MERRIMACK, N.H. — Lebanon Post 22 saw its last-gasp hope to reach the New Hampshire American Legion state tournament expire in a 5-2 loss to Merrimack Post 98 in the first game of a District A senior doubleheader at Merrimack High School on Saturday.

Post 22 (6-11) needed a sweep of the set to keep its fleeting chances alive. Lebanon bounced back in the nightcap, 5-4, for a split.

Merrimack (7-8) tagged Lebanon starting pitcher Owen Taylor for three third-inning runs to take control of the opener. Post 98 added single tallies in the fifth and sixth frames to close its scoring.

Lebanon broke the shutout when Dom Nutting singled in the sixth, advancing on a Jordan Chappell double before scoring on a wild pitch. Josh Bucci provided Post 22’s other run following a walk to open the seventh.

The visitors strung together two-run rallies in the sixth and seventh innings to reverse a 4-1 deficit in the nightcap.

Braden Falzarano and Chappell both walked and took advantage of multiple passed balls to bring Lebanon to within 4-3. A similar scenario in the seventh gave Post 22 the lead, with Jackson Horne and Trevor Pierce the beneficiaries. Falzarano then struck out the Merrimack side in the home seventh to clinch the victory.

Falzarano finished with two of Lebanon’s six hits and two runs in the victory. Post 22 closes its season at Keene on Sunday.

Lebanon juniors split

LEBANON — Post 22 used a five-run first inning and some timely rain for a 5-3 wn over Hudson Post 48 to conclude a non-district junior doubleheader at Lebanon High.

Lebanon (4-8) employed small ball to put Hudson (7-6) in a deep early hole. Easton Wykes plated Nick Brill with a suicide squeeze bunt during the rally, which helped by two walks and five stolen bases.

Post 22 managed just one hit, but Brill made it work with two strikeouts, five hits and just one earned run over five frames. The contest was called by rain after five innigns after the visitors had closed to within 5-3.

Exeter Post 32 (9-2), which leads N.H. District B, recorded a 9-4 win over Lebanon in Saturday’s morning game.

Freddy Mierke kept Exeter tied up with five innings on the mound that included nine strikeouts and just one hit and one earned run. Down 4-3, the visitors got into Lebanon’s bullpen and use a five-run sixth inning to take over.

Oliver Sperry went 2-for-3 for Lebanon. Zander Doyle and Bodie Benoit both had a hit and an RBI, and Ben Achmoody scored twice and stole three bases.

“We really needed this (Hudson) win to stay alive in the playoff hunt,” Lebanon coach Chauncey Wood said. “We played great small ball against a great pitcher, and it seemed to knock him off his game. We were not able to hit him very well.”

Merrimack’s loss to Berlin Post 36 on Saturday leaves Lebanon 1½ game behind Post 98 heading into the final week of the regular season. Post 22 heads to Londonderry on Tuesday.

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