WATERVILLE — Over the last six seasons, the most consistently strong baseball team in Eastern Class B has belonged to Waterville Senior High School. The Purple Panthers won state titles in 2010 and 2011, and played in five consecutive regional championship games.

Waterville’s run to another regional final ended Thursday afternoon. The top-seeded Panthers lost to No. 8 Old Town, 6-3, in the regional quarterfinals at Gaul Field.

No. 8 Old Town (11-7) will face No. 4 Camden Hills (14-4) in the semis on Saturday. Waterville finishes 14-3.

“We didn’t have that energy at the beginning of the game, I didn’t think. We were trying to liven things up. It just wasn’t there today,” Waterville coach Don Sawyer said.

Each team had at least one base hit in each inning, but Old Town came up with the hits in the key moments. Four of the Coyotes runs came with two outs, and Old Town had 10 hits in the game.

“I have no idea who was in the green uniforms today, because we have not hit like that this year at all,” Old Town coach Brad Goody said. “We cranked it up when we had to, I guess.”

Old Town took the lead for good in the top of the third inning, when Zac Miller hit a two-out double to break a 2-2 tie and give the Coyotes a 4-2 lead.

“All of us had our heads cleared, just waiting for that one fastball,” said Old Town designated hitter Zac Miller, who had three hits and drove in four runs. “Once we saw it, we just swung and got a good hit on it.”

The Purple Panthers got a run back in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Andrew Rodrigue hit into a double play to score a run, but the rally ended there when Dan Pooler lined out to shortstop Eric Hoogterp.

“Once we got the bases loaded there it was like things are going our way now,” Sawyer said. “Many games, those fall in for us. (Old Town) made good plays. They were solid on defense all day.”

Old Town scored a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh, on a Miller single and a groundout by Austin Sheehan. Old Town pitcher Adam Richardson was steady throughout the game, working out of trouble a few times to keep his team ahead. Richardson gave up eight hits and five walks while striking out three for the win, and benefited from the Coyotes’ strong defense. Center fielder Braden Upshaw threw out Rodrigue trying to score from second base on a Pooler single with a perfect throw to catcher Tyler Young in the second inning. The play ended the inning and kept the score tied at 2-2.

“That was a huge play. Obviously, runs are at a premium this time of year. That was huge, to come up and nail him out like that,” Goody said. “Richardson’s our No. 3 this year, and he’s just as good as our one and two. He really ramped it up today and came in huge. Just pounded the zone, worked down, mixed and matched and did really well.”

“We had a couple opportunities. The center fielder made a good play on us. I thought we had that one,” Sawyer said.

Old Town took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Leadoff hitter TJ Crawford walked, and with two out, scored on Hoogterp’s triple to right center. Miller then singled to drive home another run.

The Panthers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a fielder’s choice and an error.

AJ Godin threw a complete game for Waterville, allowing 10 hits and two walks while striking out three.

“AJ battled. We’ve got to bail him out at some point, and today we just didn’t do that,” Sawyer said.

Kaleb Kane had two hits for Waterville.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

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