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BANGOR – The hits they just kept coming for the Calais Suns – and coming, and coming, and coming.
And by pounding out 36 hits in two elimination-game victories Saturday, the Suns qualified for their first-ever appearance in the state American Legion tournament.
Calais overpowered Lincoln 14-1, then scored eight runs in the top of the ninth to eliminate Trenton 16-8 in Zone 1 tourney play at Mansfield Stadium.
One day after a 23-hit assault on Bangor pitching, the Suns had 16 hits against Lincoln and 20 against Trenton.
“It’s contagious,” said Calais outfielder Steve Colbeth, who had a triple, two doubles and a single against Trenton. “After one guy got a hit, the next guy went up there expecting to get a hit, too.
Calais and Brewer will represent Zone 1 in the state tournament that begins Saturday at Augusta. Brewer qualified by defeating Trenton 6-4 in Saturday’s first game.
Calais led 6-2 through 31/2 innings against Trenton, but the Acadians scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to draw within a run and pulled even at 7-7 in the seventh and 8-8 on an RBI single by Dustin Young in the eighth.
With staff ace Travis Tripp on the mound in relief, the game’s momentum seemed tilted toward Trenton.
“I think them putting him in the game is what got us going again,” said Colbeth. “We wanted to see their best, and we hit him pretty good.”
The first eight Calais batters of the ninth inning all scored, thanks in part to a misplayed double-play ball – one of seven Trenton errors.
Josh Francis delivered the key blow, a two-run triple that pushed the Calais lead to 11-8. Francis scored on a single by Chad Pike, and James Macdonald added a two-run single, Colbeth an RBI triple and Ben Maloney a sacrifice fly.
“We knew we could hit,” said Francis. “It’s just kind of built up over the last couple of days.”
Maloney and James Ramsdell each had three hits for Calais, while Pike, Francis, Joe Footer and Scott Macdonald had two hits each.
Young, Garrett Hardison, Tony Conroy and Chris Candage each had two hits for Trenton.
There was no late-inning drama for the Suns earlier in the day. Maloney pitched a complete-game four-hitter and Scott Macdonald went 4-for-4 as the Suns eliminated Lincoln in a game halted after seven innings by the 10-run rule.
Maloney struck out one and walked two. Scott Macdonald had three singles, a double and two RBIs for the Suns, while Francis added three hits and four RBIs, including a three-run triple in the sixth inning. Footer doubled and singled twice, while Maloney and Chris Dyer had two hits each.
Scott Flannery singled twice for Lincoln and scored the Lumber’s only run.
In Saturday’s first game, Adam Sheehan went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Brewer took a 5-0 lead and held on to stay unbeaten in the tournament.
Jason Harvey’s two-run single and an RBI single by Sheehan sparked a three-run Brewer rally in the first inning. Kevin McAvoy singled home a run and scored on a double by Sheehan in the third.
A sacrifice fly by Harrison Hines and an RBI single by Mike Astbury pulled Trenton within 5-2 in the fourth, but Brewer scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to take a four-run lead.
Trenton scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull within 6-4, and stranded two runners in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth after singles by Mark Clapp and Cousins gave the Acadians runners on first and third with no one out. Brewer reliever Chad Gomm then retired the next three hitters to save the victory for Falcons’ starter Andrew Patterson, who worked the first seven innings.
(Saturday’s First Game)
Trenton (17-8) 000 211 000 – 4 13 3
Brewer (24-1) 302 100 00x – 6 10 2
Young and Hines; Patterson, Gomm (8) and Boober
Saturday’s Second Game)
Calais (13-12) 034 115 0 – 14 16 2
Lincoln (14-11) 000 100 0 – 1 4 4
B. Maloney and Pike; Thompson, Cullen (4), Rideout (7) and Whitney
(Saturday’s Third Game)
Calais (14-12) 203 110 018 – 16 20 0
Trenton (17-9) 101 300 210 – 8 11 7
McLay, B,. Maloney (4), Colbeth (7), S. Macdonald (8) and James Ramsdell, Pike (4); Cousins, Tripp (7), Young (9) and Candage
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