Cameron stymies Red Riots Searsport capitalizes on walks to post 11-1 win over Orono

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SEARSPORT – Friday afternoon’s Class C baseball game between Searsport and Orono was all about control.

Searsport scored eight first-inning runs thanks in large part to seven walks and a hit batsman, and senior righthander Tom Cameron made that lead stand up with pinpoint accuracy as the Vikings cruised to an 11-1 victory in six innings.

The defending Eastern Maine champions are now 2-0 this season, both victories coming early via the 10-run rule.

Orono, playing its third game in four days, dipped to 1-2.

Cameron threw just 64 pitches despite striking out eight batters. But he walked no one, and went to a three-ball count on just one batter while allowing three singles and one unearned run.

“He throws a lot of strikes,” said Searsport coach Dave Pepin. “Today he threw hard, and his curveball was the best it’s been in two years.”

Cameron used a fastball, two-seam fastball and curve to quiet an Orono offense that scored 15 runs a day earlier in defeating Stearns of Millinocket.

“His location was tremendous,” said senior catcher Casey Ashey. “He had an excellent breaking ball, he really got on top of it, and his two-seamer also worked well. Everything about him was good today.”

That was in contrast to much of preseason, when Cameron struggled with his control.

“During pitchers and catchers practices I felt pretty good,” he said. “But a couple of weeks later I wasn’t feeling as good about my control.

“Lately my two-seamer has really come along, and that gave me a lot of confidence.”

Searsport, which has scored 26 runs in 11 innings this spring, had just six hits – all singles – in its home opener.

The Vikings needed just one of those singles to help break the game open as Orono starter Brandon LeVasseur struggled to find the strike zone.

Searsport sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning, with Evan Kingsbury’s RBI single in his second plate appearance the only hit as the Vikings built an 8-0 lead. Josiah Brazier and Dustin Brassbridge each drew a bases-loaded walk, while Rocky Faunce was hit by a pitch to force home a run and Cameron had an RBI groundout to add to the uprising.

“Our goal is to make people throw a lot of pitches, to try to get the starting pitcher out of there and make their secondary pitchers beat us,” said Ashey.

Orono did get a solid effort from reliever Sean Kilpatrick. The sophomore righthander came on with two outs in the first and went on to allow two earned runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and one walk.

Searsport reached Kilpatrick for two runs in the third to stretch its lead to 10-0. Singles by Josh Pedrick, Brassbridge and Ashey loaded the bases with no outs before Pedrick scored on a fielder’s choice by Kingsbury and Cameron hit a sacrifice fly to left.

Orono scored in the top of the fifth to extend the game. LeVasseur hit a leadoff single to right, and scored two outs later on a throwing error after Kilpatrick reached first base on an infield hit into the shortstop hole.

Searsport ended the game an inning later, as Kingsbury walked, Cameron singled to left and Nate Adams reached on an error to load the bases with no outs before Ethan McHatten drew a four-pitch walk to force home the game-ending run.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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VIKINGS 11, RED RIOTS 1

(6 Innings)

Orono (1-2) Searsport (2-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Francis, ss-p 3 0 0 0 Ashey, c 3 0

Keezer, 1b 3 0 0 0 Kingsbury, cf 2 2 2

Winter, cf 3 0 0 0 Cameron, p 3 0 2

Perry, c-3b 2 0 0 0 Adams, c 2 1 0

LeVasseur, p-3b-c 2 1 1 0 McHatten, 2b 1 1

Stout, 2b 2 0 0 0 Connor, ph 1 0 0

Doughty, 3b-lf-ss 2 0 1 0 Brazier, 3b 1 1

Kilpatrick, lf-p 2 0 1 0 Kane, ph 1 0

Vienneau, rf 2 0 0 0 Faunce, 1b 1 1 1

Allenwood, 3b 1 0 0 0

Pedrick, rf 2 2 1 0

Brassbridge, lf 2 2 1 1

Totals 21 1 3 0 Totals 20 11 6 8

Orono 000 010 – 1

Searsport 802 001 – 11

E-Stout 3; Adams; LOB-Orono 2, Searsport 6; DP-Orono 1; SF-Cameron; SB-Ashey 3

Orono IP H R ER BB SO

LeVasseur (L, 0-1) 2/3 0 7 5 7 0

Kilpatrick 4 1/3 5 3 2 1 3

Francis 0 1 1 1 2 0

Searsport IP H R ER BB SO

Cameron (W, 1-0) 6 3 1 0 0 8

Francis faced four batters in the seventh

HBP-Faunce (by LeVasseur); WP-Kilpatrick 3; PB-Perry; T-1:20; ATT-150 (est.)