BANGOR – The Bangor Comrades appeared to be in great shape to knock the Orono Twins from the ranks of the American Legion unbeaten in the bottom of the seventh inning at Mansfield Stadium Thursday night.

The Comrades had just scored a run on Chris Bombardier’s second single of the game to pull within 3-2 and they had the bases loaded and nobody out with their Nos. 3-4-5 hitters coming up.

But Orono righthander Ryan Brown induced Jim Shea to foul out, he caught Shawn Bouchard staring at strike three and got Andrew Sullivan to bounce to second as the Twins improved to 6-0.

Bangor is now 3-3.

“I just tried to throw the ball as hard and as straight as I could,” said Brown, who recalled that Bouchard swung at high pitches in his earlier at-bats and got him to chase two more fastballs out of the strike zone before finding the outside corner with strike three.

“Ryan Brown was extremely tough when he had to be,” said Bangor coach Joe Nelson. “He pitched very well.”

Orono coach Jay Kemble said Brown, who just completed his sophomore season at Old Town High School, has “learned how to compete.”

Bangor’s James Strout, diagnosed with mononucleosis four days ago, also threw an exceptional game.

Brown allowed seven hits and two runs, one of which was unearned, while striking out seven and walking two.

Righty Strout, who will be a senior at John Bapst High in the fall, allowed five hits and three runs, just one earned, over 6? innings. He fanned eight and walked five.

“It was a well-pitched game. It was a great Legion game,” said Nelson.

With the score tied 1-1 entering the seventh, pinch-hitter Brad Wheaton drew a leadoff walk after falling behind 0-2 in the count. Chris Rand re-entered the game and ran for him.

Tyler Jellison followed with a sacrifice bunt and Shaun Tidwell walked.

Lefty Steve Fergerson came on to face lefthanded-hitting Mike Merritt and issued a wild pitch to move both runners along.

Merritt then hit a soft, run-scoring double off a 3-1 pitch that sliced away from left fielder Andrew Treadwell.

“I figured he’d throw me a curve and he did. It was lower than a pitch I’d normally swing at but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do in that situation,” said Merritt, whose hit was his third of the game. It was his second double.

Tidwell scored the winning run on Fergerson’s two-out wild pitch on an 0-2 delivery.

Kevin Proctor reached on a Tidwell error and scored on a wild pitch to give Bangor a 1-0 lead in the second but Orono tied it in the fifth when Merritt singled and scored when right fielder Andy Tremble overthrew third after fielding Brian Tewhey’s second single of the night.

Twins 3, Comrades 2

Orono (6-0) Bangor (3-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Tidwell, ss 3 1 0 0 Worcester, cf 3 0 0

Merritt, 2b 4 1 3 1 Bombardier, ss 4 0 1

Tewhey, 3b 3 0 2 0 Shea, 2b 4 0 0

Thomas, dh 4 0 0 0 Bouchard, c 4 0 0

Clark, 1b 3 0 1 0 Sullivan, 1b 4 0 0

Cole, c 2 0 0 0 Proctor, dh 2 1 0

Goody, lf 2 0 0 0 Tremble, rf 3 0 0

Watson, cf 0 0 0 0 Treadwell, lf 2 1 0

Rand, rf 2 1 0 0 Chapman, 3b 3 0 0

a-Wheaton 0 0 0 0

Jellison, cf-lf 2 0 0 0

Totals 25 3 6 1 Totals 29 2 7 1

a- walked for Rand in 7th inning

Orono 000 010 2 ? 3

Bangor 010 000 1 ? 2

This is all in one graph now

E? Chapman, Tremble, Tidwell 2; LOB? Orono 7, Bangor 9; 2B? Merritt 2; DP? Bouchard-Shea, Tidwell-Merritt-Clark;S? Jellison;

Orono IP H R ER BB SO

Brown (W, 2-0) 7 7 2 1 2 7

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Strout (L, 0-1) 6? 5 3 1 5 8

Fergerson ? 1 0 0 0 1

This is all in one graph now

HBP? Treadwell by Brown; WP? Strout, Fergerson 2, Brown 2; PB? Cole; T? 2:04; ATT? 120 (est.)