Lisbon’s Neil LaRochelle slides safely in to third base as Topsham’s Landon Chase prepares to apply the tag during Tuesday’s junior legion game in Lisbon. Lisbon Post 209 defeated Post 202, 8-1. (Eric Maxim / The Times Record)
LISBON — With the Lisbon High School baseball team just coming off a state championship, several of its players kept the cleats on and switched jerseys to the newly formed junior American Legion team, Post 209.
Nick Ferrence, a member of the Greyhounds championship squad this past season as a freshman, threw a complete game, scattering six hits to pace the home team to an 8-1 win over Topsham Post 202.
“This is our second time out as a team. We took the field Sunday against Skowhegan, even the day after winning the states, they all showed,” team manager Darren Brown said. “It’s pretty amazing.”
Lisbon scored in five of six innings, led by Levi Tibbets’ two hits and two RBIs, while Hunter Brissette reached base four times, swiping four bases and scoring three runs. Neil LaRochelle knocked in three runs.
“We’re still gelling as a team,” Topsham manager Chris Hickman said. “We’re young, as we have nine eighth-graders on the team. We did a lot of good things tonight.”
Catcher Ty Knowlton, of Morse, had two hits to pace Topsham.
Lisbon scored three runs across the first two innings with the help of three walks, all which scored. Brissette, also a freshman member on the high school team, led off the bottom of the first with a walk and promptly stole second. A groundball to the right side of the infield moved him to third and he came in to score on a LaRochelle groundout.
In the second, Topsham starter Tanner Rapoza ran into some more trouble, walking the first two hitters of the frame. After a hit batter loaded the bases, Brissette reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Ferrence with the second run. A two-out error allowed Justin Le to score and Post 209 led 3-0 after two.
Lisbon added a run in the third when Justin and Levi Tibbets hit back-to-back doubles in almost identical spots down the left-field line.
Post 209 chased Rapoza in the fourth after catcher Caleb Philips led off with the first of his two singles and Brissette was hit with a pitch. Gage Mitchell relieved Rapoza and surrendered a LaRochelle double to score Brissette, and after four innings Lisbon led 6-0.
Meanwhile, the Lisbon defense was solid behind Ferrence, turning a double play and playing error-free ball through four innings.
“We’re real solid in the field, which makes it easier for us and our pitchers,” Brown said.
“Everything we hit, we hit right to them. Hats off to them, a lot them just won a state title the other day,” Hickman said.
Topsham strung some hits together in the fifth. Matt Orlando led off the frame with a single, followed by a Ryan Staples knock to put two runners on. Ferrence induced a groundball back to him and forced the runner at second, putting runners on the corners.
Orlando came in to score when Chris Brady was hung up between first and second before being tagged out by the Lisbon defense.
Knowlton followed with his second single but was stranded after Ferrence once again fielded his position, retiring the next hitter on a groundout back to the mound.
“I know all I have to do is pitch strikes and my defense plays great behind me,” Ferrence said. “Caleb and I have worked together quite a bit.”
“He told before the game he was feeling good and with another game Friday, I figured I’d use him up and he ended up going the whole game,” Brown said.
After Lisbon added a pair of runs in the fifth on a LaRochelle sacrifice fly and Levi Tibbets RBI single, Ferrence completed his outing by retiring the last six hitters of the ball game for the complete-game win.
“I was feeling good today. I hadn’t pitched in a while,” Ferrence added.
Rapoza and Mitchell together surrendered eight hits, while combining to walk seven batters and fanning two.
“Two innings killed us. We have to do better next time out,” Hickman added.
“When we hit our spots today, we did well, it’s when we missed them, our pitchers got into a little trouble,” Knowlton added. “We’ll come together and bond as a team, should be fun.”
Topsham (1-1), which defeated Messalonskee 9-5 on Sunday, will get right back at it on Wednesday when they host Lewiston in Bowdoinham.
Lisbon (2-0) travels to Lewiston on Friday for a 5:30 p.m. game.
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