McCrum shines in Rams’ win Bangor shuts out OT

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OLD TOWN – For Megan McCrum, batting leadoff has been an adjustment. It always seems as if it takes her a while to get warmed up at the plate, the senior said.

McCrum didn’t have that problem in Thursday afternoon’s Eastern Maine Class A matchup against Old Town. She belted the first pitch she saw for a double, igniting the Bangor bats en route to an 11-0 victory over the Indians at the high school field here.

The Rams, now 4-3, pounded out 11 hits, including three for extra bases. Freshman Kelly White tossed a two-hitter and allowed just six baserunners.

Old Town falls to 6-5.

McCrum’s double proved to be an early statement for the Rams, who scored three runs in the first inning. McCrum would go on to score on a passed ball, and Heidi Baker had the first of her two doubles, driving in Meghan Chase (single) and White (walk).

The leadoff double was a nice surprise for Bangor.

“I told [coach Nancy Snowdeal], I’ve struck out every time my first time [at bat in a game], this time I’m gonna get a hit,” McCrum said. “And I did. … I usually don’t swing at the first pitch, but I need to start doing that more often. I swung at this one, and it was a good one.”

Bangor piled on five more runs in the second inning, including RBI singles from McCrum and Baker. Hannah Whitney hit an RBI single in the Rams’ three-run fourth. Bangor left the bases loaded in the fifth.

If McCrum’s first at-bat sparked the Ram offense, then White’s first inning in the circle did the same for the defense.

The freshman fanned the side in the first en route to eight strikeouts and two walks. Aside from the walks and Old Town’s two hits, only two other baserunners got on, courtesy of an error and a fielder’s choice.

“I tried to just throw strikes,” White said. “I know I have a great infield behind me and the team played really well today. I was throwing everything I had. I was throwing [the rise] quite a bit.”

For Old Town coach Mike Thurston, watching from the dugout, there wasn’t much he could do. The Indians were solid in the field, but the Rams found the gaps.

“Like I told our kids, we have to give Bangor all the credit,” he said, shaking his head. “They have to ask themselves if they played as hard as they could, if they were in position when the ball was hit. Those things happen in sports, that’s just the way it is.”

Old Town’s best chances to rally came in the second and fourth innings.

The Indians were down to one out in the second, but Emelie Richard and Alicia Day hit consecutive singles to keep the inning alive. White struck out the next batter to end it.

“She mixed it up well, but we didn’t hit the ball,” Thurston said.

In the fourth, Monica Hussey reached on an error with one out and Elizabeth Bergeron got to first on a fielder’s choice, but McCrum recorded an unassisted double play when she snagged a line drive and stepped on first.

RAMS 11, INDIANS 0

Bangor (4-3) Old Town (6-5)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

McCrum, 1b 5 2 2 1 Ouellette, cf 2 0 0

M. Chase, cf 2 2 0 0 Thibodeau, c-2b 3 0 0

White, p 4 2 1 0 Jones, rf 3 0 0

Baker, c 5 0 3 3 Hussey, p-1b 2 0 0

a-Webb, 2b 0 1 0 0 Saucier, 3b 2 0 0

S. Chase, lf 4 1 2 1 Bergeron, 3b 1 0 0

Turner, 3b 4 0 0 0 Richard, lf 2 0 0

Whitney, 2b 3 1 1 1 Surette, lf 1 0 0

Wright, 2b 1 0 0 0 Day, ss 1 0 1 0

Weymouth, rf 2 1 1 0 Sherman, ss 2 0 0

Batchelder, rf 1 0 0 0 Higgins, 2b-c 2 0

Kowalski, ss 2 1 2 0 Wollstadt, dh-p 2 0 0

Swandal, 1b 0 0 0 0

Totals 33 11 12 6 Totals 23 0 2 0

a-ran for Baker in 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th

Bangor 350 030 0 ? 11

Old Town 000 000 0 ? 0

E?Wright, Kowalski; Thibodeau, Saucier; LOB?Bangor 9, Old Town 4; 2B?Baker 2, McCrum; DP?McCrum unassisted; Thibodeau-Hussey; S?M. Chase, S. Chase; SB?M. Chase, White, McCrum

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

White (W, 3-2) 7 2 0 0 2 8

Old Town IP H R ER BB SO

Hussey (L, 2-3) 1 5 6 5 3 0

Wollstadt 6 7 5 3 2 5

Hussey faced five batters in the 2nd

WP?Hussey 3; PB?Thibodeau 2; T?1:37; ATT?75 (est.)