Highland Green was scheduled to play six games over a five-day period this week, beginning Tuesday with Pastime Club of Lewiston in American Legion Zone III baseball action.
Rogers Post 153 of Auburn visits on Thursday, and Highland Green plays Locke Mills of Bethel in a Saturday doubleheader, also at home.
Against 7-3 Pastime Club, a four-run second frame for the hosts put Bob Neron’s squad in an early 4-0 hole. After scoring a pair of runs in the third to cut the deficit in half, an error opened the door for Pastime Club to tack on two more runs in the bottom of the frame, and starting pitcher Michael Wong settled down after a wild start (five walks through three innings) to record the mound win.
Neron knows this week is big for his team.
“We will know where we are at the end of this week,” said the coach. “We don’t want to get to where we are at having to play Oxford Hills (Bessey Motors) to move on.”
Missed opportunities
Wong had trouble finding the plate early, walking Cam Cox and Eddie Stewart to open the game. But, the righty escaped unscathed on three groundballs.
The Pastime Club second inning was huge. Caleb Dostie reached on an error and stole second, the first of seven stolen bases for the hosts. Matt Poulin singled in the game’s first run, and after a steal and a single by Austin Wing, came home on an RBI single by Brady Cusson. Wong’s sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Gage Cote completed the frame.
Cox, who reached base in all four of his at-bats (single, two walks, hit by pitch), singled to begin the third and Stewart reached on an error. A walk to Kevin Carter loaded the bases, and a Wong wild pitch put Highland Green on the board. A Reilly Kons grounder scored Stewart to make for a 4-2 contest.
Wong walked Harper Moutal and Mike Stewart to load the bases again. Sam Coombs lifted a shallow flyball to right, with right-fielder Wing diving to save two runs and keep his team in the lead.
“Getting guys on is an accomplishment, striking out eight-to-10 times a game has been our norm,” said Neron. “When we get guys on base, good things are going to happen eventually.”
Neron was impressed with his lead-off hitter Cox.
“He is an on-base machine, and has good at-bats every time,” said Neron. “He will be behind the plate at Ararat the next three years.”
“I just looked at my pitches, and I knew what pitches were mine and I swung at them, and most weren’t, so I didn’t swing at those,” said Cox. “He (Wong) is a great pitcher, and he just wasn’t on today. I have faced him four times before and he is a tough pitcher. We need to make the plays in the field. We didn’t do that today.”
Pastime Club made it a 6-2 game in the third. Carter Chabot doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder’s choice. Dostie scored later in the frame on a Kons (four innings, seven hits, one strikeout, three walks) wild pitch.
The hosts completed the scoring in the fourth on an RBI single by former Lisbon/ Oak Hill standout Ryan Riordan (2- for-4).
Eddie Stewart tossed two scoreless frames for Highland Green, allowing one walk, one hit and picking up one strikeout.
Despite his struggles, Wong went six innings. He threw 115 pitches, with six walks, two strikeouts and four hits. Cusson finished up, pitching the seventh on one strikeout and one walk.
Moutal, Liam Brannigan and Brandon Morrell each singled for Highland Green.
Cote was 2-for-3 with a walk for Pastime Club. Lisbon standouts R.J. Sargent and Kyle Bourget play for the Lewiston squad.
Pastime Club 7,
Highland Green 2
| At | Lewiston | ||
| Highland | — 002 000 0 — 2-4-2 | ||
| Pastime | — 042 100 X — 7-8-2 | ||
Reilly Kons, Eddie Stewart (5) and Cam Cox; Michael
Wong, Brady Cusson (7) and Matt Poulin.
Double — (P) Carter Chabot.
Repeat hitters — (P) Ryan Riordan, Gage Cote.
Records — Pastime Club 7-3, Highland Green 5-4.
Up next for Highland Green — Thursday at home
against Rogers Post, 5:30 p.m.
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