Pastime pitcher Owen Cox fires the ball to home plate during the second game of a doubleheader against Augusta on Sunday in Auburn. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
Pastime pitcher Gordon Beckwith soars over Augusta’s Austin Stebbins during a rundown during Sunday’s baseball game in Auburn. Stebbins was safe. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
AUBURN — The second game of Pastime and Augusta’s American Legion baseball doubleheader was one of lead changes and a lot of runs, finishing with Augusta hanging on for a 9-8 win.
Pastime earned a 11-1 win in Game One in just four and a half innings after gaining a ten-run lead on the visitors.
Game Two was a completely different story. At least by the end.
The top of the first inning featured Pastime picking up where it left off in the previous matchup with Brock Belanger slapping a single into the outfield to get things started. Next up was Jack LeBlond who earned a walk, followed by a base hit from Hunter Landry that scored Belanger and LeBlond. Landry later scored on a wild pitch to give Pastime a 3-0 lead.
Augusta could have easily rolled over, having just gotten beat by 10 in the first game, but head coach Taylor Lockhart knew his team would continue to fight.
“For some reason in every doubleheader this year we have come out flat in the first game,” Lockhart said. “… To get crushed like that, a lot of teams would have rolled over. I love the character of this team and I will always say that.”
Austin Stebbins hit a leadoff single for Augusta to get the offense rolling in the bottom half of the first. Stebbins moved to second on a Greg Foy walk. A single from Dean Jackman scored both runners to put them within one of Pastime.
Dean sat down Pastime in order in the second. Jarret Schrill led off with a single and was hit home off a single from Ryan Kappelman later in the inning. Foy also walked in the inning and later scored, as did Kappelman, to give Augusta a 5-3 lead. Pastime’s starting pitcher, Owen Cox, had to leave the game due to a back injury mid-inning.
“It’s our fifth game in four days,” Pastime head coach Jake Brown said. “And I think in that span most teams are going to run out of pitching.”
Pastime left the bases loaded in the third inning, however, pitcher Gordon Beckwith threw a smooth third, striking out two.
Pastime’s Nate Lyons got on base with a single early in the fourth, as did Belanger and LeBlond. Landry drew a walk to load the bases after Belanger got caught stealing, setting up Evan Cox’s RBI double.
Next up was Lucas Francis, who hit a single to drive in two more runs to take a 7-5 lead.
“(Francis) is really getting better as the season progresses,” Brown said. “He plays a good third base, he’s a great bat and a really good pitcher. He wants the ball in big spots and he wants to be at the plate in big spots. He’s a big time player.”
Kappelman led off Augusta’s fourth inning with a walk and was later driven in by Dean Jackman to make it a one-run game.
Pastime scored one more time in the top of the fifth to make it 8-6. Glen Gurrette led off Augusta’s sixth with a walk, followed by a Stebbins single and Foy walk. All three runners scored in the sixth to lead 9-8. Kappelman, who took the mound in the fifth, was able to hang on to the lead and get the win for Augusta.
In Game One, Augusta took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning but never saw a lead again as Pastime scored 11 runs in four innings to win, 11-1.
Belanger led off the first inning with a single, followed by an RBI base hit from LeBlond. Landry reached base after getting hit by a pitch and Evan Cox hit another single. Pastime then walked in two runs, earned a sacrifice fly from Mitchell Frisbee, and a two-run single from Robert Dostie. Pastime’s first six batters scored in the bottom of the first inning to take a 6-1 lead.
Francis took control of the mound for the home team in the second inning, sitting down Augusta in order. In the bottom of the second, Augusta pitcher Dan White got two quick outs to start the inning.
Landry hit a single to right-center and then stole second. Cox hit an RBI double to drive in Landry then was later driven home on a single, giving Pastime an 8-1 lead.
Francis pitched four solid innings for Pastime, giving up just one run on three hits.
Pastime would go on and score three more runs in the fourth off of a sac fly and three hits.
“I learned that we have the depth to compete in a lot of games,” Brown said of his team’s weekend of games. “I thought our pitching staff did a really good job… What’s good about yesterday and today is that there were some big spots and some adversity and that’s how you get better.”
Rogers Post 153 14, Capitals 4 (5 innings)
AUBURN — Big days at the plate by Gavin Bates and Grant Hartley paced Rogers Post 153’s 15-hit attack in a 14-4 victory called after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Bates had four hits, scored four runs and drove in three to spark Rogers (9-3). Hartley homered, tripled and singled, scored three runs and knocked in three more. Ethan Brown, Ben Cassidy and Mason Brushwein chipped in with two hits apiece. Austin Brown struck out five in five innings to pick up the victory on the mound.
Bessey Motors 6, Capitals 5
SOUTH PARIS — Emery Chickering delivered a walk-0ff single in the bottom of the seventh as Bessey Motors edged the Capitals, 6-5, on Sunday.
Chickering, Troy Johnson, Hunter LaBossiere and Cam Slicer led Bessey (8-2) with two hits apiece. Wyatt Williamson picked up the victory in relief. Gus Hunt had a two-run triple for the Capitals (2-6) in their second game of the day.
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