POST 86 UNITED’S senior legion baseball team hosted Topsham Post 202 on Monday evening. Pictured on top, Topsham’s Devin Tobin (right), waits for a throw to first base as Post 86’s Jack Sawicki returns to the bag. Above, Sawicki slides safely into second base as Topsham’s Cam Labbe jumps for the throw. Post 86 won, 10-2. ERIC MAXIM / TIMES RECORD STAFF
CUMBERLAND
Post 86 United’s Gibson Harnett fanned 13 Topsham Post 202 hitters and the offense took advantage of five errors en route to a 10-2 victory in Senior American Legion baseball action Monday.
Harnett scattered four hits, walked one and hit a batter on the bump, while AJ Eisenhart rapped three hits and Jackson Connor drove in three runs in the victory.
Post 86 scored a pair of runs in the first inning off starter Isaiah Cogswell after Eben Kiesow and Wade Sansone walked. A pair of Topsham miscues and a Connor sacrifice fly and the home team had a quick 2-0 lead after an inning.
Hunter Lohr relieved Cogswell in the second, giving up a pair of doubles, including an RBI knock from Eisenhart to give the home team a three-run lead.
Harnett, a 2017 graduate of Yarmouth High School and a member of the 2017 State Class B baseball championship team, registered his fourth strikeout through eight batters before giving up a double to Scout Masse for Topsham’s first hit. Harnett notched his fifth strikeout a batter later to end the frame.
TOPSHAM POST 202 pitcher Hunter Lohr gives a high leg kick before sending a pitch to the plate during a Senior American Legion Baseball game in Cumberland on Monday. ERIC MAXIM / THE TIMES RECORD
“His fastball velocity was there and he was getting his curveball over for strikes and then started to throw his change-up as the game went on,” his catcher Sansone said.
In the home half of the third, the flood gates opened as Post 86 sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs to extend the lead to 10-0. The players from Greely, Freeport and Yarmouth High Schools took advantage of two walks, two hit batters and a wild pitch on a swing and a miss to go along with three hits for the damage.
“We need to get some consistency with the lineup,” Topsham coach Josh Meier said. “This is our ninth different lineup up the middle.”
Connor delivered a two-run single for the first runs of the frame, while Willie Neleski roped a two-run double to cap the scoring.
“Runs are runs. They know the strike zone, they know what they’re doing and they have to take advantage of the situation,” Post 86 coach Glen Cyr said of his hitters. “Whether it’s a hit batsman, a walk, an error or a passed ball, you need to know what to do, it’s baseball.”
Harnett was pleased with the 10-run advantage, making his time on the mound a little easier.
“It’s definitely nice to have that cushion when you go out there,” said the University of Connecticut sophomore. “I have to maintain my focus as sometimes I lose that when we get a lead.”
Topsham did catch Harnett “not focusing” a little in the fourth. Following a leadoff double by Lohr, Cogswell smacked a double in the left-center field gap, easily scoring Lohr from second. Harnett regained the focus he mentioned losing, striking out three of the next four hitters and stranding Danny Stewart on base after he walked.
“We tried to mix it up as much as we could,” Sansone said. “ We played together when we were 13- and 14- years old.”
“ I haven’t pitched to Wade in five years,” Harnett said. “Going up through high school, I called a lot of my pitches. Coming out here, Wade is showing me the way, calling most of the pitches. While it kind of frustrates me, it’s nice to have someone behind the dish who knows what they are doing.”
Lohr settled in, getting some help from his defense and retiring 10 of the last 14 hitters he faced. The righty left no excuses to his slow start early in the game.
“ It’s a summer game and you need to be ready at any time,” Lohr said. “I didn’t make the pitches I needed to and my defense did their job behind me.”
The five innings Lohr delivered Topsham pleased Meier, stating its importance to start the week.
“ Hunter came in and helped us out right there. We have five games this week, so pitching is a premium,” Meier said. “That’s been a down point for us this season, our pitchers getting a high pitch count early and having to use more ‘wings’ than we’d like to.”
Meanwhile, Harnett allowed one hit while earning five more punch-outs, including striking out the side in the seventh to end the contest.
“ He did a great job today, excellent effort by him,” Cyr added of his right-hander.
The win boosts Post 86 to 4- 5 with a game against Yankee Ford in South Portland on Thursday, while hosting Staples Crossing on Friday. Both games start at 5:30 p.m.
“ It’s a blast playing with these guys,” Harnett added. “It’s beautiful out here and a great time to play baseball, looking forward to the games this week.”
Topsham fell to 1-8 and hosts Yankee Ford today (5:30 p.m.), plays Coastal Landscape on Thursday ( 5: 30 p. m.) and has a doubleheader on Saturday at Cole Post Eagles at Massabesic Middle School at 10 a.m.
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