guertin will be hosting Windham in a first-round game, likely at 4:30 p.m.(check with schools for specific times).
But that’s just one of several diamond games that day, with baseball and softball.
Here’s a look:
BASEBAL
In Division I, two local teams have made it: Bishop Guertin and Nashua South. The Cards (14-5) beat the No. 12, 9-9 Jaguars 6-1 back on May 9. Ironically, Windham is coached by Nashua North alum and current Silver Knights pitching coach Spencer Bergeron, so he won’t have far to go along with the the fans. The winner may have to go to No. 4 Dover on Saturday, unless No. 13 Timberlane pulls off the upset in that first round meeting. Always possible in a single elimination tourney.
That’s what Nashua South is hoping for, and the No. 11, 10-9 Panthers have the pitching to pull it off as they head to Londonderry Wednesday to face the No. 6, 14-6 Lancers. South went 7-3 the second half of the regular season, but one of those three losses was to the Lancers, 5-2, just a week ago. That winner could get No. 3 Bedford on Saturday; the Bulldogs host No. 14 Spauling tomorrow.
In Division II, there’s a potential all-local matchup on quarterfinal day, Saturday. That’s if No. 8 Souhegan (11-6) can beat No. 9 Coe-Brown (9-8) on Wednesday in the prelims, and the defending champion Sabers won at the Bears early in the season 11-1.
That’s because No. 1 Hollis Brookline (16-1) awaits.
Finally, in Division III, No. 9 Campbell (10-6) is at No. 8 Conant (11-6). It’s a tossup, as the Cougars beat the Orioles 4-3 on the road on May 13. The winner goes to face No. 1 Mondadnock on Saturday.
SOFTBALL
Merrimack is the top local in both Division I and II, and certainly the area’s best chance to have a Final Four team in Plymouth.
In fact, the No. 3, 15-3 Tomahawks are the only local softball team that will be at home on Wednesday. They’ll host No. 14 Bedford (6-12), whom they blanked 8-0 just 10 days earlier. If they win they’d get either No. 6 Windham or No. 11 Timberlane in Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Bishop Guertin, meanwhile, always gets hot this time of year, as they were in the finals two seasons ago and the semis last year. The No. 10, 9-9 Cards will be at No. 7 Goffstown (12-6) tomorrow, and the intriguing thing is the teams did not play during the regualar season. If BG can pull off the road upset, the Cards would go to No. 2 Pinkerton (first round bye) on Saturday in the quarterfinals.
In Division II, No. 13 Souhegan (7-9) will be at No. 4 Con-Val (11-5) and No. 12 Campbell (7-9) are at No. 5 Lebanon (11-5). The Cougars could still be alive after that one as they beat the Raiders 6-2 at home just last week; Souhegan could be, too, as they lost just 3-2 to the Cougars on May 13. If both locals win, guess what – they’ll face each other in the quarters on Saturday in Litchfield.


