Needing a victory to stay alive, South Portland American defeated South Portland National in a come-from-behind win on Saturday, 5-4. South Portland American needed the win to remain in the District 6 Little League state tournament. Home runs for Brendan Horton and Conner MacVane kept South Portland American in the game until Jake Gerry’s RBI single in the fifth inning put the game away for the win.
Earlier in the tournament, the two teams played each other on July 9, with South Portland National winning in an 11-1 romp.
South Portland National jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Walks to Dominic Desjardins and Will Bushey, followed by doubles from Neil Maietta, Bill Burkey, and Aaron Flowers put South Portland National up 3-0 to start the game. South Portland American quickly came back, with Brendan Horton hitting a three-run home run to tie the game, 3-3. Jordan Muller reached on a base hit and Nick Genesio reached on a walk, and both scored on the Horton blast.
Will Bushey scored again for South Portland National in the top of the second to put his team ahead, 4-3. From there, the game turned into a pitching duel. South Portland National starter Will Bushey struck out four while giving up three runs, and South Portland American starter Jordan Muller struck out five while giving up four runs.
South Portland American threatened to do damage in the bottom of the third with two on and two outs, but Will Bushey ended the threat with a strikeout. They threatened again in the bottom of the fourth, with pitcher Aaron Flowers on the mound for South Portland National.
With runners in scoring position, Flowers intentionally walked Brendan Horton to load the bases and to take away the chance of another three-run home run. Flowers then retired Caleb Elsemore on a ground out to end another threat from South Portland American.
Horton then took over for starter Jordan Muller in the top of the fourth and got Neil Maietta to line out to end the inning. Horton struck out the side in the top of the fifth to keep it a one-run game.
South Portland American began their comeback on the very first pitch of the bottom of the fifth, starting with a solo home run from Conner MacVane that tied the game, 4-4. Nate Fox then walked, Brian Darling had a base hit, and Jake Gerry hit what turned out to be a game winning RBI single that drove in Fox and put South Portland American up for the first time in the game, 5-4. Pitcher Aaron Flowers stopped the momentum with two strikeouts and a ground out, but the damage had already been done.
Mitch Loeman had a leadoff walk for South Portland National in the top of the sixth, but Brendan Horton struck out Simon McQuinn, and then induced the game-ending double play to Dominic Desjardins.
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