Nick Ciomei helps DI-Stonington hand Searsport first loss

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SEARSPORT – When the Deer Isle-Stonington baseball team checked out the latest Heal Point Ratings, there was a disappointing discovery.

Despite an 8-2 record, the Mariners were ranked seventh in Eastern Maine Class D.

But upward mobility proved only one bus ride away Tuesday, as senior Nick Ciomei led Deer Isle-Stonington to an 11-9 victory over previously undefeated Searsport.

“We saw the Heal Points before we left the school and the kids were kind of dejected,” said Mariners’ coach Darren Eaton. “I told them, ‘you can change it all today,’ and they went out and did it.”

Ciomei hit a grand slam and a double, scored three runs and pitched four innings of scoreless relief as the Mariners upended the Class C Vikings.

Ciomei, a lefthander, struck out five and walked two in relief of Ray Garcia after Searsport scored three runs before a batter was out in the bottom of the fourth to pull within 10-9.

“I was just trying to keep the ball low, because every time we got up on them they hit line drives, which is what they do,” said Ciomei. “They don’t take you deep very often, they hit line drives, so I focused on keeping it low and mixing my curve and fastball and staying ahead.”

Ciomei’s grand slam highlighted a five-run rally in the third that gave the Mariners a 6-3 lead. That blast to center followed three straight walks issued by Searsport starter Tyson McHatten.

“I was just looking for a fastball and trying to pull one, and I ended up hitting one right down the middle over the center field fence,” he said. “It felt perfect off the bat.”

Thomas Robbins contributed a double and a single for Deer Isle-Stonington, while Bryant Ciomei doubled.

Matt Nickerson led Searsport with a double and two singles, while Jared Burke doubled and singled and Ryan Shute and Josh Nickerson singled twice.

Searsport, which had allowed just seven runs – one unearned – in its first 10 games, yielded four unearned runs and issued 10 walks, with five of those runners eventually scoring.

“We pitch well and we play defense, and today we did neither,” said Searsport coach David Pepin, whose team is ranked second in Eastern C. “We didn’t pitch well and we played poor defense.”

These teams played to a 6-6 stalemate through three innings before Deer Isle-Stonington took the lead for good with four runs in the top of the fourth.

Pinch-hitter Terrance O’Dell capped off that uprising with a two-out, two-run single, one of just two hits in the inning.

Searsport scored three in the bottom of the inning, as Matt Nickerson hit a two-run double and scored on a one-out single by Josh Nickerson.

Deer Isle-Stonington added an insurance run in the sixth as Robbins doubled, moved to third on an infield error and scored on a wild pitch.

MARINERS 11, VIKINGS 9

Deer Isle-Stonington (9-2) Searsport (10-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

C. Ciomei, c 3 1 0 0 Shute, 2b-ss 4 1 0

Brown, cf 4 2 1 0 M. Nickerson ss-p 4 1

B. Ciomei, ss 2 2 1 0 Adams, cf-p 4 0

N. Ciomei, lf-p 4 3 2 4 J. Nickerson, 3b-p 2

Jos. Eaton, 3b 3 1 1 0 Seger, rf-cf 4 0

Pinkham, pr 0 1 0 0 T. McHttn, p-rf-3b 2 1

Robbins, rf 4 1 2 0 Johnson, 1b 4 0 1

Jon Eaton, 1b 1 0 0 2 Burke, lf 3 2

Martin, 2b 3 0 0 0 Ashey, c 3 1 0

O’Dell, ph 1 0 1 2

Hardie, dh 2 0 0 0

Garcia, p-lf 2 0 0 0

Totals 29 11 8 8 Totals 32 9 12 7

Deer Isle-Stonington 015 401 0 – 11

Searsport 033 300 0 – 9

E-Jos. Eaton, C. Ciomei, Robbins; Johnson, T. McHatten; LOB-Deer Isle-Stonington 9, Searsport 6; 2B-B. Ciomei, N. Ciomei, Robbins; M. Nickerson, T. McHatten, Burke; HR-N. Ciomei; SF-Jon Eaton; SB-B. Ciomei 2, N. Ciomei 2, Jon Eaton; M. Nickerson, J. Nickerson

DI-Stonington IP H R ER BB SO

Garcia 3 9 9 6 2 2

N. Ciomei (W, 2-0) 4 3 0 0 2 5

Searsport IP H R ER BB SO

T. McHatten 2 1/3 2 5 5 4 3

Adams (L, 2-1) 1 3 4 2 2 2

M. Nickerson 2 2/3 3 2 0 3 5

J. Nickerson 1 0 0 0 1 1

HBP-Jon Eaton by M. Nickerson; WP-Garcia; T. McHatten 2, M. Nickerson; BK-Garcia; PB-C. Ciomei; T-2:30; ATT-80