WATERVILLE — You can’t call the game Messalonskee High School’s Reid Nutter pitched on Wednesday afternoon a gem. It was more of a lump of coal squeezed into a diamond.

“My fastball, I didn’t have much control of it,” Nutter said. “But I found my spots.”

Nutter gave up just one hit, a single to Nick Attaliedes Ryan to lead off the sixth inning of the Eagles Eastern A regional quarterfinal against Oxford Hills. He did, however, walk six Vikings. None score and the Eagles’ offense came to life in the late innings to reward Nutter’s effort with a 10-0 win in a game shortened to six innings by the mercy rule.

No. 4 Messalonskee (12-5) will play in the semifinals Saturday against the winner of today’s game between No. 8 Hampden Academy and No. 1 Bangor. No. 5 Oxford Hills ends the season at 10-7.

Nutter was effectively wild, which is also a good way to describe the game. After four scoreless innings, Messalonskee scored five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth.

“Sometimes, a little wildness helps, because it doesn’t let hitters get into a groove,” Messalonskee coach Ray Bernier said. “What’s good for Reid is, he keeps his composure.”

The Eagles didn’t have a hit until Travis St. Pierre’s one out single in the fourth, but batted around the order in both the fifth and sixth innings. Josh Woodard singled to start the fifth and scored on a wild pitch to give Messalonskee a 1-0 lead.

After Jake Dexter was walked intentionally, Oxford Hills starter Riley Chickering walked Trevor Gettig to load the bases. Sam Dexter hit a sacrifice fly to left field, and St. Pierre was walked intentionally to load the bases again. Devin Warren singled in a run, and Nutter’s sacrifice fly to right made it 4-0. A throwing error on a pickoff try at second base allowed St. Pierre to score, and the Eagles had a 5-0 lead.

“I was waiting for our team to have that one inning and break out,” Bernier said.

Back on the mound to start the sixth, Nutter had no idea he was working on a no-hitter.

“All those walks, all those guys on base, I didn’t have a clue,” Nutter said.

Messalonskee backed Nutter up with error-free defense. In the fourth, St. Pierre started an inning ending double play at third base, and the fifth ended when Nick Bowie was called out for interfering with catcher Gettig as he attempted a throw to second base.

Chickering was wild, too, walking nine (two intentionally) in 4 2/3 innings. Oxford Hills reliever Matt Beauchesne gave up six hits in the sixth inning. St. Pierre hit a two-run single, and Taylor Clark’s single up the middle scored Nutter with the game-ending 10th run.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

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