AUBURN — Throughout a baseball season, there are things teams consistently do well, while other areas are a work in progress.
For Highland Green of Topsham, it is a lack of offensive punch at times and strikeouts that are struggles, with fielding normally the stand out throughout this American Legion Zone 2 campaign.
On Tuesday against Rogers Post at Auburn Suburban Field, the Ducks struck out 11 times, and three hits kept the visitors from taking advantage of nine walks by Rogers Post hurlers in an 8-4 win.
Rogers Post improved to 13-3, while Highland Green dropped to 6-9. The Ducks host undefeated Pastime Club of Lewiston on Thursday, while Rogers Post finishes its regular season with a Saturday doubleheader at Bethel against Locke Mills.
Highland coach Bob Neron watched his team struggle in the field in this one, committing seven errors that led to five unearned runs against.
“It is tough to win with three hits, and it was not one of our best defensive efforts,” Neron said. “We were missing a bunch of guys tonight, but that is not an excuse. Rogers is a good team and they hit the ball and took advantage. They have depth at pitching, really at all positions. They could win the zone.”
Coming off a pair of losses to undefeated and zone front-runner Pastime Club on Saturday, Rogers Post coach Dave Jordan turned to St. Dom’s standout Gavin Bates on the mound. The righty struggled with his control early, walking three, hitting a batter and permitting three hits through 1 1/3 innings.
But, Bates found his groove from there, retiring nine straight hitters, including striking out five straight over one stretch.
“Gavin settled in and found his groove,” Jordan said. “There was an inning were everything he threw was right to his spot. That was great to see.”
“It was a hot day, and I just wasn’t mentally there in the beginning of the game,” said Bates, who earned the win on nine strikeouts and five walks. “My catcher Maxx Bell did a great job behind the plate. He kept me in the game, and Austin Cox was solid at shortstop. Plus the run support helped. I trusted my fielders and found the strike zone.”
Back and forth
Highland grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first as Hunter Lohr was hit by a Bates pitch, stole second and third bases and scored on a throwing error, the only miscue for Rogers Post on the day.
The hosts claimed a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the opening frame. Austin Cox and Drew Lashua singled, and Grant Hartley walked with two outs to load the bases. The first two errors on Highland Green allowed Rogers Post to grab the lead.
Back came Highland Green, using singles by Nick Merrill, Haven Cutko and Cam Cox for a 3-2 lead.
The advantage was once again short-lived. A two-run single by Lew Jensen scored Ben Harris and Lashua for a 4-3 lead after two.
Bates, who had struck out the final two Highland hitters to end the second, struck out the side in the third and had a 1-2-3 frame in the fourth.
“Out of the first nine outs that we made, eight were strikeouts,” Neron said.
Rogers Post scored an unearned run in the third (Bell scored), and took advantage of three Highland Green miscues in the fourth to score three more runs for an 8-3 lead.
Highland Green starting pitcher Jake O’Neill allowed eight hits, eight runs (three earned) over four innings. He struck out one and walked three. Ryan Glass relieved and threw two scoreless frames on three hits and one punch-out.
Bates threw 97 pitches over five frames, and Tyler Blanchard and Harris each tossed an inning. Highland Green scored a run in the seventh as Cam Cox scored on a double play.
“We came back after a couple of tough losses to get back on the winning side, and I think our guys are playing relaxed and made solid contact today,” Jordan said.
For Highland Green, sixth place is still in its reach in the nine-team zone.
“We were looking to win three out of four this week, and we can still do that,” Neron said. “We need three out of four to stay sixth. If we don’t do that, we could fall to seventh and be right back here against these guys on Monday.”
Lashua paced the Rogers Post offense with a 3-for-4 effort, including a double. Jensen was 2-for-4. Cam Cox reached base three times (single, two walks) for Highland Green, while Sam Alexander walked three times in four plate appearances.
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