By Marc Thaler
Staff Writer

Making contact with a baseball is arguably the toughest exercise in sports. Last week, Candia's Addison Lufbery didn't make the activity any easier.

Candia's Addison Lufbery, 12, was untouchable on the hill for Lamprey River's all-stars on July 7. Traveling to Goffstown for an elimination game, LR won, 5-0, as Lufbery pitched a no-hitter facing a total of 22 batters. (Marc Thaler Photo)

Facing elimination from the 2005 New Hampshire Little League baseball tournament at Villa Augustina Field on Thursday, July 7, Lamprey River defeated Goffstown, 5- 0, on the strength of Lufbery's complete-game no-hitter.

The 12-year-old's gem included 12 strikeouts with just two free passes over six innings of work. Lufbery fanned at least one Goffstown slugger in every frame, setting down the first six batters he faced and eight straight from the third inning's final out through the first out of the sixth.

Lufbery's line spoke for itself, leaving Lamprey River head coach Dwight Barnes searching for words the way Goffstown was searching for hits.

"That kid, he probably would've been my choice to pitch (LR's previous game on Tuesday, July 5, against) Merrimack Valley, but he was in bed with the flu for a day and a half," Barnes said. "I'm sure (Goffstown) is capable of hitting the ball very well. Addison was just too much for them. He's been really, really solid."

The pitcher's powerful performance was perhaps the second-biggest surprise of the evening.

The first? The no-no went unknown by Lufbery until after the final out was recorded.

"I wasn't (aware) at all," Lufbery said of his achievement. "I just decided to go with the flow of the game. I don't try to pay attention to that kind of stuff. It gets in the way, messes you up.

"I basically just focus on getting the batter," Lufbery added. "I try not to worry about the base runners. They can get in the way a lot by dancing around on the base line. I just worry about throwing to Sean (MacDonald), my catcher."

The entire Lamprey River squad played with similar focus against Goffstown. Several stellar defensive plays in the infield and outfield kept Goffstown's bats at bay - and the no-hitter in tact.

"A lot of (pitching success) is based on how your infielders and outfielders do because the batters in this (tournament) can really get the bat on the ball," Lufbery said. "(My teammates) always seemed to be where they had to be, I know that I have an unbelievable team behind me that will stop anything �c They've just been an awesome defense."

In fact, very little, if anything at all, has toyed with the team's tunnel vision on defense.

Through Monday, July 11, Lamprey River allowed just five runs in seven games, advancing to the loser's bracket semifinals. Meanwhile, the locals were solid swinging the stick in that time, outscoring their competition, 28-5.

LR, the home team by coin toss against Goffstown, scored twice in the second. Lufbery led off with a double and scored on Gage Mele's single to right. The boys doubled their lead when Candia's MacDonald delivered an RBI double, plating Mele.

The locals locked up the win in the fifth with three critical insurance runs in the form of MacDonald, Cullen Barnes and Sam Williams.

LR took a 3-0 lead on a Williams. infield single that scored MacDonald, who started the frame with a walk. Cullen Barnes, who preceded Williams with a double, came home just ahead of the clean-up hitter on a Lufbery two-run double.

"I remember last year, we absolutely could not beat (Goffstown)," Lufbery said. "They came to our field and basically crushed us. It just felt great to beat them and be the pitcher. And throw a no-hitter."