Edward Little second baseman C.J. Jipson waits for the ball as Mt. Blue’s Sean Testa (3) slides safely into the bag during a baseball game at Auburn Suburban Little League Park in Auburn on Monday. EL won, 12-4.
AUBURN — When Damien St. Pierre’s arm got stronger and his accuracy improved, Edward Little’s bats also came to life — and that’s when the Red Eddies made a break for it in a Class A North baseball game at Auburn Suburban Little League Field.
Mt. Blue High School was holding a 3-1 lead after three innings before Edward Little (8-2) opened up at the plate and showed the Cougars (3-8) the door with a 12-4 victory on a cloudy and cold Monday.
“I think he (St. Pierre) battled early on and I think he got stronger as he progressed in the game,” EL baseball coach Dave Jordan said. “I think we got a lead for him and he got some adrenaline going. He wanted to finish — did a great job.”
The Cougars squeezed out two runs in the first inning thanks to a couple of EL errors. Ethan Andrews, who got on with a hit, and teammate Sean Testa came home with the help of an error and an RBI single from Kenneth Williamson.
The Red Eddies scored in the second when C.J. Jipson (two hits, one RBI) got on with an error and scored when designated hitter Ben Harris made it to first base on an error at shortstop.
Mt. Blue scored its third run in the third inning thanks to Andrews’ heads-up base running. The catcher got on with an error and eventually stole home to give the Cougars a 3-1 lead.
But Mt. Blue’s two-run lead didn’t last long.
Edward Little’s offense finally found a way to chip away at Mt. Blue starting pitcher Alex Philbrick in the fourth inning. Tyler Libby, Jipson and Race Bouchard all came home with runs due to an error, and Tyler Blanchard’s (3-for-4) RBI single. Philbrick relinquished the mound to Testa, who came in relief and pitched the next two innings.
Now the Red Eddies were in command with a 5-3 lead, with St. Pierre bearing down on the Cougars from the mound.
In the fifth, Grant Hartley ripped a home run to center field, and Mason Brushwein singled and came home when his brother Ian Brushwein got on with error at third base.
“We got some guys on base, got some hits, we benefited from a few walks. Things like that,” Jordan said. “We still have to work on our charity. We have been a little bit charitable the last few games with some errors … but we played a team that put pressure on us and they put the ball in play.
“But it is still nice to see that we can overcome leads. I would not like to see us spot teams two or three runs.”
The Red Eddies erupted with six runs in the sixth inning and drove Testa from the mound. Mt. Blue’s Noah Bell came in with one out and was relieved by Williamson, who finished out the game.
In that sixth-inning uprising, the Red Eddies used four hits and a walk to bring home Austin Brown, Blanchard, Jarod Norcross Plourde, Hartley, Mason Brushwein, Tyler Libby and Jipson.
Mt. Blue didn’t go quietly, scoring a run in the top of the seventh. Hunter Bolduc got on with a hit and scored on Bell’s single.
“The guys started out really well,” Mt. Blue coach Stephen Lancaster said. “They were patient at the plate, made some timely hits and we came out with three runs. I think we threatened them.
“We made them a little nervous in the game and then we just fell apart defensively. We piled up a bunch of errors and they scored a bunch of unearned runs on us and that just turned the game right around.
“They did a great job of taking advantage of that because they are a really good team. They saw the opportunity and made the best of that and turned the whole game right around.”
Mt. Blue centerfielder Hunter Bolduc watches Edward Little’s Grant Hartley’s home run sail over the fence in the fifth inning during a baseball game at Auburn Suburban Little League Park in Auburn on Monday.Mt. Blue catcher Ethan Andrews puts the tag on Edward Little’s Christian Beliveau during a baseball game baseball game at Auburn Suburban Little League Park in Auburn on Monday.Mt. Blue third baseman Miles Pelletier puts the tag on Edward Little’s Austin Brown for an out during a baseball game at Auburn Suburban Little League Park in Auburn on Monday. EL won, 12-4.
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