BANGOR — Post 51 of Oakland coach Rusty Mercier described Thursday night’s starter, A.J. Godin, as a pitcher with confidence. But when you’ve got Godin’s stuff, and you’re pitching with support from Post 51’s lineup, how can you be anything but confident?
“We’ve got a full team of first-team all-stars,” Godin said. “It’s fun to play with them.”
In the Zone 1 American Legion baseball tournament on Thursday at Husson University’s Winkin Complex, Godin was strong for 8 1/3 innings and the powerful Post 51 lineup came up big early, leading to a 5-1 win over RH Foster of Hampden.
Top-seed Post 51 will play No. 2 Bangor in a winners bracket game at 7 p.m. Friday at Husson, with the victor clinching a bid to the state tournament. RH Lawrence will face Brewer in an elimination game at 4 p.m.
Post 51 is essentially an all-star team made up of players from Messalonskee, Lawrence, Waterville and Winslow high schools. That deep lineup flexed its muscles in the second inning, pounding out four hits and scoring four runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Dylan Hapworth started it with a triple to left center field and scored on Jake Dexter’s single. Dexter scored on a Dan Pooler double down the left field line, although Pooler was thrown out when he slid past third base.
Cody Martin walked and scored on Trevor Gettig’s single. Jared Cunningham doubled and scored on a single by Joe Leclair.
When Zach Mathieu tripled to lead off the bottom of the third, RH Foster pulled starter Billy Campbell for Brandon Smith. While Smith gave up an RBI single to Dexter, he kept Post 51 at bay the rest of the game.
“(Smith) did a nice job. He didn’t give in,” Mercier said. “He didn’t throw anything down the middle. He kept us off balance.”
For Post 51, Godin cruised. After allowing an unearned run in the top of the first inning, Godin was strong, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out six.
“I had a solid changeup and my fastball had some movement, but the curveball was my out pitch,” Godin said.
Godin’s only jam came in the top of the ninth, when he began to tire. Godin loaded the bases with one out and gave way to reliever Devin Warren, who threw just two pitches to get a comebacker to the mound for the game-ending double play.
Zach Nash had two hits for RH Foster. Cunningham reached base four times for Post 51, with a double, single and two walks.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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