Marsh shuts out Goffstown as Londonderry baseball team improves to 6-2

LONDONDERRY — Casey Marsh shut out the Goffstown High School baseball team, leading Londonderry to an 8-0 NHIAA Division I triumph on Wednesday.

The senior righty scattered four hits and one walk while striking out seven batters in his second consecutive complete game.

Marsh sent the Grizzlies (5-3) down in order in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. He capped his outing by catching Goffstown’s last two batters looking at called third strikes.

Londonderry coach Brent Demas said Marsh was effective throwing most of his first pitches for strikes.

“All day long, his curveball was on,” Demas said. “He was placing his fastball where he wanted it. He was confident in what he was doing. He’s having a great senior year.”

The Lancers (6-2) built Marsh a 5-0 cushion after the first inning, in which they scored on three wild pitches, a bases-loaded walk drawn by Sam Iorio and a throwing error.

Londonderry capped the game’s scoring with a three-run fifth inning. Caden Jordan hit an RBI single and later scored from third base while teammate Connor Loughlin worked his way out of a pickle situation by beating a tag at first base. Sully Daron scored the Lancers’ seventh run on a wild pitch by Goffstown starter Owen Hazelbaker.

The Lancers were successful on two of their three steal attempts, all of which came in the fifth.

Lancers No. 2 hitter Jaylen Stott said most Division I aren’t as aggressive on the base paths as Londonderry.

“(Hazelbaker) was leaning, kind of, in his motion so we kind of took advantage of that and would go a few seconds early, for example. ...That’s the key to our game is just baserunning, really.”

Stott went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk. Jordan also had two hits and drew a walk.

Hazelbaker, a junior righty, allowed six hits and two walks, hit two batters and struck out five over 4 1/3 innings. Demas said he thought Hazelbaker pitched well after settling into the game.

Goffstown sophomore Jaxson Marquis allowed two hits and one walk with three strikeouts over a scoreless relief outing. Brent Baxter hit two singles for the Grizzlies.

Goffstown coach Adam Lawrence said his team played well after a slow start.

“Unfortunately, these kids have to come ready to go,” Lawrence said. “We can hit, we can do everything ... but they’ve got to be into it right from the get-go, especially against a team like this.”

ahall@unionleader.com