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BANGOR – The opening round of the Zone 1 American Legion baseball tournament wasn’t easy for either of the top seeds.
But while top-ranked Brewer rode solid pitching and took advantage of Penquis errors en route to a 5-0 victory, No. 2 Bangor committed too many errors for good pitching to overcome as No. 5 Hampden beat the Comrades 6-3 Friday afternoon at Winkin Complex.
In the evening game, No. 4 Trenton edged No. 5 Steamboat Petroleum of Waldo County 1-0.
In the first game, Jim Nicknair went right after No. 6 Penquis’ hitters, challenging them with his fastball early and later mixing in a curveball plus a newly-developed changeup with great success.
“I threw a lot of first-pitch fastballs,” Nicknair said. “Normally I try to mix it up, especially with hitters in the middle of the lineup, but it was working.”
It sure was. Brewer’s left-handed ace starter threw 67 of 91 pitches (73.6 percent) for strikes and allowed three hits over eight innings.
“I threw a lot of balls at the knees outside and inside, but especially inside, and they didn’t like those pitches,” said Nicknair. “I just wanted to get ahead in the count and then use my offspeed pitches as I got deeper in the count and later in the game.”
He also had six strikeouts and two walks to improve his record to 5-0.
“He spotted his pitches very well, but the big thing is he changed speeds and was able to get strikes with any of the pitches he was throwing,” said Penquis head coach Bill Kane. “There’s nothing more you can ask of a pitcher.”
Brewer scored twice in the first inning. Eric White started things off with a one-out double down the right-field line. An infield throwing error put runners at the corners and Chris Maguire scored White with a single to left. Chase Daniels followed with an RBI single down the right-field line.
“We had two wins against these guys, so I think we felt pretty comfortable coming in, but scoring two runs in that first inning and them getting none really helped, too,” said Daniels, who had two singles.
The 19-2 Falcons scored two more in the second. Mike Kotredes led off with a walk, went to second on a groundout and took third on Ricky Adams’ single. A throwing error by pitcher Danny Beatham off a grounder up the middle scored both runs. Brewer added a run in the fourth on two more Penquis errors.
“We made too many mistakes early and they ended up costing us,” Kane said.
In the second game, Hampden took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth despite being outhit by Bangor 9-5. The Comrades then came up with four more, three of them consecutive singles, to score two runs and tie it up.
Instead of falling apart, Hampden’s River Dogs rallied in the ninth – with two outs.
Jordan Richards started things off with a two-out single. Nolan Turner then singled to left-center to put runners at the corners. A wild pitch scored Richards and moved Turner to second. Turner then scored on a two-base error as the apparent third out on fly ball to left-center was dropped. Shawn Smith then followed with an RBI single to center.
In all, 12-9 Hampden scored four unearned runs as Bangor made six errors.
“I don’t care what team you play, you can’t give them six extra outs,” said Fred Lower, head coach of the 15-6 Comrades. “We also made some errors on the bases, too, not so much getting thrown out at the plate, but mostly in not taking an extra base when we could.”
Bangor had two runners thrown out at the plate in the fourth and ended up stranding two runners and scoring no runs despite having three hits in the inning.
Smith gave up 14 hits, but improved to 5-3 with a complete-game, 130-pitch effort.
“I was kind of leaving the pitches over the plate and they were hitting them,” Smith said. “I just had to mentally get myself back and get out of trouble.
“My offspeed pitches were my big pitches today, but it was mostly the fact I mixed my pitches that was the key.”
Patrick Stephens and Smith led the Dogs’ offense with two hits and two RBIs apiece. Smith had a double and a single while Stephens singled twice.
“It was a really bizarre game, but we didn’t give up,” Stephens said. “We battle and we obviously battled back today.”
Cody McInnis and Shane Walton each hit three singles for Bangor. Walton stole two bases and McInnis had an RBI. Jordan Clarke had two singles and two RBIs. Chad Kelley singled twice.
In the late game, Peter Dickinson went the distance, allowing six hits and five walks while notching seven strikeouts, to lead Trenton.
The lone run scored in the fourth as Calvin Tweedie led off with a single, went to second on a walk, moved to third on a dropped third strike and then scored on a throwing error resulting from the ensuing attempt to throw him out at third.
Lucas Marks, Tweedie and Joel Astbury each hit two singles for Trenton.
Jack Davis singled twice for Steamboat, which loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, but stranded all six baserunners.
(First Game)
Penquis (11-10) 000 000 000 – 0 3 4
Brewer (19-2) 220 100 00x – 5 7 2
Beatham, Olmstead (7), McGowan (8) and Lancisi; Nicknair, Higgins (9) and Wadleigh
(Second Game)
Hampden (12-9) 100 001 013 – 6 8 1
Bangor (15-6) 010 000 020 – 3 14 6
Smith and Amoroso; Edwards and Webb
(Third Game)
No. 5 Steamboat (13-8) 000 000 000 – 0 6 3
No. 4 Trenton (15-6) 000 100 00x – 1 8 2
Adams and Davee; Dickinson and Marks
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