Brooker sparks Bangor West to victory

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BELFAST – Travis Brooker was inserted into the Bangor West lineup in Monday’s State Little League Tournament game against East Biddeford because of his defense.

But second baseman Brooker also showed he can swing the bat.

With East Biddeford just one strike away from victory in the sixth inning, Brooker fouled off three 1-2 pitches before blooping a game-tying RBI single to center and Bangor West added four more runs to pull out a dramatic 7-3 win at Mollison Field here.

Bangor West will now play the winner of Tuesday’s 2:30 p.m. game between Auburn Suburban and Waldo County in Thursday’s 2:30 game. Auburn Suburban beat Windham 1-0 earlier Monday behind Greg Dumais’ nine-strikeout one-hitter. His sixth-inning single, on which an error was committed, allowed the winning run to score.

Dan McCarty had given Bangor West some hope when he ripped a two-out single to left, continued to second on an outfield error, and went to third on a passed ball.

That brought Brooker to the plate.

“I was nervous,” admitted Travis. “But I’ve faced faster pitchers (than East Biddeford righthander Bob Parisien) so I had a feeling I could get a hit off him.”

Brooker fell behind in the count 0-2 before eventually coming through.

“I usually make contact,” said Brooker, who saw a bunch of fastballs on the outside corner. “The pitch I hit was also outside but I could handle that one.”

His looping single dropped into center to tie it.

“He was just trying to put the ball in play and that’s what he did,” said East Biddeford Manager Ron Petit.

Josh Johnson ran for Brooker and went to second when Jeremy Karam was hit by a Parisien pitch. Dennis McGrath then ripped a high, inside fastball to left field for a single.

Johnson rounded third and slipped but shortstop Davis Cross’ throw to third was wild and Johnson scored to make it 4-3.

Jason Lewis followed with a two-run, line-drive single to left-center.

“He (Parisien) threw heat the first time I was up but he didn’t throw as hard the last two times,” said Lewis.

Lewis eventually scored an insurance run when reliever Joshua Gregoire uncorked a wild pitch.

Bangor had taken a 2-0 lead in the third inning on singles by McCarty and Johnson, a hit batsman, Lewis’ sharp single to right, and a run-producing fielder’s choice by Derek Damon.

East Biddeford answered with three runs in the fourth.

Luke Bernier walloped a ground-rule double to left to open the inning and he scored on Gregoire’s ground-ball single to right. Jesse Bernier hit a routine grounder to shortstop Damon but his throw glanced off the glove of second baseman Johnson, putting runners on second and third.

A two-out passed ball tied it and Jesse Bernier scored when David Cross reached on a two-out infield single.

Hard-throwing righty McGrath went the distance for the win, scattering six hits with nine strikeouts and three walks. Hard-luck loser Parisien allowed seven hits over 5 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and five walks.

Lewis and McCarty had two hits each for Bangor West and Lewis had three RBIs. Luke Bernier went three-for-three with a double for East Biddeford.

“I’m more than happy,” said Bangor Coach Mike Brooker, Travis’ father. “You can’t do much better than this. The kids showed a lot of composure to come from behind.”

Bangor West 7, E. Biddeford 3

Bangor West East Biddeford

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Karam, cf 2 1 0 0 Cross, ss 1 0 1 1

McGrath, p 4 1 1 0 Clemons, lf 3 0 0 0

Lewis, 3b 3 1 2 3 Ouellette, lf 0 0 0 0

Damon, ss 3 0 0 1 Parisien, p-cf 3 0 0 0

a-LeBlanc 0 0 0 0 Gosselin, 1b 2 0 0 0

Utterback, 1b 1 0 0 0 Lagasse, rf 0 0 0 0

Alzerreca, c 4 0 0 0 L. Bernier, c 3 1 3 0

Sargent, rf 2 0 0 0 Gregoire, cf-p 3 1 1 1

b-Shumaker 1 0 0 0 J.Bernier,rf-1b 3 1 1 0

McCarty, lf 2 2 2 0 Frechette, 3b 1 0 0 0

Johnson, 2b 1 2 1 0 Chea, 3b 1 0 0 0

Brooker, 2b 1 0 1 1 c-Pierce 1 0 0 0

Poisson, 2b 2 0 0 0

Butler, 2b 1 0 0 0

Totals 24 7 7 5 Totals 24 3 6 2

a-ran for Damon in the sixth

b-struck out for Sargent in the sixth

c-was called out for failing to report in the sixth

Bangor West 002 005 7 –

East Biddeford 000 300 3 –

E – Cross 2, Clemons, Johnson 2B – L. Bernier LOB – Bangor West 8, East Biddeford 6 SB – Cross S – Johnson

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Bangor West

McGrath (W) 6 5 3 1 3 9

East Biddeford

Parisien (L) 5 2/3 7 7 6 5 10

Gregoire 1/3 0 0 0 1 0

HBP – Karam 2 (by Parisien) WP – Parisien 3, Gregoire PB – L. Bernier 2, Alzerreca 2

Monday’s Other Results

Auburn-Suburban 000 001 – 1 3 1 Windham 000 000 – 0 1 3

Dumais and B. Andrews; Cieslak and McDonough