AUGUSTA — Mekae Hyde hit a two-run home run that appeared to go off the right fielder’s glove, broke a tie and lifted Gayton Post to a 13-11 win over Fayette Staples in the first-round of the American Legion Babeball state tournament Wednesday in Augusta.

Gayton, which had allowed only 23 runs in 21 games entering the day, fell behind early when Fayette/Staples scored four runs in the top of the first inning. After Gayton recovered and took a 9-4 lead, Fayette/Staples got four runs in the top of the fifth without a hit. Matt Turnage went 4 for 6 for Fayette/Staples, and drove in three runs.

Gayton used five pitchers who combined to walk 11 batters. Alex Parker came on with one out in the ninth and a runner on first. After issuing a walk to put the tying run on base, Parker ended the game by getting a strikeout and two flyouts to center field.

Joe Sullivan was 4 for 4 with four RBIs for Gayton. Jeff Keene added three hits and Hyde was 2 for 4.

Gayton has won 23 straight games, including 22 in a row this season.

Morrill Post 8, Bessey Motors 4: Andrew Richards allowed 14 hits, but pitched a complete game as Morrill defeated Bessey.

Six players had multiple hits for Bessey, including Cody Hadley and Brandon Campbell with three apiece. Bessey also got the leadoff man on in five consecutive innings.

But most of those 14 hits were singles, and Richards struck out seven and made some clutch pitches. In the seventh, with Morrill leading 7-3, Bessey loaded the bases with nobody out but couldn’t score.

Morrill scored all the runs it would need with five in the second inning on one hit, a dropped third strike, two walks, two hit batsmen and two errors. Brendan Horton, Paul Reny and Adam Helmke each had two hits for Morrill.

Bangor 4, Ramsdell/Rogers 2: In the lowest-scoring game of the day, Joe Stanevicz tossed a complete-game five-hitter as the Comrades held on for the win.

Bangor broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Christian Corneil had an RBI single and an error allowed Nic Cota to score the second run.

Cota, a shortstop, made two sparkling plays in the final two innings. In the eighth, he fielded a roller bare-handed to nip Tanner Chase at first. In the ninth, Cota fielded a ball that bounced off third baseman Jack Stacey and fired to first for the out.

Chris Cole was the tough-luck loser for Ramdsell/Rogers. Cole allowed six hits in eight innings and struck out seven.

Stanevicz allowed only one baserunner in the last three innings: Ben Lawlor, who singled leading off the eighth. Lawlor was then thrown out trying to steal second by Bangor catcher Dylan Morris.

 

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