ORONO, Maine — The Greely Rangers chanted in the dugout, just as they had done all game long. Finally, with the game on the line, they got the fire lit Saturday afternoon.
The Rangers from Cumberland Center scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a four-run deficit on the way to a 6-5 victory over Ellsworth in the Class B state championship game at Mahaney Diamond on the campus of the University of Maine.
Greely (17-3) won its seventh baseball state title and its first since 2015.
North regional champ Ellsworth closed out its season at 14-6.
The Rangers got a man into scoring position in the top of the first. Ben Kyles worked a two-out walk, then stole second, but was stranded when Brayden King caught Wes Piper looking on a called third strike.
Ellsworth grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first, but came away thinking it should have had more. Kyle Kenney beat out an infield single and took second on the low throw.
Luke Horne followed with a nifty bunt single, but was gunned out trying to steal by Rangers catcher Wyatt Soucie on the next pitch. Josh Curtis raked an RBI single to right, but was erased one pitch later on another failed steal attempt and a Soucie laser.
Greely threatened in the second when Kyle Soule laced a leadoff single to right and stole second. One out later, he appeared to have third base stolen, but was tagged out after lifting his hand off the bag.
The Eagles extended the lead in the third. Ridge Weatherbee was hit by a pitch to open the frame, then reached second when Hunter Boles’ sacrifice bunt was bobbled by the pitcher.
Saxe retired the next two batters, but Curtis pounded a double to right-center to score two runs and make it 3-0 Ellsworth.
Greely finally solved King long enough to scratch out a single run in the sixth. Ben Kyles laced a one-out double over the head of the right fielder and scored one out later when Soule fisted a single to left to make it 3-1.
The Eagles provided King with some insurance, tallying two runs in the sixth. Hollis Grindal opened the rally with a hard single to left, then raced to third on King’s bunt single and a throwing error.
After King stole second, Jackson Barry made it 5-1 when he grounded a hard single through the middle and a drawn-infield.
Greely turned the tables in the seventh after King was lifted for reaching the 110-pitch limit. With Luke Piper on first via a hit batsman, he advanced when Dawson Curtis uncorked a wild pitch.
Soucie walked, setting up Owen Piezik’s two-out, run-scoring single to left. Kyles reached on a fielding error to load the bases, then Piper worked a walk to force in the second run and trim the deficit to 5-3.
Soule tied it by slamming a two-run single to center field. Barry came on to face Keeler Vogt and Barry’s 0-1 pitch bounced in the turf. Pinch runner Sawyer Boudle broke for second, only to get caught in a rundown.
Wes Piper raced around third and scored the go-ahead run — well before the Eagles could tag Boudle out.
