POST 202’S Isaak Flaming scores in the second inning as Post 86 United catcher Wade Sansone attempts to field the throw as pitcher Luke Waeldner runs behind the play to back up. The game was suspended in the ninth inning due to darkness, tied 9-9. ERIC MAXIM / TIMES RECORD STAFF
BOWDOINHAM
As the official start of summer is right around the corner, Tuesday evening’s weather for a Senior American Legion baseball game between Post 86 United and Topsham Post 202 was almost perfect. It was so good, the teams decided to play extra innings, and the back-and-forth battle was even better, as the game remained tied after nine innings at Bowdoinham Community School.
Darkness finally won out, forcing the teams to return to the field on Saturday, tied 9-9, prior to the regular-scheduled contest. The suspended game will begin at 10 a.m.
Post 86 United, consisting of athletes from Greely High School, Freeport and Yarmouth, scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning before Topsham Post 202, made up with players from Brunswick, Morse, Mt. Ararat and Richmond, tied it in its half of the seventh to send it to extras.
“That was a good back-and-forth game right there,” Post 86 United coach Glen Cyr said. “We kind of fell asleep in the middle, but we picked it back up and responded in the seventh.”
TOPSHAM POST 202’S Danny Stewart (top) receives a throw at first base on a pickoff attempt, and above Matt Rines delivers a pitch during the fourth inning. ERIC MAXIM / TIMES RECORD STAFF
Topsham Post 202 put runs on the board first, getting a pair in the home half of the first inning when Austin Damon smashed a home run, his third of the young season, a two-run blast to left-center field off starter Luke Waeldner.
“I started hitting the ball late in the (high school) season and its continued so far in legion ball,” Damon said.
Scout Masse added an RBI single in the second to give Topsham Post 202 a 3-0 lead after two innings.
Damon, a soon to be senior at Mt. Ararat High School, also shined on the mound the first couple of innings. He pitched his way out of a jam in the first, inducing a pair of ground balls to strand a pair of runners, and after a leadoff single to Nate Cyr in the second, he retired the next three batters.
However, the righty ran into trouble in the third. After retiring the leadoff batter, a hit batsman and four straight singles, along with a pair of throwing errors had the visitors ahead by a 4-3 score. A walk a batter later ended Damon’s evening on the mound.
“Austin battled for us. He got into a little trouble in the third, but gutted it out,” Topsham Post 202 coach Josh Meier said.
Brunswick High School graduate Dalton Dickey relieved Damon and after an infield single, induced a couple of pop outs to first baseman Danny Jackson to strand three more runners.
Topsham Post answers
Cody Holman led off the bottom of the third with a single and promptly moved to second on Damon’s second hit in as many at-bats. After a double steal, Holman danced off third base with Isaiah Cogswell of Morse at the plate. With Waeldner pitching from the wind-up, Holman was able to take an extra long lead down the baseline. With the count three balls and one strike, Meier wanted to be aggressive. As the left-handed Waeldner delivered the pitch, Meier yelled “go” to Holman and he broke for home. The speedster slid to the front of the tag in front of catcher Wade Sansone to score the tying run.
“I wasn’t able to give the batter a sign that I didn’t want him to swing, I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to go until I just yelled ‘go’ to Luke,” Meier said.
A two-out walk to Cam Dunton and the double-steal that followed plated Damon with Topsham Post 202’s fifth run of the game. Waeldner recorded his seventh strikeout, fanning Isaak Flaming to end the inning.
“Luke comes to us from Yarmouth, he’s a tough lefty that likes to mix his pitches up and give you different looks,” Glen Cyr said.
After Post 86 United plated a pair of runs to retake the lead, 6-5, Waeldner ran into trouble again in the fifth, hitting Damon to start the inning and surrendering a ground-rule double to Cogswell. Jackson delivered a sacrifice fly to score Damon before Dunton ripped an RBI single to regain the lead, chasing Waeldner.
Post 86 United catcher Sansone ended the inning by making a perfect throw to second base to catch Dickey trying to steal.
Topsham Post 202 added an insurance run in the sixth after a Trey Booty scored on error after hitting a leadoff double, giving his squad an 8-6 lead.
Richmond’s Matt Rines relieved Dickey in the fifth inning and walked two while striking out a pair over the next two innings to preserve the lead. Rines walked the first two hitters in the top half of the seventh before being relieved by Dunton. The right-hander hit Rylan Benedict to load the bases before a pitch that was not handled cleanly behind the plate allowed Zack Mann to score the tying run. A walk, an infield error and a fielder’s choice pushed two more runs across for Post 86 United, taking a 9-8 lead.
Dunton led off the bottom of the seventh with his second hit of the game. Flaming was hit by a pitch, prompting Cyr to go back to Waeldner, who had only thrown 86 pitches. The lefty balked before throwing a pitch, scoring Dunton with the tying run. Despite hitting two more batters to load the bases, Waeldner worked his way out of the jam, getting Holman to pop out before striking out Damon for his eighth strikeout.
“That showed a lot right there, striking Damon out after he had a couple of hits off him, including that homer in the first,” the Post 86 coach said.
Each team stranded runners in the extra frame as darkness forced the umpires to suspend the game.
Damon finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and scored three runs. Cogswell, Masse and Dunton each chipped in with a pair of hits for the home team.
Nate Cyr ripped three singles, while Waeldner had a pair of hits and two stolen bases for Post 86 United.
Post 86 United 9, Topsham Post 202 9
Game suspended after 8 innings At Bowdoinham
Post86— 00420030—994
Post202—21202110—9124
Luke Waeldner, Zack Mann (5), Eben
Kiesow (7), Luke Waeldner (7), AJ
Eisenhart and Wade Sansone; Austin
Damon, Dalton Dickey (3), Matt Rines
(5), Cam Dunton (7) and Scout
Masse, Trey Booty (5).
Repeat hitters — (86) Nate Cyr 3.
Luke Waeldner; (202) Austin Damon
3, Isaiah Cogswell, Cam Dunton,
Scout Masse.
Doubles — (202) Isaiah Cogswell,
Trey Booty.
Home run — (202) Austin Damon
Records — Post 86 United 0-1; Topsham Post 202 1-0.
Up next for Post 86 United —
Wednesday at Staples Crossing, 5:30
p.m.
Up next for Topsham Post 202 —
Thursday at Yankee Ford, 5:30 p.m.
Note — Tuesday’s suspended game
will be completed at 10 a.m. on Saturday prior to the start of the regular schedule game at Bowdoinham
Community Field.
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