AUGUSTA — Getting the first turn to hit worked out for Franklin County on Wednesday while facing elimination better than getting the last turn did for the Flyers in their Maine American Legion Baseball state tournament opener Tuesday.
In Wednesday’s elimination game against Old Town-Orono, the Flyers batted first and used that to their advantage in a 17-6, six-inning win at Morton Field. The Farmington-based team faces another elimination game Thursday afternoon.
Franklin County was on the wrong end of a top-of-the-first big inning by Bangor in Tuesday’s opener.
Old Town-Orono didn’t get to finish its opening game until Wednesday morning after the Twins’ Tuesday game was suspended due to rain. The Twins ended up losing their opener to Messalonskee-based Ware-Butler.
The Flyers gave the Twins a rude welcome in Wednesday’s elimination game, putting up six runs in the top of the first. Isaac Parker drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, Jayden Meader walked in a run and Trevor Phelps hit a grand slam to cap it all off.
Ike Wrigley and Parker each singled in runs in the third to put Franklin County up 8-0.
A seven-run frame followed in the top of the fourth. Phelps doubled home Meader and Hayden Dippner singled in Phelps before Wrigley walked in a run. Brody Walsh scored on a wild pitch before Bryce Wilcox hit an RBI single, and Wrigley came in on another wild pitch during an at-bat that saw Parker round out the inning with an RBI single.
The Twins plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth to cut the deficit to 15-6.
The Flyers brought out the 10-run mercy rule in the sixth with two more runs. Wilcox scored on an error, and Zak Koban touched home for the final run on another error when Meader singled.
Wilcox worked around a single and a walk to record the final three outs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game.
Parker pitched three hitless innings to start, striking out three, before Walsh and Dippner each manned the mound for an inning.
Dippner and Wilcox each collected three hits at the plate, while Phelps drove in five runs and Parker brought home three.
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