Tired Presque Isle shuts out Motor City Well-traveled Patriots get break after win

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BANGOR – Aroostook County kids are accustomed to taking long road trips to satisfy their athletic appetites.

But the Presque Isle Patriots have lived the true barnstorming existence in recent days, a sojourn capped off by their 6-0 American Legion Zone 1 victory over Motor City at the Winkin Baseball Complex on Tuesday night.

The team, comprised of players from six different County high schools, played two games against Waldo at Searsport High School on Saturday, then stayed in the Bangor area that night before facing Bangor and Hampden in separate nine-inning contests Sunday – the final game ending around 9 p.m.

The Patriots spent Monday at home, then made the trek again down Route 1 and Interstate 95 on Tuesday to earn a victory that moved them closer to a Zone 1 playoff berth.

“I was definitely tired, the whole team was tired,” said Presque Isle shortstop Logan York, whose team went 2-3 during the five-game stretch. “But this was a good win for us and now we have a couple of days off.”

The Patriots used a strong pitching performance by Andrew York to shut down the first-year Motor City club.

York threw just 84 pitches, 57 for strikes, in earning a complete-game three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and two walks – both in the seventh inning. Only one hit against the Presque Isle righthander reached the outfield, a fourth-inning single by Jon Gagnon.

Johnny Diamond added a pair of infield hits for 3-14 Motor City.

“Andrew was amazing out there,” said Presque Isle catcher Harry Austin. “His fastball moved, his curveball dipped, and he throws the ball fast enough to keep them off balance.”

York had pitched three innings Saturday in the first game of the Waldo doubleheader, but neither he nor his teammates showed any signs of fatigue, as they reached Motor City starter Brock Bragdon for a pair of runs in each of the first two innings.

“I don’t think anybody was really thinking about it,” said York. “[Fatigue] was a factor, but everyone came in here with a pretty good attitude and was ready to play baseball, so I don’t think anyone noticed it.”

Logan York, who will play on this field at Husson College next spring, paced Presque Isle’s 10-hit offense with two singles and three runs scored from the leadoff spot in the batting order.

Hunter Caron tripled and singled, while Mike Cleary singled twice, Austin hit a solo home run and a sacrifice fly and Pat Thibodeau drove home two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly.

Logan York singled to start the game and scored when Caron tripled to deep center. Thibodeau then lined a sacrifice fly to left to give the Patriots a 2-0 first-inning lead.

Tyler Lamoureux and Logan York hit back-to-back singles to open the second. Thibodeau hit a one-out single to drive home Lamoureux, and after Michael Cleary advanced the runners with a bunt single, Austin hit a sacrifice fly to deep left to score York – though Cleary was thrown out at third after the ball was dropped in the outfield.

Austin hit a 1-2 fastball well beyond the left-field fence leading off the fifth to give the Patriots a 5-0 lead.

Presque Isle scored its final run off reliever Chris Potter in the sixth. Logan York was hit by a pitch, went to second on a single by Caron and to third on a flyout by Thibodeau before scoring on Cleary’s one-out single to left.

And with that the Patriots headed back north, this time to stay for a few days. Presque Isle hosts Lincoln on Thursday before coming south again to Dover-Foxcroft for its regular-season finale against Penquis on Sunday.

Then, the Patriots hope, comes one more trek to Bangor for the zone tournament that begins July 27.

“It’s been tough, it’s been really tough,” said Austin. “Pretty much everybody’s arm was just about shot today except for Andrew. It’s a lot of work, but we love it.”

PATRIOTS 6, MOTOR CITY 0

Presque Isle (10-8) Motor City (3-14)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

L. York, ss 3 3 2 0 Hull, cf 2 0 0

Caron, cf 4 1 2 1 Kimball, cf 0 0 0

Thibodeau, rf 2 0 1 2 Jackson, 3b 3 0

Cleary, lf 4 0 2 1 Hurst, 3b 0 0 0

Austin, c 2 1 1 2 Gallant, ss 3 0 0

Soucy, c 1 0 0 0 J. Gagnon, rf 2 0 0

Enman, dh 2 0 1 0 Stout, rf 1 0 0

Chasse, dh 1 0 0 0 N. Smith, c 2 0 0

McGlinn, 1b 2 0 0 0 Spencer, c 0 0 0

Cassidy, 1b 1 0 0 0 C. Smith, lf 3 0 0

Hersey, 3b 2 0 0 0 Healey, 1b 2 0 0

Desjardins, 3b 2 0 0 0 Wasson, 1b 0 0

Lamoureux, 2b 3 1 1 0 Bragdon, p 1 0

Moody, 2b 1 0 0 0 Potter, p 1 0 0

Diamond, 2b 2 0 2 0

M. Gagnon, pr 0 0 0 0

Theriault, 2b 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 6 10 6 Totals 22 0 3 0

Presque Isle 220 011 0 – 6

Motor City 000 000 0 – 0

E-Cleary; C. Smith; LOB-PI 9, MC 4; 3B-Caron; HR-Austin; S-Hull; SF-Thibodeau, Austin

Presque Isle IP H R ER BB SO

A. York (W) 7 3 0 0 2 8

Motor City IP H R ER BB SO

Bragdon (L) 4 7 5 5 2 5

Potter 3 3 1 1 0 0

HBP-Enman (by Bragdon), L. York (by Potter); WP-Bragdon 2; A. York; PB-N. Smith; T-1:50; ATT-75 (est.)