Messalonskee baseball outlasts Brewer away in 10 innings

The Messalonskee Eagles scored three early runs and survived multiple Brewer rallies to win in 10 innings on Monday evening, beating the Witches 6-5.

It was Messalonskee’s (now 7-2) second extra-inning victory in six days — having walked Lewiston off 6-5 in the ninth inning on May 1 — and Brewer’s (now 2-6) third consecutive one-run loss.

Things looked dire for Brewer early on, as senior ace Grady Vanidestine (six innings, five hits, one walk, eight strikeouts) allowed three Messalonskee base hits to start the game, followed by an error at third base, a walk and a sacrifice fly.

The Witches retaliated by loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the first and third innings, but Eagle sophomore Dennis Martin (four innings, four hits, five walks, six strikeouts) threw timely strikeouts to escape the jams with only two earned runs.

“I had Michael [Achorn] behind the dish calling a great game, and everyone around me doing their job for me,” Martin said. “Everyone has each other’s back, and we’re all coming together like a big family.”

Down 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Witches finally picked up some clutch hits as junior Jake Perry (1-for-3, one walk, three RBI) doubled off freshman Sean Achorn with two men on and one out, and Nick Tozier (1-for-5, one RBI) drove in another on an infield single to tie it up 4-4.

“We had that bad first inning, but we came out and battled,” Brewer head coach Dana Corey said. “Then it became a game of moving runners along — small ball. Against good teams and in tight games you have to do the little things, and we weren’t able to. They capitalized.”

Despite the loss, Brewer matched Messalonskee’s hit total (nine), drew 10 bases on balls compared with Messalonskee’s one, and threw 33 fewer pitches.

In the ninth, Achorn (five innings, two earned runs, six strikeouts) and older brother Michael Achorn teamed up to stymie another Brewer rally, with Sean striking out Perry and Michael picking off junior Logan Littlefield (2-for-2, three walks) at first and later senior Hunter Merrithew (1-for-4, one walk) at third to end the frame.

On the mound, Littlefield (four innings, one earned run, five strikeouts) muscled through a comebacker to the thigh and kept Messalonskee off the board until the 10th, when Michael Achorn (1-for-4, one walk, one RBI) tripled home Martin (3-for-5, two runs) to set up the Eagle victory.

“I just pieced up a fastball outside,” Achorn said. “I was looking for it, and took it as deep as I could.”

In the bottom of the 10th, Brewer got two men with two outs, but weren’t able to tie the game as sophomore Ben Bernier (one inning, one hit, one walk) locked down the W.

“We’re definitely better than our record shows,” Corey said. “Last year, we were winning one-run games, and this year we’re not. We have to focus on the small things, and cut down on strikeouts.”

Next up, Brewer will play Camden Hills (4-4) away on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., and Messalonskee will host Mt. Ararat (2-5) on Friday at 4:15.