Lincoln strong in 1st half Successful small school programs spark Lumber

The first half of the American Legion Zone 1 baseball season has been somewhat predictable.

Brewer, 21-1 in Legion play a year ago but ousted in the zone tournament, is undefeated and playing with the motivation of a team determined not to be denied a trip to the state tournament this summer.

Trenton, Penquis and Orono-Old Town all are .500 or better, thanks in large part to solid pitching.

Then there’s the Lincoln Lumber, a second-year program currently boasting the zone’s second-best record at 8-3 and holding a 21/2-game lead in the North Division over second-place Orono-Old Town.

“All the kids are real excited right now,” said Lincoln coach John Montgomery. “They know if they keep playing like they have been they’re going to be one of the top teams.”

Perhaps Lincoln’s success shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that the bulk of the team comes from three highly successful small-school programs. Stearns of Millinocket went 15-4 last spring and reached the Eastern Maine Class C championship game; Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln finished 15-3 after falling to Stearns in the Eastern C semifinals; and Lee Academy reached the Eastern D semifinals and finished with an 11-7 record.

Lincoln also has players from Penobscot Valley of Howland, Schenck of East Millinocket and East Grand of Danforth.

“We’ve gotten used to playing with each other and gotten to know each other,” Montgomery said. “We’ve been starting to jell lately.”

Lincoln is led by Jeremy Ham of Lee, a finalist for Mr. Maine Baseball during the high school season.

On the mound Ham has a 2-0 record and allowed only one earned run in 20 2/3 innings while striking out 18 and giving up just 11 hits.

Ham also is batting .355 from the leadoff slot with 13 runs scored, 10 walks and seven stolen bases.

Other key performers include second baseman Scott Flannery of East Grand (.471, 5 HR and 20 RBIs), outfielder Tyler Gardner of Mattanawcook (.318), and cleanup hitter Matt Leino of Stearns (.276, 11 RBIs).

“Pitching and defense have been the keys, and we’ve come up with timely hits to help us out,” said Montgomery, a former Stearns and Husson College player who played Legion baseball for Orono-Old Town in the mid-1990s.

Montgomery’s assistant coach is John McGlinn, a former Legion and college teammate who commutes from Portland to help Lincoln’s cause.

“He’s been a big help,” Montgomery said.

The summer has not been without a negative side. Lincoln had planned to play all its home games at Mattanawcook Academy, but vandals damaged the baseball field there, forcing the team to shift most of its home dates to Stearns High School, including Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader against Waldo.

“It means a few of our guys have to drive a little farther,” Montgomery said. “But we’ve got 18 kids who show up every night, and they’re excited about how things have gone so far.”