Pastime’s Ethan Brown fires the ball over the plate during Thursday evening’s baseball game at Lewiston’s Elliot Field. Andree Kehn/ Sun Journal
Pastime took a 10-2 loss on the chin to open up the 2019 American Legion baseball season.
Twenty-three days later, the Lewiston-based team battled through the rain and a small roster (only 11 players suited up) to take down previously undefeated Bessey Motors in a 10-inning classic to move near the top of the South division.
After a 6-3 loss to Bessey (11-1) on Monday evening, Pastime now holds a record of 8-6 and in third place.
Pastime coach Chris Reed said he was told by the umpire after Thursday’s showdown with Bessey, “That wasn’t the same team I saw against Topsham the first night of the year.”
“That first game was an aberration, we did not show up,” Reed said following Thursday’s game. “I’m not making excuses, we did not come to play. They took it to us, and (Topsham) can be good. … I told (Topsham coach A.J. Booty) I never want to see that team again.
Things are looking up for Pastime, for which Reed credits the players.
“It’s the boys,” he said. “I’ve been doing the same things I’ve been doing since game one.”
BESSEY LOCKS UP DIVISION
Bessey Motors and Pastime have traded off zone championships the past three years (two for Pastime, one for Bessey).
This summer, Pastime won the first battle Thursday, and Bessey won the second on Monday. The two teams will play one more time, Thursday, before the playoffs start July 27.
The top of the South division still belongs to Bessey at 11-1 after Monday’s win. With the victory, Bessey secured the regular season division title.
‘BENDING, NOT BREAKING’
On Thursday, Pastime got four strong innings on the mound from recent Edward Little graduate Ethan Brown before hip pain took him out of the game. Then, when called upon for just “a couple of innings,” Hunter Landry ended up pitching six frames to help beat Bessey.
Part of playing Bessey Motors is playing well and playing hard.
“Not making too many mistakes,” Landry said. “We were still intact, bending, not breaking. That’s the big thing, keeping all the guys in the game and keeping it close because once you blow it you know you blow it and that’s when morale drops.”
SOLID CUTLER
Bessey Motors used Ethan Cutler for seven innings Thursday against Pastime and he allowed only three runs. The Oxford Hills varsity and JV swing player pitched well, and, surprisingly, it was Bessey’s ace and soon-to-be University of Maine pitcher Colton Carson who gave up a 4-3 lead in relief in the eighth inning.
“Hunter (Landry) came in and pitched well for them,” Bessey Motors coach Shane Slicer said. “I thought Cutler pitched well for us. He pitched really well and kept his pitch count down. We just thought Colton was ready to go, he’s our ace so let’s give it a go, but it just didn’t work out.”
‘READY TO GO’
Two days before Bessey’s loss to Pastime, the Oxford Hills-based team hosted Topsham in Paris and won big, 8-2.
Topsham, as of Monday evening, is in sixth place at 6-7.
Immediately after the game, Topsham’s coaching staff talked to the players about the importance of playing hard.
“It was a tough game,” Booty, top Topsham coach, said. “Oxford is always ready to go. We have to come out as hard as they do. We have battled these guys since All-Stars and Cal Ripken (League). We just weren’t in it today and you can’t do that against these guys.”
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