Twins hold off Acadians

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ELLSWORTH – Shortstop Matt Eastman and the Old Town-Orono Twins remembered what happened six days ago. The Acadians from Trenton-Ellsworth had rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat them 7-6.

So Eastman delivered a pair of important two-out, run-scoring singles to help the Twins hold off the rallying Acadians 10-6 in an American Legion baseball game at the Ellsworth High School field here Tuesday evening.

Zone 1 leader Old Town-Orono is now 15-3 and moved a step closer to clinching a State Tournament berth. The Acadians fell to 10-7.

The Acadians had rallied from a 7-2 deficit to pull within 7-6 before Eastman’s fifth-inning single made it 8-6, and Eastman followed Brian Wickett’s RBI double in the seventh with an RBI base hit.

“I felt good hitting today,” said Eastman, who had three hits. “I changed my stance. I evened my shoulders out. I had been hitting too many fly balls.”

Ron Coombs had opened the fifth inning with a line single to right, was sacrificed to second by Wickett, and moved to third on a passed ball. Eastman grounded reliever Jared Polchies’ 1-0 pitch up the middle to deliver Coombs.

“It wasn’t a good pitch to hit. It was a curve that dropped and I had to go down and get it,” said Eastman.

Coombs also started the two-run rally in the seventh when he was hit by a pitch with one out.

Wickett followed with a scorching double down the left field line to score him, and Eastman lined his single to right to deliver Wickett.

“It was up and outside and I went with it,” said Eastman.

Old Town-Orono had taken a 5-0 lead in the first inning when David Theriault, Eastman, Jim Evans (RBI), and Nick Chaisson (RBI) all singled, and Jay Vetelino launched a 3-2 fastball from starter Greg Marancik over the left-center field fence for a three-run homer.

“It’s my first homer in over two years and it felt darned good,” said Vetelino.

The Acadians rallied for a pair of runs off starter and winner Steve Coombs, 5-1, in the bottom of the first on a walk, Mark Leighton’s RBI double, and Mike Clark’s sacrifice fly.

Steve Coombs aided his own cause by belting a two-run homer to left in the fourth inning after Theriault had singled.

“It was a fastball chest-high and I jumped on it,” said Coombs.

But the Acadians struck back in the fourth on consecutive base hits by Micah Richardson, Justin Harmon, and Matt Haney; a hit batsman (Will Holloway), a run-producing passed ball, and Leighton’s sharp two-out, two-run single to center.

Steve Coombs settled down to retire the next seven hitters before Gary Sibley came on to pitch a scoreless seventh inning and earn his fourth save.

“I started throwing a lot harder in the later innings,” said Coombs.

Chaisson and Eastman each had three hits in Old Town-Orono’s 14-hit attack. Theriault and Evans had two hits apiece.

Leighton and Harmon had two hits each for the Acadians.

Twins 10, Acadians 6

Old Town-Orono Acadians

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Theriault, cf 5 2 2 0 Linscott, c 3 1 0 0

Eastman, ss 5 1 3 2 Leighton, cf 3 1 2 3

S. Coombs, p 3 1 1 2 Lanks, 2b 3 0 1 0

Evans, 3b 4 1 2 1 Clark, ss 3 0 1 1

Chaisson, 1b 4 1 3 1 b-P. Farley 0 0 0 0

a-Wihbey 0 0 0 0 Rich’rds’n, 1b 4 1 1 0

Vetelino, lf 3 1 1 3 Harmon, 3b 3 1 2 0

Knowles, rf 4 0 0 0 Haney, rf 3 1 1 0

R. Coombs, c 3 2 1 0 Holloway, dh 1 0 0 1

Wickett, dh 2 1 1 1 Marancik, p 0 0 0 0

Halsted, 2b 0 0 0 0 Mace, dh 1 1 0 0

Gray, lf 3 0 0 0

Polchies, p 0 0 0 0

Totals 33 10 14 10 Totals 27 6 8 5

a – ran for Chaisson in 6th inning

b – ran for Clark in 7th inning

Old Town-Orono 500 210 2 – 10

Acadians 200 400 0 – 6

2B – Wickett, Leighton HR – Vetelino (1), S. Coombs (2) LOB -Old Town-Orono 7, Acadians 5 DP – Leighton to Lanks SB – Wickett S – Wickett SF – Clark

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R BB SO

Old Town-Orono

Coombs (W, 5-1) 6 7 6 1 6

Sibley (S, 4) 1 1 0 1 1

Acadians

Marancik (L, 2-3) 3 1/3 9 7 3 1

Polchies 3 2/3 5 3 0 1

HBP – Leighton (by Coombs), Holloway (by Coombs), R. Coombs (by Polchies) WP – Polchies 2 PB – Linscott, R. Coombs TIME -2:18