BANGOR- The Machias Bulldogs trailed 4-0 early, but scored 10 runs in the fifth inning bringing 16 men to the plate rallying for a 13-8 win over the Southern Aroostook Warriors in the Class D North Baseball Regional Title game played at Mansfield Stadium Wednesday afternoon. It is the first North Regional Championship for Machias, as they were runners up twice previously.
Southern Aroostook (15-3) went up 1-0 in the first inning when starting pitcher Garrett Harvey doubled in Xavier Morales who started it with a lead off single. Morales had an RBI single in the second to extend the lead to a pair, and then in the third Graham Siltz tripled home a run and Buddy Porter knocked home Siltz with an RBI groundout and it was 4-0 Warriors. Machias (13-3) began their comeback in the top of the fourth. Kashman Feeney led off with a double, and scored on a single by the Bulldogs starting pitcher Kyle Anderson. Anderson would cut the deficit to 4-2 after he stole second and third, and would score on a passed ball. The Bulldogs then exploded in the fifth. After Lucas Robicheau struck out to start the inning, they had six consecutive hits including an RBI single by K. Feeney, a two-run single by Anderson, and an RBI single by Brandyn Holland. They continued the onslaught with a run scored on a balk, a bases loaded walk, a two-run double by Ethan Foss, and RBI singles by Jayden Rhodes and Shane Feeney capped it off to make it 12-4. They totaled 10 runs and 10 hits in the frame and left the bases loaded.
Southern Aroostook came right back in their turn at bat in the bottom of the fifth. The Warriors scored four times helped by two strikeouts that were wild pitches that allowed the batters to reach first base. Nolan Hodgkins had a two-run single, and Andrew Lewis also had an RBI single to cut the deficit to 12-8. The Bulldogs added one more run in the sixth, and then brought in Rhodes to pitch. Rhodes would finish it off and help Machias advance to Saturday’s State Championship game by working two perfect innings, striking out five including the side in the seventh.
Anderson would get the win on the mound allowing eight earned runs on 11 hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Foss went 4-5 with two doubles, a single, a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored. Rhodes had three hits, with one RBI, and one run. Both of the Feeney brothers had two hits a piece, while Anderson and Holland also had two hits each. Harvey would take the loss for Southern Aroostook allowing 11 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Chris Caswell pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Morales had three hits to lead the Warriors offense, Lewis had two hits, and Hodgkins had two hits, two RBI, and scored twice. Machias will face South Champ Searsport (9-10) at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Mansfield for the Class D State Championship.
MAC 0 0 0 2 (10) 1 0- 13 14 0
SAHS 1 1 2 0 4 0 0- 8 11 1
Winning Pitcher- Kyle Anderson
Losing pitcher- Garrett Harvey
Singles- MACHIAS- Rhodes (3), S. Feeney (2), Anderson (2), Holland (2), Foss (1), Preston (1)/Doubles- Foss (2), K. Feeney (1) Singles- SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK- Morales (3), Hodgkins (2), Lewis (2), Porter (1), Brooks (1)/Doubles- Harvey (1)/Triples- Siltz (1)
Left on Base- Machias 8, Southern Aroostook 7
Members of the Machias Bulldogs Baseball team celebrate their Class D Northern Maine Regional Championship on Wednesday afternoon in Bangor over Southern Aroostook. Photo by Chris Lessner
Southern Aroostook Warriors pitcher Garrett Harvey fires a second inning pitch against Machias in the Class D Northern Maine Regional Championship game on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 13-8. Photo by Chris Lessner
