Championship edge: Dover wins first Legion title since 2000

July 30--NASHUA -- It would have been just as meaningful for the Dover American Legion Post 8 to win the state senior title by a lopsided score in the final. But it might not have been as much fun.

Aaron Denis threw a complete game, Jared Gagne had three hits, scored the winning run in the sixth inning and made a crucial catch in center field as Dover held on for a thrilling 3-2 win over Derry Post 9 on Tuesday at Holman Stadium.

"I really wouldn't have liked it any other way," said Denis, who surrendered five hits and walked two while throwing 121 pitches. "It's always good to have a nice championship game, you know? Obviously, with us coming out on top."

Dover (18-5) advanced to the New England regional tournament, which begins Aug. 7 in Middletown, Conn. The win marked Post 8's second New Hampshire championship overall and first since 2000, when current Minnesota Twins outfielder Sam Fuld patrolled center field for Dover. Fuld gave a pep talk to the current Post 8 team via telephone before Tuesday's game.

"We've tried to stay focused for nine whole innings," said Dover coach Jake Bishop. "Play nine, stay in it for nine, and see what happens."

Gagne went 3 for 4 for Dover and scampered home with what turned out to be the winning run in the sixth inning when Robby Sheldon reached on a two-out error. The run put Post 8 up 3-1.

"I was just really hoping for an error," Gagne said. "I knew we really needed some insurance runs there. I was just hustling down the line to score."

Dover scored a run in the second inning and another in the fifth. In the second, JT Bishop and Mike Wasserman hit back-to-back singles, and Bishop went to third on a wild pitch. Gagne hit a single to left-center field to give Post 8 a 1-0 lead.

With two outs in the fifth inning, Dover doubled its lead to 2-0 when Sheldon hustled home from second after Anthony Lupi reached as the Derry shortstop's throw went wide of the bag.

"Just trying to be an aggressive baserunner," Sheldon said. "Trying to score as many runs as we can. I knew it was going to be a low-scoring game because both pitchers were great. Just trying to be aggressive and thankfully there was an error."

Post 9 beat Dover 3-0 on Sunday, then beat Manchester Henry J. Sweeney Post 2 Tuesday morning by a 9-3 score in a resumption of a game from Monday that was suspended due to weather. The No. 4 seed out of District B, Derry finished the season at 15-10.

"Two really good teams squaring off against each other," Derry coach Dylan Mullin said. "A couple of breaks either way, in both games, could have turned the tide. They're a great team. They grind it out and make you make tough plays."

Derry cut Dover's lead in half in the bottom of the fifth when Gagne and Sheldon collided in the outfield on what would have been the final out, allowing Post 9 catcher Kyle Paul Albertelli to score from third to cu the margin to 2-1.

Derry threatened again in the eighth inning. Joseph Leo Murphy singled to lead off the frame, then went to third when an attempted pick-off throw went wide. He scored when singled to the gap in left, cutting Post 8's lead to 3-2.

Denis did everything he could do to keep Post 9 at bay, and got plenty of help from his defense. Denis struck out three, walked two and scattered five hits. He retired the side in order in the second, sixth and seventh innings. In the eighth inning, with the potential tying run in scoring position, Derry's Chace Allen Spears drilled a high-fly ball to deep center field, but Gagne was there to make the running catch.

"When I saw it off the bat, I knew it was going to be over my head, so I just turned and started sprinting and looked up," Gagne said. "It landed in the glove."

Derry starting pitcher Joshua Yaratz went 5.1 innings, striking out three. Riley Cahill kept Dover to one hit over the final 3.2 innings. Murphy had two hits for Post 9.

Denis, making his first start of the tournament, earned the Chris Tonrey award as the tournament's outstanding pitcher. In the ninth, he retired the first two batters, issued a two-out walk, then got the final batter to pop out to Lupi at first to clinch the championship and punch Post 8's ticket to Middletown.

Dover, 3-2

Dover Post 8 (18-5) 010 011 000 -- 3 8 2

Derry Post 9 (15-10) 000 010 010 -- 2 5 3

Batteries: Do.-Denis and Rittenhouse; Do.-Yaratz, Cahill (6) and Albertelli. HRs: None. LOB: Do.-11, De.-7.

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