Midcoast All-Stars won the Maine 14U Babe Ruth championship on Saturday, July 12. The team advanced to the regional tournament, which will be held Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 in Rhode Island. Midcoast defeated Capital Area 4-3 on Maguire Field in Augusta to capture the state title.
Kelly Manahan (3R, 5H, 6B, 1HP, 5K) collected the win in six and two thirds innings of work. Felix Clines earned the save, facing one batter with runners on first and second.
Capital Area took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Tyler Barber singled, advance on a balk, and scored on a Grady Fuller double. Midcoast knotted the score in the second inning when Clines walked, moved over on an A.J. Nelson sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Michael Pinkham double. Midcoast took the lead in the third when Manahan reached on an error and scored on a Clines single. Capital Area tied the game with a run in the fourth. Carter Nelson reached on an error and scored on a Max Henry sacrifice fly.
Midcoast retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth with two runs. Clines walked and Otis Smith beat out a bunt for a single to set up an RBI single by Pinkham. Smith scored when an errant throw went through a hole in the fence. Capital Area threatened in the top of the seventh. Barber reached on an error and scored when Nelson reached on an error to pull within one run. Pinkham made the catch in center field for the final out.
Hitting for Midcoast All-Stars were Pinkham with a double and single (2RBI), and Clines and Smith with a single each. Hitting for Capital Area were Will Watson and Fuller with a double each and Barber, Nelson, and Benny Ratcliff a single each.
Midcoast 14 – Sanford 6
Midcoast Babe Ruth 14U AllStars defeated Sanford 14-6 on Friday, July 11 with Clines, Smith, Gillespie, and Manahan sharing the mound.
Sanford scored two runs in the top of the third on four straight singles to N. Gallant, S. Cacace, C. Bourque, and T. Tyler. Midcoast plated three in the home half of the inning to take the lead. Nixon and Manahan singled and scored on a Gillespie double. Gillespie scored on a Clines ground out. Sanford added three runs in the second. R. Cantara singled and J. Hesketh and C. Alexander walked and all three scored. Midcoast plated two to head into the third inning in a 5-5 deadlock. A.J. Nelson singled, stole second, and scored on a Nixon single. Nixon scored on a Manahan single. Sanford took the lead in the third when S. Cacae singled and scored on a T. Tyler ground out. Midcoast shut Sanford down over the next four innings. Midcoast scored a breakout six runs in the fourth, highlighted by singles to Manahan, Clines, Smith, and Finn Eddy. They added three runs in the sixth on singles to Smith, Jordan Morrison (RBI), and Manahan (RBI).
Hitting for Midcoast were Manahan with four singles, Smith three, Nixon two, Gillespie a double, and Clines, Morrison, Nelson, and Eddy a single each. Hitting for Sanford were Cacasse with two singles, and Gallant, Bourque, Tyler, Cantara, and Hesketh one each.
Midcoast 7 – Franklin 1
Midcoast defeated Franklin 7-1 on Friday, July 11 with Farrinton, Clines, and Gillespie on the mound. The trio combined for six strikeouts (9H, 1HP, 2B). Midcoast took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Clines reached on an error and scored on a Smith double. They added two runs in the top of the fourth. Gillespie singled and Clines walked to set up an RBI single to Smith. Clines scored on a wild pitch.
Franklin scored their lone run in the home half of the fourth. E. Walker walked and scored on an O’Neil single. Midcoast rallied for four runs in the fifth inning. Nixon, Gillespie (RBI), Tomasello, and Clines (RBI) hit singles. Tomasello scored on a Morrison sacrifice. Smith then hit a RBI single.
Hitting for Midcoast were Smith with a double and two singles, and Nixon, Manahan, Tomasello, and Clines a single each. Hitting for Franklin were B. Simmons and K. O’Neil with two singles each, and D. Brown, T. Gopsill, C. Dyke, B Boucher, and C. Smith a single each.
