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BANGOR – Gabe Duross’ first-inning grand slam highlighted a seven-hit Bangor attack as the Blue Ox gained an 8-6 win over Waterbury in in Sunday’s Northeast League game at Mahaney Diamond.
The Ox avenged Saturday’s 10-7 loss to the Spirit, improving to 7-8 on the year.
Despite Duross’ blast and a sixth-inning solo home run by Hugh Walker, it wasn’t a pretty win. Bangor commited six errors and winner Mo Christmas narrowly esaped a seventh-inning, bases-loaded jam.
Manager Roger LaFrancois was also ejected in the fourth after arguing a questionable call at first base. It was LaFrancois’ first ejection of the season.
And the Ox bullpen, which surrendered six unanswered runs Saturday, endured some tense moments. Garrett Quinn finally came on to earn the save.
“When Garrett gets his stuff going, you can’t hit him,” said pitching coach George Tsamis. Tsamis went with Quinn even though the Skowhegan native surrendered a crucial, ninth-inning double Saturday.
Quinn relieved lefthander Mike Macone with one on and no outs in the ninth. He didn’t get any favors from his defense, which committed two errors in the inning.
Macone had thrown well in the eighth, allowing just one single by Roby Brooks. But Tsamis pulled Macone because he thought the righty Quinn would be more effective against a string of Waterbury righthanders.
Quinn responded by inducing two groundouts and a flyout. Terry Wright, who had reached on an error, scored the Spirit’s last run on Tom Russin’s groundout.
Christmas dug himself a 2-0 hole in the top of the first inning, but Bangor roared back in the bottom of the inningand built a lead it would never relinquish. The Ox reached Jeff Letourneau for four hits, including Duross’ grand slam.
“He threw me a knuckleball,” said Duross, who had faced Letourneau when the Ox played at Waterbury earlier in the month.
The Ox scored once in both the third and the sixth innings and added a pair of runs in the fourth.
Christmas improved to 3-0, pitching seven innings of five-run ball. He was at his best in the seventh, when he rebounded after loading the bases with two walks and an error by third baseman Bob Zupcic.
With two outs he faced David Lawson, who took him to a full count and fouled off three straight pitches. Christmas finally caught him looking at a third strike on the outside corner.
“The pitching is starting to come around,” Duross observed. “But we’re struggling defensively.”
By taking two of three from the Spirit this weekend, the Ox improved their season record against the South Division-leading Spirit to 3-3. Bangor is second in the North Division.
“Honestly, the bullpen stinks right now,” said Tsamis. “Our defense stinks, and our starting pitching stinks.”
Those weaknesses were obvious Saturday, when Bangor pitchers allowed eight earned runs and squandered a 7-2 lead in the 10-7 loss.
Kiko Reyes was a thorn in the Ox’s side, turning in a 4-for-4 performance. His eighth-inning, three-run homer gave the Spirit their first lead of the evening at 8-7.
Reyes was hitting just .170 going into Saturday’s game.
“It was a fastball,” Reyes said. “They’d been throwing me fastballs all night.”
Ray Coleman, the Ox’s third pitcher of the contest, allowed the decisive hit. He had relieved Scott Chesmer, who left two runners on.
Waterbury scored a pair of insurance runs in the ninth, taking advantage of two Coleman walks and the Ox’s only error of the game. Quinn took over for Coleman with two on and immediately surrendered a two-run double to Russin.
Bangor managed 11 hits, including a second-inning home run by Bobby Murray. Murray went 2-for-3 and racked up a pair of RBIs. Dave Ekelund was 3-for-4, including a double.
Waterbury, which leads the league with a .296 batting average, socked 13 hits.
Spirit 10, Blue Ox 7
(Saturday’s Game)
Waterbury (11-3) Bangor (6-8)
Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi
Madden, cf 4 0 2 3 White, cf 5 1 0 0
Wright, rf 5 0 2 1 Ekelund,2b-ss 4 2 3 0
Lombardi, lf 5 1 1 0 Morrow, dh 3 0 1 1
Miller, 3b 4 1 0 0 Zupcic, rf 3 0 0 0
Russin, 1b 5 1 2 2 Tardiff, rf 1 0 0 0
Pagana, dh 3 0 0 0 Walker, lf 4 0 2 0
a-Lawson 1 1 0 0 Duross, 1b 4 0 0 0
Brooks, 2b 4 1 1 0 Nunez, 3b 4 1 1 0
Reyes, ss 4 3 4 4 Mota, c 4 2 2 1
Church, c 3 2 1 0 Murray, ss 3 1 2 2
Hine, 2b 1 0 0 0
Totals 38 10 13 10 Totals 36 7 11 4
a-walked for Pagana in eighth
Waterbury 002 020 132 – 10
Bangor 220 300 000 – 7
E – Madden, Miller, Reyes; Nunez 2B – Brooks, Russin; Mota 3B – Madden; Ekelund HR – Reyes; Murray LOB – Waterbury 5, Bangor 4 DP – Waterbury 1 SB – Ekelund, White SF – Madden
PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO
Waterbury
Fleming 6 11 7 5 0 5
LaRock, (W,1-0) 3 0 0 0 2 3
Bangor
High 6 8 4 4 1 6
Chesmer 1 1/3 3 3 3 1 1
Coleman, (L,0-1) 1 1/3 1 3 1 1 1
Quinn 1/3 1 0 0 0 1
BK – Chesmer TIME – 2:47 ATTENDANCE – 965
Blue Ox 8, Waterbury 6
(Sunday’s Game)
Waterbury (11-4) Bangor (7-8)
Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi
Madden, cf 5 0 1 0 White, cf 5 0 0 0
Wright, lf 3 4 2 0 Hine, 2b 2 1 0 0
Lombardi, dh 4 1 2 2 Walker, lf 5 2 2 1
Miller, 3b 4 1 1 1 Zupcic, 3b 5 1 1 0
Russin, 1b 5 0 1 2 Morrow, rf 3 3 1 0
Lawson, rf 5 0 0 0 Duross, 1b 3 1 1 4
Brooks, 2b 4 0 1 0 Nunez, c 4 0 2 0
Reyes, ss 4 0 0 0 Longo, dh 2 0 0 0
Church, c 4 0 0 0 Murray, ss 2 0 0 1
Ekelund, ss 1 0 0 0
Totals 38 6 8 5 Totals 32 8 7 6
Waterbury 201 020 001 – 6
Bangor 401 201 00x – 8
E – Miller; Duross 2, Ekelund, Nunez, Zupcic 2B – Wright 3B – Miller, Russin HR – Lombardi; Duross, Walker LOB – Waterbury 9, Bangor 8 DP – Waterbury 1 SB – Lombardi; Wright
PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO
Waterbury
Letourneau (L,1-1) 6 7 8 5 5 3
Wilkinson 2 0 0 0 1 1
Bangor
Christmas (W,3-0) 7 7 5 4 3 4
Macone 1 1 1 0 0 1
Quinn (S,1) 1 0 0 0 1 0
HBP – Longo by Letourneau, Hine by Letourneau WP – Letourneau, Wilkinson PB – Church 2 BK – Letourneau TIME – 3:02 ATTENDANCE – 1,574
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