Navigators upset Falcons, Wildcats Penquis has only 9 healthy players

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BANGOR – Limited to only nine healthy players for much of the Zone 1 American Legion tournament and forced to scramble for pitching, the Penquis Navigators managed to pull off two upsets on Saturday to qualify for next week’s state tournament.

Penquis, the fifth seed in the six-team Zone 1 tournament, defeated No. 3 Waldo-Knox 11-1 in the second game of the day, then knocked off No. 1 seed Brewer 10-8 in the final game at Mansfield Stadium to clinch the state tourney berth.

“These kids have had to battle all year long,” Penquis coach Rob St. Louis said. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids.”

In the first game of the day, Bangor avenged two regular-season losses by defeating Brewer 6-5 to claim the other state tournament bid.

In the third game, Penquis scored eight runs in the sixth inning to take a 10-5 lead, then held on for the win behind another gritty relief performance from James Gray.

Early on, the 23-3 Falcons appeared poised to bounce back from their loss to Bangor and advance to the state tournament. Brewer held a 5-2 lead after five innings behind starter Pat Moran.

The 13-13 Navigators, though, finally broke through in the sixth, reaching Moran and reliever Adam Sheehan for eight runs on six hits, while also taking advantage of four Brewer errors in the inning.

Darin Spack’s two-run double was the big blow in the sixth, while Adam Russell and Jason Weymouth also had run-scoring singles during the rally.

Brewer’s Chad Gomm, pitching on two days’ rest, held the Navigators scoreless for 3 1/3 innings, but Brewer could manage just single runs in the sixth, seventh, and ninth.

Russell was 5-for-6 and reached base all six times for Penquis, while Spack added two singles and two RBIs. Gray pitched six innings in relief of Jason Weymouth.

Abram Allard tripled, singled, and drove in a run for Brewer, while Joel Barrett and Kyle Dalton each singled twice and Jason Harvey drove in three runs.

In the first game, Bangor received its third straight strong performance from its starting pitcher and another key hit by Andy Sullivan.

Bangor’s Phil Cayford scored on a wild pitch in the first to open the scoring, but Brewer tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth on Allard’s RBI single.

The 18-7 Comrades took the lead for good with a four-run fifth inning.

Andy Tremble drew a bases-loaded walk to force in one run, then Sullivan ripped a bases-clearing double two pitches later to give Bangor a 5-1 lead.

Brewer cut the lead to 5-4 in the eighth when Sheehan scampered home on a wild pitch, which also allowed Barrett to advance to third and Allard (who walked on the wild pitch) to reach second.

But Cayford struck out the next two Brewer batters and saved the game for Bangor starter Keith Nason, who allowed two earned runs in 7 1/3 innings to notch the win.

“Pitching is our strength,” Bangor coach Jay Kemble said.

Allard singled twice and drove in three runs for Brewer.

In the second game, St. Louis turned to Seth Strout, who had pitched only four innings during the regular season, to keep Penquis’ season alive.

Strout responded by pitching 8 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, scattering seven hits while walking two and striking out three.

“He pitched the game of his life,” St. Louis said.

Gray and Brian White each tripled, singled, and drove in two runs to lead Penquis.

Chris Carman singled three times for Waldo-Knox. Ben Cowan’s two-out single in the ninth scored Jamie Potvin to break up the shutout bid.

(Saturday’s First Game)

Bangor (18-7) 100 400 001 – 6 6 2

Brewer (23-2) 000 102 011 – 5 6 2

Nason, Cayford (8) and Worster; Patterson, Quimby (5), Sheehan (9) and McHale

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Penquis (12-13) 001 201 124 – 11 11 1

Waldo-Knox (15-10) 000 000 001 – 1 7 5

Strout and Spack; Carman, Cowan (5), Tootill (6), Eddy (9) and Potvin

(Saturday’s Third Game)

Penquis (13-13) 001 108 000 – 10 14 3

Brewer (23-3) 131 001 101 – 8 10 7

Weymouth, Gray (4) and Spack; Moran, Sheehan (6), Gomm (6) and McHale