Ellsworth rallied from a 5-0 fourth inning deficit on Tuesday evening, knocking off Hermon 8-5 in the Class B North Regional Baseball Championship game played at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.
The Hawks jumped to that 5-0 lead, helped by a three run third inning. Max Hopkins had a sacrifice RBI flyout, while Mason Kinney and Maddox Kinney both hit RBI doubles. The Eagles cut it to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a RBI groundout by Jackson Barry and an error that scored another run. They tied it in the fifth by putting up a three spot on a two-run double by Dawson Curtis and a RBI sacrifice flyout from Hollis Grindal. Kyle Kenny provided the game winner in the sixth with one out with a three-run inside the park homerun to help send Ellsworth to the state championship game.
Kenny led the way with two hits and the clutch three RBI for Ellsworth. Curtis had two hits, two RBI, and scored two runs. Luke Horne and Brayden King also contributed two hits a piece. The Eagles stole five bases. Barry stepped up huge in relief to pick up the pitching win by firing 4.0 innings allowing no runs on two hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Tommy Meserve had two hits and scored twice for #5 Hermon. Max Hopkins also took the pitching loss giving up eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits with no walks and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. The Hawks finish as runners-up with a record of 11-8. #2 Ellsworth, now 14-5, will take on South Champion Greely in the state title game on Saturday at Mahaney Diamond in Orono at 4:30 p.m. The Eagles last trip to the state final was in 2022 when they defeated Freeport 3-2.
