AUGUSTA, Maine — Rogers Post 153 opened itself up to a lot of hurt against an unforgiving and patient team by walking a dozen Coffee News batters throughout the course of Friday’s third-round American Legion baseball playoff game.
Five walks in the first inning led to Coffee News’ devastating 6-1 lead and the quick removal of Rogers Post pitcher Lew Jensen.
It didn’t get any better from there.
The Bangor-based Coffee News Comrades took Rogers Post out for a walk with a lopsided 14-3 victory in a game that was called when the 10-run rule was implemented after the top of the seventh inning at Morton Field in the Capitol Area Sports Complex.
Unbeaten Bangor (3-0), which has won the last two state tourneys, is guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s championship round and will play Yankee Ford of South Portland at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Morton Field.
Rogers Post will play 11 a.m. Saturday against Skowhegan in an elimination game after Skowhegan ousted Fayette-Staples of Saco 14-2 in seven innings Friday.
Coffee News used only seven hits to pile up its runs.
The Comrades picked up six runs, despite having only two hits, in the first inning. Ryan Brookings belted a two-run single, and Drew Hillier drove in another run.
“Give credit to our kids. Our kids did a good job not swinging,” Coffee News coach David Morris said. “You are in a big game like that and tensions are high. The kid’s a good pitcher, and he just had a tough day today, and our kids didn’t swing, though.
“Getting those runs early and trying to match that one run, we thought it was going to be a close game, but sometimes the ball bounces your own way,” he said.
“We’ve just got a great team — a lot experience. Kids love playing. They have a lot fun with it, and so it is real easy to coach,” he added.
Things got quiet as Rogers Post settled down on the mound. Relief pitcher Ben Harris had a lot to do with that. He acted as a tourniquet and stopped the bleeding when he set down the side in the second and third innings.
What was equally devastating was Coffee News’ defense, which turned over three inning-ending double plays that put Rogers Post’s offense in a stall.
In the fourth inning, Harris started to struggle and Coffee News instinctively saw another opportunity to take advantage of four more walks.
Third baseman Jesse Colford and outfielder Brookings both walked and moved over a base on Kyle Stevenson’s bunt. Colford scored when Peter Kemble got on with an error at third base. Andrew Hillier flied out but drove in Brookings.
The other two runs came in that inning when Sam Huston, who walked, and Kemble came across thanks to Nick Cowperthwaite’s two-run double.
Coffee News led 10-1 after four innings. It got another run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
Rogers Post took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jared Norcross-Plourde walked, moved to third on catcher Drew Lashua’s single and scored after Jensen got on with an error at shortstop.
In the fifth, Austin Cox got on with a single and moved to second on Tyler Blanchard’s single. Cox crossed the plate after Jensen’s single.
Cox scored again in the sixth. Cox moved to third on Bo Norcross’ single, and then came home on Lashua’s flyout to center field.