SANFORD — The L/A Lumberjaxx walked away with a split Sunday against Sanford in a Frozen Ropes Fall League doubleheader.

After losing their season opener to a talented Oxford Hills squad two weeks ago, the ‘Jaxx were raring to claim their first win at Sanford’s expense. Traveling with only nine players (including one brought up from their 12U team), they were at an immediate disadvantage right from the onset against a fully staffed opponent.

Undeterred, their spirits high, the visiting Lumberjaxx posted an early run utilizing their speed as Eddie Turgeon drew a walk to open the game and promptly stole second and third before scoring on a passed ball to take a 1-0 lead.

‘Jaxx starter Tyler Blanchard, in his first start of the season, struck out the first batter he faced before allowing a single and a walk. Sanford displayed speed of its own, swiping bases to manufacture a run, tying the contest at one apiece.

Sanford pitching kept L/A bats quiet in the second and third, striking out five of seven batters. Blanchard, too, had success in the bottom of the second, striking out the side. Sanford batters broke through in the third after a hit batsman and three walks led to a run. A triple to the gap drove in two more, pushing the score to 4-1. Another scored on a ground out to give Sanford a commanding 5-1 lead.

Sanford pitchers continued to dominate in the fourth. A single by Colby Biloldeau and three successive walks made the score 5-2, but that was all Sanford would surrender the rest of the way. Damien St.Pierre relieved Blanchard in the fourth and struck out the first batter he faced. A sharp single to left and a passed ball later, the Sanford runner broke for third and was gunned down on a pinpoint throw by Turgeon. St.Pierre struck out the next hitter to end the threat.

In the fifth, Sanford hitters took advantage of three errors and two hits, scoring three runs to chase St.Pierre. Ben Harris came on in relief and struggled with control ,allowing a single and a walk to the first two he faced. The game ended on a tense note when the next Sanford hitter was hit in the back of the helmet trying to avoid an errant pitch. No serious injury was sustained. The final score was 12-2.

In the second game, with L/A down to only eight players (they would ‘borrow’ a right-fielder from Sanford), the Lumberjaxx struck early as Jean-Luc Dostie singled to open the inning and proceeded to steal both second and third before crossing the plate on a passed ball.

Sanford pitching allowed two walks and a groundout before Blanchard drove a two-run double into the gap. He eventually scored on a wild pitch to stake L/A starter Dostie to a 4-0 lead.

Dostie’s outstanding control and wicked slider kept Sanford bats silent. He allowed only three hits but no runs through three innings while ringing up five. His cause was further aided in the bottom of the second when he doubled and scored to widen the lead to 5-0.

Dostie was lifted in the fourth and replaced by Brandon Asselin. Sanford unleashed the bats and scored three times (two of them unearned), making the score 5-3 L/A.

The ‘Jaxx scored two more in the top of the fifth, headlined by Asselin’s single to left and Caelan Pelletier’s RBI single. Colby Bilodeau came on in relief in the fifth but struggled with the strike zone, allowing three walks and two singles to manifest into three runs, making the score 7-6.

After allowing a walk in the bottom of the 6th, reliever Damien St.Pierre slammed the door with a strikeout to end the game for the save.

12U trounced at OOB

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Perhaps the L/A Lumberjaxx 12U team was feeling too confident this past Saturday. Still riding high on their success versus Freeport last week, the ‘Jaxx arrived in Old Orchard Beach a bit under-prepared and absorbed an 18-9 loss.

For the first four innings, the best the offense was able to muster was a Nate Osgood single and a few scattered walks. Old Orchard, meanwhile, took advantage of three Lumberjaxx errors, walks, passed balls and just one hit over the first two innings to take and 8-0 lead on L/A starter Matt Clifford.

To his defense, Clifford allowed just one hit over two innings while striking out three. Grant Hartley slowed the bleeding by going the next two innings and allowing only one run and whiffing four.

Now down by a score of 9-0, ‘Jaxx bats came alive in the fifth. Elias Atkins walked and advanced to third on passed balls, Jalen Allison singled, Damien St.Pierre doubled in Atkins, and Clifford blasted a two run double to score St.Pierre and Allison to make it 9-3.

OOB got those three runs right back though on a hit and two infield errors against reliever Keegan Voss.

Now 12-3, the Lumberjaxx continued to battle back, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth helped by another Allison single. But OOB kept its foot on the gas in its half of the inning, plating five runs on only two hits and a handful of walks.

With the score now out of hand at 17-6, the L/A offense came up empty in the seventh and eighth. St.Pierre relieved Allison in the seventh, striking out the side.

In a last ditch effort to save face, the Lumberjaxx got things going in the top of the ninth. Jacob Strout singled to open the frame and swiped second. Allison and St. Pierre then walked and stole bases before Matt Forgues grounded at the first baseman, who couldn’t corral the ball, allowing Forgues to reach and two runs to score. Four runs scored by inning’s end.

Next up for the L/A boys is Saco.