Moran stifles Bangor Miller’s single sparks Brewer

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BANGOR – Pat Moran and Keith Nason hooked up in a dandy pitcher’s duel on Tuesday night and a two-run single by Jeff Miller proved to be decisive as Moran and the Brewer Falcons nipped Bangor 3-2 in a battle of Zone 1 divisional leaders at Mansfield Stadium.

South Division leader Brewer won its seventh in a row and improved to 10-1. North Division front-runner Bangor is 7-2 after having its four-game winning streak snapped.

Both righthanders allowed just four hits.

Moran, who pitched for Hampden Academy this spring and is bound for the University of Maine, struck out eight and walked two. Both of the runs off him were unearned. Nason, who saw a little mound duty for Husson College this spring, fanned three and walked three and surrendered just one earned run.

“Pat dominated. I thought he was in charge. And Nason pitched a great game,” said Brewer coach Dave Morris.

“Moran proved why he’s one of the best pitchers in the zone, if not the best,” said Nason.

“My fastball felt real good,” said the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Moran. “I didn’t have the velocity I felt I could have had in my first two starts but it’s coming back a little bit now. I was able to place it real well and get them to swing at some pitches I wanted them to swing at.”

He also mixed in his curve later in the game.

He threw 70 strikes among his 105 pitches.

Nason threw 87 pitches of which 59 were strikes.

“He threw his curve well. He kept us off balance,” said Miller.

Brewer jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a run in the first and two in the second and the Falcons survived a two-run double by pinch-hitter Josh Young in the sixth.

In the first, Matt Grimes singled, stole second and scored on Kevin McAvoy’s ground-ball single up the middle.

In the second, Andrew Patterson drew a one-out walk and Chris Maguire reached on an infield error that allowed Patterson to reach third. Maguire stole second and both scored on Miller’s sharp two-out ground ball single to left off a 1-2 pitch.

“Miller’s two-out hit was the difference in the game,” said Bangor coach John Winkin.

“I knew he would be bringing one in because he wanted to get the third out of the inning and end the rally,” said Miller. “It was a fastball right down the middle.”

Nason said it was a changeup.

“That was my first changeup of the night. I had thrown him all fastballs in that at-bat and I was trying to catch him off-guard,” said Nason. “He got his bat on it and put it right up the middle to score a couple runs.”

Bangor had just four base-runners through the first five innings but capitalized on a dropped fly ball with two outs in the sixth after Gordon Webb had singled.

Young followed with his opposite-field double just inside the right field line.

But Moran retired the side in the seventh to improve to 4-0.

Miller had a triple to go with his single and 15-year-old Bangor shortstop Kyle Gallant had two singles.

FALCONS 3, COMRADES 2

Brewer (10-1) Bangor (7-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Miller, cf 4 0 2 2 Heath, cf 4 0 0

Grimes, lf 4 1 1 0 Means, 2b 3 0 0

McAvoy, 3b 3 0 1 1 B. Hackett, 3b 2 0 0

Moran, p 3 0 0 0 Webb, c 3 0 1 0

Gifford, rf 1 0 0 0 Leeman, pr 0 1 0

Robicheau, c 3 0 0 0 S. Hackett, 1b 3 1 0

Patterson, 1b 2 1 0 0 Anderson, dh 1 0

Maguire, ss 2 1 0 0 N. Larochelle, dh 1 0

Otis, 2b 3 0 0 0 J. Young, dh 1 0 2

M. Larochelle, rf 2 0 Gallant, ss 3 0 2 0

Eremita, lf 3 0 0 0

Totals 25 3 4 3 Totals 26 2 4 2

Brewer 120 000 0 – 3

Bangor 000 002 0 -2

E- Grimes, Gifford; S. Hackett, Gallant; LOB- Brewer 5, Bangor 5; 2B- Young; 3B- Miller; SB- Grimes, Maguire

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Moran (W, 4-0) 7 4 2 0 2 8

Home IP H R ER BB SO

Nason (L, 1-1) 7 4 3 1 3 3

WP- Moran; T- 1:40; ATT- 150 (est.)