The Midcoast All-Stars beat Sanford 11-1 to clinch the Maine Babe Ruth 13-year-old championship on Sunday, July 14 in Sanford.
The Midcoast team, made up of players from the Damariscotta, Waldoboro, Rockland and Camden areas, advanced to the New England Babe Ruth Baseball regional championship to be held July 19-23 in Westfield, Mass.
Midcoast scored three runs in the first inning, and added two more in each of the third and fourth innings to take a commanding 7-0 lead in the final game of the championship. Sanford scored a run in the top of the fifth to break the shutout, but Midcoast tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to trigger the ten run mercy rule that ended the game 11-1.
Eric Nixon (1R, 1RBI, 2SB) hit a pair of singles and Trevor Farrington (1R, 3RBI) smashed a double and knocked in three runs to lead the Midcoast offense. Charlie Leonard (1R, 2RBI, 1SB), Kelly Manahan (1R, 1RBI, 2SB), and Daniel Schenk (1R, 2SB) each had one hit for the victors. Felix Clines walked three times and stole three bases for Midcoast.
Leonard pitched five strong innings for Midcoast, striking out four while allowing just one unearned run on two hits and two walks. Manahan relieved Farrington on the mound and pitched one scoreless inning. He gave up one hit and a walk.
The Maine Babe Ruth Baseball championship was a best-of-three games contest against Sanford. Midcoast won the first match over 16-0 on Saturday, July 13 in Sanford. Manahan (4R, 4RBI, 4SB) and Leonard (2R, 1RBI, 2SB) each had a big game at the plate as they led the offense with three hits apiece.
Also getting hits for Midcoast in the 16-0 win were Clines (3R, 2RBI, 2SB), Jacob Tomasello (1R, 2RBI, 1SB), Farrington (2R), Otis Smith (1R, 1SB), and Everett Tolman (1R, 2RBI).
Trevor Farrington pitched a no-hit, complete game shutout in a game shortened to only four innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Midcoast will play a squad from Keene, N.H. at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 19 in their first game of the New England Babe Ruth baseball regional championship in Westfield, Mass.
