AUBURN – The Auburn Suburban Little League Junior Division (13-14) All-Star baseball team, the District 5 champ, will be entering the State Junior Baseball Tournament today at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Suburban will begin its quest for the state crown at 10:30 a.m. against South Portland. The other 3 teams in the field are Bangor, Ellsworth and Kennebunk. Ellsworth and Kennebunk will clash at 1:30. Bangor has drawn an opening round bye and will meet the winner of game one Saturday at 10:30. The double-elimination tourney continues all weekend with the championship game set for Monday at 4:30.

Auburn won Game 1 of its best-of-3 District series with Elliot of Lewiston. Mat Gordon spun a nifty 2-hitter, striking out 8, as Suburban prevailed 5-0. Gordon aided his cause with a double and scored a run. Ryan Arnold had the key hit, a 2-run single in the third. Tim Mains, Jordan Haskell, Kenzie Souders and Luke Shandelmeier all scored in that frame. Logan Rossignal and Joe Sullivan shared the pitching duties for Elliot, allowing just 4 hits and fanning 7. Cody Dussault and Zach Parker were the hitters for Elliot.

Elliot got even in Game 2, 4-3, as Sullivan hurled 6 1/3 innings of fine ball. Chris Jacques got the last 2 outs. Rossignal was on base 5 times, with a single, double and 3 walks. Dussault reached 4 times, including an RBI single in the first. Jesse Barlow and Souders shared the pitching duties for Suburban, yielding just 4 hits and striking out 10. Souders was a repeat hitter.

In the deciding game, Auburn was victorious 4-2 as Gordon again hurled a complete game, scattering 5 hits. Shandelmeier ripped an RBI double and was hit by a pitch to score another run. Ryan Arnold had a key RBI single in the third. For Elliot, Rossignal and Mekye Hyde combined on a 4-hitter. David Ouellette whacked an RBI double in the second. Scott Ouellette and Alex Chicoine, sharing the #8 spot in the batting order, combining for 3 hits.

Auburn Suburban survived a scare in the seventh. Chicoine’s RBI single cut the deficit to 4-2 with no outs and the bases loaded. Gordon fanned the next batter for the first out. EJ Zembas then trapped a ball in center and fired home for a force out on a fine play. Gordon then struck out the final hitter for the victory.

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