BANGOR, Maine — George Stevens Academy did not play its usual brand of crisply executed, fundamental baseball on Tuesday night.
What the Eagles did do was demonstrate tremendous resolve.
Beckett Slayton hit a squibber for an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete a two-run rally that lifted top-seeded GSA of Blue Hill to a 9-8 victory over No. 2 Houlton in the Class C North baseball championship game at Mansfield Stadium.
“That was insane,” said Slayton, a junior left-hander. “So many things happened in that game. It was back and forth, back and forth.”
And while Slayton got the game-winner, the contributions were numerous for a GSA team that experienced a few struggles.
“It was just an odd game, but I think it shows a lot about our character to be able to hang in there,” he said.
Coach Dan Kane’s Eagles (18-1) advance to take on South champion Sacopee Valley of South Hiram (16-3) in Saturday’s state-title game at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.
The Shiretowners of coach Jim Castner closed out the season at 18-1.
GSA had a rollercoaster night, building a 5-0 lead through three innings, only to watch Houlton rally and take an 8-7 advantage in the top of the sixth.
With the game on the line, the Eagles prevailed in the seventh. Stefan Simmons reached on an error on a chopper to the left side, then Tyler McKenney beat out a hard bunt single toward the mound.
Ryan Dee was lifted in favor of Billy Phillips, who induced Marshal Lebel to hit into a 4-6 fielder’s choice. Lebel stole second on the next pitch, before Tyler Snow delivered the tying run with a beautiful safety squeeze bunt.
One out later, Slayton came up and flared a 1-1 pitch toward shortstop, which he beat out for the game-winning single to send the Eagles into a frenzied celebration.
“What I thought was most impressive was going to the bottom of the seventh and we have our [6, 7, 8] hitters up and we’re down a run and they were able to get those bunts down and keep everything moving and get us to the top of our order,” Slayton said.
The Eagles grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first. Taylor Schildroth drew a leadoff walk and reached second on a Slayton chopper after which Cameron Graham’s throw to second was late.
Dakota Chipman pounded a single to left-center for the first run, then stole second, and Jacob Keenan was hit by a pitch. Will Entwisle plated the second run on an error and the third scored on a wild pitch.
GSA added a run in the second inning thanks in great part to Schildroth’s speed and guile on the basepaths. He bunted his way on and stole second and, when Slayton hit a chopper to first base and Billy Phillips made the toss to Graham for the out, Schildroth raced home to make it 4-0.
The Eagles kept the pressure on in the third. Keenan spanked a sharp single past the second baseman, but was erased on an Entwisle fielder’s choice. Entwisle stole second, advanced on a groundout and scooted home on a passed ball.
Houlton began its comeback in the fourth when Dee worked a leadoff walk and took third on Nick Botting’s one-out double. One out later, Graham hit an opposite-field, two-run double to left. Connor Grant followed with a nifty bunt toward third that led to an errant throw to first and the third run.
The Eagles got two runs back in the fourth. Slayton stroked an RBI single and Jacob Keenan ripped a run-scoring hit to make it 7-3.
The Shiretowners made things even more interesting in the fifth with the help of two GSA errors. Tom Prescott was hit by a pitch, then Botting singled and both advanced on an errant pickoff throw by the catcher.
Both runs scored on a throwing error. Schildroth relieved Slayton to record the final out and preserve a 7-6 lead for the Eagles.
GSA left the bases loaded in the fifth, before Houlton tallied twice in the sixth to take the lead. Grant walked, Morgan Phillips singled and Nick Perfitt walked.
A throwing error allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score.