CARIBOU, Maine — Bryce St. Pierre and Griffen McNeal combined on a three-hitter, striking out 14 batters and walking only two in their six innings of work, as Police defeated Maine Veterans Home/VFW, 5-1, in game one of the Caribou Little League championship series played Tuesday, July 18, at the Robert P. White Field.
Game two will be played tonight at 6 p.m. MVH/VFW will need a victory to extend the series to a third game, which would be played at 6 p.m. Friday, July 21.
On Tuesday, the game was scoreless after three innings before MVH/VFW tallied a single run in the top of the fourth when Elliot Sleeper tripled and scored on a passed ball. Police tied it in the bottom of the inning as St. Pierre singled home Landen Tracy from second base.
Police struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Brayden Brescia ripped an RBI triple to plate Scotty Stubbs from first base and Josh Pitre drove in Brescia with a single. MVH/VFW starting pitcher Reece Cavagnaro was then replaced by Luke Beidelman, who surrendered a long home run to McNeal which sailed over the right field fence.
MVH/VFW loaded the bases in the top of the sixth with one out, but McNeal got out of the jam by retiring the final two batters.
St. Pierre went the first 4-2/3 innings. He fanned 12 batters and allowed two hits and one walk. McNeal ended up with the pitching win by going the final 1-1/3 innings. He struck out two batters, walked one and surrendered only one hit.
Cavagnaro had a strong outing on the mound in the loss. He struck out 11 and allowed just three hits and two walks.
Police advanced to the Little League championship series by besting Key Bank in the July 14 American Division finals, 2-1.
Maine Veterans Home/VFW defeated Hannaford 17-5 in the National Division title game, also played July 14.
Final regular season standings in the American Division are as follows: Police (12-1), Key Bank (10-3), Knights of Columbus (7-6), Sleepers (6-7) and Woodland Tigers (1-12).
National Division standings: MVH/VFW (11-2), Woodland Eagles (8-5), Machias Savings Bank (4-9), Hannaford (3-10) and S.W. Collins (3-10).
