Bangor’s Young shuts down West Tourney host gains first victory

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BANGOR – For four days, the Bangor Senior League team played the role of perfect tournament hosts. They told fellow World Series competitors where to find the bathroom. They acted as tour guides on an off-day trip to Acadia National Park.

And they “politely” lost three straight games to the best 15- and 16-year-old teams in the world.

On Thursday, the Bangor squad proved to be a decidedly ungracious host.

Bangor hid the spare towels … changed the locks … and shocked Senior League World Series front-runner San Pedro, Calif., with a 7-3 win in front of a frenzied crowd of about 1,200 at Mansfield Stadium.

“I think coming into [the tournament] a lot of teams were kind of looking past us, saying, ‘This is the host team and they’re in here because they live here,” Bangor manager David Utterback said. “But I think with this effort we showed we belonged here.”

For San Pedro, the game was merely a final tune-up before today’s semifinals begin. For Bangor, it was a final chance at redemption after losing three straight games to begin the tourney.

Bangor received the second outstanding pitcher performance in four days from ace Josh Young, took advantage of two San Pedro errors to put together a six-run fourth inning, and cruised to the win.

Young, who will begin his junior year at Bangor High School next month, tossed a three-hit gem, striking out nine and walking just four.

Young was involved from beginning (two strikeouts in the first inning) until the end (the final out of the game nestled appropriately into his glove on an infield pop-up). He mixed just two pitches – a brisk fastball and a nasty, biting curve – and baffled the West Region champs all night long.

He finished the tourney having allowed no earned runs in 14 innings of work.

“Tonight I was a little bit sore after a couple of innings, but after that, we had to win and it became a mental game,” Young said.

After spotting the West champs 2-0 lead on two unearned runs in the second, Bangor regained the momentum in the bottom of the third, when Young was at his baffling best.

Young struck out the side – all looking – on just 12 pitches. Then, in the top of the fourth, his teammates rewarded him.

Young started the six-run uprising by striking out and reaching on a passed ball. Erik Anderson followed by lacing a single to left, and Ryan Willette beat out what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt to load the bases.

Brian Hackett drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly, but the San Pedro left fielder dropped the ball.

Mike Larochelle followed with a squeeze bunt to score pinch runner Tyler Heber and Aaron Gallant, the No. 9 hitter in the order, delivered two more runs and made it 4-2 by lashing a single to left. Jordan Heath continued the fun with an RBI double to left, and Heath scored on an infield error.

The rest was up to Young … and the Bangor “D,” which committed just one error and gave up a lone unearned run the rest of the way.

Heath said he noticed a big difference in his team’s attitude during the game.

“It was more of a laid-back attitude in the dugout,” Heath said. “Everyone was loose.”

BANGOR 7, SAN PEDRO, CALIF. 3

Bangor (1-3) San Pedro (3-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Heath, ss 4 1 2 1 Garcia, 2b 2 0 0

N. Larochelle, 2b 2 0 0 0 Whitt, cf 2 0

d-Toomey 1 0 0 0 a-Lebetsamer, cf 1 0

Hall, lf 4 0 1 1 Luera, c 2 0 0

Young, p 3 1 0 0 Sindicich, c-1b 1 0 0

Anderson, 1b 2 0 1 0 Accetta, p 3 0 0

Dow, 1b 2 0 0 0 Luna, rf-lf 3 0 0

Willette, c 3 1 1 0 Dorado, ss 2 1 0

Hackett, 3b 3 1 0 1 Harper, rf 1 0 0

M. Larochelle, cf 1 0 0 1 Lomonaco, lf 0 0

c-Derosa 1 0 0 0 Stephenson, 3b 2 1 0

Gallant, rf 2 1 2 2 Solis, 3b 1 0 0

Woodcock, rf 1 0 1 0 Taylor, ss 2 0 0

b-Heber 0 2 0 0

Totals 29 7 8 6 Totals 22 3 3 0

a-ran for Lomonaco in second; b-ran for Anderson in fourth, ran for Woodcock in sixth; c-grounded out for M. Larochelle in sixth; d-struck out for N. Larochelle in sixth;

Bangor 000 601 0 ? 7

San Pedro 020 010 0 ? 3

E?Heath, Dow; Dorado, Solis, Lomonaco; LOB?Bangor 6; San Pedro 5; 2B?Gallant, Heath; DP?Taylor-Garcia-Cuneo; S?Larochelle; Lomonaco; SF?Hackett;

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Young (W, 1-1) 7 3 3 0 4 9

San Pedro IP H R ER BB SO

Accetta (L, 0-1) 7 8 7 3 2 4

WP?Accetta; PB?Luera; T?1:44; ATT?1,200 (est.)