The St. Dom’s baseball team slips past Monmouth with a 3-2 victory.
By Mike O’Hara
staff writter

AUBURN – St. Dom’s pulled off another come-from-behind victory Saturday afternoon as Jimmy Mayo lined a single to right center field, driving in Mike Carpenter with the game-winning run, as the No. 1 Saints (16-2) pulled out a 3-2 win over No. 4 Monmouth in the Western Maine Class C baseball playoffs.

Tyler Turgeon toed the rubber for St. Dom’s, having not pitched more than three innings in any one game all season. The rust was apparent as he walked two of the first three batters he faced and surrendered a single to the Mustangs (12-5) clean-up hitter Jon Retelle for the first run. An infield error accounted for the second run.

“I hadn’t pitched in about three weeks and needed a little time to get my rhythm” said Tyler Turgeon.

“I knew it would take Tyler a little while to find his zone, but I was confident he would settle down,” said Saints coach Allan Turgeon.

Turgeon indeed settled into a zone as he held Monmouth batters to two more hits over seven innings, allowing his teammates time to battle back for the win.

Monmouth threatened in the fifth inning as back-to-back singles had runners at first and second with one out, but Nick Albert turned a nifty double play, stepping on second and firing a strike to first to end the threat.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning Allan Turgeon implored Tyler Turgeon to get something started. He responded with a sharp single to right. Allan Turgeon made a switch at this time, electing to replace his clean-up hitter with Rutt.

“I hadn’t had a chance to hit much during the playoffs. I just wanted to show everybody what I could do,” said Rutt.

The move paid off as Rutt drilled a double, platting Turgeon and Rutt advanced to third on the throw to the plate. Carpenter strode to the plate and promptly drilled his third hit of the afternoon into center field, platting Rutt. Carpenter moved to second on a balk and tallied the game-winning run as Mayo added the Saints’ fourth hit of the inning, depositing the ball into right center.

Tyler Turgeon took matters into his own hands in the top of the seventh inning as he allowed a ground ball to third for the first out and then promptly struck out the next two batters to put this one in the books.

St. Dom’s made a handful of defensive gems with Carpenter diving for an out in right field. But the defensive star of the game had to be Jack Lavoie whose diving stab of a line shot down the third base line allowing him to tag the bag for the final out of the first inning stopped the Mustangs from causing any further damage.

Another backhanded stab by Lavoie in the sixth inning brought a plea from Monmouth coach Keith Morang to stop it as Lavoie again thwarted another inning.

“Lavoie made two sensational plays, giving us a huge lift,” said Allan Turgeon.