BANGOR- In a pitchers duel on Tuesday afternoon, the Old Town Coyotes won their second baseball state championship in three seasons with a 1-0 victory over Yarmouth in the Class B Final at Mansfield Stadium.
Two of the top pitchers in the state in Gabe Gifford for Old Town and Liam Hickey for Yarmouth were both on top of their game. The Coyotes had the first opportunity to break on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when Gifford led off and took a 1-1 pitch and hit a double into right centerfield. Hickey got around that though when he struckout James Dumond looking, got Nathan Baker on a grounder to second base, and then struckout Brendan Mahaney swinging to end the threat. Baker was in the game after starting catcher Jackson Lizzotte was injured after having his hand hit by a swing during an interference call in the top of the first. They also had a chance in the third with runners on first and third with one out, but Mahaney lined out to first base that turned into an unassisted doubleplay. The Clippers got a Sam Lowenstein single with two outs in the fourth, and then he went to third base when a pickoff move to first by Gifford was wild and went down the rightfield line. Gifford escaped any trouble when he retired Sam Bradford on a lineout to right. Yarmouth never got a runner past second base the rest of the way. In the last of the fourth, Alex McCannell drew a one out walk. He was erased though when Matt Brawn struckout swinging on a hit and run, and McCannell was doubled up on a throw to second by the catcher Graeme Roux. The game winner in the sixth was set up on an error with Dumond batting to lead it off. A groundball in the hole at shortstop was fielded by Andrew Cheever, but his throw was high to first allowing Dumond to reach safely. Baker bunted to sacrifice Dumond to second. After Mahaney flew out to right for the second out, Lucas Moore brought home Dumond by looping a single into left centerfield for the unearned run. Gifford gave up a two out walk in the final chance for the Clippers in the seventh, but then induced a foul popout by Jonny Cody to the first baseman Mahaney to end it.
Gifford and Hickey both went the distance for their respective teams. Gifford gave up just two hits, walked one, and struckout six while throwing 80 pitches. The lefthander didn’t allow a single earned run in his three postseason appearances with shutouts over MDI, Ellsworth, and Yarmouth. He also had a double and a single in the victory. Preston Vose, Baker, and Moore had the other hits for Old Town who ends their season at 17-3 claiming their second title in three seasons with the last coming in 2021. Hickey was also exceptional in the defeat for Yarmouth, allowing one run (none earned) on five hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Matt Gautreau and Lowenstein had the hits for the Clippers, as they end up with a 14-6 record and were seeking their first state title since they beat Old Town 3-0 back in 2017.
Recap/Photos/Video by Chris Lessner/additional videos by Marc Calnan
