HERMON – Hitting ninth has its advantages. Just ask Hermon High School left fielder Mike Ketchum.

Ketchum doubled on a first-pitch fastball to lead off the sixth inning and pinch-runner Andrew Hagemeyer scored on Ron Lane’s opposite-field single for the game’s only run as the Hawks nipped John Bapst of Bangor 1-0 Wednesday in a battle of Eastern Maine Class B title contenders.

Hermon improved to 10-5 while John Bapst fell to 11-4.

The well-played game featured a masterful pitchers’ duel between Hermon senior righty Ryan Garland and Crusader junior righty James Strout. There was only one baserunner through the first four innings on a walk issued by Garland.

The 6-foot-4 Garland finished with a one-hitter, striking out six and walking three. He lost his no-hit bid when Strout singled sharply to left with one out in the sixth inning. He threw 104 pitches, 60 for strikes, while improving his record to 5-2.

The 6-foot Strout, now 3-2, fanned six and didn’t walk anybody while surrendering four hits. He threw just 62 pitches and 47 of them were strikes.

Ketchum’s double sailed over the head of John Bapst left fielder Tyler Jellison and short-hopped the fence.

“I’m the number nine hitter so I see first-pitch fastballs every time,” said Ketchum. “He threw that one down the middle and I turned on it.”

Hagemeyer then came on to pinch run for Ketchum.

Lane then squared around as if he was going to bunt but, instead, drew the bat back and lined a single that sliced just inside the foul line to score Hagemeyer.

“I was talking to it [telling it to stay fair],” grinned Lane. “That fake bunt works every time.”

That was the only run Garland would need although he threw 10 straight balls to open the seventh before pitching his way out of it.

“My fastball wasn’t hitting [its spots] at all today but my curve worked pretty well and my changeup was real good,” said the University of Southern Maine-bound Garland. “I tried to mix up my pitches to keep them off balance.

“I was too tight in the seventh,” added Garland.

“His changeup was really working today,” said catcher Lane.

After walking Andy Tremble and Zev Myerowitz and going to a 2-0 count on Bryan Snyder, Garland finally threw a strike.

Snyder then popped his sacrifice bunt attempt to third baseman Jason Shorey and Garland struck out Jellison, who took a 3-2 curve for strike three, and induced Brandon Gray to ground out to shortstop Phil Cayford.

“Jason made a great play on the bunt. That was the big play of the game,” said Garland who, along with Lane and Ketchum, praised Strout for his performance.

Crusader coach Mike Miragliuolo said, “It was a great high school game. Both pitchers pitched well. Garland kept us off-balance.”

Center fielder Snyder made the defensive gem of the game when he dove to snare a two-out Josh Shorey blooper in the fifth with runners on second and third.

Hawks 1, Crusaders 0

John Bapst (11-4) Hermon (10-5)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R BI

Strout, p 3 0 1 0 Lane, c 3 0 1 1

Chapman, ss 3 0 0 0 Cayford, ss 2 0 0

Means, ss 3 0 0 0 Garland, p 3 0 0

Tremble, rf 2 0 0 0 Speaker, 1b 3 0 0

Myerowitz, 1b 2 0 0 0Ja. Shorey, 3b 2 0 0

Snyder, cf 3 0 0 0 Eaton, rf 2 0 0

Jellison, lf 3 0 0 0 Watson, cf 2 0 0

Gray, c 2 0 0 0 Jo. Shorey, dh 2 0 0

McCree, 2b 2 0 0 0 Frye, 2b 0 0 0

Ketchum, lf 2 0 1 0

a-Hagemeyer 0 1 0 0

Totals 23 0 1 0 Totals 21 1 4 1

a- ran for Ketchum in the sixth

John Bapst 000 000 0 ? 0

Hermon 000 001 x ? 1

E?Speaker, Cayford; LOB?John Bapst 5, Hermon 3; 2B?Ketchum; DP?McCree-Means-Myerowitz; SB?Eaton, Jellison, Strout, Myerowitz

John Bapst IP H R ER BB SO

Strout (L, 3-2) 6 4 1 1 0 6

Hermon

Garland (W, 5-2) 7 1 0 0 3 6

HBP?Cayford by Strout; WP?Garland; PB?Lane; T?1:28 ATT?74