Brewer beats Bangor for title

loading...

BANGOR – The Brewer Falcons were mired in mediocrity less than three weeks ago, its .500 record indicative of the youth on the team and the accompanying growing pains.

But five wins in their last six regular-season games fueled postseason motivation, and now coach David Morris’ club is the American Legion Zone 1 baseball champion for the third straight year after defeating Bangor 6-3 in Monday night’s championship game at the Winkin Baseball Complex.

“It’s like a Cinderella story coming back from being a 7-7 team to winning Zone 1,” said Brewer catcher Cam Wadleigh. “It’s awesome. I think we just stepped up and realized that we’re a really good team.”

Both Brewer and Bangor will advance to the double-elimination state tournament that begins Saturday at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish. Brewer (16-9) will face Zone 4 runnerup Fayette-Staples of Saco in its opener at 4:30 p.m., while 21-5 Bangor meets Zone 4 champion Nova Seafood of Portland at 1 p.m.

Chase Daniels, one of the younger players on the Brewer roster, was the hero in the championship game. The righthander, who will be just a junior at Brewer High School this fall, scattered 10 hits and allowed one earned run while striking out 10 and walking two in his longest career outing.

“It was just the spirit of everyone cheering me on, everyone in the crowd, on the field and in the dugout,” said Daniels, who also earned a win in relief earlier in the tournament.

Daniels also found success by spotting his fastball and frustrating the Bangor batters with an effective breaking pitch.

“The curveball was right there all night long,” said Wadleigh, “and even when it missed it would fool people enough so they would swing at it in the dirt.”

Bangor forced the winner-take-all championship game with a 6-1 victory over Brewer earlier in the day, as Kyle Leeman pitched a four-hitter and Shane Walton hit three singles, including a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning that broke a 1-1 tie.

The Comrades took a 1-0 first-inning lead in the second game as Walton reached on an error and scored on a single by Gordon Webb.

Brewer took its first lead in the fourth. Chris Maguire had a one-out infield hit before Prentiss Swett tripled him home and scored on a single by Mike Kotredes.

Bangor tied the game in the fifth when Kyle Vanidestine singled, advanced on an error and scored on Webb’s sacrifice fly to left. Tom Crews doubled in the sixth and scored on a single by Scott Hackett to give the Comrades a 3-2 lead.

Brewer took the lead for good with two runs in the seventh. Eric White singled and scored on a double by Maguire, who went to third on an errant throw before scoring on Wadleigh’s sacrifice fly.

The Falcons manufactured two insurance runs in the eighth. Reid McLaughlin reached on an error, then went to second on Matt Jackson’s bunt single. An infield hit by Rick Adams loaded the bases before McLaughlin scored on a balk and White singled home the final run.

“This whole tournament was a blast,” said Adams. “From the first game to the last, we just battled and things just turned out our way.”

Bangor, which was trying to complete its second doubleheader sweep in as many days, got two singles each from Alex Gallant and Chad Kelley.

“Thirty-six innings of baseball in the last two days, and we battled every single inning,” said Bangor coach Fred Lower. We were on a good roll here today, but like I told the guys, [Brewer] is a good team that’s hot right now, they’re on a roll. We had two less hits, but they got three more runs. They got a couple extra-base hits, and they did a real good job of limiting us to singles and not letting us advance extra bases.”

In the first game, Leeman struck out nine while walking two and hitting three batters in a complete-game performance.

Walton drove home three runs for the Comrades, while Tyson Barron and Crews each added a sacrifice fly.

Ian Edwards singled and scored on Barron’s sacrifice fly to give Bangor a 1-0 lead in the second.

Brewer tied the game in the fifth on an RBI single by Adams before Walton put Bangor ahead in the seventh.

The Comrades added three runs in the ninth, with Walton singling home a run, Vanidestine drawing a bases-loaded walk and Crews adding his sacrifice fly.

White scattered eight hits over 7 2/3 innings on the mound for Brewer.

(Monday’s First Game)

Brewer 000 010 000 – 1 4 2

Bangor 010 000 23x – 6 9 1

White, Higgins (8) and Wadleigh; Leeman and Webb

(Monday’s Second Game)

Brewer (16-9) 000 200 220 – 6 12 3

Bangor (21-5) 100 011 000 – 3 10 2

Daniels and Wadleigh; Clarke, Russell (6), Jo. Cox (8) and Hackett