Rod Brewer Design
captures second straight baseball title
11-run third inning keys Aug. 4 victory
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — After the team’s first six batters were retired on strikeouts, a simple bunt single spearheaded an 11-run outburst in the third inning for Rod Brewer Design of Presque Isle, leading to a 14-1 victory over Aroostook Federal Savings and Loan of Caribou in the 13-15 year-old baseball championship game held Aug. 4.
The game, the finale of the Northern Maine Community Recreation Association playoff tournament, was shortened to four innings due to the 12-run rule.
AFSL’s Caleb Willett looked dominant in striking out the side in both the first and second innings, but Griffin Guerrette got RBD going in the third by laying down a perfect bunt in front of home plate and reaching first. One out later, Will Bridges drew a walk and both Guerrette and Bridges scored on a long triple to the left field fence by Nick Bartlett.
RBD benefited from five more walks and a hit batsmen, but R.J. Gross, Jaren Winger, Guerrette and Caleb Nadeau provided hits as part of the rally. In all, 16 batters stepped to the plate in the half inning which lasted nearly 30 minutes.
The PI squad put its other three runs on the board in the top of the fourth on consecutive walks drawn by Bradley Kinney, Griffin Guerrette, Jake Kinney and Andrew Hewitt and a run-scoring double by Bartlett.
AFSL took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Noah Rosado and Nick Pelletier both reached on infield singles and Rosado scored on Willett’s RBI single to left center field. After that, RBD pitcher Winger settled down and retired the final eight batters he faced. Winger ended with eight strikeouts in his four innings of work.
Jacob Burby came on in relief of Willett midway through the third inning and went the rest of the way. He and Willett combined for 10 strikeouts as well as 10 walks.
RBD had beaten CFCU of Caribou in the July 31 semifinal game, also played in Presque Isle. AFSL downed Fort Fairfield in the other semifinal played that afternoon. Both were upsets, as CFCU and Fort Fairfield entered as the No. 1 seeds in their respective divisions.
RBD also won the NMCRA championship last season.
