Auburn, ME – The Central Maine Community College baseball team opened its 2024 fall ball schedule with a 13-9 win over Bridgton Academy. Sophomore Ryan Stone went 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs, eight different Mustangs scored and the head coach Ryan Palmer got a look at seven different pitchers in the victory.
"Our first game out, we've been practicing for three weeks now, the guys were hungry to play a game," said Palmer. "We were able to get everybody in to see what we have. Now it's time to fine tune things and get our line-up ready for SMCC on Wednesday."
CMCC jumped out to a 5-0 lead early on. In the bottom of the first, last year's home run leader Gage Hubbard came to the plate with a bases loaded situation. His ground ball went off of shortstop Edgar Real's glove, and allowed Brandon Gour to sprint home with the first run of the game.
Hayden Durrell then came through with a two-out two RBI double to center field, before back-to-back wild pitches allowed Hubbard and Durrell to cross the plate as well.
In the top of the second inning, Lee Robertson made a nice defensive play, fielding a low ground ball up the middle and diving headlong to tag second base and save a run.
That set the table for the bottom half, with Ryan Stone hitting a lead-off single and stealing second to get into scoring position. A fielder's choice moved him to third, and a sacrifice fly from Gour allowed him to tag and score for a 6-0 lead.
"I think we're a good team," Stone said. "We all can bounce off each other, keep our momentum up. Everybody holds their head high and makes plays when they get in. I give them a lot of props for that."
Bridgton Academy pulled back four runs in the top of the third to close the gap, before a bases loaded walk plated Garren Post to make it 7-4 Mustangs. A Shane Jewett infield single down the third base line caused some confusion to score Steven White before the Wolverines got out of the jam.
Jewett would be the victim of a ball lost in the night sky in the fourth. A high fly ball from Aiden McKelligan fell harmlessly at the left fielder's feet for an RBI double that trimmed the deficit to 8-5.
The fifth saw the wild pitch bug return. Anders Lowkes sent two to the backstop to allow Jewett and Stone to score. Cameron Dostie's ground ball forced the Wolverines take the out at second base with Robertson coming home in the process.
The Mustangs then made it 13-5 in the sixth with a well executed double steal to plate Durrell, and a sacrifice fly from Robertson to score Stone.
"Everybody got involved, everybody scored runs," said Durrell. "We're finding out different ways to use different guys. This year, we're really gelling together well. The team chemistry is as high as I've ever seen it."
Lowkes came to the plate for Bridgton Academy with a bases loaded situation in the eighth. He was able to beat out a potential inning-ending double play to drive in a run. A hit by pitch reloaded the bags for Emmit Hatch, but Brady Vincent delivered a strikeout to end the inning. A two-out rally in the top of the ninth saw the Wolverines score twice on wild pitches and once on a balk before Jake Calver hauled in the final out on a fly ball to center field.
Garren Post endured an odd night at the plate for CMCC. The junior from Westbrook, ME was hit three times in the first four innings and finished the night 0-for-0 with a walk and two runs scored.
CMCC next takes on arch rival Southern Maine Community College on Wednesday, September 11th. The Mustangs and Seawolves will play a doubleheader with game one starting at 5:00 pm.
