Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

AMERICAN LEGION STATE TOURNAMENT

Offense comes up big for Augusta in victory

By Travis Lazarczyk tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

SOUTH PORTLAND -- After Wednesday's loss to Brewer on the first day of the American Legion baseball state tournament, Augusta was disappointed in its offense.

There wasn't much to be disappointed with at the plate on Thursday. Augusta pounded out 14 hits, including five for extra bases, and scored in every at-bat to win 19-9 against Fayette-Staples of Saco. The game was shortened to seven innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Fayette-Staples, which scored 22 runs in two games but allowed 41, was eliminated from the tournament. Augusta will play again at 11 a.m. today.

"I think against Brewer we were a little tight, a little nervous," said Augusta leadoff hitter Jake Lachance, who reached base on all six of his plate appearances and scored five runs.

Lachance scored the game-ending run in the bottom of the seventh. Lachance led off the inning with a double to right center field and took third on Colin McKee's sacrifice bunt. Luke Duncklee hit a groundball to third base, and as soon as Jon Dupee made the throw to first base, Lachance broke for home, sliding across the plate head first well ahead of the throw.

One pitch earlier, Augusta tried to use the suicide squeeze for the run, but Duncklee's bunt went foul.

"We'd been playing aggressive all day. We wanted to keep it up," Lachance said. "Stay aggressive and make them make plays."

Augusta coach Ray Vallee played the seventh inning like a one-run ballgame, trying to get the 10-run lead that would end the game and spare his pitching staff two more innings.

"Those two innings today are going to come back and help you tomorrow," Vallee said. "We wanted to squeeze the pitch before. When that didn't work, the plan was to go on any grounder as soon as the throw was made to first."

Augusta led 5-0 after three innings, and starting pitcher David Clough worked out of a huge jam to keep Fayette-Staples at bay in the fourth. After Steve Trask led off with a double, Clough walked Alex Newton and hit Dupee to load the bases with nobody out. Clough struck out John Pate, then got Alex Jacques to ground into an inning ending double play.

"Clough did a great job battling out of that," Lachance said.

Added Vallee: "That double play gets us into the dugout up 5-0, and we add on."

Augusta scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 10-0. Duncklee singled home Lachance, who led off with a triple. Corey Lapierre drove in a pair of runs with a single, and Cory Clarke scored on an error. Jordan Conant singled home another run.

Fayette-Staples finally got the offense going with three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth, but Augusta added four more in the fifth and four in the sixth to maintain the big lead.

Trask had three hits and drove in three runs for Fayette-Staples. Sam Butts and Max Dube each scored twice.

Partridge scored four runs and drove in a pair for Augusta. McKee scored three runs, and Jason Burns drove in three. Duncklee had four RBIs, while Clarke drove in three runs.

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com