Capital Area pitcher Alex Trafton throws to the plate against Topsham 202 in the Junior Legion tournament Friday at McGuire Field in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
AUGUSTA — The Topsham Post 202 Junior Legion team led by four runs going into the top of the seventh inning of its South zone tournament game, and seemed to have the victory in hand.
Topsham did get the victory. It just took a far more eventful route than expected to get there.
After letting the four-run lead slip away and then falling behind in the top of the ninth inning, Topsham rallied in the bottom half for a 7-6 victory over the Capital Area Bombers on Friday in the opening game of the zone tournament.
Four of the five teams in the bracket make it to states, meaning Topsham clinched a spot with the victory. Capital Area will play Fairfield, which lost to Ware Butler Eagles, on Saturday morning in an elimination game.
Capital Area’s Jackson Leach sprints to first but didn’t beat the throw to Topsham 202 first baseman Brady Merrill during the Junior Legion tournament Friday at McGuire Field in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Losing the lead hurt in the moment, but the Topsham players and coaches were all smiles after Ethan Berry’s two-run single in the dusk allowed the team to walk off with the victory.
“I’m glad that we could bounce back and come get the ‘W’,” said starting pitcher Landen Chase, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. “I think it shows what our team is made of. … People don’t know. We’re the only ones that know what our team is capable of. We dug deep, and we got the runs that we needed. I think that shows a lot about our grit and effort.”
“This was a true definition of a team win,” said Topsham coach Jerry Merrill, whose team improved to 10-9. “I could ramble off eight, 10 guys who came up with either a big hit, a big bunt, a big steal, a big defensive play. … That was a great example of a true team win.”
Augusta fans found a shady spot just past their team’s third base line dugout to comfortably enjoy the first game of the Junior Legion tournament Friday at McGuire Field in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Topsham appeared to be in serious danger of having to play for its state championship hopes when Capital Area went ahead in the top of the ninth on Riley Delisle’s single, which scored Brayden Stubbert, who had singled to lead off the inning.
The sun had completely set on McGuire Field, which doesn’t have lights, when Topsham began its comeback. Brady Merrill led off with a walk, and after an overthrown pickoff attempt, Chase reached on a fielder’s choice that put two runners on. After a groundout put runners on second and third, Capital Area coach Dan Burdin intentionally walked Ryan Staples to bring up Berry.
The game was on the line and it was almost too dark to see the ball, but Berry tried to keep things simple.
“I was pretty nervous,” he said. “It’s dark, you can see a little bit. Just swing and hope for the best. … Just put it over the infield.”
He did, hitting a soft single to center that scored Merrill and Chase for the win, one that Topsham was disappointed it couldn’t secure earlier.
“It hurt. It was tough,” Berry said. “You’ve just got to stay up.”
Topsham led 5-1 thanks to a go-ahead run in the fifth and three more insurance tallies in the sixth, but Capital Area stormed back. Ben Nathan and Davis Kibler reached on errors to start the inning, with the second error scoring pinch-runner Jack Bonnefond to make it 5-2.
Chase got a flyout and groundout to move one out away from a no-hitter, but Stubbert walked, and pinch-hitter Keegan Bellerose crushed a double to deep left that made it 5-4. Capital Area completed the rally in the next at-bat, with Delisle smacking a single to center that scored Bellerose when the throw home was high.
Having tied the game, the Bombers saved themselves from immediately giving up the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Topsham led off the seventh with a Chase double, and after pinch-runner Sebastian Dube went to third on a dropped third strike, Burdin ordered the next two batters walked to load the bases. This time, it worked like a charm, as a lineout to second turned into a 4-6 double play to end the threat.
Burdin said afterward that his team’s mental poise stood out, even in the loss.
“We talked about after how if we came with the same mentality of the seventh inning … through the whole game, it may be totally different,” he said. “I’m thrilled that we showed some life there at the end of this game. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way, but to head into tomorrow with that life and motivation to play, it should be better for us tomorrow.”
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
