By Jim Lockwood
Staff Writer

Goffstown slugger Mike Bisceglia does his best to drive the baseball, but pops out to second base in this at-bat during the fourth inning of his team's 9-7 victory in the winners' bracket final of the 13-year-old New Hampshire Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament on July 20 in Londonderry. (Jim Lockwood Photo)

GOFFSTOWN – Goffstown's 13-year-old Babe Ruth all-star team entered this year's state tournament determined not to let history repeat itself. Instead, the players wanted to write their own unique chapter in the history of Goffstown baseball.

Well, the boys did just that, claiming the state championship against Keene.

Prior to this summer's title run, the majority of athletes on the '05 Babe Ruth squad had two chances to capture a state title as the 10-year-old and 12-year-old levels in Little League Baseball's annual state tournaments.

In both cases, Goffstown was defeated by Portsmouth, its rival from the Seacoast.

Perhaps Goffstown's toughest defeat was last year, when a state crown was so close to being claimed.

In the final game of a best-of-three series, Goffstown lost, 4-2, on a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.

That defeat served as motivation for this year's group to finally win a state title.

According to Goffstown head coach Allan Palmer, after that heartbreaking defeat his players used the offseason to shake off the sting – and come ready to compete on the big league-sized diamond.

"It definitely made them more determined," Palmer said. "You lose that way and you don't want to do it again.

"There's nothing more resilient than a 12-year-old," he added. "(The coaches) take (defeat) harder than they do."

Focused on finishing on top by season's end, the players had to work through the growing pains associated with baseball on a bigger field, Palmer said.

During the boys' first few weeks on the bigger diamond, they didn't look like the solid Little League ballplayers the coaches knew they were.

The players had to adjust to many things, including the bigger infield, making longer throws, running on longer basepaths and the increased distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate.

Palmer admitted his club might not be the most athletic team to take the field. But Goffstown's advantage lies in the fact they have a mental edge on the other teams.

Not every player in his early teenage years grows at the same rate. Still, playing baseball with extreme focus and understanding is one area where they all have a chance to be equal.

Therefore, Palmer constantly emphasized game strategy.

"When you take the kids and put them on a bigger field, awareness and knowledge (of the game) becomes more important," Palmer said.

In a winners' bracket semifinal against Keene on Wednesday, July 20, in Londonderry – a contest the locals eventually won, 9-7 win – Goffstown had a pair of opposing runners in a third-inning rundown.

Goffstown recorded one out as a Keene runner tried advancing home. The second Keene runner who was on second tried advancing to third. He, too, was tagged out.

As with any successful baseball team, pitching and hitting played a huge part in Goffstown's run.

In the first three games of this year's tournament, Goffstown outscored its opponents, 33-11. Through its first two games, Goffstown gave up four runs.

In some respects, though, history was on Goffstown's side, as this new crop of talented 13-year-olds entered Babe Ruth.

There's already a 13-year-old Babe Ruth state championship banner in Goffstown. Two years ago, the team coached by John Badasarian brought the crown to town.

This year's Babe Ruth club includes Riley Palmer, Mark Misiorski, Dante DiStaso, Andy Gordon, Nick Nalette, Steve Beal, Mike Bisceglia, Dave Danielson, Pat Naughton, Steve French, Brad York and Josh Andruchuk.