General manager Colton Albertson likes to refer to his Bangor Babes Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League team as the “Cardiac Babes” for its dramatic comebacks.
One of those rallies has sent the defending champions into another championship game appearance. The Babes rallied for six eighth-inning runs to beat the Augusta Surgin’ Sturgeon 6-3 in a GNCBL semifinal on Thursday night at Mahaney Diamond on the University of Maine campus in Orono.
The Babes are in their second year as a club and will face the first-year South Portland Puffins in Saturday’s championship game. That matchup has been set for 4 p.m. at Thomas College in Waterville.
South Portland advanced with a 5-2 win over Old Orchard Beach after beating Waterville 13-7 in the quarterfinals.
Bangor earned a quarterfinal round bye.
The Babes trailed 3-0 entering the eighth inning on Thursday after being shut out by 2024 GNCBL Pitcher of the Year Sam Calder over the first seven innings.
Brody Walsh singled to open the eighth and Calder was replaced.
Albertson said Calder was outstanding.
“He gave us a run for our money,” said Albertson.
Calder threw 91 pitches and allowed four hits and one run with five strikeouts and no walks.
Three Augusta relievers walked the next six hitters, forcing in three runs after Walsh had scored on a wild pitch.
Chris Gaudio, the Babes’ starting pitcher who played for Rogers State University in Oklahoma, capped the rally with a two-run single to left.
“We have a lot of pitchers who also love to hit,” said Albertson.
Cole Payne picked up the win with two and a third innings of hitless, scoreless relief. He struck out four and walked one.
“That really helped,” said Albertson.
The Surgin’ Sturgeon had taken a 1-0 lead in the first on a walk, a wild pitch, a groundout and GNCBL Player of the Year T.J. Kramarz’s run-scoring groundout.
Augusta made it 2-0 in the fourth on a two-base error, a wild pitch and a passed ball and added another run in the sixth on Cash Bizier’s triple and Kramarz’s base hit.
In addition to Gaudio and Walsh, Brendan Mahaney, Ayden Hogan and Evan Nadeau also had hits for the Babes.
Nadeau and Hogan had doubles.
Colton Tritsch, Logan Keller, Hogan, Jackson Lizzotte, Jonah Baude and Nadeau drew walks in the eighth inning.
Gaudio allowed one hit and two runs over four innings on the mound for the Babes, with three strikeouts and three walks. GNCBL Pitcher of the Year Noah Hurd threw two and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and one run with two strikeouts and no walks.
Coach Trevor DeLaite’s Babes and the Puffins met once this season with the Babes earning an 11-6 victory on June 8. Three other scheduled games between the two were rained out.
Albertson said South Portland is a quality team that is very well-coached and playing well right now.
“But we’re excited to win another,” Albertson said about returning to the title game.
