Rowell’s Navigators fall in eight innings vs. the Acadians
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — After the two teams combined for eight runs in the first three innings, the scoreboard featured nothing but zeros over the ensuing four during a June 30 American Legion game between the Rowell’s Navigators and the Hancock Memorial Acadians.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
FIRST TO THE BAG — Ryan Vienneau of the Rowell’s Navigators makes the play himself on a grounder to first to get Acadian hitter Beckett Slayton out during the sixth inning of a June 30 American Legion game at Foxcroft Academy. The two teams went to extra innings with the Acadians winning 5-4 in eight.
The visitors (who improved to 4-4 with the victory) would end the scoreless stalemate in the top of the eighth on an RBI-triple to the rightfield fence by Beckett Slayton, the last of his game-high three hits. Slayton then took over pitching duties in the bottom of the inning and the southpaw tossed a perfect inning in relief — on a fly ball, strikeout and groundout retiring the side — to earn the win.
The Navigators (who fell to 2-6) struck first during the opening inning. Nick Decker doubled to centerfield to drive in Brayden Miller and Brooks Law for the 2-0 advantage.
An inning later Ryan Vienneau was at third with Tim Mazzeo at the plate. Mazzeo laid down a bunt on a squeeze play that worked as designed with Vienneau coming home and Mazzeo reached base safely with the defense focused on a possible play at the plate.
During the home half of the third Law led off with a double to centerfield for the second of his team-high two hits on a 2-for-4 day at the plate. Law then stole third base with Billy Brock up to bat. Brock redirected a pitch to deep centerfield that was caught, but was hit deep enough for Law to tag up and score with ease. Law’s second run of the game tied the contest, 4-4, and the score would remain as such until the first bonus inning.
After Acadian starter Stefan Simmons struck out the lead-off hitter of the bottom of the sixth — Simmons and two relievers held the Navigators to five hits and four walks in the eight innings — he began to run out of gas by walking Allen and Decker on four pitches apiece. He did get a strike vs. Vienneau but a ball on a 3-1 count loaded the bases as 11 of 12 pitches missed the strikezone. The visitors then opted to lift Simmons for Isaac Christiansen with Jacob Bickford due up.
One week earlier the Navigators had a walkoff victory in the bottom of the seventh on a squeeze play with two runners in scoring position and an ensuing throwing error to first. During the June 30 game another squeeze play was attempted with Allen starting to run home as Christiansen began his windup.
The pitch ended up in the glove of the catcher before Allen could get to the plate as the baserunner was tagged out. The ball was then relayed to first base as Vienneau was tagged in front of the bag for an inning-ending double play to help keep the game at four runs apiece.
Law got the start for the Navigators and he pitched the first three innings before Decker took over on the mound for the fourth and fifth. Noah Allen was handed the ball to start the sixth and he would work the final three innings.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
EYE ON THE BALL — Tim Mazzeo finds the baseball near home plate during the third inning.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
JUST OUT OF REACH — Nick Decker lays out on the grass to try to come up with the catch in foul territory in the top of the second on Thursday, with rightfielder Tim Mazzeo looking on. The hitter would end up flying out to centerfield to end the inning.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
SHORT TO FIRST — Shortstop Brayden Miller throws a fielded grounder to first base for the out.
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL
Acadians 5,
Navigators 4
ACAD 013 000 01 | 5
NAV 211 000 00 | 4
Navigators (2-6): Law
|2-4 two 2B two runs SB.
Acadians (4-4):
Slayton 3-4
3B BB RBI run three SB
WP Slayton 1 IP 0 runs
0 hits 0 BB 1 K.
LP Allen 3 IP 1 run
2 hits 1 BB 0 K.