Topsham Post 202’s Trey Booty, right, dives into home plate as Pastime catcher Brock Belanger attempts to catch a high throw during the third inning of Tuesday’s American Legion baseball game at Bowdoinham Community School. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
BOWDOINHAM — Post 202 of Topsham erased a five-run deficit, but aggressive-swinging Pastime plated four runs the following inning and held that lead to win 9-5 in Senior American Legion baseball action Tuesday at the Bowdoinham Community School.
Pastime, with players from Lewiston Edward Little and Lisbon high schools, pounded out 10 hits and received an unlikely pitching boost from Edward Little’s Jake Arel in the four-run victory.
“Our starter left with an injury, and the next guy’s arm was sore. I asked who’s arm felt good and Jake said his did. I just found out today that he pitches,” said Pastime coach Chris Reed, who also is an assistant on the Lewiston High School team. “Jake was outstanding for us, getting us the innings we needed.”
Arel threw the final four inning innings, allowing just a seventh-inning walk, while striking out five.
“He threw well today,” Post 202 coach Jerry Merrill said. “He kept us off-balance and shut us down.”
Pastime jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead after two innings of play. The visitors scored three runs on five base hits in the first off Post 202 starter Austin Damon.
Hunter Landry started the scoring by reaching first on a bad infield hop that resulted in an error. Jack LeBlond followed with an RBI double, which was followed a run-scoring single from Ethan Brown. Brown eventually scored after a single by Arel was misplayed in the outfield.
Two more runs came across in the top of the second. Brody Farinas led off the frame with a double and scored on a Landry ground out. Brock Belanger singled and scored the other run on LeBlond’s second RBI single of the contest.
“Their bats were aggressive tonight, they hit the ball hard,” Merrill said. “Austin wasn’t hitting his corners, leaving it in the middle of the plate, and they were getting on him.”
Post 202 scored a run in the second, then rallied in the third, tying the game with four runs on five hits.
Cody Holman was hit by a pitch by LeBlond, who had relieved starter Owen Cox in the second inning, to lead off the third. Damon singled, and on his attempt to steal second, the throw from the catcher went into center field, and Holman scored. Former Mt. Ararat standout Nick Merrill, who recently finished his first year on the Bowdoin College baseball team, flew out to deep center to score Damon.
Trey Booty doubled and scored on Sam Masse’s second hit of the contest two batters later. Caleb Tibbets and Scout Masse followed with back-to-back singles, plating Sam Masse for the tying run. LeBlond fanned the next hitter to strand a pair Topsham base runners.
Pastime, though, regained its lead In the top half of fourth.
Belanger notched his second hit with a double, LeBlond was hit by a pitch and Brown doubled home Belanger to break the tie. With two outs, Sam Laroche drove in a run after his line drive went off the glove of the center fielder to give Pastime a 9-5 lead.
“It was good to see them respond like that,” Reed said. “That hasn’t been the case this summer, coming back with the bats.”
“We just didn’t make enough plays,” Jerry Merril said. “We made too many errors to dig out of a hole like that. We’re trying to build the mental piece as much as the physical piece with these guys. But these are a good bunch of kids and I know they’ll be just fine.”
Post 202 finished with four errors on the day.
Brunswick High School pitcher Coenradt Taylor relieved Damon in the fifth and shut down the hard-swinging bats, allowing only one hit while striking out three.
“I was ready to go in once coach told me to warm up,” Taylor said. “I felt pretty good on the mound. It always helps throwing to Scout (Masse), who I’ve thrown to for years.”
With a staff that includes Jackson Walker of Morse and Hunter Lohr of Mt. Ararat, both recent graduates, Jerry Merrill likes the depth of the Topsham staff and has been pleased with Taylor’s performance thus far this summer.
“I was really happy with Coenradt the last few innings,” Merrill said. “He has pitched fantastic and done a good job for us.”
But the damage was done, as Arel replaced LeBlond, and the Post 202 hitters were done for the evening.
Arel faced the final 13 batters and retired 12 to seal the victory for Pastime.
“I just wanted to go out and help my team tonight,” Arel said. “Coach hadn’t seen me pitch, and I was ready to do whatever I had to do.”
Pastime pitcher Jack LeBlond fires a pitch as Damon Bossie hops off first base in the background during Tuesday’s Senior American Legion baseball game at Bowdoinham Community School. Pastime won the contest, 9-5. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
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