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Sat, Jun 11, 2022 03:00 PM @ Pinkerton

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Final
Londonderry	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pinkerton	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2

Doyle leads way to state title

Saturday, June, 11 By Jeff Hamrick

MANCHESTER – With eight swings and misses since 2013, the state baseball tournament has not been kind to Pinkerton Academy’s program.

In Saturday afternoon’s title game, the second-seeded Astros had another crack at border-rival nemesis Londonderry, which knocked off Pinkerton each of the previous two tournaments and half of those eight years including the 2014 championship match.

This time, however, the Astros sent Liam Doyle to the mound.

The senior left-hander rose to the occasion, shutting down the Lancers with a dominating two-hit, 15-strikeout performance as Pinkerton claimed its first state title since 1986 with a 2-0 victory at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

“It was unbelievable trying to keep the nerves intact,” Doyle said of the biggest start of his career. “This is something we have always dreamed of our whole lives. I knew this team was going to pull through in the end because we’re a tough, gritty team.”

It was Pinkerton’s fourth victory in six title-game appearances while Londonderry lost for just the second time in eight appearances.

“I knew we had a great team, and I knew this team was going to be tough enough to do it,” said Doyle, who had dropped a 2-0 decision to Londonderry in early May. “Our defense and our pitching were too strong not to do it. Finally, our bats got going at the end (of the season) and we got enough runs to win the state championship.”

Doyle (7-2) allowed a two-out single in the second but then reeled off eight straight strikeouts.

“I tried to keep (my preparation) the same, but that’s pretty impossible to do in the state championship game,” Doyle, the reigning Eagle-Tribune MVP, said. “That’s something I’ve worked so hard for my whole life … I just tried to throw strikes.”

Doyle, who is committed to Coastal Carolina University, struck out 13 of the final 17 he faced. He allowed a one-out single in the seventh before striking out the final two.

“My stuff was great, said Doyle who struck out 125 batters in 61 2/3 innings this season. “I felt really confident on the mound. I didn’t see a lot of hard-hit balls today. Getting the first run on the board has been the biggest factor for me this year. If we score the first run, I have a lot of confidence.”

Pinkerton (21-3) got to Londonderry starter Kevin Rourke in a second inning that began with Jackson Marshall’s lead-off walk. A Nick Rioux sacrifice and Doyle fly ball put Marshall on third where he trotted home on Tom Rioux’s double to right-center.

“My boy,” Doyle said of his fellow senior Tom Rioux. “I played Little League with him. I played T-ball with him. We’ve been playing baseball together since we were five, so I’m so proud of him. That’s all we needed, clearly.”

Rioux’s hit eased some of the sting Londonderry handed him in last year’s quarters when he allowed only five hits while the Lancers scored the game’s two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

“I have grown so much from that moment,” Rioux said. “This is a really different feeling. It feels like it’s come full circle today. It feels very sweet. I can’t put into words. I love this program … and this program deserves the most out of me.”

The Astros padded their lead in the fifth when No. 9 batter Lorenzo Corsetto singled with two outs and stole second. Brendan Horne immediately delivered Pinkerton’s fourth and final hit of the afternoon for a 2-0 advantage.

And with their ace allowing only four balls hit out of the infield, that was more than enough for the Astros.

“Anytime you have a pitcher like Liam Doyle going, you feel good going into a game,” Pinkerton coach Steve Campo said. “Liam is a very, very good pitcher. We just left him alone. Coach (Kyle) Harvell works with him before a game, and he got him in a good frame of mind. Then we just let Liam be Liam.”

Campo took over the program in 2013 and had seen the Astros lose in one title game, three semifinals and four quarters since in the eight postseasons since.

“Me and coach (Mike) Lynch took this program over about 10 years ago,” said Campo, who graduated from Londonderry in 2003 – the same year current Lancer coach Brent Demas took over the program. “We’ve been inching at this and inching at this. So, it’s good to finally breakthrough for the school. It’s great to see this school get excited about Pinkerton baseball again.”

Having already pocketed a couple of state titles, the Londonderry skipper could feel good about his former catcher claiming one of his own.

“I’ve known Steve since he was a high school junior or sophomore,” Demas said. “I’m happy for him. I know how much time he puts into baseball not only for Pinkerton but for the state of New Hampshire. You know, if I can’t win it, then I’m happy for him.

“We ran into arguably the best pitcher in the state today, and he was on top of his game. You can’t feel bad about losing like this.”

 

DOYLE BY THE NUMBERS

New Hampshire’s player of the year and the Eagle-Tribune’s reigning most valuable player, Liam Doyle capped his high school with a scintillating state championship victory. He averaged exactly two strikeouts every inning he pitched. Here are his numbers for the past two seasons:

Year Record Innings Hits Walks Strikeouts ERA

2021  8-0    51 1/3         22      15      101    0.55

2022 7-2     61 2/3         26      14      125    0.79