AUGUSTA — As it was a year ago, so it was for the Messalonskee baseball team to open the 2025 season.
The Eagles thrived in close games en route to a Class A North title in 2024, winning 11 of their 16 games by two or fewer runs. Wednesday, they picked up right where they left off, defeating Cony 3-2 at Morton Field.
“I’m going to invoke the old Yogi Berra quote here and say, ‘It’s déjà vu all over again,’” said Messalonskee coach Eric Palin. “Our timing is a little off offensively, but early in this season, that’s going to happen when you haven’t faced that live pitching. We took advantage of the opportunities we got.”
How Messalonskee did it
• Sean Achorn set up the Eagles for success as he struck out eight and allowed just one unearned run in 4 1/3 innings. Then, Ben Bernier escaped a one-out, second-and-third jam in the sixth inning before getting Wyatt McKenney to fly out with the bases loaded to end the game.
“They were just trying to fight off everything with two strikes, and I just have to put everything in the zone and hit spots when I do that,” said Achorn, a sophomore. “Credit to them because they did a good job; they had my pitch count up early.”
• Even with Messalonskee’s lineup somewhat quiet (six hits) by its own standards, the Eagles got runs in other ways. Achorn scored after a steal and wild pitch in the first inning, then came home on a double steal in the third. The Eagles drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.
What it means
• A Messalonskee team with the bulk of its batting order and pitching staff back from a season ago started off its Class A North title defense with a victory against another of central Maine’s top teams.
• A Cony team with big aspirations of its own in Class B North nearly earned a marquee win over a title contender from a higher class in its first game. Rams coach Don Plourde, though, was not one for moral victories.
“We went toe-to-toe with them, but I’m frustrated because we pitched well and played well defensively but just couldn’t get that one big hit,” Plourde said. “It’s frustrating for the guys that have been working their butts off, so I’m a little down, I’m not going to lie.”
They said it
“We really liked what we saw out of (Ben Bernier) toward the end of last year. He pitched really well and had a game-winning hit and has been up at varsity ever since, so coming into this season, we had a lot of confidence in him. It was good to see him work out of trouble in some high-leverage spots.” — Eric Palin
Stat leaders
• Messalonskee: Sean Achorn (win, 4 1/3 IP, 8 K, BB, 0 ER; 1B, 2 SB, 2 runs scored), Ben Bernier (save, 2 2/3 IP, K, 2 BB), Jordan Lewis (2 2B)
• Cony: Jordan Benedict (3 IP, 5 K, 2 BB, 1 ER; 1B), Max Tibbetts (4 IP, 7 K, 5 BB, 1 ER; 1B, run scored)
Up next
• Messalonskee: at Edward Little (1-0), 10 a.m. Thursday
• Cony: at Erskine Academy (0-1), 11 a.m. Thursday
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