BREWER, Maine — Brewer High School junior first baseman Emma Jameson said she had been in a slump recently but she has been working a lot on her hitting with assistant coach Jaimee Perry.
It certainly paid off on Monday night.
The lefthanded-hitting Jameson launched a long three-run homer to right center in a five-run, third-inning uprising that led the surging Witches to their third straight win, 8-4, over archrival Bangor at sun-drenched Coffin Field.
The Witches are now 3-2 and have knocked off 3-0 teams Skowhegan and Bangor in successive games. Brewer beat Skowhegan 4-1.
Trailing 1-0 entering the third, senior right fielder Paige Oakes opened the inning by belting a long homer to left center to tie the game. It was her first career homer.
Jordin Williams blooped a single into center and Jill Ford reached on an infield error before Jameson walloped Emma Tripp’s 1-0 pitch over the fence for her first homer of the season.
“It felt really good,” said Jameson.
Olivia Bragdon followed with a sharp single to left center and she eventually scored on Sara Young’s sacrifice fly.
Brewer added three more runs in the fifth off relievers Kaylee Folsom and Annabelle Pierce on Young’s two-run double over the third base bag and Oakes’ base hit.
Junior righthander Young went six and a third innings to pick up the win before freshman righty Audrey Loupin came in to get the final two outs on ground balls.
Young allowed eight hits and four runs but just one of the runs was earned. She struck out six and didn’t walk anybody while throwing 90 pitches of which 65 were strikes.
“Everything was working today,” said Young. “My curveball was really good, my fastball is always on, my riseball was good and my changeup was really good.”
Young said she also mixed in some screwballs, drops and slow curves.
“It went very well today,” said Young, who was particularly pleased with her ability to throw strikes.
“I hadn’t been doing that lately,” said Young. “I think I’ve found the zone now.”
Brewer had 12 hits and eight of the nine starters had at least one.
“They played today like I thought they could,” said Brewer coach Skip Estes. “We got off to a rough start in our first two games but since the Lewiston game (3-2 loss on April 25), they’ve been getting better and better.
“They’ve been working extremely hard in practice,” Estes added.
“This was a very, very big win,” said Jameson.
Oakes had a pair of singles to go with her homer and she drove in two runs. Designated player-pitcher Loupin and senior catcher Williams each had a pair of base hits. Young had three RBIs with her double and sacrifice fly.
Freshman shortstop Abby Folsom ripped a triple and a double to pace the Rams. Senior center fielder Eva Coombs doubled and singled and senior catcher Sophie Lynch singled twice.
Tripp had a double and Gabby Goding had an RBI single for Bangor.
“Brewer swung the bats really well but we need to come to games with (more) energy and have quality at-bats and that’s what we’re going to work on,” said Bangor coach Sophia Sciarappa.
There were a number of defensive gems turned in by players from both teams.
Bangor shortstop Folsom made a terrific running backhanded catch on Young’s foul ball in the second inning and she also gunned down a runner at the plate with a strong relay throw from short center field. The Rams also turned a nifty 1-3-2 double play in the first with Tripp throwing to first baseman Kaylee Folsom, Abby’s twin sister, and Folsom throwing to Lynch at the plate.
Brewer shortstop Ford ranged far to her left to snare Emily Adams’ grounder in the second and stepped on the second base bag for a force out and she also made a nice play in the shortstop hole in the seventh to nail Coombs at first.
And Oakes made a terrific lunging catch down low to rob Victoria Jarnich of a hit in the fifth.
Both teams play again on Wednesday as Brewer travels to Brunswick for a 4 p.m. game while Bangor entertains Mt. Ararat of Topsham at 4:30.
