BANGOR — Ryan Conley blew his cover.

No way can he hide in the ninth spot in the batting order next year.

Ryan Conley’s two-run double in the second inning Saturday propelled Falmouth to its first Class B baseball state championship. The Yachtsmen beat Foxcroft Academy 2-0 at Mansfield Stadium behind the two-hit pitching of Thomas Fortier and a defense that helped extend a consecutive scoreless innings streak to 22 over three playoff games.

“Our defense and our pitching carried us,” Falmouth coach Kevin Winship said, “and our offense did just enough (Saturday) to make us the state champs.”

Foxcroft (15-6) managed only two singles and never got a runner to third base off Fortier — who also tossed a two-hit shutout Monday in a regional semifinal against Morse.

A lean, left-handed junior, Fortier (6-1) struck out six, walked three, hit a batter and picked off a runner.

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“He’s been lights out,” Winship said. “He’s our workhorse. He controls running games, he throws strikes, he mixes speeds well. He keeps teams off-balance.”

Fortier’s only loss was another two-hitter, 2-1 against Greely. Against Foxcroft, Fortier threw 113 pitches and retired nine of the final 10 batters.

“He had great stuff (Saturday),” said Falmouth catcher Jeremy Lydick, “a lot of movement on his fastball, and he located his curveball really well, kept it down in the zone.”

Fortier said he lost a bit on his fastball as the game progressed.

“I was kind of gassed going into the late innings,” he said, “but I had no problem with the curveball.”

Class C

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Dirigo 6, Calais 3: Dirigo got a strong pitching performance from Ben Holmes and plenty of offense on its way to the Class C state title.

Dirigo (19-1) captured its second title in three seasons, both over the Blue Devils (18-2). The Cougars lost their opening game to St. Dominic, then reeled off 19 straight wins.

Holmes, a senior right-hander, allowed five hits while striking out seven. The Cougars had eight hits off right-hander Adam Geel, who entered unbeaten.

Dirigo got off to a fast start with a run in the first and three more in the second. The Cougars added two in the fourth, taking advantage of three outfield errors.

Calais scored its lone run in the third inning.

Caleb Turner’s two-run double highlighted the second inning for Dirigo. Travis Frost, hitting ahead of Turner, knocked in the first run of the inning with a single up the middle.

The Blue Devils’ run came with one out on a walk and a single, then a Lewis Francis grounder that scored Joe Mitchell.

Turner and Nathan Pike of Calais were repeat hitters with two apiece.

The Cougars’ title added to the state title they won in basketball last winter.


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