YARMOUTH – When your offense is struggling, sometimes you have to try to manufacture some runs. In the case of Moody’s Collision, it called for perhaps the boldest move in the game of baseball as they took on Yarmouth Tuesday night.

With runners on first and third with two outs in the top of the seventh and lefty Spencer Egan on the mound, Moody’s Tom Hazelton represented the game’s tying run. With the count 1-2, Hazelton took off for home plate before Egan entered his delivery. Egan maintained his composure, however, as he fired a pitch towards home in time to get Hazelton, ending the game in a 2-1 Yarmouth victory.

The play was not without controversy and left Hazelton scratching his head.

“I knew with his back towards me, there was no way he was going to see me,” said Hazelton.

He was right. Egan, who had been outstanding on the mound, keeping runners close at first with a devastating pick-off move, was unable to focus on Hazelton, who had been dancing up and down the line, waiting to pounce. In fact, Hazelton thought he rattled Egan, and he thought the pitcher should have been assessed a balk.

“I don’t think he ever came set,” said Hazelton. “He just threw towards home.”

In Yarmouth’s defense, the Hazelton play might never have happened if not for another controversial call one batter before.

With runners on second and third and two outs, Moody’s Dylan Turner chopped a slow roller towards first. Turner, who was hustling all the way, appeared to be out by half a step at first but was ruled safe, allowing a run to score and prompting a brief uproar from Yarmouth coach Tom McGintee.

Besides the fireworks in the top of the seventh, Egan breezed through Moody’s lineup for most of the game, striking out 11 and allowing only six hits.

Justin McKenna of Yarmouth (8-9) was responsible for both of his team’s runs as he laced a two-out RBI double down the right field line in the bottom of the second inning before being thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple.

That was Hazelton’s only mishap of the game on the mound as he again went the distance for Moody’s, who fell to 8-9 in the loss.

Moody’s Tom Hazelton tries to steal home to tie the game Tuesday night but is instead tagged out to end the game. Moody’s, of Gorham, fell to Yarmouth 2-1 in American Legion action. Staff photo by Nate Boroyan