While some folks were extending their holiday weekends into week-long vacations this week, the Madison 39ers are working overtime in Zone 1 American Legion baseball.

The 39ers celebrated Independence Day then started a stretch of seven games and eight days, which extends into next Sunday. Thursday is their only scheduled day off.

For coach Peter Kirby, the schedule may seem daunting, but it’s also an opportunity for the 39ers’ season to take a quick, dramatic turn.

“We’re 2-4, but by the end of the week we could be above .500,” he said.

Kirby believes that Madison, which draws players from Madison, Skowhegan and Valley high schools, could heat up if it stops hurting itself with mistakes.

“We’ve been in every game,” he said. “Errors are costing us. We’re giving teams extra outs every inning.”

The 39ers started the season encouragingly enough with a 14-5 win over the Coffee News Comrades, the defending state champion from Bangor. But three of their four losses since then have been by two runs or less, including an 8-6 loss to Trenton that started their arduous stretch on Sunday. The fourth setback was an 8-3 loss to Motor City of Bangor.

“We’re hitting the ball and scoring runs,” Kirby said. “Our pitching and making the routine plays have been the problem.”

On the mound, the 39ers have gotten solid outings here and there from Ryan Emery, the Madison soon-to-be junior who beat Coffee News, Cody Laweryson, the Valley senior-in-waiting, and Skowhegan post-grad Chase Nelson. More solid defense behind them and the rest of the staff would go a long way in the pitching becoming more consistent.

There are no nights off in the 39ers new zone, either. Madison moved from the former Zone 2 to Zone 1 as part of the state’s consolidation from five zones to four.

“This zone is packed with good players,” Kirby said. “It’s definitely very competitive. Every team has two or three kids playing college baseball or at least involved in college sports, and they’re all well-coached.”

Fortunately for the 39ers, they won’t be adding much to their gas bill this week as five of the six games are at their home field, Madison High School. The schedule resumed Monday with a rematch with Coffee News. Home dates with Hampden, Brewer and Motor City followed before they hit the road again Saturday for Belfast. On Sunday, they’ll host their former Zone 2 rivals, Messalonskee Post 51.

“I still think that they’re the best team in the zone, one through nine,” Kirby said. “They’ve got pitching. They’ve got guys that can hit, including six or seven kids that can hit with power.”

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Post 51’s offense may be the most feared in Zone 1, but it can be even more dangerous when it gets good pitching. Last week, Ben Frazee posted a 2-0 shutout over Trenton and Derek Bowen and Danny Pooler teamed up to shut down Brewer in a 5-2 win. The highlight of the week offensively was a 14-5 victory over Waldo in which Joe LeClair and Spencer Folsom went deep.

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Franklin County’s Amos Herrin picked up Zone 2 player of the week honors for last week for his dominating all-around performance. On the mound, Herrin tossed two complete games in wins over Brunswick and Rogers Post of Auburn. At the plate, he went 5-for-11 with a double and triple, scored three runs, drove in two and stole a base. Franklin County went into Monday’s action with a 7-1 record, just 1/2 game behind first place Bessey Motors of South Paris, which was 7-0.

Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638

rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @RAWmaterial33