Comrades, Twins post tourney wins

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STANDISH – In their hearts, the Bangor Comrades knew they were capable of erasing a six-run deficit.

But it took a couple of reminders from Andy Robichaud and Matt Kinney to make them believe in themsevles here Tuesday night.

Robichaud drilled a two-run home run to ignite Bangor’s comeback and Kinney pitched 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief as the Comrades rallied for an 8-7 victory over Sylvania of Buxton in the fourth round of the 63rd Maine American Legional Baseball State Tournament at St. Joseph’s College.

Coach Steve Vanidestine’s Comrades, now 20-8 overall and 3-1 in the double-elimination event, play Zone 1 counterpart Old Town-Orono in Wednesday’s 1 p.m. semifinal game at Ward Field. Coach Dave Paul’s Twins (25-3, 3-1) stayed alive earlier Tuesday with a 6-5 victory over Andrews Post of Portland.

The winner of the game between Bangor and Old Town-Orono advances to Wednesday’s 5 p.m. championship game against Sylvania (23-9, 3-1).

Despite falling behind 7-1 in the fifth, Bangor bounced back. The Comrades resolved to make it to Wednesday.

“It gave us a great boost,” Robichaud admitted. “I didn’t know I had that much power. I hadn’t hit one since last year’s high school season. It was awesome, a great thrill.”

It was Kinney who helped Bangor get settled down a bit in the fifth. He came on with the bases loaded and three runs in and walked the first man he faced, but retired the next batter to end the inning.

“We had to use Matt Kinney, but if we don’t use Matt, we’re not here tomorrow (Wednesday),” Vanidestine said. “Matt knew he was pitching tonight if the game either could have been won or lost. And he will pitch some tomorrow.”

The Comrades wasted no time with the bats as Scott Shaw hit a leadoff single. Robichaud then lined a homer to left off Sylvania starter Brian Marden, bringing the Bangor bench to its feet.

“When you get a home run from a guy who hasn’t hit one all year and who’s been struggling a little bit, all of a sudden the whole team gets a little more excited.,” Kinney said. “It was a big hit.”

Chad Scripture reached on an error and Mark McEwen snapped an 0-for-14 drought with a double. After a baserunning blunder resulted in a double play, Josh Jamieson roped an RBI double to left-center.

Kinney (4-2) held the Hurricanes in check the rest of the way, allowing only two singles by Marden. He struck out seven and walked two.

“I had a lot of adrenaline going and I felt good, so everything just fell into place,” Kinney said of his rare relief outing. “Nobody got down after it was 7-1, everybody just decided that we weren’t going to lose by trying to press too hard, we were just going to stay loose and play the way we have all Bangor came up with four more runs in the seventh to take the lead. Scripture walked and Marden gave way to Kyle O’Connell, who walked Eric Murray and Jamieson after recording the first out.

Tony Fernandez greeted new pitcher Tim Bushey with a two-run single to right. Kinney followed with a sacrifice fly to right on which Fernandez took second on a throwing error after getting caught off first. After Josh Pressley walked, Fernandez took third on a wild pitch and came on to score the eventual game-winner when catcher Chris Morton’s throw sailed into left field.

Bangor may be without starting shortstop Shaw in Wednesday’s first game. He was ejected after tossing his bat following a seventh-inning strikeout. State Legion baseball director Lionel Koss will decide Shaw’s fate Wednesday morning.

Andy Jackson had a two-run single and Marden a sac fly in Sylvania’s three-run third, but Kinney crushed a solo homer in the fourth to make it 3-1. A two-run double by Bushey and Marden’s run-scoring single highlighted a four-run fifth for the Hurricanes against Comrades starter McEwen.

In Tuesday’s first game, Ray Houston of Schenck High School in East Millinocket pitched Old Town-Orono to victory over Andrews.

The big righthander featured a soft curveball and good control while scattering 10 hits over 8 1/3 innings. Houston hung tough after Andrews’ five-run third inning and blanked Andrews into the ninth, when Gary Sibley came on to retire the last two batters.

Houston (4-0), who hadn’t pitched in two weeks, struck out two and walked one.

“I was pumped up. I got a lot of sleep last night and I felt pretty good,” said Houston, who refused to back down after a shaky third inning.

“I couldn’t keep the ball down,” he added. “I got mad, that’s all. I didn’t want to be the person that sent us home.”

Old Town-Orono, needing a win and running thin on pitching, found the answer in Houston.

“Unflappable,” was how Old Town-Orono coach Dave Paul described the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder. “He just doesn’t hurt himself. He throws strikes, he’s got a nice curveball, and he said he got stronger as the game went on.”

“That was what we needed,” said OT-Orono second baseman Chris Hashey. “He’s a pretty low-key guy and it was a perfect time to pitch him in this game. He’s not too emotional. He’s just a control pitcher, and when his breaking ball is on, he’s tough.”

With the game tied 5-5, the Twins scored the eventual winning run in the the seventh off Andrews reliever Tom Troubh.

Twins 6, Andrews 5

Andrews Post Old Town-Orono

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Thornton, rf 3 1 1 0 Stinson, cf 3 2 1 0

Moran, 2b 5 1 1 0 Trice, ss 4 1 2 1

McCullum, cf 5 1 1 1 Halsted, 3b 4 1 0 1

Woods, ss 4 0 1 0 Coombs, c 3 0 0 0

Dante, 3b 5 1 2 1 Hashey, 2b 3 1 2 2

MacDonld, 1b 4 0 0 1 McCannell, rf 4 0 0 0

Connick, lf 4 1 1 0 Bagley, lf 4 0 0 1

Ross, p 2 0 2 2 Hite, 1b 2 1 0 0

Troubh, p 1 0 0 0 Houston, p 3 0 1 0

Agger, p 1 0 0 0 Sibley, p 0 0 0 0

Tarkinson, c 4 0 1 0

Totals 38 5 10 5 Totals 30 6 6 5

Andrews Post 005 000 000 – 5

OT-Orono 310 001 10x – 6

E – Dante 2, Woods; Hashey, Trice 2 2B – Ross 2, McCullum, Thornton; Hashey LOB – Andrews 10, OT-Orono 9 DP – Moran to MacDonald; Trice to Hashey to Hite SB – MacDonald, McCullum; Stinson, Hashey S – Coombs SF – MacDonald

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Andrews

Ross 2 5 4 4 3 1

Troubh (L) 5 1 2 1 2 8

Agger 1 0 0 0 1 0

OT-Orono

Houston (W, 4-0) 8 1/3 10 5 5 1 2

Sibley (S) 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

HBP – Thornton (by Houston), Woods (by Sibley); Halsted (by Ross); Hite (by Troubh) WP – Ross, Troubh; Houston BK – Troubh TIME -2:18

Ross pitched to one batter in the third

Comrades 8, Hurricanes 7

Sylvania Bangor

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Sc.Twnsnd,ss 4 2 2 0 McEwen, p-c 4 1 1 0

Jackson, lf 4 2 1 2 Murray, c-rf 3 1 0 0

Marden,p-3b 4 1 3 2 Jamieson, cf 3 1 1 1

Bushey, cf 5 0 1 2 Frnandz,3b-ss 4 1 1 2

Morton, c 5 1 1 0 Kinney, 2b-p 2 1 1 2

St.Twnsnd,rf 4 0 0 0 Pressley, 1b 2 0 1 0

Whitehse,1b 3 0 0 0 Shaw, ss 3 1 1 0

O’Connll,2b-p 4 0 0 1 McGllcud dy,3b 0 0 0 0

Baldwin, 3b 3 1 2 0 Rbichaud, lf-2b 4 1 1 2

Boulette, rf 1 0 0 0 Scripture,rf-lf 3 1 0 0

Totals 37 7 10 7 Totals 28 8 7 7

Sylvania 003 040 000 – 7

Bangor 000 130 40x – 8

E – Sc. Townsend, Baldwin, Whitehouse, Morton; Kinney, Fernandez 2B – Morton, Baldwin, Bushey; McEwen, Jamieson HR – Kinney, Robichaud LOB – Sylvania 8, Bangor 5 DP – O’Connell to Sc. Townsend to Whitehouse, Sc. Townsend to Morton to O’Connell SB – Jackson, Sc. Townsend 2 SF – Marden; Kinney

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Sylvania

Marden 6 6 5 5 5 2

O’Connell 1/3 0 2 2 2 0

Bushey (L, 8-4) 1 2/3 1 1 0 1 4

Bangor

McEwen 4 2/3 8 7 6 3 3

Kinney (W, 4-2) 4 1/3 2 0 0 2 7

WP – McEwen PB – Murray TIME -2:25