WATERBORO — Massabesic had a disastrous first inning on Thursday, as three errors led to three unearned runs, putting the team in a 3-0 deficit before even swinging the bat. But one swing of the bat by Sean Adams in the fifth made it all better, clearing the bases to tie the game before Massabesic plated the winning run in the sixth to rally and win 5-4 over Biddeford-Saco Savings in a Zone 5 American Legion baseball game.
Things started poorly for Massabesic (5-0), as Biddeford-Saco Savings’ Kerry Crepeau grounded to shortstop Matt Allen, who couldn’t field the ball cleanly. After one fielder’s choice forced out Crepeau, another failed to yield an out, as another error put two runners on. Brady Crepeau brought the first two runs home with a double to left-center, and Crepeau later scored on a throwing error off Corey Brown’s grounder to third.
“Three unearned right in the first. I’m just glad that these guys didn’t hang their heads,” said Massabesic head coach Jeff Cessario.
Massabesic’s Dan Quint led off the bottom of the inning the same way Kerry Crepeau started the top, with Crepeau bobbling a grounder at short to allow Quint to reach. Quint stole second, then moved to third on a single by Remi Gaetjens before scoring on a wild pitch to get a run back.
Biddeford-Saco Savings (2-3) starting pitcher Nate Huot quieted the Massabesic bats after that, retiring 11 of the next 14 batters. The three that reached, however, were all on walks. And with a rising pitch count, Huot lost it in the bottom of the fifth.
Andrew Wicklund ”“ in his first at-bat after arriving late to the game ”“ hit a one-out single for just the second hit against Huot. Huot then struck out Zach Ohmeis for the second out, but walked Quint and hit Gaetjens to load the bases. Adams then finished off a long at-bat with a solid double to right-center, which brought all three runners home to tie the game and end Huot’s outing.
“He struggled a little bit with his command,” Biddeford-Saco Savings head coach Keith Leblanc said of Huot. “He felt like he was behind on hitters all day.”
Massabesic scored the winning run an inning later after Brown got two quick outs in relief. Weston Bergeron singled past first, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wicklund then drove him home with a double over the head of Nick Ackerman in right.
“The last few games, we haven’t been playing real crisp,” said Leblanc. “We haven’t really been playing good defensively.”
Casey Twomey made the top of the seventh interesting, as he hit an infield single to Gaetjens the pitcher to lead off. He moved to second on a stolen base, and third two batters later, but Brown grounded out to Ohmeis at third to end the game.
“Some of those tough guys at the end of the high school season I think is starting to help us a little bit right now, where we know we’re not out of it just because of one inning,” said Cessario. “They battled the whole game, came up with some clutch hits, and Remi pitched a great game.”
— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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