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TOPSHAM — In back-to-back seasons, and three of the last four, the top-seeded baseball team in Class A North has been eliminated in its opening game of the tournament.
The trend looked like it would continue as No. 8 Brewer held a three-run advantage late into Thursday’s quarterfinal against No. 1 Mt. Ararat.
Mt. Ararat turned it around in the bottom of the sixth inning, however, batting around and scoring four times on its way to a 4-3 win.
“This team doesn’t want to be done,” Mt. Ararat coach Brett Chase said. “I mean, that’s just how they are. They want to play for each other. They don’t ever want the season to end. They just want to keep playing baseball, and they played smart baseball. We played base-to-base. I told them we couldn’t get three runs all in one swing, or four runs on one swing. We need to get base runners on, and they did it.”
Mt. Ararat (14-3) will host fifth-seeded Oxford Hills (11-6) in a regional semifinal Saturday. Brewer finishes its season 7-10.
How it happened
• Back-to-back hits down the third-base line by shortstop Logan Littlefield and pitcher Blake Littlefield gave Brewer a 1-0 lead. A deep double from Parker Bouchard allowed the Witches to score another run in the second inning, as Mt. Ararat catcher Ethan Card gathered an overthrow to home and braced for impact with Dylan Nadeau but forgot to apply a tag.
A Logan Littlefield double in the fifth inning allowed Jake Perry to score when Card couldn’t hold on to the relay.
• Before the sixth inning offensive outburst, Mt. Ararat alternated between three and four at-bats each inning. In the third and fourth, the Eagles hit into inning-ending double plays.
“(Blake Littlefield) had already seen us before (during Mt. Ararat’s 4-1 regular-season win over Brewer),” shortstop Ethan Berry said. “He knew what to pitch to who, and he definitely got ahead of us, got in our heads, and really took advantage of that.”
• Aidan Ramsay drew a walk to start the sixth for Mt. Ararat, and the Eagles took advantage. Berry knocked in Ramsay, a single from Andrew Clemons scored Will Davis, and Caiden Chase’s line drive to left field drove in Clemons and Luke McLaughlin.
Statistical leaders
• Mt. Ararat: Stan Spooner (3 2/3 innings pitched, two hits, one earned run, one walk, three strikeouts), Kaleb Hussey (3 1/3 innings pitched, four hits, two earned runs, two walks, three strikeouts), Andrew Clemons (2 for 3, run, RBI), Caiden Chase (1 for 3, two RBI), Aidan Ramsey (1 for 2, walk, run)
• Brewer: Blake Littlefield (6 innings pitched, seven hits, two earned runs, three walks, six strikeouts; 1 for 3, RBI), Logan Littlefield (2 for 4, run, RBI), Parker Bouchard (1 for 3, RBI), Dylan Nadeau (1 for 2, walk, run), Jake Perry (run)
Notable quotes
• “We put the ball in play, made them make plays. We got some crucial hits, had some things happen that allowed us to score runs, and then they get themselves going, and they started to come up with some key hits, base running, et cetera. We had a few boo-boos, like we have had during our season, it’s been the story of our season, but they’re a good quality team. I think they’re going to go a long ways, if not win the state, as far as that goes.” — Brewer coach Dana Corey
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