Championship bound: Roger Allen and Gagne blanks Dover on two hits

DOVER — The Roger Allen Baseball All-Stars of Rochester combined timely hitting and solid pitching Tuesday night for a 6-0 loser's bracket win over Dover to move into the championship game of the District 6 10-year-old Cal Ripken tournament being held at Beckwith Park.

With four consecutive wins under their belts following a 2-1 opening game loss to Dover, Roger Allen will meet unbeaten Hampton-based Seacoast tonight at 5:30 in what they hope will be the first of two championship games. Dover went 2-2.

Roger Allen (4-1) collected 12 hits, eight in the first two innings, when they scored all their runs, including four in the second stanza. Roger Allen right-hander Josh Gagne was the other part of the equation, limiting Dover to two hits, singles in the fourth inning while issuing three walks and striking out seven batters.

"We knew we could play with them," said Roger Allen coach Steve Lambert. "We knew if Josh could throw strikes we could be OK and if we hit the ball we'd be OK. We told them to stay focused, hit with two strikes, put the ball in play and see what happens."

"They actually outplayed us tonight," said Dover coach Mike Antone. "They wanted it more than we did. They executed, we didn't. Josh (Gagne) did a great job of keeping us off balance by being effectively wild. He was low, then high and our batters couldn't get any rhythm. Bottom line we didn't hit the baseball. Our bats were quiet the whole tournament. Defense and pitching got us to this point."

"Josh was top notch," said Lambert. "That was the best I've seen him throw all year. He had a task to do and rose to the occasion."

"I had confidence," said Gagne, noting he used his fastball as his best pitch. "At times I slowed it down."

Roger Allen combined three hits, a walk and an error in the first inning against Dover pitcher Dane Cline. Gagne, who doubled and singled, followed a one-out walk to Drew Healey with a fly ball to left that was dropped, putting runners on second and third. Andrew Falanga (2 for 3) singled to load the bases, setting up a bloop single over first base by Chris States and a single by Kyle Carignan (2 hits) for run-producing hits.

The No. 8 hitter, Kam Kondrup, led off th Rochester second with a single to left and Matt Baker followed with a bunt single. Rick Creteau (3 for 5, 1 run) grounded a base hit up the middle to chase in Kondrup. Healey took the first pitch down the third base line for an RBI hit. Gagne followed with a single to left-center, plating another run. With two outs, the fourth run scored on an infield error.

Wes Tobin pitched the last three innings for Dover, allowing four hits and four walks while whiffing two batters.

"It makes me feel calmer," said Gagne of the effect on him of a big lead. "The defense has been great."

Healey, the second baseman, went to his left to grab a liner off the bat of Ryan Connolly for the second out of the third inning with Dover runners on second and third. Antone felt that play probably saved two runs. Healey also grabbed a popup and threw out a runner trying to advance from second to third in the fourth.

Jack Priester's leadoff single to right-center and Cam Dube's base hit to left in the inning accounted for the only Dover hits.

"We knew we had to play perfect game to beat them but we didn't," said Antone. "The kids tried hard but too many mental breakdowns hurt us."

"I take my hat off to them," said Lambert. "They're a well coached team and were a couple of hits away from being back in the game. We scored 12 runs last night, six tonight and we need to keep it rolling."

Roger Allen, 6-0