READFIELD — Eben Ballard learned from a previous mistake, Cam Brochu reached a milestone and the Maranacook baseball team played an error-free game Wednesday afternoon.

Indeed it was a good day for the Maranacook Community High School baseball team, which beat Gardiner 4-1 in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B game to avenge a season-opening defeat.

“Our boys showed up to play,” Maranacook coach Jared Lemieux said. “That’s what it takes to beat a good team. We made a lot of good plays.”

None were bigger than a three-run home run — a no-doubt-about-it shot to left — by Brochu, a freshman, with no one out in the third.

The blast, the first of his varsity career, erased a 1-0 deficit and gave the Black Bears (9-6) a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish.

It was certainly more than enough support for Ballard, who was efficient and overpowering.

He struck out nine and allowed just three hits. He threw 104 pitches, 64 for strikes.

“We knew we needed to win this one to get good position for the playoffs,” Ballard said. “I wanted it bad.”

Gardiner (7-7), which has lost four straight, beat Maranacook 3-1 in the season opener April 19.

In that game, Ballard surrendered a bases loaded double to Aaron Toman in the fourth inning with the Bears up 1-0.

“I threw a changeup to him and that lost us the game,” Ballard said. “I didn’t throw one (Wednesday).”

He instead relied on a two-seam fastball and a curveball to keep the Tigers off balance.

“Eben has made pitches for us all year,” Lemieux said. “It’s nice to have him on our side. He has a good changeup but the other pitches were working. When you can’t catch up to the fastball, you don’t want to throw anything else they can hit. Eben was being a smart pitcher.”

Gardiner led 1-0 on a Jensen Orewiler RBI infield single in the top of the third. The lead didn’t last long as Brochu and Bears answered in their half of the inning.

Tucker Whitman drew a walk to open the inning before Ballard hit what appeared to be a two-run homer to left center. However, the ball hit the mesh fence and then bounced over it. Umpires awarded Ballard a ground rule double.

“I had no clue what had happened,” Ballard said.

Brochu then stepped to the plate and promptly crushed the second pitch he saw for a three-run home run.

“I was trying to get it to left and drive in a run,” said Brochu, who went 2 for 4. “It just carried out. It felt pretty good when I hit it. It helped pull us through.”

Added Gardiner coach Chris McLaughlin: “They did the same thing to us what we did to them. It came down to one swing. Both teams played well. There was good defense and good pitching. They just had that one hit that put them on top.”

Ballard, who went 2 for 4, added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

Hunter Belanger doubled for the Tigers and Toman struck out six in a complete game. He allowed eight hits.

“There are a lot of little things in baseball, and (Wednesday) we made those plays,” Lemieux said.

Bill Stewart — 621-5640

bstewart@centralmaine.com

 

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