LEWISTON — The first four batters of Pastime’s lineup hit for the cycle in the first four at-bats against Locke Mills, including a home run by pitcher Evan Cox, to defeat the visitors 18-0 in five innings in an American Legion baseball game Tuesday evening.

Pastime started the game off with a Brock Belanger double. Belanger then scored when Hunter Richardson hit a triple deep into the outfield. Hunter Landry followed Richardson with an RBI single, which set up Cox’s blast.

“It felt good,” Cox said. “It was my first one at this field, so that was special. I wasn’t trying to do too much with it. I hadn’t hit one all high school season.”

Jack LeBlond finished the first-inning scoring by coming home on a Nick Lerette double, which came after LeBlond laced a double of his own.

Cox was comfortable on the mound to start, giving up just a hit to Tanner Wheeler in the first and striking out two.

“I was trying to keep the ball down and keep it in play,” Cox said. “I know I have a good D behind me, so they’ll make the plays and we will go from there.”

In the top of the second, Cox took over again. After walking Garrett Garbarini, Cox got Spencer Hurd to fly out then struck out the next two batters.

In the bottom half, after batting through the order once, Belanger led off the inning again for the home team and Zone 2 leaders. Belanger flew out to center, but a walk by Richardson got the ball rolling.

Landry reached base next off an error at second, followed by Cox reaching second on a bad throw from third to first that scored Richardson and Landry. Lerette hit an RBI single and scored on a Gordon Beckwith double — the last hit of the inning to put Pastime up 10-0.

“Locke Mills gave us a run last time we played so I think we expected that,” Pastime head coach Jake Brown said. “Our bats got going really early, that first inning was really big and it was good to have quality at-bats.”

Locke Mills was retired 1-2-3 in the third with Cox earning another strikeout. LeBlond took over for Cox in the fourth.

In the top of the third, Locke Mills pitcher Will Bean was able to sit down the top of the Pastime lineup in order. After walking Belanger, Bean forced Richardson into a 6-3 double play and got Landry to ground out to end the inning.

Locke Mills continued to struggle in the fourth, but did manage two hits in the inning, by Garbarini and Josh Eliot.

Pastime started to bring in reserves in the fourth inning, but did not stop hitting and ran eight batters across home plate in the frame.

Brodi Farinas got the ball rolling with a single and later scored on a passed ball. Pastime earned six walks in the inning to go along with its six hits, which were headlined by doubles from Nate Lyons and Robert Dostie.

“It was good to see some of the guys that aren’t necessarily starters to get good at-bats, too,” Brown said. “We have a really close team here where guys have really bought into their roles. We have had a stretch here where we had some good games and guys couldn’t get in, so it was good to get them some at-bats.”

Bessey Motors is up next for Pastime on Thursday, which sets up a late regular-season battle between two of the top teams in Zone 2.

“There are teams really gunning for that top spot,” Brown said. “We had a good game at their place and every time we play those guys it’s a battle. Hopefully the good at-bats continue.”

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