BANGOR — In sports, perfection is often times necessary if you want to be the last team standing. It takes a special team to rise to the occasion of a championship expectation. Throughout the regular season and postseason, the Wells high school baseball team has lived up, and in the eye’s of some, surpassed that expectation.
Against Brewer on Saturday, for the better part of five innings the Warriors were that team. They were making the right plays at the right time. Unfortunately for the Wells squad, a couple late errors would prove costly as the Witches rallied for a 3-2 win at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.
To start the Class B championship game, the seniors delivered for Wells. Liam Bell hit a lead off single and eventually crossed home thanks to a Michael Wrigley single.
The Warriors seemed to be on a mission to capture their first state championship win since 1980. Due to the outstanding pitching from sophomore Tyler Carpenter, Brewer could not buy a run early in the contest.
“I couldn’t have dreamed for a better performance from my pitcher on the mound. He was incredible,” Wells head coach Todd Day said of Carpenter, who finished with seven strikeouts.
The consistency and poise that Wells played with throughout the postseason continued to show. The Warriors got run support from Bell in the first and an RBI single from Gary Andrews in the top of the sixth, to make the score 2-0 for the Warriors.
The Wells squad was feeling comfortable, but Brewer found their chance in the bottom of the sixth. The Witches were able to capitalize off a few costly errors and just like that the score was tied going into the seventh inning.
In the seventh, Wells got the leadoff runner on base with a single from Tyler Bridge, but they couldn’t bring him in.
The Witches, who were also looking for their first ever title, had a chance to finish off the game. Senior Josiah Cyr answered the call by cracking the ball to deep right field. The walk-off hit made it 3-2 and Brewer High School was the Class B champion.
“The kids developed a mentality where they don’t quit. We’ve done that all year,” said Brewer head coach Dana Corey.
In these tightly contested games, it usually is decided by a few plays and both coaches recognized that.
“Both pitchers kept everyone at bay. It was going just going to be who made a mistake first,” explained Corey, who had plenty of praise for Carpenter. “Their pitcher had great command. He kept us off balance.”
For Wells, they were on the unfortunate side of those mistakes and it was a tough one to swallow for Day and his squad. Yet, they still found a way to congratulate their opponent.
“That’s a tough way to lose a baseball game,” Day said. “We had a chance to make a few plays and just didn’t happen — that’s sports. You got to give Brewer credit for doing what they had to do to get the win.”
This appearance alone for Wells can go down as an accomplishment. Back when snow was still on the field, no one really thought that this team would make it this far. The Warriors believed and fought to get to the Class B championship. Being a runner up is never satisfying, but it should be appreciated, according to Day.
“Our competitiveness is the reason why we are here,” Day explained. “We built it to this point and no really thought we’d be at this level at the beginning of the season. They believed all season and I couldn’t be more proud.”
When a season comes to a close, there is always a moment of reflection for a coach and his team. The Wells baseball team was led by three seniors (Bell, Wrigley and Cam Cousins) that took every opportunity to become better baseball players. They brought this program to where they were on Saturday — the Class B championship game.
“We lose three valuable seniors that built this program to where it is. Without them we aren’t here. They had tremendous seasons and careers,” Day said about his two-year captains.
The culture that the Wells captains helped create will only lay a foundation for the youth that remains on this roster. The talent that is returning for the Warriors is a bright spot heading into next spring. Players like Covy Dufort, Gary Andrews and Carpenter showed they are willing to rise to the occasion — and even the opposing coach was able to recognize the potential of the Wells program.
“Their pitcher is only a sophomore. He is going to be something special,” said Corey.
Day is proud of his program, especially Carpenter.
“They’ve learned how to compete and you saw the result of that today,” said Day. “For a sophomore to go out there and put his nerves aside, in a state game, you can tell he is going to be a tremendous baseball player for the next two seasons.”
Although this championship loss will sting for the immediate future, it can be assumed that the Wells baseball program will be in the mix for a Class B championship for years to come.
— Sports Writer Brandon Eckles can be reached at beckles@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 323. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.