Brewer beats Bangor for Zone 1 title

loading...

BANGOR – The top-ranked Brewer Falcons completed an unbeaten four-game run through the 2006 American Legion Zone 1 baseball tournament Monday night, defeating No. 2 Bangor 6-2 in the championship game at Mansfield Stadium.

Brewer (23-3 overall) and Bangor (21-6) will represent the zone at the state tournament, that begins Saturday at Hadlock Field in Portland.

Falcons’ pitchers Chris Maguire and Joe Robicheau combined to scatter 10 hits and stranded 13 Bangor baserunners overall, nine in scoring position.

“Bangor hit the ball very well, but we just got timely pitching,” said Brewer coach David Morris. “I thought our guys did a great job during the whole tournament of not getting frustrated and not getting in a panic situation, especially with guys in scoring position.”

Bangor righthander Anthony DeRosa was the dominant pitcher early, striking out seven straight batters at one point and eight overall during the first three innings.

But it was the sixth of those strikeouts that sparked Brewer to a 2-0 third-inning lead.

Andrew Otis struck out to lead off the inning but reached first base on a wild pitch. Otis stole second, then scored the game’s first run on the second and third wild pitches of the inning. No. 9 hitter Eddie Robbins followed with a one-out walk, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Rick Adams’ single.

“You look for a break, a passed ball or a wild pitch here or there, and we took advantage,” said Morris. “Then we got a timely hit from Ricky, and it opened the door for us for the rest of the game. We took advantage of some of those mistakes, and it worked out for us.”

Bangor, which reached the championship round with an 8-6 win over No. 6 Presque Isle earlier in the day, crept within 2-1 in the top of the fifth, as Shane Walton reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and took third on a Maguire wild pitch before scoring on a single by Scott Hackett.

But Brewer countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Two more wild pitches by DeRosa played into that rally, which also featured an RBI single by Maguire and singles by Robbins and Kevin McAvoy.

Bangor managed its final run in the sixth as Tom Crews reached on a fielder’s choice and scored from first on a low pickoff throw and a subsequent errant throw toward third base.

Brewer added a run in the seventh, as Adams doubled to left, took third on a one-out single by McAvoy and scored on a wild pitch by Bangor reliever Jim Cox.

“When you bring two communities together and say, ‘this is what we want to accomplish,’ it’s not a Bucksport thing, it’s not a Brewer thing, it’s a Brewer Falcon thing,” said Morris of his team, which draws from Brewer and Bucksport high schools.

“That’s really the bottom line, not to get too philosophical about it, but when you have a team that really enjoys being around each other, respects each other and plays well together, good things are going to happen.”

In the day’s first game, Kyle Leeman pitched 8 1/3 innings to lead Bangor to its victory over Presque Isle that clinched the Comrades a berth in the state tournament.

Leeman scattered eight hits while striking out nine and walking five before giving way to Neal Russell in the ninth.

“[Sunday] night I was thinking about going with Anthony DeRosa,” said Bangor coach Fred Lower, “but then I looked at how Kyle had done against Presque Isle.

“He had their number up to this point, and he was ready, he had plenty of rest and we thought he was the best bet to go. He pitched fantastic.”

Edwards backed Leeman with two doubles, two singles, two runs scored and two RBIs as Bangor built an 8-2 lead. DeRosa added a double and a single for the Comrades.

Presque Isle (13-13) reached Leeman for two runs in the top of the first, with Harry Austin hitting a sacrifice fly and Matt McGlinn following with an RBI single off the fence in left field.

Bangor took control by scoring seven runs over the first four innings.

Kyle Vanidestine walked to open the first, stole second, took third on a single by Edwards and scored on Hackett’s sacrifice fly.

Back-to-back doubles by DeRosa and Leeman tied the game in the second, and the Comrades took the lead with two runs in the third. Walton reached on an error and moved to third when Edwards doubled to left. Walton scored on a close play at the plate after Gordon Webb grounded out to third, and DeRosa followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2.

Presque Isle starter Michael Cleary walked three straight Bangor batters with one out in the fourth, and Edwards greeted reliever Tyler Lamoureaux with a two-run double to spark a three-run rally that pushed Bangor’s lead to 7-2.

“We were a little aggressive in the first part of the game,” said Lower, “and then when we scored three in the fourth we got a little more patient and worked the count to get their pitcher to throw more pitches. It worked well because he walked three in a row and we got something going.”

Bangor added an unearned run in the sixth, but Presque Isle proved resilient.

The Patriots scored three runs in the seventh, with Austin hitting his second sacrifice fly and Cleary adding a two-out, two-run single to cut the gap to 8-5. It might have gotten even closer, but Hackett scooped up a throw in the dirt at first base for the final out with runners at first and third.

Presque Isle scored its final run in the ninth. Hunter Caron led off with an infield hit, and McGlinn drew a one-out walk. Russell replaced Leeman, and although he threw a wild pitch allowing Caron to score, he worked out of a two-on, two-out jam to earn the save.

(First Game)

Presque Isle (13-13) 200 000 301 – 6 9 3

Bangor (21-5) 112 301 00x – 8 9 2

Cleary, Lamoureaux (4), Haines (7) and Austin; Leeman, Russell (9) and Webb

(Championship Game)

Bangor (21-6) 000 011 000 – 2 10 3

Brewer (23-3) 002 030 10x – 6 7 3

DeRosa, Cox (6) and Webb; Maguire, Robicheau (6) and Wadleigh