GSA erupts for 13 in 2nd to beat WA Collin Henry drives in 5; Eagles improve to 11-1

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BLUE HILL – The George Stevens Academy baseball team found itself trailing Washington Academy of East Machias by three runs through 11/2 innings Monday.

But not to worry for the four-time defending Eastern Maine Class C champions, who scored 13 runs in the bottom of the second and went on to a 19-5 five-inning victory.

“When you play George Stevens they put the ball in play and they hit the ball hard” said Washington Academy coach Blaine Steeves. “With my team I feel like we always have a chance, like we’re never out of a game, but I knew they were going to hit the ball hard and put the ball in play.

“But we started making a few errors, the pitcher walked a few people, and then the hitting started and it steamrolled from there.”

GSA (11-1) sent 17 hitters to the plate during its decisive second at-bat to erase a 5-2 deficit. Senior first baseman Collin Henry struck the biggest of the uprising’s eight hits, a three-run home run that was his sixth of the season and third in as many games.

Henry also singled home a run during the inning, while freshman Nick Saunders added a pair of singles and the Eagles capitalized on four Washington Academy errors and three walks to quickly put an end to any upset hopes the Raiders brought into the inning.

“We kind of knew we would eventually get it going, but the last couple of games we haven’t been hitting, so I guess there was a sense of urgency,” said Henry.

Coach Dan Kane’s club extended its lead with four more runs in the third, as Phineas Peake contributed an RBI single and Saunders added his third single of the game and sixth hit in his last two outings.

“I’m getting a little more confident,” said Saunders, an infielder who played middle school baseball in Brooksville last spring. “I’m just trying to hit it hard somewhere.”

Henry finished with five RBIs on his two hits and a run-producing groundout for the Eagles, while Peake and leadoff hitter Blake Wessel added two singles each. Wessel, Peake, Saunders, Lance Gale and Ross Gallagher each scored three runs.

Sophomore righthander Josh Astbury settled down after a sluggish start to pitch a five-hitter.

Washington Academy (8-4) jumped ahead in the top of the first, as Corey Colbeth and Nick Wood walked and scored on Joey Hunter’s two-out double to left-center.

Wessel opened the GSA first by reaching on an infield hit, then stole second and went to third on a bunt single by Peake before Henry and Lucas Marks followed with RBI groundouts to the right side of the infield.

But WA regained the lead with three runs in the second. James Stauffer drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Tim Nicely’s single to right.

Colbeth – one of just two seniors in the Raiders’ lineup – followed with a infield single to the shortstop hole before Takao Kurose hit a two-run double to the gap in right-center.

EAGLES 19, RAIDERS 5

Washington Acad. (8-4) George Stevens (11-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Colbeth, ss-p 2 2 1 0 Wessel, ss 3 2

Kurose, p-ss 3 0 1 2 Peake, cf 3 3 1

Ramsdell, c 2 0 0 0 Hale, cf 0 0 0

Wood, 1b 2 1 0 0 Henry, 1b 4 1 5

Hunter, 3b 2 0 1 2 Marks, c 3 0 1

Spencer, 3b 1 0 0 0 Larry, 2b 3 1 0

Jun, cf 3 0 1 0 Gale, rf 2 3 0

Stauffer, 2b 1 1 0 0 Bridges, rf 0 0 0

Ackley, 2b 1 0 0 0 Gallagher, lf 2 3 0

Nicely, lf 1 1 1 1 Lawson, lf 1 0 0

Hall, dh 2 0 0 0 Saunders, 3b 3 3 1

Hoon, rf 0 0 0 0 Astbury, p 2 2 3

Totals 20 5 5 5 Totals 26 19 12 13

Washington Acad. 230 00 – 5

George Stevens Acad. 2(13)4 0x – 19

E-Colbeth 2, Jun, Nicely, Hunter, Kurose; Marks; LOB-WA 5, GSA 3; 2B-Hunter, Kurose; Astbury; HR-Henry; SF-Wessel, Astbury; SB-Colbeth, Stauffer; Wessel, Peake, Henry, Gallagher

Washington Acad. IP H R ER BB SO

Kurose (L, 4-2) 1 2/3 10 15 4 3 0

Colbeth 2 1/3 2 4 1 2 1

George Stevens IP H R ER BB SO

Astbury (W, 3-0) 5 5 5 5 5 6

HBP-Gale (by Colbeth); WP-Astbury; T-1:36; ATT-100 (est.)