Astbury saves Brewer in pinch

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BREWER – Will Astbury, mild-mannered and unassuming, was coaching first base when the call came.

His Brewer High School teammates needed him as they went head-to-head against their chief nemesis, Bangor High. There was no time to search for a cape, some blue tights, and a two-foot iron-on S, however.

Instead, Astbury grabbed his bat, assumed his role as pinch hitter, and quickly sized up the situation as he dug in on the left side of the plate: Bottom of the sixth. Two outs. Runners on first and second. Game tied 1-1. Gut-check time.

Astbury then roped an 0-2 inside fastball from Bangor pitcher Eric Murray into the left-center field gap for a game-winning double as the host Witches defeated the Rams 2-1 in a schoolboy baseball classic played at Heddericg Field here Tuesday.

“He’s been working hard in batting practice, and I just had a feeling something was going to happen,” said Brewer Coach Dennis Kiah. “He made me look good.”

“I haven’t played very much this year, so I didn’t expect Coach to call me,” Astbury said. “I didn’t have much time to think about it. I just wanted to make contact.”

The hit capped a two-run rally in the sixth by Brewer, now 4-2.

Chris Horr and Aaron Boone kicked off the inning with back-to-back singles before winning pitcher Jeff Millett lined a run-scoring single down the left field line to tie the game.

Murray then struck out the next two batters before Kiah called on Astbury.

If Astbury was the hero in this one, then “trusty sidekick” honors went to Millett, a senior right-hander who kept the Rams off balance with a nifty two-hitter.

Millett improved to 2-1, striking out six and walking three.

“He had everything going,” said Horr, Brewer’s catcher. “His curve was working well and when they moved up in the box we went with the fastball. They couldn’t catch up with either of them.”

Bangor, now 5-1, grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third when Craig Bowden led off with a single and stole second. He scored when Josh Jamieson poked a one-out double to left-center.

After that, Millett retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced. The one who did reach base was retired with a double play to end the fourth.

“He’s a senior, a captain, and a team leader for us,” said Kiah. “He’s really worked hard this preseason and he got his just due today. He played with a lot of confidence.”

“The first few innings the fastball was my pitch,” Millett said. “In the later innings, I got a little tired so I went with the curve and it came through for me. Chris called a wonderful game. Every pitch he called was the pitch I wanted to throw.”

Brewer had squandered a great scoring opportunity in the fourth when Boone reached on an infield single and moved to second on a Bangor throwing error. Millett’s single then moved Boone to third, giving the Witches a first-and-third, no-out opportunity.

Darren Beers then bunted the ball, sacrificing Millett to second, but Boone did not attempt to score. Murray then struck out the next batter and recorded the third out on a pop out to shortstop.

Two innings later, though, Astbury got the call and gave the Witches the victory.

Witches 2, Rams 1

Bangor Brewer

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Hamel, lf 3 0 0 0 Brigalli, cf 3 0 0 0

Jamieson, cf 2 0 1 1 Horr, c 3 1 1 0

Fernandez, 3b 3 0 0 0 Boone, 1b 3 1 2 0

Kinney, 1b 3 0 0 0 Millett, p 3 0 3 1

Murray, p 3 0 0 0 Beers, rf 2 0 0 0

McEwen, c 2 0 0 0 Colman, 2b 3 0 0 0

Gaspar, dh 3 0 0 0 Seavey, ss 2 0 0 0

Pelkey, ss 0 0 0 0 a-Astbury 1 0 1 1

Lindsay, 2b 2 0 0 0 Johnston, 3b 3 0 0 0

Bowden, rf 2 1 1 0 Roeder, lf 2 0 1 0

Totals 23 1 2 1 Totals 25 2 8 2

a-doubled for Seavey in the sixth

Bangor 001 000 0 – 1

Brewer 000 002 x – 2

E – Fernandez 2B – Jamieson; Astbury LOB – Bangor 2, Brewer 5 DP – Millett to Colman to Boone SB – Jamieson, Bowden; Roeder S – Beers

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Bangor

Murray (L, 1-1) 7 8 2 2 0 6

Brewer

Millett (W, 2-1) 6 2 1 1 3 6

TIME -1:43