WALDOBORO — Thanks to blazing bats and beneficial breakfasts, the Augusta 12U Little League All-Star team beat Bonny Eagle 9-2 Friday to advance to the state finals.
Augusta’s bats were the story of the game, but it was not until the fifth inning did they truly explode, tallying a total of five runs in the inning.
Augusta will play Bangor in the state final at 2 p.m. today, where it will have to win twice to win the state title.
“We had our big inning and that was good for us,” said Augusta head coach Mike Karagiannes. “Our pitching was strong. Our defense was good — just good fundamentals.”
Augusta second baseman Manny Stevenson finished 4 for 4 with two RBIs and a pair of runs while first baseman Ben Allen was 2-3 with a double and two RBIs.
On the mound, Landon Perry got the win, striking out nine, including an impressive sequence where he retired the side through the first three innings.
Stevenson accredits his breakfast of donuts and orange juice for his dominant batting performance.
“I had a good breakfast this morning. If you have a good breakfast, you automatically play good,” said Stevenson.
For Bonny Eagle, starting pitcher Nathan Collins took the loss, despite being pulled in the fifth after reaching his maximum pitch count. Collins finished with seven strikeouts and just two earned runs.
“They got the momentum shift with a couple of big hits,” said Bonny Eagle head coach Chris Collins. “They’re good at hitting. They’re a really good team.”
Augusta opened the scoring in the second after Allen and Stevenson drove in runs with a couple of singles.
In the top of the first, Bonny Eagle brought the game to a one run difference when Collins drove home shortstop Jackson Humphrey to open the scoring for the visitors.
Unfortunately for Bonny Eagle, it would have to wait until the sixth inning for its next run, when Collins would once again drive home Humphrey.
In the bottom of the fourth, Augusta shortstop Drew Lindquist drove home a run with a deep shot to left field, before scoring on a Bonny Eagle error to put the game at 4-1.
The five-run fifth, however, is where Augusta really left its imprint.
Allen drove in two runs with a deep line drive double to put the scoring at 6-1. Soon after, Stevenson drove home Allen with a ground-rule double, after his deep shot to left-field bounced just feet in front of the fencing.
Stevenson found home after a Bonny Eagle error, and catcher Kolton Colby capped the Augusta scoring at nine when he stole home in the bottom of the fifth.
“All these kids make my job easier,” Karagiannes said with a laugh. “I just have to stay out of their way. They know what they’re doing.”
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