The Rock Coast Riptide of Rockport won two elimination games for the second straight day Sunday to force a winner-take-all championship matchup in the state Junior American Legion baseball tournament that will conclude Monday evening at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.
Rock Coast Riptide, which lost its opening game of the double-elimination state tournament to Topsham Post 202 on Thursday, avenged that loss Sunday afternoon with a 13-2 victory, then in the final game of the day sent the Ware-Butler Eagles of Oakland to its first loss of the tournament with an 8-4 win.
That outcome forces Monday’s championship game, set for 7 p.m. between the state’s North division champion Rock Coast Riptide and South top seed Ware-Butler Eagles.
Rock Coast Riptide began its march through the elimination bracket Friday with a 12-2 victory over Quirk Motor City of Bangor, then scored a pair of one-run wins Saturday over Hermon (10-9 in 9 innings) and the Hampden Riverhawks (8-7).
Rock Coast Riptide is now 5-1 in the tournament while the Ware-Butler Eagles are 3-1.