Jefferson Little League baseball defeated Whitefield 17-11 Monday night to advance to the Dirigo Little League championship series. Three Jefferson players pitched in the win, Sawyer Pinkham started (2-1/3I,5B,3H,3K,3R), Devin Scherer pitched middle relief (2I,3K,2H,1B,1R) and Chad Carter finished up the game (3H,2HP,3B,7R). Jake Rideout got the start for Whitefield (6K,4B,7H,9R), Zac Glidden (2H,1B) and Caleb Cummings (6H,0B,1K) pitched in relief.
Whitefield took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning when Jason Campbell walked and scored on a bases loaded walk to Jake Hensbee. Jefferson took the lead in the home half of the 1st. Bryant York singled to set up a two run homerun to Sawyer Pinkham.
Whitefield retook the lead with a two run 2nd inning. Tyler Condon walked, moved over on a Campbell single and scored on a passed ball. Rideout singled home Campbell.
Jefferson took the lead for good with a three run 3rd inning. Pinkham and Scherer singled and scored on a Robbie Clark single. Clark came home on a Hunter Williams ground out.
Whitefield pulled within one in the 4th when Cummings singled and scored on a Rideout single.
Jefferson opened up the game with an 11 run 4th inning. Scherer drove in two runs on an error, Clark one on an error, Dennis Miliken hit an RBI single, Carter drove in a run on an error, York hit a two run double, Pinkham drove in a run on an error, and Clark and Williams singled in a run each in the rally.
Whitefield came back with five runs in the top of the 5th. Justin Rollins hit a bases loaded single, scoring two runs; Cummins drove in a run on an error, and Rideout singled home two runs. Jefferson scored one run in the 5th, when Miliken singled, moved to third on a Steven Perry single and scored on a passed ball.
Whitefield added two runs in the 6th on a two run single to Cody Taylor.
Hitting for Jefferson were Clark with two singles, Pinkham with a homerun and single, York a double and single, Scherer, Miliken and Williams two singles each, Carter with a triple, and Perry a single. Hitting for Whitefield were Rideout with four singles, Cummings, Campbell, Taylor and Rollins a single each.
Hitting for Jefferson were Miliken with a homerun and two singles, Perry two singles, Scherer a double and single, Pinkham a double and Clark, York and Williams a single each.