The Messalonskee varsity baseball team silenced Bangor on Wednesday night, no-hitting the Rams 11-0 at Mansfield Stadium in five innings.
Up against Class A North’s best offense — Bangor had been averaging 8.9 runs per game entering Wednesday’s game — Messalonskee’s side-arming sophomore Dennis Martin found his groove, plowing through 18 Rams batters in just 71 pitches.
It was Messalonskee’s (9-2) sixth straight victory, and what felt like Bangor’s (7-4-1) first time ever being mercy ruled.
“It’s surreal. I didn’t notice it until the last inning,” Martin said. “It feels amazing. I just trusted what Michael called, and everyone did their job in the field. With a big win like this against a team like that, it’s amazing for everyone headed into the postseason.”
Paired up with junior catcher Michael Achorn, Martin threw 37 strikes and three strikeouts, inducing five groundouts and two pop flies, walking just two batters. In the fourth, Bangor sophomore Kyle Johnson and then senior Geo Socolow were able to hit hard line drives, which went straight to first baseman Ethan Mayo and center fielder Cash Bizier (1-for-3, two runs), respectively.
Martin helped his own cause with a two-run single and a walk, while senior Garrett Card (2-for-3, one walk) and junior Ty Bernier (2-for-3, one walk) batted in three runs each.
“Dennis is just a really good fastball pitcher, and mixes in the off-speeds well. He’s pitching really well right now. Really well,” Achorn said. “I call the pitches, he throws them. We want a championship — this gives us a lot of momentum and motivation.”
Playing their fifth game in six days, the Rams (7-4-1) couldn’t muster the arms to slow down Messalonskee (10-2), who scored four runs in the second, two in the third and four more in the fifth.
Veteran Bangor head coach Dave Morris said Wednesday’s performance had nothing to do with the Rams’ busy schedule or lack of rest.
“That kid pitched a great game, congratulations to Messalonskee. They beat us. We’ll get better,” Morris said. “We just gotta coach better and play better. That’s it.”
