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SALEM, N.H. - Timberlane baseball coach Jamie Fish rolled the dice.

His junior right-hander Matt Faia gladly accepted the challenge and made his coach look like a genius.

SALEM, N.H. - Timberlane baseball coach Jamie Fish rolled the dice.

His junior right-hander Matt Faia gladly accepted the challenge and made his coach look like a genius.

Salem won playing the epitome of small ball, scoring three runs on groundouts and another on a sacrifice fly in a 6-2 victory over Exeter. Jordan Estevez had one of the RBI grounders and added a run-scoring single for the Blue Devils (9-7), helping Jake Lambert pick up a complete-game victory. Josh Heil and Sam Fazioli had two hits each  to aid the offense.

Nick Poore held Pinkerton to just a single hit as Salem cruised to an easy 10-0 victory. Poore racked up seven strikeouts and didn't allow a walk in six innings of work. Josh Heil sparked the Blue Devils out of the leadoff spot with three RBIs and a run scored.

Jim Faso didn't face more than four Salem batters in any one inning, finishing by retiring nine consecutive Blue Devils in Nashua South's 6-0 victory. Jordan Estevez, Josh Treff and C.J. DeMarco had one hit each for Salem (7-6).

Alvirne's eight-run fifth inning rendered a 4-4 tie two innings earlier moot, leading to a 14-4 triumph over Salem. Leadoff hitter Jordan Estevez had a pair of hits for the Blue Devils.

Alvirne's eight-run fifth inning rendered a 4-4 tie two innings earlier moot, leading to a 14-4 triumph over Salem. Leadoff hitter Jordan Estevez had a pair of hits for the Blue Devils.

Salem was traveled to Sanford, Maine, and put a 10-1 beating on the hosts. The top four hitters in the order, Jordan Estevez (3), Matt Gioia (3), Josh Heil (4) and Darren Brown (3), combined for 13 hits. They also had seven runs and eight RBIs.

Salem baseball's Darren Brown pitched a gem, going all seven innings and allowing two runs (both unearned) on four hits. He struck out three and only walked a single batter.

SALEM, N.H. - Even the most optimistic Salem High baseball backer had to be suspicious, if not a little skeptical.
Teams that return six varsity hits and one-third of a varsity inning pitched don't immediately lend themselves to powerhouse potential.
Tell that to Wednesday's victim Manchester West and Londonderry, which fell here at Michelle Park, 5-1, to the Devils yesterday.
Sophomore southpaw Nick Poore earned his second mound win in as many games, this one a seven-inning, six-hit sparkler.
"I was a little nervous during the day in school," explained Poore, who faced three West batters for his first career win. "Once I got out there, I was OK. All I was trying to do was give the team four or five good innings. I couldn't have expected this."
Poore struck out three and walked a pair in a six-hitter, stung only in the Lancer third when Sean Caron singled home Kyle Neverman (2 hits), who had walked.
Twice, Salem spun double-plays, the first on a Jordan Estevez-to-Matt Gioia spin up the middle and the other ignited by Poore.
Poore got all the cushion he needed in the bottom of the first when Darren Brown doubled in a run and with two outs, Sam Fazioli chased home two more with a double of his own.
"Most of these guys played together on the (state runner-up) JV team, so we have good chemistry," said Poore, who played JV hoop this winter. "I think we all feel real comfortable out there. If we can hit the ball, we'll be OK, because we're going to play good defense."
Salem, which made all the plays yesterday without a slip-up, has only committed one miscue in 14 innings.