HIRAM— The Sacopee Valley Hawks opened the season with a doubleheader sweep over Mount View on Monday afternoon. The Hawks won game one by a score of 3-2 behind a complete game two hitter from Carson Black. Game two featured another strong pitching performance from a Hawks right hander as Grady Cummings pitched a complete game four hitter and struck out nine in a 6-1 Hawks victory.
GAME ONE:
Both teams had an opportunity in the first inning. Noah Hurd ripped an opposite field one out double for the Mustangs. Hurd stole third base but was stranded as Black struck out the final two hitters. Caleb Vacchiano smacked a leadoff double for the Hawks in the bottom of the first. Hurd was able to work around that double by retiring the next three hitters, including striking out two.
The Hawks offense got going in the third inning when Vacchiano started things with a two out single, Black followed with a single, and Minjae Kim walked to load the bases. Austin Croteau hit a double to score Vacchiano and Black and give Sacopee a 2-0 lead.
After the Hurd first inning double, Black retired 16 straight. That streak ended when Draedyn Furrow drew a two out walk in the sixth inning. That was followed up with three Hawks errors that led to an unearned run. The Mustangs stranded two runners as Black was able to limit the damage.
Hurd was removed after five strong innings on the mound for the Mustangs. Levi Winslow came in and struck out the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tristan Croteau and Brady Metcalf followed that with back back singles. With Cummings up to the plate, the Hawks got two runners thrown out at third as they attempted a double steal. Croteau was thrown out and when the throw got sent back to the pitcher, Metcalf attempted to take third but a heads up play by Winslow got the runner at third.
The seventh inning started with Calvin Jewitt working a leadoff walk for the Mustangs. After a single by Winslow that sent Jewitt to third, Hunter Penny got Jewitt home on a ground out to even the score. Black closed out the top half of the inning by striking out the final two batters. Cummings started the bottom of the seventh with a double. After he stole third base, the Mustangs brought back in Hurd to pitch to try to get out of the jam with no outs and runner on third. After Hurd recorded a strike out, Gabe Durgin got his bat on the ball to score Cummings and send the Hawks to a season opening walk off win.
Black finished with seven strikeouts, two walks, and allowing only one earned in his two hit gem. Black recorded 13 ground outs. Hurd was also solid in his season opening performance for the Mustangs, pitching 5.1 innings allowing five hits, two runs, striking out 1 and walking one.
GAME TWO:
After two quick outs in the top of the first inning, Declen Knowlton hit a single, stole two bases and came home to score on a passed ball to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. The Hawks responded quick when Cummings reached on an error, Black reached on a walk, Cummings then scored to even the score on a grounder from Vacchiano. Tristan Croteau hit a single to score Black that would give the Hawks a lead they wouldn’t give back. The Hawks stole 11 bases in the two games combined (5 by Cummings), including three in the two run first inning.
Sacopee would have another threat in the second inning, but the Mustangs got out of it as two runners were left on base. Meanwhile, on the mound for the Hawks, Cummings got stronger as the game went on. The only threat for Mount View came in the fourth inning, but the Hawks got around that as Austin Croteau threw out a runner at third base and Cummings struck out the final batter of the inning.
The top of the order for the Hawks got things going in the bottom of the fifth inning, Cummings doubled with one out, Black singled, Vacchiano brought them both home with a double. It looked like the bottom of the sixth inning would be a quick inning after two quick outs, until Cummings walked and Black followed with a two run homer to the trees in left center.
Cummings ended the complete game with a smooth top of the seventh inning. The game featured some solid defense from both teams, including Hurd making a nice catch in center for the Mustangs and Durgin making a diving catch in right field for the Hawks. Mount View (0-2) will host Traip Academy in a doubleheader on Saturday. Sacopee (2-0) will also be in action on Saturday as they travel to Richmond.
Black was the Bangor Savings Bank Player of the Game for game one. While Cummings earned the honor for game two.
Postgame interview:
Full game
