Vikes edge Katahdin

BANGOR – The Searsport High School Vikings, who trailed 4-1 at one juncture, scored four sixth-inning runs without the benefit of a hit to rally past Katahdin High School of Sherman Station 8-4 Friday night at Mansfield Stadium.

In a battle of Class C Eastern Maine powers, Searsport improved to 9-1 while Katahdin fell to 9-3.

Pasco Grove opened the bottom of the sixth by drawing a walk for the Vikings and moved to second on a wild pitch. Ben Relyea grounded to third and when third baseman Justin Stevens hesitated, Relyea easily beat his throw to first. First baseman Chris Robinson threw the ball back to Stevens too late to get Grove. Relyea raced to second on the throw and when Stevens threw to second baseman Dustin Cyr, the alert Grove raced home.

Relyea moved to third on a fly ball and, one-out later, two runners scored when pitcher Josh Roy threw past first on Vaughn Littlefield’s roller in front of the plate. A throwing error by second baseman Mark Martin allowed the fourth run of the inning to cross the plate.

Searsport lefty Nate Hall went the distance to pick up his sixth win in seven decisions. He pitched a three-hitter, posting nine strikeouts and five walks.

Katahdin, playing without three starters who were on an educational trip to Washington D.C., scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings en route to building a 4-1 lead.

Their first inning runs came on a walk, Bryan Duffy’s double over center fielder Rod Damon’s head, Kent Smallwood’s sacrifice fly and Jon Mooney’s run-producing fielder’s choice.

In the third, a walk, a fielder’s choice, two stolen bases and Smallwood’s base hit generated the first run. Smallwood stole second and third and on his attempt to steal home, pitcher Nate Hall uncorked a wild pitch.

Searsport scored a first inning run on Aaron Tripp’s long triple to center and a fielder’s choice by by Damon.

Searsport scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Travis Curtis singled and Justin Connor doubled down the right field line. Two outs later, Curtis scored on a wild pitch and when the throw from catcher Duffy to pitcher Mooney went awry, Connor also came around to score.

Searsport tied the game with a run in the fifth on Damon’s single, two walks and a wild pitch thrown by reliever Josh Roy. Roy came on for Mooney with two outs and two men on base in the fifth inning.