BRISTOL, Connecticut — From Baseball 101: It’s very hard to win if you give good teams extra outs.
For eight innings the Coffee News of Bangor Comrades were the beneficiaries of Rochester, New Hampshire, errors and took a one-run lead to the ninth. But the Maine champs opened the inning by kicking a ground ball. With the door opened a crack, Rochester (22-3) knocked it down to the tune of three runs and eliminated Bangor from the American Legion’s Northeast Regional, 4-2, Friday afternoon at Muzzy Field.
“It was a great baseball game,” said Bangor coach Dave Morris. “There was great pitching and some good hitting, but it came down to the team that made the fewest mistakes.”
Although he took the loss, Bangor pitcher Andrew Hillier (5-1) was magnificent. After giving up a run in the first inning on a walk to Rick Creteau and a double by Josh Gagne (2-for-4), he was virtually untouchable through eight innings.
He gave up a double in the second and a single in the eighth and nothing else while striking out six and walking two. Meanwhile, his mates took advantage of some bad defense by the New Hampshire state champs to score an unearned run in the first and another tainted run in the seventh, enabling Hillier to take a 2-1 lead to the ninth.
Then disaster.
Leadoff hitter Anthony Diprizio bounced the ball to short where Kyle Stevenson mishandled it for an error. Hillier hit Justin Jewell with a pitch, then, on an 0-2 pitch, Gagne singled to left to tie the game, 2-2.
Mac Struthers then bunted in front of the plate, and when both Hillier and catcher Sam Huston looked at each other and hesitated, Struthers beat the rap for a hit to load the bases.
With the infield in, Drew Healey singled back through the middle for two runs. Game, set, match.
“I can’t say enough about Hillier,” said Morris. “From high school through Legion, he’s just been so steady and competitive. He threw strikes today with all three of his pitches and kept us in the game. He’s just a tremendous pitcher.”
Rochester starter and winner Mark Levesque (3-1) was just as good. In eight innings plus he scattered six hits, struck out seven and walked three.
He gave up an unearned run in the first when both shortstop Struthers and first baseman Christian Dow made errors. He was touched for another unearned run in the seventh. With one out, Jimmy Prescott (2-for-4) singled, and a throwing error by Levesque sent Prescott to second.
Johnny Cote followed with a base hit to left, but when Ben Gravel bobbled the ball in the outfield, Prescott, who stopped at third, took off for home to give the Comrades a 2-1 lead.
After Rochester rallied to take the lead in the ninth, Levesque walked the first man he faced in the bottom of the inning. Rochester coach B.J. Gagnon decided that was enough and brought in Chris States, who got two quick outs.
States hit pinch-hitter Lynden Westrich to put the tying runs on base, but got Ben Crichton to bounce to second to end it.
“Levesque was incredible today,” said Gagnon. “He threw his tail off all day long. That’s as good as he’s been all year. He has some no decisions, and when our Nos. 1 and 2 guys are ready, they go, so maybe we’ve skipped over him a few times. But he’s a good kid who came up big in a big spot.
“In the end, after a hiccup early, we took advantage of our opportunity,” he said.
Bangor, in its second consecutive regional appearance, finished 20-10 and 1-2 in the regional.