ELLSWORTH – Typically, the Ellsworth Eagles won another baseball game. It was the way in which Eastern Maine Class B’s top-seeded team posted the victory which proved to be atypical.

Behind Rob Shea’s unspectacular get-the-job-done pitching performance and an uncharacteristic errorless defensive performance, Coach Ken Shea’s Eagles advanced into Wednesday’s regional finale with an 8-2 victory over the Orono Red Riots here Monday afternoon.

Shea, a senior righthander, scattered seven hits to lift the 17-1 Eagles into the EM final against Foxcroft Academy, a 4-3 winner over Stearns of Millinocket in the other “B” semifinal.

The young fifth-seeded Riots (two seniors, three juniors, nine sophomores) “It was unusually good defense,” Ken Shea said of his team, which had made 55 errors in 16 regular-season games. “And, Robbie wasn’t sharp today, but they didn’t hit him all that hard.”

After three innings, Ellsworth had taken a 4-0 lead on Orono starter Nate Ballard (3-1), but the Riots cut the lead in half in the fourth when Marc Halsted led off with a single and Dave Best tripled to right before scoring on a wild pitch.

In the fifth, however, Ellsworth put the game away.

With two outs and nobody on, Jim Brichetto walked (one of his three free passes on the day) and stole second and third (two of his four stolen bases on the day). Luke Henderson then singled to center to score the run.

Henderson then stole second and scored on Bob Perry’s single to right field before Jeff Haskins ripped a triple to right, giving the Eagles a 7-2 advantage.

Two throwing errors by Orono shortstop Mark Thibodeau (the Riots had six miscues in the game) allowed Haskins to score, icing the Eagles’ win.

“There is no weak spot in the order,” said Perry. “If the top of the order isn’t producing, then the bottom of the order will. If they’re not producing, the middle of the lineup will.”

In the top of the seventh, a single by Ballard and a walk by Shane Tyrrell opened the inning.

Rob Shea (5-0) then fanned John Wihbey before Thibodeau hit into a fielder’s choice and Zac Pelleriti grounded out to second base (one of eight assists by Ellsworth second baseman Steve Perry) to end the game.

Bob Perry, Ellsworth’s catcher, applauded his pitcher’s performance, especially during the latter innings, as well as the Eagles’ defense.

“He had his stuff working in the later innings,” Perry said. “He was getting his curve and split-finger change over. It wasn’t a typical performance, but he pitched well. We’ve had our problems defensively and that’s what has made our games so close. We didn’t have any errors today.”

Ellsworth jumped on top 2-0 after the first inning when Haskins walked and Justin Harmon (3-for-4, RBI) singled.

Scott Kenney drove in a run when he grounded out to short and Eric Kuhn followed with a single, scoring Harmon.

In the third, the Eagles scored two more runs to take a 4-0 lead over the Riots.

Haskins singled to left and went to second when the ball got by Tyrrell, the Riots’ left fielder. Harmon drove him in with a single. Kenney singled, chasing Ballard, and Kuhn singled off reliever Charlie Hite to score Harmon.

After Orono cut the lead in half, however, Ellsworth’s bats and speed kept the pressure on.

Ellsworth stole 10 bases on the day with Brichetto taking four of them and Kuhn nabbing a pair.

Eagles 8, Riots 2

Orono boys Ellsworth

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Thibdeau,ss-p 4 0 1 0 B.Perry, c 4 1 1 1

Pelleriti, c 4 0 0 0 Haskins, 1b 3 3 2 1

Vetelino, cf 2 0 0 0 Harmon, ss 4 2 3 1

Halsted, 3b 3 1 2 0 Kenney, lf 4 0 2 1

Best, 1b 3 1 1 1 Higgins, lf 0 0 0 0

Churchill, 2b 3 0 0 0 Kuhn, 3b 4 0 2 2

Ballard, p-ss 2 0 1 0 S.Perry 3 0 0 0

Hite, p 1 0 0 0 a-King 1 0 0 0

Tyrrell, lf 2 0 1 0 Bagley, dh 3 0 0 0

Wihbey, rf 3 0 1 0 b-Farley 1 0 0 0

Brichetto, rf 1 1 0 0

Henderson, cf 4 1 1 1

Totals 27 2 7 1 Totals 32 8 11 7

a-flied out for S.Perry in fifth

b-struck out for Bagley in sixth

Orono 000 200 0 – 2

Ellsworth 202 040 x – 8

E – Thibodeau 2, Pelleriti, Best, Ballard, Tyrrell 3B – Best; Haskins LOB -Orono 6, Ellsworth 10 SB – Brichetto 4, Kuhn 2, B.Perry, Harmon, Kenney, Henderson

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R BB SO

Orono

Ballard (L, 3-1) 2 5 4 2 1

Hite 3 6 4 2 0

Thibodeau 1 0 0 0 1

Ellsworth

Shea (W, 5-0) 7 7 2 2 3

(Ballard pitched to three batters in the third) WP – Shea 3 PB – B.Perry TIME -2:20