Daniels, Bissell lead Witches

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BREWER – Few opponents have defeated the Bangor baseball team in the last few years, let alone sweep the Rams in a regular-season series.

But leave it to their rivals from across the Penobscot River to pull off that feat Tuesday evening.

Chase Daniels and Greg Higgins combined on a four-hitter and the Brewer Witches scored six runs in the third inning en route to a 7-4 victory over Bangor at Heddericg Field.

Daniels, who had the save in Brewer’s 7-5 win at Bangor on May 2, struck out six and walked three in 6 1/3 innings of the rematch before Higgins escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh for the save.

“The thing about Chase Daniels is that he loves this game,” said Brewer coach Dave Morris. “He’s a guy who wants the baseball, and anytime you can coach a kid who says he wants the ball in a big game, you’re ahead of the game.”

Billy Bissell tripled and singled with three RBIs to pace Brewer’s offense, while Jon Thoms keyed the Witches’ third-inning rally with a two-run single.

Brewer and Bangor began the night tied for third in the Eastern A Heal point ratings, barely three points behind top-ranked Skowhegan and less than two points in arrears of second-place Cony of Augusta.

But Bangor was without star pitcher-first baseman Ian Edwards (injured hamstring) for the second straight game, and without him the Rams could not muster enough offense to rally from a big early deficit.

“You don’t know how much you miss your No. 3 hitter until he’s not there,” said Bangor coach Jeff Fahey. “Maybe he doesn’t make a difference, but not having him in the lineup with the season he’s been having is a couple of hits that might have made a difference.”

Brewer (12-2) sent 11 batters to the plate in the third. Daniels hit a one-out single and Prentiss Swett walked before both runners moved up on a wild pitch by Bangor sophomore Kyle Savage.

That brought the infield in for Thoms, who lined a 3-1 fastball up the middle for a two-run single that broke a scoreless tie.

“I saw it well,” Thoms said. “I knew he was going to pitch it right in there, so that’s where my mind was at.”

After a walk to Mike Kotredes, Higgins pulled an RBI single to right to make it 3-0 before Bissell followed one out later with a two-run triple to right-center.

“Coach Morris said to have confidence in yourself and just rip it, and I decided to go the other way to get my guys in,” said Bissell. “The wind was blowing out a little bit, so it carried.”

Eric White capped off the inning with a ground single to left that drove home Bissell.

Bangor’s Shane Walton lofted a two-run double to deep left in the fourth to cut the gap to 6-2.

Bissell added an RBI single in the fifth, the only run allowed by Bangor reliever Darren Casey-Covell during a solid 3 1/3-inning outing.

Bangor (11-3) closed to within 7-4 in the sixth on an RBI single by Savage and a run-scoring groundout by John Cox.

The Rams loaded the bases with one out in the seventh when Daniels walked Casey-Covell before Higgins entered the game and hit the first two batters he faced.

Higgins then settled down, inducing a comebacker to the mound for a forceout at home and then recording a game-ending strikeout.

“Our goal was to try to chip away and get one or two every inning instead of trying to get six all back at once,” Fahey said. “I was proud of the way our kids battled. They didn’t quit, even in the last inning. A big hit there and it’s pretty interesting.”

WITCHES 7, RAMS 4

Bangor (11-3) Brewer (12-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Vanidestine, cf 2 1 0 0 White, lf 3 1

Larochelle, rf 3 2 1 0 Daniels, p-2b 4 0

Savage, p-lf 4 0 1 1 Swett, 1b 2 1 0

Cox, ss 2 1 1 1 Thoms, c 3 1 2

Walton, 3b 3 0 1 2 Kotredes, 3b 2 1 0

Clarke, dh 3 0 0 0 Higgins, dh-p 2 1 1

Gray, 1b 0 0 0 0 Hutchins, pr 0 1 0

McDade, c 3 0 0 0 O’Connell, 2b 0 0 0

Burns, lf 0 0 0 0 Sasaki, cf 2 0 0

Casey-Covell, p 1 0 0 0 Bissell, rf 3 3

Kelley, 2b 2 0 0 0 Smith, ss 2 0 0

Totals 23 4 4 4 Totals 23 7 7 7

Bangor 000 202 0 – 4

Brewer 006 010 x – 7

E-Cox, Gray; LOB-Bangor 5, Brewer 5; 2B-Walton; 3B-Bissell; DP-Bangor 1, Brewer 2

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Savage (L, 3-1) 2 2/3 5 6 6 6 2

Casey-Covell 3 1/3 2 1 1 1 1

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Daniels (W, 3-1) 6 1/3 4 4 4 3 6

Higgins (S, 1) 2/3 0 0 0 0 1

HBP-Vanidestine 2 (by Daniels, Higgins), Kelley (by Higgins); WP-Savage 2, Casey-Covell; T-1:55; ATT-200 (est.)