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Sabers, WLC stopped short in baseball

Two area teams were on course for a finals showdown for the Division II baseball crown.

The top seeded Hollis Brookline Cavaliers kept up their end of the bargain, routing No. 5 Hanover, 10-1 thanks to a 14-hit attack.

However, the fly in the ointment was the pitching of the No. 2 St. Thomas, which blanked No. 3 Souhegan 1-0, both games at Warren Doane Field in Concord.

Hollis Brokline went on to defeat St. Thomas, 7-2, in the championship game Saturday at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester.

Against Souhgean, Saints scored the game’s only run in the first inning when Greg Spagna led off with a single and Timmy Avery walked.

Spagna advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on Jack La Couture’s RBI single past third.

Burke struck out seven and only gave up five hits, walking two.

He pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth, and left in favor of reliever Kyan Bagshaw after Avery led off the sixth with a double.

Later in the inning, Avery was picked off third trying to read a wild pitch. That and a sparkling defensive play by Saber second baseman Matt Silk helped to keep it a one-run game.

But the Saber bats simply couldn’t get anything going. Their best chances were with runners at first and third with two out in the third and first and second with two out in the fourth.

Empty both times. Nolan Colby was the only Souhegan batter to reach as often as twice.

“They threw well, it was a pitching duel,” Metz said. “It was a great baseball game. Like I said, the guys gave us everything we asked for and more.”

WARRIORS LOSE HEARTBREAKER

The upstart No. 9 Wilton-Lyndeborough Warriors came back twice against No. 4 Newmarket but fell short.

WLC trailed 4-3 and 7-4 but tied it each time, the latter with three runs in the fifth.

The Warriors (12-7) left the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, and Newmarket made them pay in the bottom half.

Hunter Scales had three hits while Joe Krug threw out a runner at home from center in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game tied.

Newmarket then fell to No. 3 Sunapee in the finals Saturday at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.