BANGOR- The Old Town Coyotes baseball team has not got behind a lot this season. It didn’t bother the Coyotes when they got behind by two runs in the first inning of their biggest game of the season.
Old Town scored 12 unanswered runs in a 12-2 five inning mercy rule victory over Freeport in the class B state championship game at Mansfield stadium on Saturday morning at Mansfield Stadium. It is the first state championship for the Old Town (19-1) baseball program.
The Falcons took advantage of two walks from Old Town pitcher Ethan Stoddard.to score their two first inning runs. Colby Wagner had a run scoring single while Joshua Burke hit a sacrifice fly.
It didn’t take the Coyotes long to respond. Ryan Hoogterp started the bottom of the first inning with a single, Drew Coulombe followed with a bunt single, Hoogterp went all the way to third on the play. Stoddard singled to send Hoogterp home. Jacob Ketch evened the score on a sacrifice fly. Austin Sheehan put Old Town ahead on a run scoring single. The Coyotes added to lead on a double steal. With an 0-2 count on TJ Crawford with two outs. Coach Brad Goody sent Sheehan to second base, while Sheehan was in a rundown, Cole Daniel came home to score and Sheehan scooted to second on the throw home. The play also worked in the third inning with Hoogterp the runner coming home and Daniel going to second.
“Teams up north know we do that a lot.we wanted to see how it would work against a team that hasn’t seen us,”Goody said. “It was an 0-2 count on the number eight hitter.”
With the lead, Stoddard settled down to pitch four shutout innings after the two runs in the first. Only one Falcons base runner made it to second base in the final four innings. Stoddard allowed two runs, four hits and four walks, while striking out three. He threw 72 pitches (43 strikes).
“I was a little nervous at first, state game facing a very good team,”Stoddard said. “I settled down after the four runs.”
The Coyotes added four unearned runs in the second inning. Stoddard helped himself again with a run scoring single. They would add two in the third inning on the double steal and a Ketch hit. Sheehan ended the game with a double in the right centerfield gap that scored Stoddard and Daniel in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Davenport reached base twice for the Falcons. Freeport finishes the season with a 14-7 record.
