Trenton Acadians experience ‘superior’ expertise after American Legion World Sequence ousting
Regardless of not advancing to the semifinals, the first-time Maine state and Northeast Regional champion Trenton Acadians gave account of themselves of their debut on the American Legion World Sequence.
The Acadians bounced again from an unpleasant 13-3 opening-game loss to defending champion Troy, Alabama, to play effectively in a heart-breaking 2-1 loss to Cheyenne, Wyoming, earlier than concluding the match with a 4-2 victory over League Metropolis, Texas, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina.
It was League Metropolis and Cheyenne that every went 2-1 of their four-team Stars Division to earn berths within the Monday semifinals in opposition to Stripes Division representatives Brooklawn, New Jersey, and Lincoln, Nebraska.
Cheyenne and League Metropolis had every crushed Troy by equivalent 3-2 scores.
“I used to be proud of the way in which we competed however I nonetheless have a bitter style in my mouth from recreation one,” mentioned Trenton coach Brad Smith, whose pitchers issued 15 walks, hit 4 batters and threw 5 wild pitches within the Troy loss.
The Acadians had been trailing simply 2-0 after 4 innings however gave up eight runs within the fifth inning on six walks, three wild pitches, two hit batters and two singles.
“We weren’t in the suitable mindset within the first recreation however we introduced it in video games two and three and I couldn’t have been prouder of the way in which we competed,” Smith added.
Trenton heart fielder-pitcher Hunter Curtis, who had an excellent match, mentioned he had a chat along with his teammates after that opening-game loss.
“I instructed them we belong down right here. We will compete with these groups,” Curtis mentioned. “After that, we did a fantastic job. We confirmed individuals Maine baseball isn’t what they suppose it’s. We competed. We’re pleased we received that final recreation.”
Lincoln received the Stripes Division and confronted Stars Division runner-up Cheyenne at 4 p.m. with Stars Division champ League Metropolis squaring off in opposition to Stripes runner up Brooklawn at 7 p.m.
The championship recreation is on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Curtis, the North Atlantic Convention Rookie of the Yr from Bangor’s Husson College this previous spring, went 3-for-7 on the plate (.429) with a homer and 5 runs batted in throughout the match. He additionally pitched a complete-game five-hitter to beat League Metropolis, during which he allowed two earned runs, struck out 5 and issued no walks.
The Acadians additionally acquired a terrific pitching efficiency from Peter Keblinsky, who tossed a three-hitter and allowed just one run in 6 ⅔ innings of the 2-1 walk-off loss to Cheyenne. He struck out 5 and walked two.
He needed to come out of the sport with two outs and no person on within the backside of the seventh as a result of he had exceeded the 105-pitch depend. Cheyenne touched up Miles Palmer for the profitable run on successful batter and a double.
The Acadians mustered solely two hits in opposition to Cheyenne and hit simply .159 (11-for-69) within the match after hitting .299 within the Northeast Regional.
Third baseman Wyatt Bragdon was the one Acadian in addition to Curtis to have a couple of hit, as he went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles.
“The hitters did tremendous however we simply couldn’t discover the holes like we did within the regional,” Smith mentioned. “However I used to be happy with the way in which they battled by means of it.”
Curtis’ homer in opposition to Troy and Colin Sullivan’s double in opposition to League Metropolis had been the Acadians’ solely additional base hits. Keblinsky, David Baugh, A.J. Lozano, Joey Wellman-Clouse and Dawson Curtis every had a base hit within the tourney.
The tourney itself was a memorable one for the Acadians.
“They handled us rather well,” mentioned Hunter Curtis, who famous that the staff’s host household had a barbecue lunch for the gamers on Saturday throughout their day without work. “And our mother and father and households who’ve been tremendous supportive all 12 months lengthy rented a home on a lake and I had a good time hanging out with them and the fellows.”
“I don’t know the way to put it into phrases. It was superior,” Smith mentioned. “The sector was stunning. We had flyovers throughout the nationwide anthem and issues like that. It felt like such a giant deal. The blokes acquired an opportunity to signal baseballs.”
The Acadians, who received the state title for the primary time in program historical past courting again to 1979, concluded the season with a 22-7 file together with 15 wins of their final 18 video games.
The staff consists of gamers who performed for or used to play at Ellsworth Excessive College, Bar Harbor’s Mount Desert Island Excessive College and Blue Hill’s George Stevens Academy.
Smith is trying ahead to subsequent season.
“We’re shedding loads of guys and loads of expertise, however the youthful children gained some expertise these previous couple of weeks and they are going to be able to step up subsequent season,” Smith mentioned.
The Acadians’ Junior American Legion staff additionally received the state match.
