Righthander Pease, Broncos stifle Rams Seven runs in third lead Hampden to victory

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BANGOR ? It was a cool spring evening that felt almost like autumn, but it was optimal pitching weather for Hampden Academy righthander Chris Pease.

“It was chilly at first, but once the wind died down, it was nice,” said Pease, who struck out 10 batters and scattered four hits over six innings as the Broncos whipped Bangor 9-1 in a Class A baseball clash at Mansfield Stadium on Thursday night. “For the weather, I felt like I had a lot of pop on my fastball. I was able to spot my curveball and throw my fastball.”

This game wasn’t in doubt after Hampden erupted for seven runs in the top of the third inning. Second baseman Billy Shannon started the rally with his back ? getting hit there by a Brian Hackett pitch to open the inning ? and capped it off with his bat, hitting a two-run single to right to drive home Danny MacLean and Mike Brown with the final two runs of the inning.

Pease added an RBI double during the uprising, while Blaine Meehan also doubled and Ian Lee contributed an RBI single. Pat Moran plated another run with a sacrifice fly, while a groundout by Joel Neill delivered yet another run as the Broncos capitalized on five hits, a walk, a hit batsman, one Bangor error, and some adventurous outfield play in the face of some tricky winds early in the game.

“It was pretty ugly,” said Bangor coach Jeff Fahey. “We’ve had a couple of lapses this year, just one inning where we lose our concentration. We did some things that aren’t typical of us.”

That left Pease to protect an 8-1 lead, and the Husson College-bound senior struck out seven batters over his final three innings of work before giving way to Chris Morris, who worked a scoreless seventh.

“Before I went out [after the third], coach [David Shapiro] told me to throw strikes, and basically that’s all I tried to do,” Pease said. “I just tried to get ahead of batters and throw ground balls and throw pop flies, and when the situation called for it, I tried to get the strikeout.”

Hampden (5-3) scored its final run in the fifth as Neill reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and scored when Mike Brown’s fly ball was misplayed.

The Broncos totaled 10 hits against three Bangor pitchers. Meehan, Lee, and MacLean had two hits apiece, while Neill and Shannon each drove home a pair of runs.

Bangor (6-3) got a three-hit night from catcher Gordon Webb, who doubled home Jon Ingraham in the second inning for Bangor’s only run.

That rallied the Rams to a temporary 1-1 tie, as Hampden had taken its first lead in the top of the second when Kevin Brooks reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a one-out double to left by Neill.

BRONCOS 9, RAMS 1

Hampden Acad. (5-3) Bangor (6-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Meehan, ss 5 1 2 0 Heath, ss 3 0 0

Lee, c 4 1 2 1 Wright, 2b 0 0 0

Moran, 1b 3 0 0 1 Eremita, cf 2 0 0

Pease, p 3 1 1 1 Sturgeon, cf 1 0 0

Morris, p 0 0 0 0 B. Hackett, p-3b 2 0

Brooks, 3b 4 2 1 0 Russell, 3b 1 0 0

MacLean, rf 3 1 2 0 Anderson, 1b 2 0 0

Neill, lf 4 1 1 2 Kearns, 1b 1 0 0

Brown, cf 3 1 0 0 S. Hackett, 3b-2b 3 0

Shannon, 2b 2 1 1 2 Estabrook, 2b-ss 1 0

Murphy, dh 3 0 0 0

Jones, 2b 0 0 0 0

Al. Gallant, p 0 0 0 0

Cox, p 0 0 0 0

Ingraham, rf 1 1 0 0

Crews, rf 2 0 0 0

Webb, c 3 0 3 1

Aa. Gallant, lf 2 0 0 0

Toomey, lf 1 0 0 0

Totals 31 9 10 7 Totals 28 1 5 1

Hampden Acad. 017 010 0 ? 9

Bangor 010 000 0 ? 1

E?Meehan, Moran; Webb, Heath, Ingraham, Estabrook; LOB?HA 7, Bangor 10; 2B?Meehan, Pease, Neill; Webb; DP?Anderson to Heath; SF?Moran; SB?Neill, Brown; Ingraham

Hampden Acad. IP H R ER BB SO

Pease (W, 3-0) 6 4 1 1 5 10

Morris 1 1 0 0 0 1

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

B. Hackett (L, 2-2) 2 1/3 5 7 4 2 2

Al. Gallant 2 2/3 2 2 0 1 1

Cox 2 3 0 0 1 3

HBP?Shannon (by B. Hackett); Murphy (by Morris); WP?Pease; B. Hackett; PB?Lee; T?2:10; ATT?150