BANGOR, Maine — Dean Grass tripled twice and doubled among his four hits and also teamed with Josh Palmeter to limit high-scoring Fort Fairfield to four hits as second-seeded Bangor Christian defeated the top-seeded Tigers 9-3 at Mansfield Stadium on Tuesday evening to capture its first Class D regional championship since 2014.
Coach Tim Collins’ North champions (14-5) play Penobscot Valley Conference rival and defending state champion Searsport (16-3) in Saturday’s 1 p.m. final at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish.
Previously unbeaten Fort Fairfield, which scored 194 runs in its 14 regular-season games, finished with a 16-1 record. The three runs scored matched its season low and the nine runs allowed were the most FF had given up all season. The Tigers had held 15 of their 16 previous opponents to three runs or less.
It was the second consecutive year the Tigers had fallen in the regional finals. Last year, they lost to Penobscot Valley of Howland, 3-2.
Grass, a junior, also scored three runs from the leadoff spot in the Bangor Christian batting order, while Palmeter doubled and singled with three stolen bases and Wyatt Gogan singled twice as part of a 12-hit attack.
Grass also yielded two runs on two hits over four innings on the mound for the Patriots to earn the pitching win before Palmeter came on to work three innings of one-hit relief.
Ryan Player doubled and singled, Jonathan Bernard had an RBI double and Malcolm Langner singled for Fort Fairfield’s lone hits.
Bangor Christian took control of the game in the top of the fifth with six runs on seven hits off Tiger starting pitcher Carter Bruce to erase a 3-2 deficit.
Grass ignited the uprising with an RBI triple to deep right-center after Luke Chandler hit a one-out single to right, then scored the go-ahead run on Palmeter’s sharp single to right.
Bernard made a tough catch of Jon Cormier’s foul popup along the first-base line for the second out, but Erik Gorczok and Matt Chretien hit back-to-back RBI singles and Wyatt Gogan also singled before Jack York capped off the rally with a two-run double to right-center to make it 8-3.
“Bangor Christian is the best hitting team we faced this season,” said Tiger coach John Ala. “They were able to drive the ball into gaps in the fifth inning, which was the difference in the game.”
Bangor Christian added a run in the sixth when Grass hit a one-out triple and scored on a balk.
Bangor Christian used aggressive baserunning to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Grass popped a double down the right-field line and when the throw in from the outfield got away the Patriots’ leadoff batter advanced to third base.
Palmeter then grounded to second, and when the throw came home, Grass returned to third and Palmeter reached first base.
Palmeter then got caught in a rundown between first and second, and the play became a double steal as Grass beat the throw home and Palmeter eventually reached second base.
Fort Fairfield tied the game in the bottom of the first as Langner reached on catcher’s interference, stole second and went to third on an error before scoring on Bernard’s one-out double to center.
Bangor Christian regained the lead in the third. Tyler Welch drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by Chandler. Welch then took off for third base on a short passed ball, and after overrunning the base he scored on an errant throw to make it 2-1.
Fort Fairfield took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third. Isaac Cyr drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored the tying run on Player’s ground double down the left-field line. Player then scored when Jared Harvey’s grounder to short was overthrown.
“I thought we overcame some early nerves and played solid defensively,” Ala said. “It was a very successful season and I was disappointed to see it end.”
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- Malcolm Langner of Fort Fairfield dives back into first base as Bangor Christian pitcher Dean Grass makes a pickoff throw to Matthew Chretien during Tuesday’s Class D North baseball final in Bangor. (BDN/Pete Warner)
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- Third baseman Jared Harvey of Fort Fairfield tags out Bangor Christian baserunner Johnathan Cormier during Tuesday’s Class D North baseball title game at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. (Pete Warner)
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- Fort Fairfield second baseman Dylan Jandreau looks to make a throw to shortstop Ryan Player (foreground) after Bangor Christian’s Josh Palmeter was caught in a rundown during Tuesday’s Class D North baseball title game in Bangor. The Tigers’ Jared Harvey (right) looks on. (BDN/Pete Warner)
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- Carter Bruce of Fort Fairfield delivers a pitch during Tuesday’s Class D North baseball championship game against Bangor Christian at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. (BDN/Pete Warner)
