Unlikely hero Farrar key in PCHS victory

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GUILFORD – A coach usually doesn’t expect the No. 9 hitter in the batting order to serve as his team’s offensive catalyst.

Considering the way things were going for his team here Saturday, Piscataquis Community High School Coach Greg Bellemare wasn’t about to be choosy.

Designated hitter Shane Farrar hit a two-run home run to jump-start a six-run, third-inning rally by the Pirates and help top-seeded PCHS earn a 13-9 Class C semifinal baseball victory over No. 4 Calais.

The victory propels the defending state champion Pirates, 16-2, into Wednesday’s regional championship game here against second-seeded Lee Academy, a 4-2 winner over Washington Academy of East Machias in Saturday’s other semifinal contest.

The Blue Devils wound up 11-5.

Farrar, who had ignited a game-winning, two-out, rally in the seventh inning of PCHS’ quarterfinal win over Narraguagus, was the catalyst again Saturday. Calais had bolted to a 6-0 lead against Pirates righthander Chad Graffam and appeared to be on its way to a big day.

Farrar helped put a kink in the Devils’ plans. After Travis McKenney reached on an error to open the third, Farrar stroked a high homer to left-center off Calais starter Noah Tapley. Suddenly, the Pirates came alive.

“I just wanted to get a base hit. That’s all I was planning to do,” Farrar said. “The whole team has a lot of confidence. We don’t give up on anything.”

“Shane does it all the time. He gets us going,” Graffam said. “Holy smokes, does he come through – Mr. Clutch.”

James Oldfield doubled to right-center and Nathan Foster singled to left. Another run scored on a passed ball. Graffam provided another key blow, punching a two-run home run low over the fence in right to cut the deficit to 6-5 and chase Tapley.

PCHS tied it without benefit of another hit. Argo Regan got aboard on a wild-pitch strikeout, took second on another wild pitch, and scored when Brian Miles reached on an error.

PCHS was even and the hosts had seized the momentum.

“One thing about this team; they don’t even realize it when they’re down,” Bellemare said. “They know they can come back. That (Farrar’s homer) was key. It brought us alive.”

Graffam, who struggled early while throwing 80 pitches over the first three innings, settled down after the big inning. The gritty senior allowed five hits and three runs over the last five innings en route to 129 pitches.

“That got me going a little bit,” Graffam said of his home run. “I don’t know if I thought about losing, but I was doubting if I could pitch the whole game. I think we knew we could come back. We always can.”

Calais retook the lead briefly in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Dave Doten and Matt Cassidy.

Again, the Pirates answered. McKenney walked to open the fourth and Farrar hit an infield single. Oldfield followed with a sacrifice bunt, but Devils reliever Simon McDonald threw wide of first and two runs scored.

A wild pitch, two errors and a Brian Miles double made it 10-7.

PCHS added one run in the fifth without benefit of a hit, but the Devils cut it to 11-9 in the sixth on Cassidy’s two-run homer.

Miles’ two-run double in the seventh all but iced it for PCHS.

Calais jumped on Graffam early, scoring four in the first. Doten reached on an error with one out, Cassidy walked and Tapley poked a three-run homer to right. Tom Moholland singled, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Ray Fox’ two-out single.

The Devils got two more in the second on a walk to Doten and Cassidy’s two-run shot to left.

Miles and Farrar (three runs scored) keyed PCHS, combining for five RBIs with two hits each.

Cassidy powered the Calais attack with his two home runs and double, driving in five runs and scoring three.

Pirates 13, Blue Devils 9

Calais boys Piscataquis

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Day, ss-2b-3b 4 0 0 0 Oldfield, 1b 3 2 1 0

Doten, rf 3 4 1 0 Foster, 2b 2 2 1 0

Tapley, p-1b 4 1 1 3 Carleton, 3b 3 2 0 0

Moholland, lf 4 1 1 0 Regan, c 4 1 1 0

Sherrard, c 1 0 0 0 B. Miles, cf 4 0 2 3

Parks, c 2 0 0 0 J. Miles, rf 2 0 0 0

Fox, cf 4 0 1 1 Clukey, rf 0 0 0 0

Johnson, 3b 2 0 0 0 McKenney, lf 3 2 0 0

Hinton, 2b 1 0 0 0 Farrar, dh 3 3 2 2

McFarlane, dh 3 0 1 0 Shearer, ss 0 0 0 0

Napoleoni, 2b 0 0 0 0

a-McDonald, p 0 0 0 0

Totals 31 9 8 9 Totals 28 13 8 7

a-ran for McFarlane in the sixth

Calais 420 102 0 – 9

Piscataquis 006 412 x – 13

E – Johnson 2, Day, McDonald, Cassidy 2; Foster, Oldfield, B. Miles, Shearer 2B – Doten, Cassidy; Oldfield, B. Miles 2 HR – Cassidy 2, Tapley; Graffam, Farrar LOB -Calais 5; PCHS 4 DP – Shearer to Oldfield SB – Carleton, Farrar S – Oldfield

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R BB SO

Calais

Tapley 2 5 5 2 2

McDonald (L,0-1) 4 3 8 5 8

Piscataquis

Graffam (W,4-1) 7 8 9 4 4

WP – McDonald 6; Graffam PB – Sherrard TIME -2:27

Tapley pitched to five batters in the third