Before Sunday, there were two teams from Maine to ever win a Northeast Regional Senior American Legion Tournament and play in the Senior American Legion World series.
Make it three.
Trenton joined Portland-based Nova Seafood and Andrews Post as regional champions after a 6-1 victory over Nashua, New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Hunter Curtis, the North Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Year this past spring for Bangor’s Husson University, went the distance on the mound to earn the win. He tossed a three-hitter with two strikeouts and two walks.
Curtis, who played right field at Husson, had pitched 2 2/3 hitless and scoreless innings in relief earlier in the tournament. Curtis said he primarily threw fastballs on Sunday. Winning the tournament had not sunk in yet, and he credited the whole team for the result.
“I got a lot of weak contact and the guys made the plays,” he said.
David Baugh had three hits for the Acadians, including a pair of doubles. Dawson Curtis, Hunter’s younger brother, Joey Clouse and Brett Bragdon each had two singles and a run batted in.
Zack Lussier tripled and drove in Nashua’s only run.
Trenton had beaten Nashua 3-1 in their tourney opener and followed that up with victories over Massachusetts champion Franklin (14-8) and Rhode Island’s Cumberland (7-3) before losing to New York winner Greece Post 468 from Rochester on Saturday.
But by winning their first three games, the Acadians automatically earned a berth in the championship game and Nashua earned its way into the title game with a 3-2 win over Greece Post 468 earlier Sunday after winning elimination games against West Hartford, Connecticut (5-1), Essex, Vermont (10-4) and Cumberland (5-4).
The Acadians, who draw from Ellsworth High School, Mount Desert Island High in Bar Harbor and Blue Hill’s George Stevens Academy, will travel to Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, for the Senior American Legion Tournament beginning Thursday.
Trenton is Maine’s first champion since Nova Seafood won the World Series title in 2004.