Cony, Messalonskee advance Nine-run sixth inning lifts Rams past Bangor

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BANGOR – Even in a sport where momentum can change with a single pitch, this was a stunning turn of events.

Not only did No. 5 Cony of Augusta trail 6-0 after five innings of Friday’s Eastern Maine Class A baseball quarterfinal at Mansfield Stadium, No. 4 Bangor had just scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take command – while Cony had yet to get a single hit off Bangor righthander Josh Young.

But instead of turning thoughts to graduation and fishing, Cony staged a remarkable comeback, scoring nine runs on seven hits in the top of the sixth to stun Bangor 9-6.

“When they got it to 6-0, that put us in a tough spot because we hadn’t been getting guys on in the first place, and now we were looking at having to get a bunch of runs back,” said Cony coach Rex Turner. “But that’s what we did. You couldn’t ask for a better response.”

Zac Jacques hit a three-run double off Young early in the uprising to give Cony hope, and Adam Vachon hit a two-out, three-run triple to right-center off reliever Eric Anderson to break a 6-6 tie.

“[Anderson] was a slower pitcher than Young, and usually I try to stay back and try to go opposite field with slower pitching,” said Vachon, a senior shortstop headed to Dartmouth College this fall. “I went to 3-2 and fouled off a pitch that could have been a strike, and then he threw a pitch up and away and I hit it to the opposite field and it went to the fence.”

While big hits highlighted the rally, a close play may have been the catalyst.

Ryan Cotnoir led off the Cony sixth with a grounder into the shortstop hole. Bangor shortstop Jordan Heath made a brilliant play, not only ranging far to his right to gather the ball, but making a strong throw to first base – just a split-second late to get Cotnoir.

“It was a great play by their shortstop to even have an opportunity to make that play,” Turner said. “Ryan’s not the quickest guy, but he put everything he had into getting down the line. Baseball’s a game of hustle and inches and extra effort, and that was a big play.”

Pinch-hitter Zach Logan then singled to right, and Vachon loaded the bases by hitting a chopper over the mound for an infield hit. Cotnoir scored on a wild pitch, and Cameron was hit by a pitch before Jacques cleared the bases with a blast to left-center to cut the gap to 6-4.

Gunner Davis singled home Jacques, and Troy Pierce singled home Davis to tie the game before Cony reloaded the bases only to have them cleared by Vachon’s go-ahead triple.

“We were thinking early in the inning that even if they cleared the bases right then, by the time Josh gets his composure back it’s still 6-3, but they cleared the bases two more times after that,” said Bangor coach Jeff Fahey. “Those kids didn’t quit, they swung the bat and saw a little chink in our armor and took advantage.”

Cony (15-3) plays at No. 1 Mount Ararat of Topsham in a semifinal Saturday. Mount Ararat (16-1) defeated No. 8 Hampden Academy 4-0 Friday behind the 17-strikeout, one-hit pitching of senior righthander Mark Rogers, the 2004 national Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year.

Through five innings, Topsham seemed to be Bangor’s destination Saturday. Young was near-perfect, retiring the first 10 batters before Cameron reached on a one-out error in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Bangor had pounded out six runs on 11 hits against Cony starter Adam Normandin and reliever Miles Whitlock. Young, Anderson, Mike Larochelle and Heath, the 6-7-8-9 hitters in the lineup, went a combined 9-for-12 with five RBIs.

Heath had three hits, including an infield hit to lead off the Bangor third. Nate Hall sacrificed Heath to second, and Heath went to third on a flyout by Nick Larochelle. Anthony DeRosa walked, and Brian Hackett singled home Heath before DeRosa scored on a Normandin wild pitch to give Bangor a 2-0 lead.

Bangor had five straight one-out hits off Whitlock in the fifth to score four more runs. P.J. Dowe singled, was balked to second and scored when Young tripled to right-center. Anderson singled home Young, and Mike Larochelle blooped a single to left before Heath hit a two-run double to left-center.

“We hit the ball well,” said Fahey, “and we could have had four or five more runs. It’s shocking, because I think all of us in the back of our minds were thinking we were going down to Ararat tomorrow.

“But you can’t do that in baseball. I told the kids yesterday and I told them today before the game to play all seven innings. I don’t think we quit, we just lost our concentration.”

CONY 9, BANGOR 6

Cony (15-3) Bangor (14-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Vachon ss 4 1 2 3 Hall lf 3 0 0 0

Cameron cf 3 1 0 0 N. Larochelle 2b 4 0

Jacques rf 4 1 1 3 DeRosa cf 3 1 0

Davis c 4 1 1 1 Hackett 3b 4 0 1

Doyon dh-1b 4 0 0 0 Sturgeon pr 0 0 0

Normandin p 0 0 0 0 Dowe c 3 1 1 0

Taylor pr 0 0 0 0 Young p-1b 4 0 1

Pierce lf 3 1 1 1 Eremita pr 0 1 0

Whitlock 1b-p 2 0 0 0 Anderson dh-p 4 1

Cotnoir 3b 2 2 1 0 Ingraham rf 0 0 0

Coulombe 2b 2 1 0 0 Prentiss pr 0 1 0

Logan ph 1 1 1 0 M. Lrchlle 1b-rf 3 0

Toomey pr 0 0 0 0

Heath ss 4 1 3 3

Totals 29 9 7 8 Totals 32 6 11 6

Cony 000 009 0 ? 9

Bangor 002 040 0 ? 6

E?Vachon, Cotnoir; DeRosa, Hackett; LOB?Cony 2, Bangor 9; 2B?Jacques; Heath; 3B?Vachon; Young; DP?Cony 1; S?Whitlock; Hall; SB?Cameron; Prentiss

Cony IP H R ER BB SO

Normandin 3 1/3 6 2 2 2 2

Whitlock (W, 4-0) 3 2/3 5 4 4 1 3

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Young 5 5 6 6 1 7

Anderson (L, 1-1) 2 2 3 0 1 0

HBP?Cameron by Young; WP?Normandin 2, Whitlock; Young, Anderson; BK?Whitlock; T?2:07; ATT?250 (est.)