AUGUSTA – Chagrined that his team had been no-hit the previous day, Anthony Ames played Monday’s elimination game in the Maine State American Legion Tournament with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

“We talked about it last night after the game. We wanted to come here ready to play,” said Ames. “We got no-hit yesterday and I was pissed. I was ready to go. I think everyone else was, too.”

Ames showed how ready he was to play by hurling a complete game four-hit shutout and driving in three runs as Mid Coast knocked out Augusta, 4-0, at McGuire Field.

Mid Coast will face Bessey Motors today at noon in another elimination game.

Ames wasn’t overpowering (three Ks, three walks, one hit by pitch), but he kept ahead in the count and let his defense do the rest.

“We made plays on defense today and (Sunday) we didn’t make any plays,” said Mid Coast manager Walter Foster. “Ames threw strikes and got ahead for the most part. When he got behind, he battled back and came through.”

He came through despite having a blister develop on his hand in the fifth inning. Foster had Jon Tefft, today’s scheduled starter warm up just in case, but Augusta could never get anything going.

Augusta put at least runner on base in six of the nine innings, but Ames kept the ball on the ground for a key double play in the sixth and two more big outs in the seventh.

“I didn’t think I had nine innings in me, but the pitch count was low (118 pitches),” Ames said. “I haven’t pitched in a week-and-a-half, so I felt strong.”

Mid Coast wasted little time getting its first hit 24 hours after Brewer’s Pat Morin threw his no-no against them, and Ames made it worth the wait. Following back-to-back walks with one out in the first inning, he ripped a 3-2 offering from Augusta’s Chris Tupper down the left field line to score Pierce Wiegman and Jon Tefft for a quick 2-0 lead.

Tupper pitched a solid game for Augusta, yielding just two hits in seven innings, but Mid Coast made the most of its opportunities. Chad Doughty drilled an RBI double in the fifth to make it 3-0, and Ames added more insurance with a sac fly in the eighth off reliever Ray Vallee.

“I think (Sunday) we might have been a little nervous. They seemed a little more relaxed today,” Foster said. “We still didn’t hit the ball that well, but we got enough to get us by today.”

rwhitehouse@sunjournal.com

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