West stars rally to defeat East Score 8 runs in 2 innings

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ORONO – The score was misleading.

The West beat the East 9-6 before a good-sized crowd in the first High School Senior All-Star Baseball Classic at Mahaney Diamond here but the game actually featured several impressive pitching performances and not much in the way of offensive fireworks.

“It was a great show. It was great for baseball in the state of Maine,” observed University of Maine Coach John Winkin.

The East’s pitching staff had a no-hitter and a 4-1 lead through six innings thanks to the exceptional two-inning pitching stints of Cony High of Augusta’s Shane Benedict (four ground-ball outs, a popup and a fly ball); Narraguagus of Harrington lefty Willard Bailey (four strikeouts, a groundout and a fly out) and Calais righty Matt Cassidy (one unearned run, four strikeouts, a groundout and a sacrifice bunt).

But the West rallied for eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings at the expense of Ellsworth High School’s Paul Farley and Rob Shea to notch the win.

Edward Little of Auburn pitcher Chris Reed broke up the no-hit bid by blooping a leadoff single into right center to open the seventh off Farley.

Two walks sandwiched a wild pitch to load the bases and Bonny Eagle of West Buxton first baseman Jason Dufresne lined a two-run single to right center to pull his team within 4-3.

“It felt good, especially since our high school team just missed the (Western Maine Class A) playoffs this past spring,” said Dufresne.

The tying run scored on a slow infield roller by Brunswick third baseman Scott Day.

The West scored five runs with only one hit in the eighth inning to break the 4-4 tie.

Shiro Ando (Oxford Hills) drew a one-out walk off Farley and two-out walks to Mike Brady (Cape Elizabeth) and Shawn Snedden (Oak Hill of Sabattus) loaded the bases.

Farley hit Greely of Cumberland’s Brian Joliffe with a pitch to force in the go-ahead run and walked John Kreie (Wells) to force in another run.

Shea replaced Farley and Wiscasset’s Scott Laflamme greeted him by hitting a three-run triple over left fielder Chad Gilley’s head.

“I was talking to myself at the plate, saying it would be nice to come through with a hit,” said Laflamme. “He threw me a fastball right over the plate. When I hit it, I thought the left fielder was going to catch it but I guess it carried over his head.”

The East rallied for two runs in the ninth on a hit batsman, Bob Perry’s (Ellsworth) RBI triple and a throwing error. But Cape Elizabeth’s Chris McBrierty stranded two runners when he fanned Lawrence of Fairfield’s Chris Denis to end the game.

The East capitalized on the wildness of Biddeford righty Dave Foran to score three first-inning runs on two walks, a ground-ball single to left by Skowhegan’s Ken Reed, a run-producing wild pitch, Steve Coombs’ (Lee) sacrifice fly and another wild pitch.

The East made it 4-0 in the fourth against Lisbon lefty Brian Harvey on a walk, a wild pitch on a two-out strikeout, and a line drive RBI single to left by Old Town’s Matt Eastman.

Lefty Reed pitched two scoreless innings (three strikeouts) and righty Peter Vickerson of Portland High, the winner, picked up four strikeouts and two ground-ball outs in his two-inning stint before McBrierty finished up.

The East outhit the West 5-3.

Shea fanned the side in the ninth for the East.

“It was a great opportunity for the kids to showcase their talents,” said EL Coach Bruce Lucas, the winning coach.

West 9, East 6

West Stars East Stars

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Rioux, lf 1 0 0 0 Grant, cf 2 1 0 0

Garbarini, cf 1 0 0 0 White, cf 2 0 0 0

Keene, 2b 1 0 0 0 Eastman, ss 2 1 1 1

Quintal, 2b 2 0 0 0 Ziebart, ss 2 0 0 0

Ando, ss 1 1 0 0 Reed, c 3 1 1 0

Richardson, ss 1 0 0 0 Thibodeau, c 1 0 0 0

O’Connell, ss 2 0 0 0 Perry, c 2 1 1 1

Foran, p 1 0 0 0 Coombs, lf 1 0 0 1

Harvey, p 1 0 0 0 Gilley, lf 1 0 0 0

Reed, p 1 1 1 0 Chaisson, 1b 2 0 0 0

Estabrook, rf 1 1 0 0 Cameron, 1b 2 0 1 0

Brady, rf 1 1 0 0 Miner, 3b 3 0 1 0

Ryan, c 1 1 0 0 Denis, 3b 2 0 0 0

Snedden, lf 1 1 0 0 Leighton, rf 0 0 0 0

Jolliffe, 1b 1 1 0 1 Sprowl, rf 2 0 0 0

Smarella, 1b 1 0 0 0 Benedict, p 1 0 0 0

Dufresne, 1b 1 0 1 2 Bailey, p 1 1 0 0

Day, 3b 2 0 0 1 Cassidy, p 0 0 0 0

Laflamme, 3b 2 0 1 3 Farley, p 0 0 0 0

Kreie, c 1 1 0 0 Shea, p 1 0 0 0

Fluet, c 2 1 0 0 Chambers, 2b 1 0 0 0

Wood, c 2 0 0 0 Bowden, 2b 1 1 0 0

Vickerson, p 1 0 0 0 McClure, rf 1 0 0 0

McBrierty, p 0 0 0 0

Totals 29 9 3 7 Totals 33 6 5 3

West 000 001 350 – 9

East 300 100 002 – 6

E – Farley, Bailey, Eastman, Bowden; Wood 2B – Laflamme LOB -West 5, East 9 DP – Chambers to Eastman to Chaisson SB – Rioux, Leighton S – Garbarini SF – Coombs

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R BB SO

West

Foran 2 1 3 4 4

Harvey 2 1 1 2 2

Reed 2 1 0 1 3

Vickerson (W) 2 0 0 0 4

McBrierty (S) 1 2 2 1 2

East

Benedict 2 0 0 2 0

Bailey 2 0 0 0 4

Cassidy 2 0 1 0 4

Farley (L) 1 2/3 2 8 6 1

Shea 1 1/3 1 0 0 3

HBP – Bowden (by McBrierty), Jolliffe (by Farley) WP – Foran 2, Farley PB – Perry TIME -2:54