Greater Keene 13U All-Stars win state championship, next compete in regionals
Jul. 11—MARLBOROUGH — The Greater Keene 13U All-Stars captured the New Hampshire 13 Year Old Babe Ruth championship Sunday at Marlborough School, after losing its first game and then winning four straight.
Greater Keene now moves on to the New England Regional, July 22-27, in Trumbull, Conn.
After starting the double-elimination tournament with a 15-4 loss to Dover on Friday, Greater Keene came back with a pair of wins on Saturday, eliminating Nashua, 13-2, and gaining a measure of revenge by knocking out Dover, 7-3, in the afternoon. Those wins set up Sunday's championship round against unbeaten Manchester.
Jack Gillard provided Greater Keene with a spark, scoring four times from the leadoff spot as the host team took advantage of 12 walks to win 10-5 in the championship game and force an if-necessary, winner-take-all second game. A five-run second inning proved to be the difference, while starting pitcher Chris Rouleau and three relievers took care of business on the mound. Rouleau struck out eight and gave up one run in 4-plus innings.
Greater Keene rode the momentum of that first win to rout Manchester, 25-12, in the final game and punch its ticket to the regional. Greater Keene never trailed, going ahead for good with five runs in the third inning and breaking the contest wide open with eight runs in the top of the seventh.
