Hermon senior captain Danny Fowler threw a 75-pitch complete game versus the reigning Class B state champions on Tuesday, as the Hawks defeated the Old Town Coyotes 2-1 in their season opener at Hermon.
A pitchers’ duel from the get-go, neither Fowler (four hits, no walks, seven strikeouts) nor Old Town senior Owen Rand (five innings, four hits, two walks, two earned runs, seven strikeouts) allowed an extra-base hit all afternoon, and they kept the game scoreless through three and a half innings.
The Hawks ultimately edged out the Coyotes on the basepaths, turning a stolen base and a passed ball into a fourth-inning run for senior Maddox Kinney (1-for-3), and two hits and a sacrifice fly into a fifth-inning insurance run for freshman Sam Hopkins (1-for-2).
“To be able to come out in the first game and have our senior leader throw a game like that, it sets the tone for the team,” Hermon head coach Matt Kinney said. “It’s important to start off with a highly competitive game like that. We really had to manufacture runs today.”
Old Town retaliated in the top of the sixth with base hits from seniors Preston Vose (1-for-3) and Brendan Mahaney (1-for-3), before senior catcher Jackson Lizotte (1-for-3) drove Vose home on an RBI groundout, making it a one-run ballgame.
With Mahaney on third and two outs, Hermon junior shortstop Max Hopkins (1-for-2, sac fly) made the defensive play of the day, tracking down a softly hit fly ball into shallow left field and making the over-the-shoulder circus catch as he tumbled into the grass.
At first, it appeared that both Hopkins and junior left fielder Edgar LeClerc misplayed the ball, but Hopkins jumped up and hoisted the ball in the air, triumphantly proffering it to the second base umpire. The umpire signaled out number three, and the Old Town faithful groaned.
“I started backpedaling, and [realized] I’m not getting there. I put the boosters on and made sure I wasn’t letting the play go,” Hopkins said. “It feels great to take down Old Town in the first game of the year.”
In the bottom of the sixth, Hermon’s aggressive baserunning caught up to them as Coyote senior Alex McCannell (one inning pitched, no runs) picked off Maddox Kinney at first base, stranding pinch-runner Camden Morrison at third.
Unfazed, Fowler returned to the mound in the top of the seventh and retired all three batters he faced to lock down the win.
“It was a good team win. I had everyone behind me making plays, and we got it done in the end,” Fowler said. “I was leaning towards my fastball today. When I located it, things ended up going well.”
Next up, Hermon (1-0) will host MDI (2-0) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., and Old Town (0-1) will host Ellsworth (3-0) on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
