PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Chance Bragan struck out 14 batters and allowed only two hits, pitching Presque Isle to a 3-0 victory over Woodland/AFSL/CFCU in the Aroostook/New Brunswick Pony League baseball championship game, played Monday at the Bishop’s Island Field.
Presque Isle had swept Woodland/AFSL/CFCU by scores of 1-0 and 14-2 during the regular season and continued that dominance Monday.
Clean-up hitter Rylan Masse managed the only hits off Bragan — singles in the fourth and sixth innings. Woodland/AFSL/CFCU put two runners on base in three of the six innings, but couldn’t push any across as Bragan was able to bear down to end the rallies.
Jesse Taggett takes a swing at a pitch for Woodland/AFSL/CFCU during the Pony League championship game played Monday in Presque Isle. (Courtesy of Tricia Bragan)
After putting runners on first and second to begin the first inning, the hard-throwing right hander struck out the next two batters before inducing a comeback grounder to end the threat. In the sixth, with runners on second and third and nobody out, Bragan fanned the next three hitters.
“I always put the pressure on myself, so I knew I just had to take care of it,” Bragan said of pitching his way out of trouble.
His batterymate, catcher Nate Willett, provided the biggest hit of the game, a leadoff triple into the left-center field gap in the second inning. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Mitchell Dumais to put Presque Isle up, 1-0.
“Their pitcher had a different windup, so after taking the first pitch, I stayed in and swung,” Willett said. “He threw me a fastball right down the middle and I hit it well.”
Presque Isle added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth as Dumais reached on an error and Riley Roderick singled. Ben Graham, pinch running for Dumais, scampered in on a wild pitch, while Roderick scored on a single by No. 9 hitter Hunter Stubbs.
Dominick Crouch retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced on the mound for Woodland/AFSL/CFCU. He finished with eight strikeouts and didn’t walk a single batter in an impressive outing.
But Bragan proved to be too much for the Woodland/AFSL/CFCU offense.
“He threw all fastballs except for maybe one curve all game long,” said Willett. “We knew they weren’t catching up with him so we just kept it simple.”
“I just pounded the zone and trusted the defense behind me and my catcher,” Bragan said.
Presque Isle and Woodland/AFSL/CFCU were the top two teams throughout the regular season, in a league which also included Mapleton, Edmundston, Van Buren and Grand Falls.
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- Nate Willett had the big hit in Monday’s Pony League championship game. He tripled to lead off the second inning and came across for Presque Isle’s first run. PI went on to a 3-0 victory over Woodland/AFSL/CFCU. (Courtesy of Tricia Bragan)
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- Presque Isle’s Mitchell Dumais, right, leads his teammates through the handshake line following Monday’s Pony League championship game victory over Woodland/AFSL/CFCU. (Courtesy of Tricia Bragan)
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- Members of the Pony League champion Presque Isle team are, in front from left, Sam Beaulieu, Ethan Shaw, Mitchell Dumais, Chance Bragan and Hunter Stubbs. Back row, assistant coach Jonah Hudson, Jackson Maynard, Ben Graham, Riley Roderick, Nate Willett, Cody Barnes, Zach Fletcher and head coach Michael Boone. (Courtesy of Tricia Bragan)
