Trenton eyes top spot as playoffs loom Acadians use offensive depth in 8-5 victory over Penquis

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DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Trenton Acadians have been a consistent contender within the American Legion Zone 1 baseball ranks in recent years, only to have those seasons end in frustrating fashion just short of a trip to the state tournament.

This summer the collection of Hancock County standouts are looking all the part of a team poised for a breakthrough.

“There’s something about this team,” said Trenton shortstop Blake Wessel on Thursday evening after the first-place Acadians topped host Penquis 8-5 at Foxcroft Academy. The game was halted after six innings due to darkness.

“We go out there and we know we have a strong pitcher pitching for us, and that gets us fired up. We’re a good team, and we’re getting a lot of hits,” Wessel added. “In past years there were games when we’d come out and be flat all game long. This year it seems right off the start we’re all just hitting, and if the top of the order doesn’t hit the bottom of the order will pick us up.”

That offensive depth was in evidence early against Penquis, which at 9-8 is still battling to join Trenton in the six-team Zone 1 tournament that begins July 27 at Husson College in Bangor.

Coach Bill Gray’s Acadians (15-2) sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the second and scored six runs on seven hits to stake righthander Nick Swanson to a 6-0 lead.

Wessel highlighted the rally with a two-run double to deep center, while Josh Astbury, Phineas Peake and Collin Henry each added an RBI single – the lefthanded hitting Henry pulling the ball over an infield shift that included Penquis shortstop Danny Kane playing to the right of second base.

Sam Merrill chipped in with a sacrifice fly that drove home the first run after Swanson and Evan Alexander started the inning with back-to-back singles.

“Our goal this year is just to come out and play every game hard from the start,” said Wessel. “With a tough lineup we know we’re always going to be competitive, but we want to come out and play every game as hard as we can and shut the other team down right away.”

But Penquis, which has won seven of its last 10 games since absorbing a 16-0 loss to Trenton at Blue Hill on July 1, did not go quietly.

The Navigators rallied with three runs after two were out in the bottom of the second. Brothers Andrew and Josiah Richard each singled, then Danny Kane hit an opposite-field double down the right-field line to drive home a run. Josiah Richard scored on an errant throw as Kane stole third, and Scott Kelley followed with an RBI single to center.

The Navigators cut the gap to 6-5 with a pair of two-out runs in the third. Tom Collins drew a walk and went to third on a double to left-center by Ian Champeon. Collins scored on a passed ball, and Champeon scored on Andrew Richard’s double down the left-field line.

“You lose to a team 16-0, and the second time you play them they come out and put a six-spot up on you and go up 6-0, it would have been very easy to come in and put our heads down,” said Penquis coach Billy Kane. “But we haven’t done that all season.”

Trenton added insurance runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. Astbury singled to lead off the fourth, and pinch-runner Joe Swanson advanced on Peake’s sacrifice before scoring from second on an infield error.

Alexander hit a two-out double to center in the Trenton fifth, and pinch-runner Andy Hodge scored on the next pitch when Kyle Shea doubled to right-center.

Nick Swanson scattered 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings before giving way to Henry, who retired the only two batters he faced to earn the save.

ACADIANS 8, NAVIGATORS 5

(6 innings)

Trenton (15-2) Penquis (9-8)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Wessel, ss 4 1 1 2 Kane, ss 3 1 1

Ciomei, rf 4 0 0 0 Kelley, cf-3b 3 0 1

Henry, 1b-p 3 0 1 1 Beatham, c-cf 4 0 0

N. Swanson, p-3b 3 1 1 0 Emery, 3b-p 3 0

Alexander, 3b-1b 3 1 2 0 Brown, dh-c 3 0

Hodge, pr 0 1 0 0 Tompkins, pr 0 0 0

Shea, 2b 3 1 2 1 Collins, rf 2 1 0

Merrill, lf 1 0 0 1 Champeon, lf 3 1 0

Astbury, c 2 1 2 1 A. Richard, 1b 3 1 1

J. Swanson, pr 0 1 0 0 J. Richard, 2b 3 0

Manning, c 0 0 0 0 Conroy, pr 0 0 0

Peake, cf 1 1 1 1

Saunders, ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 25 8 10 7 Totals 27 5 10 3

Trenton 060 110 – 8

Penquis 032 000 – 5

E-Astbury; Kane; LOB-Trenton 3, Penquis 7; 2B-Wessel, Alexander, Shea; Kane, Champeon, A. Richard; DP-Trenton; S-Peake; SF-Merrill; SB-Shea, Merrill; Kane, Beatham

Trenton IP H R ER BB SO

N. Swanson (W) 5 1/3 10 5 5 2 5

Henry (S) 2/3 0 0 0 0 1

Penquis IP H R ER BB SO

Weymouth (L) 4 2/3 10 8 7 0 3

Emery 1 1/3 0 0 0 2 0

HBP-Kelley (by N. Swanson); WP-Henry; Emery; PB-Astbury, Manning, Beatham; T-1:55; ATT-75 (est.)