BANGOR — Baseball is in the details. A dropped third strike in the first inning can mean more than a base hit later in the game. A runner thrown out on the bases can be huge, as can the simple act of an outfielder cutting off a base hit to the corner.

Those small details all came up big for the Camden Hills High School baseball team on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at Mansfield Stadium, as the No. 6 Windjammers did the small things to win the Eastern Class B title, 3-1 over No. 5 Winslow.

Camden Hills’ Andrew Hall makes the catch to nab Winslow runner Jacob Trask at second during the fourth inning Tuesday in the Eastern B title game at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Camden Hills won 3-1. Photo by Kevin Bennett

Winslow pitcher Nate Gagnon throws a pitch during the seventh inning of the Eastern B title game Tuesday against Camden Hills at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Camden Hills defeated Winslow 3-1. Photo by Kevin Bennett

Members of the Winslow baseball team keep a close eye on the action during the fifth inning of the Eastern B title game Tuesday against Camden Hills at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Photo by Kevin Bennett

Members of the Camden Hills baseball team celebrate their 3-1 victory over Winslow in the Eastern B title game Tuesday at Mansfield stadium in Bangor. The Windjammers won 3-1. Photo by Kevin Bennett

Camden Hills catcher Kyle Crans tags Winslow runner Dameron Rodrigue during the third inning of the Eastern B championship game Tuesday at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Camden Hills won 3-1. Photo by Kevin Bennett

Winslow’s Jon Nerney, right, makes the catch in right field as Jacob Trask backs him up during the seventh inning of the Eastern B title game Tuesday in Bangor. Photo by Kevin Bennett

Camden Hills (13-7) will face defending state champ Greely in the championship game Saturday at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. Winslow ends the season at 15-5.

This is Camden Hills’ first regional title since 1999. The win continues a hot playoff run for Camden Hills, which lost six games in a row late in the regular season.

“Our pitching and our defense has been there for most of the year. It’s been a big key. I remember those games, we coulnd’t buy a run. Every time we hit the ball hard, it was right at somebody,” Camden coach Jeff Hart, who’s coached the Windjammers to numerous basketball titles, said after adding the first regional baseball championship to his resume.

Winslow outhit Camden Hills 8-3 but the Black Raiders left nine runners on base, including the bases loaded in the first inning.

“We just couldn’t quite get the hit when we needed it,” Winslow coach Aaron Wolfe said. “They scored early, and it held up.”

The Windjammers scored all their runs in the first two innings, capitalizing on Winslow mistakes. Leadoff hitter Ben Rollins was hit by the first pitch of the game, and with one out Daulton Wickenden reached on a dropped third strike. With two outs, Mike Wolff doubled to left field to give Camden a 2-0 lead.

Camden Hills added another run with a two-out rally in the second. Cam Gushee and Rollins took back-to-back walks before Dalton Oakes hit an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. The Windjammers never got another runner past first base, but with Rollins working out of trouble on the mound, they didn’t need to.

“I did another complete game against Belfast earlier in the playoffs, and my arm was a little fatigued this week,” Rollins, who felt his best pitch was his two seam fastball, said. “We just grinded. We’ve been grinding all year.”

Winslow scored its run in the third, when Dameron Rodrigue slid under the tag of Kyle Crans on Rob Petrovic’s sacrifice fly to center field. The Black Raiders had chances to add some runs in the fourth inning, but had two runners thrown out on the bases and came away empty.

“We probably would have had some runs in that inning if that didn’t happen,” Wolfe said.

Winslow threatened again in the fifth, when Rodrigue (three hits) and Dylan Hapworth hit back-to-back singles to open the inning. Hapworth’s line drive down the left field line could have scored Rodrigue and gone for a double, had it not been for Cam Gushee running it down, cutting the ball off and keeping the Black Raiders at second and first base.

Gushee was in the lineup because Camden’s center fielder, Matt Crockett, had to report to the Marines on Sunday. Wickenden moved to center, and Gushee played left.

“I was getting ready for (Hapworth) to pull it. As soon as I saw it hit to me, I was jumping on it. I had to stop it,” Gushee said.

Added Hart: “That gets by him, it’s second and third, at least. Instead, it’s first and second. That was just a big play… Cameron has stayed ready all year. He played a big role in the game.”

After a pop out to center, Rollins struck out two hitters to get out of the jam and end Winslow’s last big scoring threat. Like he had earlier this season on a rainy day, Rollins struggled with his grip, but bared down, striking out five while walking three.

“He gutted it out and made big pitches. Hart said. “He didn’t get down. When things weren’t going good, he stuck with it.”

Sophomore Nate Gagnon pitched well for Winslow, striking out five and walking four in the complete game loss.

“(Gagnon) did everything he could do. Offensively, we couldn’t come up with a key hit. That was really the game,” Wolfe said.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

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