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BANGOR – Kevin McAvoy has seen it all this summer since returning to the American Legion baseball ranks after a monster freshman year at the University of Maine.
Intentional walks. Unintentional walks. Unintentional intentional walks. Everything except many pitches to hit.
It’s required a good deal of patience for him not to chase anything near the strike zone.
But when challenged twice with runners in scoring position Sunday, McAvoy displayed the skills that have commanded such respect – hitting a three-run homer and an RBI double as No. 1 Brewer topped No. 2 Bangor 10-5 in a winners’ bracket game of the Zone 1 tournament at Mansfield Stadium to clinch a berth in the 2006 state tournament.
“It’s been a hassle in the tournament, people throwing outside and walking me,” said McAvoy. “Finally I just told myself to wait and see if I could get a pitch that I could drive, and today was definitely a day that I saw a couple of pitches.”
Brewer (22-3) can finish no worse than second in the tournament, and advances to the championship round at 8 p.m. Monday. That follows a 4 p.m. game between No. 2 Bangor (20-5) and No. 6 Presque Isle, which eliminated No. 4 Waldo 11-9 in Sunday’s late game.
The top two teams qualify for the state tournament beginning Saturday at Hadlock Field in Portland.
“This has been a team effort,” said Brewer coach David Morris. “Our motto all summer has been ’18 strong,’ and that was true today.”
McAvoy’s homer, a shot to left field, capped a seven-run third-inning rally off Bangor starter Ian Edwards that gave the Falcons an 8-1 lead.
It came on an 0-1 pitch just after Chris Maguire had driven home two runs with a single up the middle.
“That was a key point in the game because we needed to get something going, and Chris driving in those runs was definitely huge,” said McAvoy. “It gave me confidence and gave the team confidence, and we just rolled off that one hit.”
The uprising, which also featured RBI singles by Cam Wadleigh and Eddie Robbins, provided sufficient offensive support for right-hander Evan Economy, who scattered eight hits over 7 1/3 innings before giving way to McAvoy, who retired all four batters he faced.
“Evan pitched a great game,” said Morris, “and all through high school and Legion he’s been the type of kid that if you get him some runs he just gets tougher.”
Bangor did battle back, with a Scott Hackett two-run single in the top of the sixth cutting the gap to 8-3.
But Brewer answered immediately, as McAvoy slammed an RBI double to left and scored on a single by Joe Robicheau.
Bangor’s final runs came in the eighth as Neal Russell singled home Hackett and Anthony DeRosa had an infield hit and later scored on a wild pitch.
“We chipped away and had some opportunities late,” said Bangor coach Fred Lower, “but Brewer made the plays.”
Indeed, Brewer played errorless defense to go with a 12-hit attack that included McAvoy’s two extra-base hits, a double and single by Ricky Adams, two singles each by Maguire, Robicheau and Wadleigh and a double by Andrew Otis.
“When you have a game with solid defense, solid pitching and solid hitting, it’s tough to lose,” said McAvoy.
Hackett and Shane Walton each had two singles for Bangor, which needs one more win to secure its own trip to the states.
“We’ve just got to bounce back and win the next game,” Lower said. “I’m proud of the kids, they battled back, they didn’t put their heads down, it just wasn’t enough. Brewer was a better team today.”
Bangor 6, Waldo 4
Alex Gallant pitched five innings of two-hit shutout relief and hit three singles with two RBIs as the Comrades won this winners’ bracket game.
DeRosa contributed two doubles, a single, two RBIs and two runs scored for Bangor.
Waldo took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by Josh Nickerson, but Bangor countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. DeRosa had an RBI double and Gallant and RBI single during the rally, while Gordon Webb added a sacrifice fly.
Waldo tied the game in the third, with Nickerson drawing a bases-loaded walk and two more runs scoring on an error.
Bangor took the lead for good in the fifth, as Edwards singled and late scored on DeRosa’s two-out ground single to center.
The Comrades added a run in the seventh on two-out doubles by DeRosa and Gallant.
Walton and Edwards each added two singles for Bangor.
Noah Burke had three singles for Waldo, while Nickerson added two RBIs.
Brewer 3, Trenton 2
Brewer scored three runs in the bottom of the first and held on to eliminate the Acadians in a game that resumed Sunday after being delayed by rain in the sixth inning a day earlier.
Adams walked and Maguire doubled, then McAvoy was walked intentionally to load the bases with no one out in the Brewer first.
Robicheau walked to force in one run, and Maguire scored as Prentiss Swett hit into a double play before Wadleigh singled home what proved to be the winning run.
Trenton got RBI singles from Blake Wessel in the fifth and Cory Smith in the fifth, and nearly tied the game in the seventh only to have Brewer right-fielder Ben Davis throw out a runner at the plate.
Corey Cushing earned the pitching win with eighth-inning relief by McAvoy.
Collin Henry and Dan Hilts combined to pitch a five-hitter for Trenton.
Sam Merrill had three singles for the Acadians, while Wessel singled twice.
Presque Isle 11, Waldo 9
Harry Austin cranked a three-run home run to left in the sixth to put Presque Isle up 10-7 and the Patriots held on for the victory.
Hunter Caron chipped in with three singles and two RBIs for the winners and Pat Thibodeau singled twice and doubled. Tyler Lamoureux added a double, two singles and an RBI, Matt McGlinn singled twice and winning pitcher Devin Hersey slammed a two-run triple.
Tyson McHatten hit a two-run homer for Waldo and Ryan Shute added three singles and an RBI. Caleb Ashey contributed two singles and two RBIs while Josh Nickerson, Matt Nickerson and Mike Cummons had two singles apiece.
(First Game)
Trenton (15-9) 000 011 000 – 2 7 2
Brewer (21-3) 300 000 00x – 3 5 1
Henry, Hilts (6) and Marks; Cushing, McAvoy (8) and Robicheau
(Second Game)
Waldo (13-11) 103 000 000 – 4 7 1
Bangor (20-4) 400 010 10x – 6 11 1
Burke, Adams (2), Miles (7) and Davee, Burke (2); Cox, Gallant (5) and Webb
(Third Game)
Bangor (20-5) 001 002 020 – 5 8 1
Brewer (22-3) 100 702 00x – 10 12 0
Edwards, Russell (5) and Webb; Economy, McAvoy (8) and Robicheau
(Fourth Game)
Presque Isle (13-12) 120 043 100 – 11 14 2
Waldo (13-12) 120 042 000 – 9 14 2
Hersey, York (6), Caron (9) and Austin; M. Nickerson, McHatten (6), Miles (8) and Burke
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