Coffey Post's Nick Wyner fires to first after forcing Exeter's Jack Dever at second during the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader at Historic Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The Futures Collegiate All-Star Game is coming to Historic Holman Stadium in just under a month from now, but whenever the Nashua James E. Coffey Post takes the field, it seems it’s another All-Star game over and over.

That’s how good this Senior American Legion team appears to be.

You get no argument from Exeter Post #32, which dropped the first game of a doubleheader to Coffey 9-0 at Holman on Wednesday and then pulled out a 12-11, eight-inning win after blowing leads of 8-2 and 11-8 in a three-and-a-half hour marathon.

In the opener, the group from the seacoast fell victim to six shoutout innings by Nashua pitcher Brendon Doughty, a strong offense (10 hits) and also good defensive effort (three runners thrown out on the basepaths).

“It’s all the best players from BG, South, North, we all had good teams, and it’s incredible to see everybody play and move as one, really,” Doughty said after he allowed just three hits, striking five and walking three. “It’s different from high school, different vibes.”

The vibes in the first game yesterday gave Nashua a 2-0 lead in the second inning on an Exeter miscue and the first of two RBI singles by Chance Uthank vs. Exeter starter Nate Gallant. In the fourth, Nashua opened it up to 4-0, spurred by a ground rule double off the bat of Mario Ramirez, with Uthank’s other RBI hit and a Liam Ireland sac fly.They scored four in the fifth on four hits – including a triple by Ethan Drouin, and the game was basically over.

Ireland – he threw out a runner trying to tag from third on the fly from center – Doughty, Gavin Santos, Ben Geiger, all familiar top player names.Ramirez, who played this past spring at St. Joseph’s of Maine and threw out two baserunners at second, returns from last year, and the hunger is there. Coffey came into the next-to-last day of last year’s state tourney and lost two close games to Bedford and Salem to be eliminated.

“We return a lot of guys from that run there,” Kerman said. “And hopefully add in some ways that we can bolster some areas we struggled with toward the end. Also how a lot of these guys’ high school seasons ended (with tourney losses). That (motivational) carryover from high school.:

Pitching, of course, is what’s needed in those last couple of tourney games. Coffey has it.

“We bring back a bunch of guys who can throw, some new guys who can sling it,” Kerman said. “And (offensively) a lot of guys had good seasons at their high schools and it was nice to see that carry over. Sometimes when you go from the high school environment to summer ball, it’s ‘Oh I’m in the summer mode now.'”

Doughty yesterday was in Doughty Mode, which is the same as Win Mode.

“That’s what he does,” Coffey manager Norm Kerman said. “He throws strikes, he pounds the outside corner, he’s got enough movement to miss barrels, he did a great job.”

“They defend, they hit, they pitch, they’re very good,” Exeter manager Tim Mitropoulos said. “We’re solid but they’re a very good team. Give them a few extra outs they’ll take advantage of it.”

Both teams took advantage of a lot in the nightcap. But Ireland went 4 for 4, including a double and triple, and he and former BG teammate Santos combined to drive in half of Nashua’s runs (three RBIs each), while Geiger drove in a pair. Ireland scored the game-winner on an error at second on a hard hit Santos grounder. Jacoby Caissie got the win on the mound pitching a scoreless, hitless 1.2 innings, striking out three while walking two.

Geiger, who was BG’s ace this past spring, is on the hill today at Londonderry. Exeter and Londonderry will be hurdles, but Nashua looks like the class of District B while defending champion Bedford was at last look off to a 4-0 start in District A.

“It’s been fun so far,” Kerman said. “We hope to keep it rolling.”