BANGOR, Maine — The undefeated Bangor High School baseball team used a familiar combination to secure its fifth victory of the spring at Mansfield Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Junior righthander Peter Kemble and two relievers combined to scatter seven hits, and the Rams played solidly behind the trio en route to a 5-2 Class A North victory over Brunswick.
“It was a typical, grind-it-out game where you try to capitalize on mistakes and move runners around,” said Bangor coach Jeff Fahey. “We didn’t get a lot of timely hits but per usual we had good pitching and very good defense.”
Kemble (2-0) yielded two runs on six hits with six strikeouts, a walk and a hit batsman in five innings before Nick Cowperthwaite worked a 1-2-3 sixth and Jesse Colford yielded only a two-out double while pitching a scoreless seventh to earn the same.
Bangor’s defense committed just one error, which didn’t lead to any Brunswick runs, and the second base-shortstop combination of George Payne and Kyle Stevenson combined to turn a key double play to help Kemble escape a two-on, no-out jam in the top of the fifth.
Senior center fielder Ryan Brookings, batting in the No. 9 spot of the Bangor lineup for the second game this season, paced the Rams’ offense with three singles. Brookings’ second hit delivered two runs with one out in the bottom of the fourth to snap a 2-2 tie.
“That’s a good place for him to hit, he usually will get to hit some fastballs,” said Fahey of Brookings’ spot in the batting order. “Ryan’s aggressive anyway and he’s quick so when he gets on base he’s like a second leadoff guy for us.”
Brookings’ go-ahead hit came on a 2-2 pitch when he drove a low, inside fastball to left field to plate Jake Ireland and Payne. Ireland had reached on one of two Brunswick errors during the game and advanced to third thanks to a late tag after Payne had grounded to shortstop.
“I’ve been hitting better since I’ve been hitting ninth,” said Brookings. “I just switched to crowding the plate a little more so I can get to the outside pitches and hit them.”
Stevenson capped off Bangor’s three-run rally with a single up the middle to drive home Brookings.
Brunswick senior righthander Alex Larson yielded eight hits while striking out one batter and walking one during a complete-game pitching performance.
He was backed by an offense led by senior center fielder Will Bessey. The Bates College-bound football standout for the Dragons rapped two doubles and a single and was hit by a pitch in his four plate appearances.
Bangor took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Kemble drew a leadoff walk, took second on a wild pitch and scored when Colford singled off the glove of Brunswick second baseman Zack Grant, with the ball going into center field.
Ireland then reached as Colford was forced out at second, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a passed ball.
Brunswick (1-4) tied the game with a two-out rally in the top of the third. Bessey lined a single just off the glove of the outstretched Stevenson at shortstop, stole second and scored when Elias Henze blasted a triple to left-center.
Cleanup hitter Josh Goddard then grounded a single up the middle to drive home Henze and make it 2-2.
