Pitching duel unfolds in EM final

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    BANGOR — A classic pitchers’ duel unfolded June 15 as No. 1 Katahdin played No. 7 Bangor Christian for the Eastern Class D baseball title at Mansfield Stadium.
    Katahdin ace Brandon Robinson and Bangor Christian’s Tyler Alexander both threw complete games, tossing 113 pitches and 119 pitches respectively.
    The Cougars outlasted the No. 7 Patriots, 2-1, in a thrilling 9-inning marathon game that lasted two-and-a-half hours. Katahdin, which also won the regional title in 2008, lost in the state championship to Western-titlist Greenville on Saturday (see accompanying story).
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Joseph Cyr
GAME-WINNER — Katahdin’s Chris Cloukey is safe at the plate with  the winning run in Katahdin’s 2-1 victory in the Eastern Maine final.
    Robinson, a senior, was masterful on the mound for Katahdin, allowing just one hit and two walks, with 12 strikeouts. Alexander, also a senior, was equally sharp, scattering two runs on seven hits and no walks, with nine strikeouts. Both pitchers hit one batter.
    “That was a lot longer than I was hoping for, but I couldn’t ask for a better Eastern Maine game,” Robinson said. “We just beat a really good team. We just put together a couple more hits.”
    Had the game continued, the two aces were only eligible to pitch one more inning as baseball rules prohibit hurlers from tossing more than 10 innings. Earlier in the season, Alexander threw a no-hitter against the Cougars, while Robinson tossed a two-hit shutout of the Patriots in their other meeting.
    “I was going one more inning if I had to, because that’s all I was eligible for,” Robinson said.
    “Inning after inning, this was just a wonderful game,” Katahdin coach Marty McCarthy said. “I take my hat off to Brandon. He pitched a heck of a game. That’s the best game I have ever seen him throw.”
    Because Wednesday’s game was postponed one day due to rain, Robinson was not eligible to pitch in Saturday’s state championship game.
    In the regional title game, Katahdin broke a 1-1 stalemate in the bottom of the ninth inning when Jesse McNally rapped a lead-off single past third base on the first pitch of the frame. McNally promptly stole second uncontested and was then lifted for the senior speedster Chris Cloukey.
    By dancing off the bag at second, Cloukey was able to entice Alexander to throw to second in an attempted pick-off. Instead the ball sailed over the head of the second baseman, allowing Cloukey to easily reach third with nobody out.
    Fittingly, it was Robinson who delivered the game-winning hit as he grounded a 2-2 to second base. With Cloukey taking off on contact, Bangor Christian catcher Rem Poulin was unable to come up with the relay throw home as Cloukey safely slid across the plate to end the game.
Pioneer Times photograph/Joseph Cyr
HAPPY COUGARS — After winning the Eastern Maine title, the Cougars explode from the dugout to celebrate.
    “It was scary,” Cloukey said when coach McCarthy called his number to pinch run for McNally in the ninth. “My heart was pounding like crazy the whole time. I knew I had to score. This is a good moment right now.”
    “Chris is such a great team player,” McCarthy said. “He knows his role and never complains. He’s so fast. I don’t know if anyone else would have been able to score on that play.”
    Senior Kolby Gallagher led Katahdin with two singles and two stolen bases. Robinson also had two singles, while Billy Livezey, Mickey Savage and McNally each had one single.
    Cody Collins tallied the lone hit for Bangor Christian with a single in the fourth inning.
    “Oh my God, I love this,” said Gallagher, who had two singles and stole two bases. “I’ve played with a lot of these guys since Little League.”
    Many members of the Cougars were teammates on the 2003 Little League squad that won a state title, also under the coaching of McCarthy.
    “This is such a great group of kids,” he said. “They have progressed so much. They are tough-minded and that is key.”
    Robinson said the pitch that was working the best for him was a “slurve,” a half-slider, half-curve, which he used to keep the Patriots off-balanced for much of the game.
    Bangor Christian conceded second base virtually all game as any time a Katahdin runner reached first, they were able to take second without a throw to the bag.
    It was Bangor Christian who struck first as Robinson walked Brad Wilcox to start the game. Wilcox stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Alexander. After that, Robinson allowed just four more Patriots base runners, with none advancing past second base.
    Katahdin evened the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning when senior catcher Mickey Savage singled to start the frame. He stole second uncontested and went to third on a passed ball and scored on a throwing error by Alexander.
    Katahdin threatened to break the game open on a number of occasions, stranding runners in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The Cougars were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.