'Couldn't pray for a better summer': Hudson's Moura making the most of his time with Post 100

MANCHESTER, N.H. — As Hudson Post 100 clung to a one-run lead in the top of the seventh inning Thursday, second baseman Anthony Moura said a prayer in the infield.

“I pulled out my cross over my jersey, and I was praying that we could pull this out,” said Moura, a Hudson High rising junior.

With the bases loaded with Portsmouth Post 6 runners and only one out, Moura had a perfect view of Post 100 reliever Ryan Graf inducing a popup to the catcher and then a groundout back to the pitcher to secure a 3-2 win for Hudson.

“Honestly, I was praying at the end that we’d just pull out that dub,” Moura said.

With the victory, Post 100 moves on in the winner’s bracket of the Northeast Regional Tournament — with its sights set on the American Legion World Series that starts next week in Shelby, North Carolina.

“It’s the best baseball I’ve played in my life,” Moura said. “It’s just electric playing with these guys and ... I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Another comeback win for Hudson Post 100

With a penchant for pulling off come-from-behind wins this summer, Hudson Post 100 found itself in familiar territory on Thursday at Gill Stadium.

Trailing early on.

After coming from behind against Belchertown and Hingham in the Legion state tournament in Worcester last week, and pulling off a thrilling win over Hampden Post 213 on Wednesday after trailing their opponents from Maine by three runs in the sixth inning, Post 100 again fell behind early Thursday.

Down, 1-0, in the bottom of the first, Bobby Long Jr. roped a triple and came around to score on an RBI single from teammate Chase Donahue to tie the game at 1-1.

An inning later, Hudson struck again.

Consecutive walks from Matt Gogan and Ryan Dillon to start the bottom of the second set up a sacrifice bunt from Moura, who moved Gogan to third base and Dillon to second. Following a Hudson out, Long was hit by a pitch (he was plunked three separate times) to load the bases with two out before Chase Barrett barreled a two-run single to give Post 100 a 3-1 lead.

“I knew it was going to be a close game,” Barrett said. “So those two runs were huge.”

The score stayed the same until the top of the fifth when Portsmouth scored a run, making it 3-2 Hudson. Following a scoreless sixth, Portsmouth garnered a leadoff infield single to start the seventh and force Hudson manager Ryan Bowen to pull starting pitcher Teddy McFarland (6 innings, 9 hits, 2 runs, 3 strikeouts) and give the ball to Graf in relief.

After a Portsmouth sacrifice bunt moved their runner to second with one out, Graf walked the next two batters to load the bases. Graf then garnered a popup to his catcher, Dillon, and then a grounder back to him as he flipped the ball to his first baseman, Barrett, who stepped on first base for the final out.

Just another carefree comeback for Post 100.

“I wanted to puke,” said Graf, a Littleton High grad. “It was a big relief, very stressful out there, but I’m just happy I started to throw strikes and got them out when I needed to.”

“We trust Ryan in any situation,” Bowen added. “I rather him not make it that difficult, but it’s OK — we came out with the win.”

Prayers answered for Post 100

As Hudson coaches and players shared a collective sigh of relief postgame, Moura couldn’t help but smile Thursday.

It’s been a fun summer for the youngest member of the Legion baseball team — who doesn’t have his driver’s license yet.

“I learn a lot from the older guys and learn from all the baseball stuff and personal stuff they go through,” Moura, 16, said. “So, I like being the youngest guy on the team.

“I choose this 10 times out of 10, this is the best experience I’ve had in baseball.”

And the Hudson Post 100 manager is glad Moura picked to play with his team this summer.

After initially planning to split time between AAU and Legion baseball, the slick fielding shortstop/second baseman solidified a spot in Hudson’s starting lineup near the halfway point of the season. Across 73 plate appearances and 53 at-bats, Moura is batting .415 with 22 hits, 16 RBIs, 15 runs, 14 stolen bases, 8 walks and 5 sacrifice bunts.

“He’s a great contact guy, he doesn’t strike out a lot, he works his at-bats; if we need him to get a bunt down, he’s unbelievable at that, and if we need a job done in a situation, he does it,” Bowen said. “He’s mature beyond his years, and he’s a great kid.”

“He’s an animal,” said teammate Brendan O’Brien, who serves as Moura’s summer chauffeur and current roommate on their team’s trip to New Hampshire.

And on Thursday, Anthony Moura used a little prayer to help Hudson keep winning.

It’s been that kind of season for Moura and Post 100.

“Couldn’t pray for a better summer,” Moura said.

—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'Couldn't pray for a better summer': Hudson's Moura making the most of his time with Post 100