The 11-12 Little League baseball state tournament is in full swing at Hampden with Tuesday’s first game being between two undefeated teams in Camden-Rockport and Bangor East, and it was Camden-Rockport who jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed on their way to a 10-5 victory and a trip to the championship round.
Camden scored 10 runs on 13 hits and committed three errors. Bangor East plated five runs on six hits and made two errors.
Teddy Laurita led the Camden-Rockport offense with a home run, double, single,and one RBI. Andrew Hall got the job done from the hill, pitching five innings and allowing three hits, one walk, and striking out six to pick up the win.
Camden-Rockport's Teddy Laurita slugs a solo home run in the third inning of Tuesday's 11-12 State tournament in Hampden. Camden-Rockport won the game 10-5 over Bangor East. Photo by Skip Hawkes
In the first inning, Camden pushed across three runs on four hits. A Kienan Brown single and Laurita double set up a two run single by Jack Gallagher and an RBI double by Kyle Crans for the scoring.
Camden made it 6-0 in the third inning on a Laurita home run, an RBI ground out by Crans,and an RBI single from Alex Forcillo. Bangor got on the board in the bottom of the inning on a lead off home run by Tyler Mallory-MacDonald. The homer was the first hit off Hall, and put an end to his perfect game.
Camden-Rockport's Andrew Hall delivers a pitch during the third inning. Hall worked five innings to pick up the win, allowing three hits and striking out six. Photo by Skip Hawkes
The score remained 6-1 through the fourth and fifth innings, but C-R seemed to put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth. An RBI single by Hall and a Bangor-East error contributed to the scoring.
Bangor would not go away quietly, as they plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth. A Colin Glencross single followed by a two run homer from Ben Crichton made it 10-3 with no outs. A walk to Liam Reading and a throwing error by Crans on a pick off attempt allowed Reading to come all the way around to score to make it a 10-4 game. Dane Johnson doubled, Mallory-MacDonald walked, and Ethan Dorman drove in the final Bangor run before the next three batters were retired in order.
Bangor's Ben Crichton yells to his team mates on his way to home plate after hitting a sixth inning two run home run. Photo by Skip Hawkes
Joining Laurita in the Camden-Rockport offense was Hall ( two singles, RBI), Gallagher (two singles, RBI), Brown (two singles), Crans (double, two RBIs), Forcillo (single,RBI), Ryan Pierce (single), and Nick Denny (single).
Mallory-MacDonald had a home run, single, and an RBI to lead Bangor-East, and Crichton added a homer and two RBIs. Other hitters were Johnson (double), Dorman (single, RBI), and Glencross (single).
Bangor-East (1-1) will play Cumberland-No Yarmouth (2-1), who eliminated Dirigo (1-2) 10-2 in Tuesday’s second game, at 5:30 on Wednesday, July 28. The winner advances to the championship game against Camden-Rockport (2-0) on Thursday, July 29. The “if necessary” game is scheduled for 5:30 on Friday, as Camden-Rockport must be defeated twice.
