The Spaulding Red Raiders will take on the Londonderry Lancers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Spaulding is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Hampshire's top teams: Winnacunnet, who was ranked ninth at the time (Spaulding was ranked tenth). The Red Raiders came up short against the Warriors on Wednesday, falling 11-5. That's two games in a row now that the Red Raiders have lost by exactly six runs.
Owen Nesbitt
| 04/23/25 @ Winnacunnet | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Kennett | 2 |
| 04/02/25 vs Coe-Brown Academy | 2 |
| 04/18/25 vs Merrimack | 1 |
| 04/10/25 vs Massabesic | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Spaulding saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Owen Nesbitt, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one double. The Red Raiders are 2-1 when Nesbitt posts two or more runs, but 1-4-1 otherwise. Matt Gould also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, Londonderry won against Timberlane on Monday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Wednesday. Everything went the Lancers' way against Merrimack as they made off with an 11-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Lancers, who have now won six matches by eight runs or more so far this season.
Brady Gillis tossed a big game, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brett Mckinnon, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Jet Jones was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Londonderry kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive contests.
Londonderry pushed their record up to 7-1-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. As for Spaulding, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-5-1 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Spaulding has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Londonderry struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Spaulding couldn't quite get it done against Londonderry when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 4-0. Will the Red Raiders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
