After sputtering somewhat at the start of the 2017 season, the Londonderry High School junior varsity baseball squad slipped into a groove which led to a lengthy winning streak and that group’s realization of how it could sparkle on the diamond.
The deep, 14-player contingent, which was coached by head man Matt Peters and his assistant Billy Riley, consisted entirely of sophomores and freshmen. That crew ended up giving its mentors every reason to believe that the always-competitive LHS varsity squads of veteran coach Brent Demas will continue to be so in the coming years with their talent advancing up the ladder.
“We started off the season slow, losing three of our first four. But then we began to roll with a combination of effective pitching and timely hitting,” said coach Peters. “We had a few hiccups along the way, but we managed to buckle down and were able to make it to the semi-finals of the JV tournament. Overall, the team improved and the whole team has a very bright future.”
The Lancers posted decisive and confidence-boosting victories over the teams from Andover, Mass. and Exeter as part of an impressive, seven-game winning streak following that sluggish start.
The sophomores on the squad included Nick Cote (outfielder and first baseman), Nick Desrosiers (second baseman), Jack Dingman (catcher/ shortstop), Zack Luongo (outfielder/pitcher), Reece Manor (outfielder/pitcher), Alex Peters (outfielder/pitcher), Jake Slide (outfielder/pitcher), Zach St. Hilaire (third baseman/pitcher), A.J. Thistle (first baseman), and Jack Thompson (third baseman).
The crew’s four freshmen included catcher/ second baseman Tyler Kayo, outfielder/pitcher Luke Marsh, second-sacker Chris Tutt, and first baseman Matt Veneri.
Among the local squad’s top individual performances of the fine campaign were home runs blasted off of the sizzling bats of Veneri and Thistle.