Rams rally past error-prone Witches Five-run seventh is decisive

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BREWER – The old baseball adage goes that you can’t give a team four outs in an inning and expect to win. Brewer did that on a couple of occasions in the later innings of their game Thursday night and Bangor took advantage both times.

The Witches committed five errors overall and 5-1 Bangor came back from a 3-1 deficit to earn an 8-3 win at Heddericg field.

With the score tied at 3, the Rams scored five times in the seventh inning and were aided by two Brewer errors.

Bangor shortstop Jordan Heath started the inning by lacing a single to right field. Nate Hall was hit by a pitch by Brewer starter Andrew Patterson. Nick Larochelle executed a sacrifice bunt moving the pair along and Rams first baseman Josh Young was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Designated hitter Jessefa Murphy lofted a fly to medium right field that was dropped and Heath came in to score. Bangor starting pitcher Brian Hackett was next and he drove in two runs with a sharp single down the right field line.

Hackett advanced to second on the play, then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Mike Prentiss’ infield grounder was misplayed.

Hackett, a sophomore, considered his hit as a way of making up for what he considered to be a poor pitching performance on his part.

“I was mad at myself. I wanted to get back, get going. [Coach Jeff Fahey] gave me a chance and I got a base hit and drove in two runs. That’s what we needed,” Hackett said

Hackett pitched well enough. Through four innings he held the 3-3 Witches scoreless and allowed three hits. But in the fifth, after getting the first batter out, he suddenly developed control problems, walking back-to-back batters before giving up an RBI single to Brewer’s Matt Sargent. That was the end of Hackett’s night on the mound.

Reliever Steve Fergerson’s first pitch was lined to right by Zac Bouzan-Kaloustian, scoring J.T. Davis who was the second of Hackett’s walks.

Kevin McAvoy followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Sargent, giving the Witches a 3-1 lead.

The Rams bounced right back to score twice in the sixth and again a Brewer error figured heavily with Andy Treadwell driving in two runs with a double after Muphy had reached on an infield error to start the inning and Hackett singled.

Fergerson closed out the game with two perfect innings. It is a role he relishes.

“I have been a closer since my sophomore year. That’s what my role is. Just come in and shut the door. I love it. I strive for it,” he said.

Mike Prentiss and Heath had a pair of hits apiece for the Rams while Sargent and Bouzan-Kaloustian had two hits each for Brewer.

“[Bangor] made things happen. Then we had a couple of mishaps there. All credit to them. They beat us today,” Brewer coach Dave Morse said.

RAMS 8, WITCHES 3

Bangor (5-1) Brewer (3-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hall, cf 3 1 1 0 Sargent, cf 3 1 1

Larochelle, 2b 3 0 0 0 Bzan-Klstn, 2b 3 1

Young, 1b 3 1 0 0 McAvoy, lf 2 0 1

Murphy, dh 3 2 1 1 Kotredes, 3b 2 0 0

Dennis, 3b 0 0 0 0 Patterson, p 3 0 0

Hackett, p-3b 4 2 2 2 Collins, p 0 0

b-Gallant 0 1 0 0 Gomm, 1b 2 0 0

Prentiss, cf 4 0 2 1 a-Morrow 1 0 0

Treadwell, lf 4 0 1 2 Sutherland, rf 3 0

Dowe, c 4 0 1 0 Caldwell, c 2 1 0

Jor. Heath, ss 3 1 2 0 Davis, ss 2 0

Totals 31 8 10 6 Totals 23 3 5 3

a-grounded out for Gomm in 6th; b-ran for Hackett in 7th

Bangor 010 002 5 ? 8

Brewer 000 030 0 ? 3

E?Dennis; Kotredes 3, Bouzan-Kaloustian, Sutherland; LOB?Bangor 7; Brewer 3; 2B?Treadwell; Bouzan-Kaloustian; DP?Dennis-Larochelle-Young; Davis-Bouzan-Kaloustian-Gomm; S?Larochelle; Kotredes; SF?Murphy; McAvoy; SB?Caldwell

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Hackett 4 1/3 4 3 3 3 2

Fergerson (W) 2 2/3 1 0 0 0 1

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Patterson (L) 6 1/3 10 8 5 1 1

Collins 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

HBP?Hall by Patterson; WP?Patterson 3, Collins; T?1:40; ATT?150 (est)