The Bangor East All-Stars will return to action at the Little League baseball state tournament in Old Orchard Beach on Friday seeking to rebound from their first loss in the double-elimination event.
The District 3 champions fell to Cumberland/North Yarmouth 6-1 in a winner’s bracket game Wednesday evening, and now will face the winner of Thursday’s elimination game between Saco and Augusta at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Bangor East, 1-1 in the state tournament to date, will need to win consecutive games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in order to secure the program’s first state championship since 2010.
Cumberland/North Yarmouth, at 3-0 the lone remaining undefeated team in the six-team event, scored five runs in the top of the third inning against Bangor East to break a scoreless tie.
The District 6 champions added another run in the top of the fifth before Bangor East broke through in the bottom of the inning to score the first run allowed by Cumberland/North Yarmouth in the tournament.
Zac Estey singled, one of Bangor East’s six hits during the game, and was sacrificed to second base by Casey Kull. Jacoby Harvey followed with a single and advanced to second during a subsequent throw on the play, and Owen Glanville-True’s infield hit enabled Estey to score from third base.
That left runners on first and third with one out, but Cumberland/North Yarmouth retired the next two batters to prevent a bigger Bangor East rally.
Bangor East also mounted two other early threats only to be denied. The Queen City club loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the second and had runners at first and third with one out in the fourth, but in both cases Cumberland/North Yarmouth came up with key plays to keep Bangor East scoreless to that point.
Blaze Morris earned the pitching start for Bangor East and got relief help from Kaleb Johnson and Alex Tennett.
Cumberland/North Yarmouth advances to the championship round, needing just one more victory to qualify for the New England Regional that will begin Aug. 8 in Bristol, Connecticut.
The District 6 champs will face the winner of Friday’s game involving Bangor East at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, with an if-necessary game at the same time Sunday.