AUBURN

Rogers Post has lived on the edge throughout this American Legion Zone 2 baseball season.

Walks have been a problem for Rogers Post pitchers, and on Monday against seventh- seeded Highland Green, 10 free passes in all nearly derailed the second-seeded squad in a quarterfinal at Auburn Suburban Field.

Rogers Post coach Dave Jordan looked to Tyler Blanchard in the ninth, and the righty turned in just the second 1-2-3 frame of the nine-inning contest as Rogers (16-3) advanced to Tuesday’s home semifinal with a 6-4 win and will host No. 3 Bessey Motors, a 4-0 victor over Locke Mills on Monday.

For Highland Green (6- 13), the young squad battled all season, especially in its three games with Rogers Post, falling in extra innings in Topsham and dropping an 8-4 error-filled contest six days earlier.

This time around, Bob Neron’s squad used an RBI double from Cam Cox, a run- scoring base hit by Kaileb Hawkes and a wild pitch to make things interesting late.

“ What makes me feel good about going into the off-season is that I see us coming full circle,” said Neron. “We didn’t get runners in sometimes, but a lot of clubs roll over and die when down 6-1 in the eighth inning.”

“ We knew they would make a run and they did, just a credit to Coach Neron and those hard-nosed guys over there,” said Jordan.

The early going turned into a pitcher’s duel between Highland Green hurler Alex Larson and Rogers’ right-hander Jarod Norcross- Plourde, who struck out the side in the first inning and escaped two two-on, one-out jams and a bases-loaded fix in the sixth when Highland Green scored its first run on a single by Harper Moutal that plated Larson.

Meanwhile, Larson held Rogers Post scoreless through three innings and survived a 24-pitch fourth frame, allowing just one run (sacrifice fly by Grant Hartley). The pitch count was Larson’s main enemy, as he tossed 80 pitches through four and finished with 126 overall in his 5 2/3 innings of work.

“He had a lot of three-ball counts early in the game, but he said he had all winter to rest of up and I kept him in there,” said Neron of Larson.

Rogers Post struck for two runs in the fifth — a two- run single by Drew Lashua, who was 3- for- 4 with a double and a run scored.

A three-run sixth ended Larson’s day, the big blows coming on Hartley’s long solo blast to right-center field and a two-run base-knock by Blanchard (3-for- 4, run, two RBIs) off reliever Moutal (2 1/3, two hits, one strikeout, one walk).

“The difference between them and us right now is when they need that clutch hit, they get it and we don’t,” said Neron.

“Our guys battled a lot and fought some balls off,” said Jordan. “Grant hit the ball hard. But, Larson pitched a great game and didn’t miss a lot.”

“ I saw the pitch and tried to put a good swing on it,” said Hartley of his home run. “We were able to sit on a couple pitches, and I think we got lucky a couple times. We didn’t sense that ( Larson) was tired. He looked pretty good to me.”

Norcross-Plourde went the first six innings, striking out eight and walking seven. Lew Jensen relieved, and after escaping a jam in the seventh and stranding two Duck runners, ran into more trouble in the eighth. With two outs, Garrett Moody reached on an error and Hunter Lohr walked. Cox lined a double inside the left-field line, and Hawkes blooped a single to right. Cox later scored on Jensen’s wild pitch to get the visitors to 6-4.

But, Jensen ended the frame with a bases-loaded strikeout, and watched Blanchard pick up the save in the ninth.

“We need to clean up our charitable ways with the walks, and sometimes today we got off the track again,” said Jordan of the 10 walks and two errors that led to four unearned runs against his club.

Neron has a solid group of youngsters slated to return, including the soon-to-be Mt. Ararat sophomore Lohr, who was 2-for-3, walked and scored a run. He also made two solid catches in center field.

“ I learned that hard work is the only thing that you need,” said Lohr. “The outcome today could have been better, but we have a strong group of players that will be here for a while. I think we’re going to be good.”

“There are a lot of good kids coming up, and maybe it is our time now,” added Neron. “ We have a lot of good, hard-working kids. They will be working out on their own in January, getting ready for next season.”

Larson, who is slated to return to play for Highland Green next year, struck out eight, walked two and permitted eight hits.

No. 2 Rogers Post 6,
No. 7 Highland Green 4

American Legion Zone 2
Quarterfinals
At Auburn Suburban Field
Highland — 000 001 030 — 4- 7-0
Rogers — 000 123 00 X — 6-10-2
Alex Larson, Hunter Moutal (6) and
Cam Cox; Jarod Norcross-Plourde,
Lew Jensen (7), Tyler Blanchard (9)
and Drew Lashua.
Doubles — (HG) Cam Cox; (RP)
Drew Lashua, Tyler Blanchard.
Home run — (RP) Grant Hartley.
Repeat hitters — (HG) Hunter Lohr;
(RP) Tyler Blanchard (3), Drew
Lashua (3).
Records — Rogers Post 16-3, Highland Green 6-13.
Note — The season has ended for
Highland Green.