HAMPDEN, Maine — The Brewer High School baseball team used some small ball late Wednesday afternoon to mount a big rally en route to its first victory of the season.
Two bunts, one a suicide squeeze, were pivotal points of a five-run rally in the top of the seventh inning that sparked the Witches to a 5-1 win over Hampden Academy in a Class A clash at Bordick Park.
“We played some small ball that we’ve been looking to do, and we got some key hits when we needed them,” said Brewer coach Dana Corey, whose team is now 1-2 this spring. “We were finally able to put some pressure on their defense.”
Junior right-hander Tommy Farrar had maintained Hampden’s early season stinginess on the mound through six innings, scattering six hits as the Broncos extended their streak to one run allowed over their first 19 innings of play.
But Evan Riva opened the Brewer seventh with a nine-pitch walk, and when Tyler Williams’ sacrifice bunt was misplayed, pinch-runner Michael Bailey advanced to third base with no one out.
Tyler Hersey followed with a perfectly executed suicide squeeze to plate Bailey with the tying run, with Hersey reaching first base on the late throw home.
Freshman Kobe Rogerson then singled to center through Hampden’s drawn-in infield to drive home Williams and give Brewer a 2-1 lead. Mike Grimble and Alex Maxsimic each singled home a subsequent run around an Alex Brooks sacrifice fly.
“We finally got some people on at the start of the inning, then we got a bunt down, and there happened to be a miscue on their part, but we had some great hustle to get over to third base,” said Corey. “Then Hersey had a great squeeze bunt under pressure, and we also got some key hits along the way.”
Riva, who had thrown just 64 pitches through the first six innings, then finished off a four-hitter on the mound.
The right-hander, one of four seniors on Brewer’s roster, focused on working the outside corner with his fastball. He struck out three batters with one walk while throwing 58 of his 87 pitches for strikes.
“I’ve always felt comfortable here,” said Riva. “I like this mound, and I’ve always thrown well here.”
Farrar yielded two earned runs on six hits in six-plus innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Brewer mounted the game’s first scoring threat in the top of the third when Grimble singled to center and stole second base. Matt Pushard then grounded a single up the middle, but Grimble was cut down trying to score on a strike to the plate by Hampden center fielder Casey Sudbeck.
“In the first few innings we had our one opportunity, but they made a great throw from center field,” said Corey. “If the throw is 10 feet one way or the other, Grimble is safe, but we took a chance, and they made a great play.”
Hampden, which has no seniors on its team, took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Farrar drew Riva’s lone walk and was sacrificed to second base by Andrew Gendreau before scoring with two out on Ben Huston’s double off the glove of diving Brewer center fielder Jacob Currier.
Huston and Jackson Gilmore had two hits each for 1-2 Hampden.
Grimble, Riva and Matt Pushard each singled twice to pace Brewer’s nine-hit attack.
“It’s nice to get the first one, and it’s good to get one where you come back because that’s a big boost in and of itself,” said Corey.
