Nolan Hobbs scattered 12 hits and defending Class A champion South Portland held off second-seeded Falmouth for a 6-5 win in a Class A South baseball semifinal Saturday at Falmouth.
The third-seeded Red Riots (16-3) will face top-ranked Thornton Academy in the regional final at 3 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph’s College.
South Portland took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Ryan Thurber (three hits) and an error.
Falmouth (16-3) got on the board in the third on Patrick Gill’s infield single with the bases loaded, but Finn O’Connell (three hits) hit a home run in the fourth to put South Portland back up by two.
The Navigators pulled even with runs in the fourth and fifth, the first on an RBI single by Miles Gay and the second on Bennett Smith’s triple.
But the Red Riots regained the lead in the sixth when an attempted pickoff throw was wild, allowing Thurber to score. Andrew Heffernan (three hits) followed with a two-run single.
That proved critical, as Falmouth’s Ethan Hendry hit a two-run homer in the seventh.
THORNTON ACADEMY 7, MARSHWOOD 0: Josh Kopetski retired all 15 batters he faced, combining with Thomas Griffin on a one-hitter as the top-ranked Golden Trojans (18-1) shut out the No. 12 Hawks (8-10-1) in a Class A South semifinal in Saco.
Kopetski finished with 10 strikeouts.
Thornton got all the offense it needed in the first inning, striking for four runs.
Cody Bowker was 2 for 2 with two doubles and two runs scored. Christian Schaffer, Brayden Williams and Nic Frink all had two hits and an RBI.
The Trojans will face No. 2 South Portland in the regional final at 3 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph’s College.
FREEPORT 5, LAKE REGION 0: Nathan Abbott allowed only two hits and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings as the third-seeded Falcons (15-4) blanked the 15th-seed Lakers (6-13) in a Class B South semifinal in Freeport.
Keegan Shea had a pair of singles and Zane Aguire hit a double for Freeport, which broke open a pitchers’ duel with four runs in the sixth.
The Falcons will seek a third straight regional title at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Southern Maine against top-seeded Greely.
GREELY 2, CAPE ELIZABETH 0: Zach Johnston allowed only two singles and struck out 12 to lead the top-seeded Rangers (18-1) past the fifth-seeded Capers (11-8) in a Class B South semifinal at Cumberland.
Greely got a run in the first inning, and Ryan Kolben launched a solo home run in the third as Greely set up a rematch with No. 3 Freeport in the regional final.
EDWARD LITTLE 4, MT. ARARAT 3: Reliever Brady Vincent escaped a seventh-inning jam with help from a good defensive play by shortstop Kamden Masselli, and the seventh-seeded Red Eddies (11-8) advanced to the Class A North final with a win over the third-seeded Eagles (12-6) in Topsham.
Edward Little will face No. 1 Bangor in the regional final Tuesday in Augusta.
MARANACOOK 2, SACOPEE VALLEY 0: Alex Trafton pitched a four-hitter and the sixth-seeded Black Bears (15-5) made two first-inning runs stand up in a Class C South semifinal win over the second-seeded Hawks (16-3) at Hiram.
LACROSSE
WINDHAM 14, BANGOR 1: Will Woolston recorded four goals and two assists to lead the second-seeded Eagles (9-5) past the No. 3 Rams (8-6) in a Class A North semifinal in Windham.
Nolan Brennan and Alex Yeaton each added three goals. Reed Wescott made eight saves for Windham, which will play top-seeded Falmouth in the regional final.
Jack Johnson scored for Bangor.
MESSALONSKEE 12, MARSHWOOD 9: The top-seeded Eagles (13-1) broke a tie with four goals in a span of 2:59 late in the third quarter and eliminated the ninth-seeded Hawks (8-6) in a Class B quarterfinal at Oakland.
Bryce Crowell scored three goals and Will Durkee had two goals and four assists for Messalonskee, which avenged a semifinal loss to Marshwood in last year’s playoffs. The Eagles will fourth-seeded Brunswick in the semifinals.
Kevin Cougler paced Marshwood with five goals.
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