LEE, Maine — Bryce Colbeth thought he was in for a bad game Saturday when the first practice grounder to the sure-fielding shortstop bounced right off his chest.
But it turned out that on an afternoon where the defenses struggled, the Washington Academy junior used his arm and his bat to lead the Raiders to an 18-14 victory over Lee Academy in a Class C baseball clash at Linscott Field.
Colbeth went 4-for-4 with a double, three singles, two stolen bases, five runs scored and two RBIs to help coach Blaine Steeves’ club improve its record to 7-2.
And while he started the game at shortstop, Colbeth also earned the pitching win with five innings of relief during which he allowed just one earned run while scattering eight hits, striking out eight batters and walking no one.
“When I came in it gave me the chance to change the way the game was going, and to try to keep them off the base paths,” said Colbeth, 2-0. “After my first inning I felt pretty good, keeping the ball low and throwing my curveball and changeup for strikes.”
The teams combined for 27 hits, 16 errors and 19 unearned during the contest, which Washington Academy never trailed.
Each team scored four runs in the first inning and three runs in the second, early offense highlighted by a two-run homer in the top of the second by Washington Academy freshman Toby Woods.
But the Raiders were able to maintain their lead after scoring six unearned runs in the top of the third off Lee starter Ryan Beers, who was making his first pitching start in nearly a month.
Two errors contributed to that uprising, along with a two-run double to deep left field by leadoff hitter Ryan Schoppe and RBI singles by Colbeth and Ryan Sprague.
Lee greeted Colbeth with three unearned runs in the bottom of the third to close within 13-10, aided by three WA errors and a single by designated hitter John Chase.
But Colbeth soon was able to slow Lee’s offensive momentum, and WA was able to extend its lead to as much as 17-11 with two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Lee (3-5) countered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, with Tim Worster contributing an RBI single, but WA made it 18-13 on an RBI single by Colbeth that plated Derrick Porter in the top of the seventh.
Lee had one final rally left, with Beers doubling home a run to cut the gap to four before Colbeth finally ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts after the Pandas loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate.
“Bryce came in today in a tough situation where there was going to be a lot of scoring,” said Steeves. “He gave me good, quality innings.”
Schoppe finished with two doubles, a single, three runs scored and two RBIs for Washington Academy, while Sprague had three singles and three RBIs and Woods had a single to go with his home run.
Chase and Isaac Mallett each had three singles for Lee, while Beers doubled and singled and A.J. Harris singled twice.
“We haven’t fielded well all year,” said Lee coach Randy Harris. “Our pitchers haven’t always thrown strikes, but today Ryan Beers did a good job and [reliever] Tim Worster did a good job of throwing strikes, but we just didn’t make enough plays in the field.”
eclark@bangordailynews.net
990-8045
