Shead’s Sullivan strong in win Tigers tame Dragons 9-2

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BANGOR – Sure, they stranded 15 baserunners, but after losing three players recently to team rules violations, the weakened Shead Tigers of Eastport are looking at Saturday’s 9-2 baseball win over Woodland as one to grow on.

“I always say the sign of a good team is one that can win ugly and that’s what we did tonight,” said Shead head coach Ron Sullivan. “We didn’t really play well, but came out with a win. We left too many baserunners on.”

Of those 15, nine were in scoring position, but Shead was still able to overcome and improve its record to 3-3 thanks to a strong pitching effort by Sullivan’s son Aaron.

Aaron Sullivan went the distance, allowing five hits and four walks while notching nine strikeouts in a 119-pitch performance.

“Tonight was just my fastball really. I tried to keep them low and down and out,” said Sullivan, now 1-2. “I threw the curveball a couple times and it was effective, but I didn’t have a lot of control of it. I mixed a changeup in too.”

Aaron Sullivan said he felt like he got “in a groove” after the first inning, when he walked three batters, but still managed to keep Woodland from scoring.

“When he throws hard, throws strikes, and gets ahead of hitters, he’s fine,” said Ron Sullivan. “When he has to come back in counts, he puts it right down the middle and it hurts us. He was ahead of them tonight.”

Sullivan also helped his own cause offensively by lining an 0-2 fastball over the left-field fence for a solo home run in the fourth inning and an RBI single to left-center in the seventh.

Shead got solid production up and down the lineup, but especially from the the middle, where the Nos. 4-7 batters went a combined 11-for-19 with seven RBIs. Justin Lewey (No. 5), Jake Kilton (No. 6) and Chris Newman (No. 7) each had three hits and at least one RBI. Kilton had a double and three RBIs.

“It’s always a lot easier on me when we’re scoring runs,” said Aaron Sullivan, who threw 73 pitches for strikes. “I just rear back and throw.”

Woodland’s Scott Boomer didn’t have a great night on the mound with five hits and four earned runs in two innings of relief, but the leadoff hiter had a great day at the plate and on the basepaths for the 4-3 Dragons. He went 3-for-3 with six stolen bases.

“I think our boys were thinking we’d come back, and we did well those last couple innings, but we just couldn’t get anything going long enough,” said Woodland coach David Seavey.

Shead got to Woodland starter Craig Moody early with a run in the first and two more in the third.

“He hit Moody better tonight than we usually do,” said Ron Sullivan. “When we swing the bat, don’t stand there looking at strikes and don’t try to umpire, we do a lot better. You have to get them to hit the ball and put it in play in Class D baseball.”

Dragons cleanup hitter Riaan Bosch is now 18-for-21 this season after going 0-for-1 with two intentional walks and a hit-by-pitch.

TIGERS 9, DRAGONS 2

Shead (3-3) Woodland (4-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Cummings, lf 5 0 0 0 Boomer, ss-p 3 1 0

Stanley, 1b 3 2 2 0 Moody, p-c-ss 3 0 0

Pottle, c 5 1 0 0 Newell, cf 4 0 0

A.Sullivan, p 5 3 2 2 Bosch, 3b 1 0

Lewey, ss 4 2 3 1 Townsend, 2b 3 0 0

Kilton, cf 5 0 3 3 Graybill, pr 0 0 0

Newman, 3b 5 1 3 1 M.McLellan, 1b 4 1 0

LaPlante, rf 3 0 1 0 Hanson, lf 3 0 1

K.Sullivan, 2b 4 0 1 1 J.McLellan, c 3 0

Lincoln, p 0 0 0 0

Allen, rf 1 0 0 0

St. Pierre, rf 2 0 0 0

James, rf 0 0 0 0

Totals 39 9 15 8 Totals 27 2 5 1

Shead 102 201 3 – 9

Woodland 000 011 0 – 2

E-Boomer, Townsend, J. McLellan, Moody; Lewey 2; LOB- Shead 15; Woodland 10; 2B-Kilton; HR-A. Sullivan; SB-Cummings, Lewey; Boomer 6

Shead IP H R ER BB SO

A.Sullivan (W,1-2) 7 5 2 2 4 9

Woodland IP H R ER BB SO

Moody (L, 3-1) 3 7 3 1 1 3

Lincoln 2 3 2 2 1 2

Boomer 2 5 4 4 2 3

HBP-Stanley (by Moody), Stanley (by Lincoln); Bosch (by A.Sullivan), Townsend (by A. Sullivan); WP-Sullivan; Boomer; T-1:59; ATT-108