AUGUSTA — It was fitting Cony pitcher Ryan Edwards recorded his last out Friday with a Mt. Blue batter going around on a third strike well off the plate. He had the Cougars guessing all day, especially on his curve ball.
The senior right-hander held Mt. Blue to three hits as the Rams pulled out a 1-0 victory in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A baseball game at Morton Field.
Additional Photos
Cony (5-4) scored its lone run in the fifth when freshman Tayler Carrier drew a bases-loaded walk. Until the fifth, Mt. Blue (3-6) starter Blake Hart matched Edwards pitch for pitch but his control wavered in the fifth when he walked two batters, hit another and gave up two hits.
“Cony has good hitters,” Mt. Blue coach Dan Stefanilo said. “Blake dug deep, he threw strikes and he mixed up speeds.”
The Rams could have broken the game open in the fifth if not for a couple of big plays by the Cougars. After Mitch Caron singled with one out, he was replaced by pinch runner Charlie Hallack who stole second. Zack Lachance singled up the middle and Cony coach Don Plourde waved Hallack to the plate. He was out handily as center fielder Nick Hilton put a good charge on the hit and threw a strike to catcher Andrew Pratt at home.
“I’d like to have it back,” Plourde said of his decision to send Hallack. “With two outs you send him, but with one out that’s one I’d like to have back.”
Hart loaded the bases when he walked Jordan Ellis and nipped Chandler Shostak with a pitch. Carrier walked on four pitches to force home a run and Stefanilo brought in Bradley Jackson who got out of the inning when Simon Yorks grounded out to second base.
Edwards (2-2) faced his toughest inning in the sixth. It started when No. 9 hitter Charlie Martin led off with an opposite field blooper to left, his second such hit of the game. Stefanilo called for Hilton to bunt him to second and Edwards fielded the ball, throwing late to second with Plourde calling for a play at first.
“The coach was yelling one, but then I heard someone say two and I turned and threw to two,” Edwards said.
Edwards walked Pratt to load the bases with no one out then a bizarre play changed the course of the game for both teams. No. 3 batter Cam Abbott swung away and hit a slow roller toward third base. Edwards fielded the ball and got the force at home then Carrier, the catcher, threw to first with Abbott still standing at home plate for a double play.
“When I swung I felt like it rolled down my knee and I didn’t run because I knew it hit off my foot,” Abbott said. “The ump just didn’t see it I guess.”
Edwards escaped the inning when Chandler Shostak fielded a ball deep in the hole at short and threw Jordan Whitney out by half a step. Edwards, who walked two and fanned five, struck out the side in the seventh.
“He pitches backwards a lot,” Plourde said. “He’ll start guys off with his curve ball. He’s not afraid to throw it in any count. He’s got three different speeds he throws his curve ball so he’s keeping them off balance. That’s the name of the game in pitching.”
Gary Hawkins — 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
CORRECTION: This story was updated Saturday, May 12 to reflect that pitcher Ryan Edwards is a senior.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.