ORONO – Andrew York hadn’t pitched competitively in more than a year before the start of this summer’s American Legion baseball season, but don’t confuse that inactivity with rustiness.

The 2006 graduate of Central Aroostook High School in Mars Hill pitched a four-hitter and struck out 13 Thursday evening as Presque Isle pulled away from Orono 8-2 in an American Legion Zone 1 game at Mahaney Diamond.

York also walked two and hit a batter during a 119-pitch performance as the Patriots improved their record to 6-1 and remained tied with Bangor atop the zone standings.

“I felt pretty good out there,” said the 6-foot-2, 200-pound York, who has bulked up considerably since earning Bangor Daily News All-Maine honors while leading Central Aroostook to back-to-back Class D basketball state championships in 2005 and 2006.

The righthander didn’t play Legion baseball last summer as he prepared to walk on to the basketball team at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. But after redshirting as a freshman with the Flames last winter, York renewed his interest in baseball.

In just his second start since his return to the diamond, he overpowered Orono with a heavy fastball and breaking pitch – and just enough wildness to keep the Twins on their collective heels.

York also yielded just two ground-ball outs and one fly-ball to the outfield.

“You could tell he was on because he struck out seven guys looking,” said Orono coach David Utterback. “He was fooling guys, too, it wasn’t that he was just going with all fastballs. When he got his breaking stuff over, we couldn’t hit it.”

York also doubled twice, singled and drove home two runs to spark Presque Isle’s 10-hit attack. Mike Cleary also doubled twice while Joe Soucy came off the bench with two RBI singles as the Patriots pulled away with seven unearned runs over the final two innings.

“It’s our first road game, so I think that had a lot to do with us getting off to a slow start,” said Cleary, whose one-out doubles in the sixth and seventh sparked two late rallies. “We started hitting the ball a little better toward the end of the game.”

Presque Isle trailed 2-1 heading into the sixth but capitalized on three Old Town errors to score four runs and take its first lead.

Soucy and Pat Thibodeau each hit an RBI single during the rally, while York contributed a sacrifice fly and another run scored when Orono reliever Dana Leland mishandled Matt McGlinn’s suicide squeeze.

Soucy hit another RBI single in the seventh and scored from first on a double to right-center by York to highlight a three-run uprising

Orono (3-4) took a 1-0 first-inning lead when Tyler Honey walked and scored on a fielder’s choice by Jarrett Lukas.

Presque Isle tied the game in the third as York hit a leadoff double, moved to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch by Orono starter Matt Jones.

Orono took its final lead in the fourth when Dan LeBreton singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Pat McAleer.

PATRIOTS 8, TWINS 2

Presque Isle (6-1) Orono (3-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

L. York, ss 5 0 0 0 Honey, cf 3 1 0

Thibodeau, rf 4 0 1 1 Jones, p-2b 4 0

Caron, cf 4 0 1 0 Lukas, ss 3 0 1

Austin, c 4 0 0 0 Leland, c-p 3 0 0

Cleary, 2b 4 2 2 0 A. Fournier, 1b 2 0 0

Desjardins, 3b 3 2 0 0 Casey-Covell, pr 0

McGlinn, 1b 4 1 1 0 Winter, rf 2 0 0

Cassidy, lf 2 0 0 0 Keezer, rf 1 0 0

Soucy, lf 2 2 2 2 LeBreton, 3b 3 1 0

A. York, p 3 1 3 2 Swett, rb 1 0 0

McAleer, c 2 0 1 1

Dunton, lf 2 0 0 0

C. Fournier, lf 0 0 0 0

Totals 35 8 10 5 Totals 26 2 4 2

Presque Isle 001 004 3 – 8

Orono 100 100 0 – 2

E-Desjardins; Swett 3, Leland 2, Jones, Lukas; LOB-Presque Isle 8, Orono 6; 2B-A. York 2, Cleary 2; SF-A. York; SB-A. York

Presque Isle IP H R ER BB SO

A. York (W, 1-0) 7 4 2 1 2 13

Old Town IP H R ER BB SO

Jones 3 2 1 1 1 1

Leland (L, 0-2) 4 8 7 0 0 2

HBP-Honey (by A. York); WP-A. York 2; Jones; BK-A. York 2; PB-Austin; T-2:00; ATT-75 (est.)