By Dave Dyer

Staff Writer

On what was finally a sunny summer afternoon in Maine, the sun shined on everyone, including the Libby-Mitchell Post 76 baseball team.

The team defeated Andrews 11-3 Tuesday night at Scarborough High School. As of press time, Libby-Mitchell has a 12-3 record on their season, assuring them a spot in the American Legion Zone 4 Playoffs, which begin next Tuesday.

Libby-Mitchell was led by pitcher Ryan Boyington, who pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts, and catcher Jake Rutt, who smacked two home runs during the game.

After a scoreless top of the first inning, Rutt started the scoring for Libby-Mitchell with a solo home run over the right field wall for a 1-0 lead. 

Andrews, comprised of Portland High School baseball players, scored their first run in the top of the second inning. After giving up back-to-back hits to Andrews leftfielder Eli Cough and pitcher Adam Gould, second baseman Ben Dibiase hit a base hit to left field to score Cough and tie the ball game at 1-1.

Libby-Mitchell responded in the bottom of the second inning by scoring four runs off of Gould, who experienced a bout of wildness throughout the inning. Rightfielder Ian Ramsdell started the inning with a base hit to center field, then quickly stole second base. Gould then hit leftfielder Blake Brubach with a pitch and walked second baseman Adam Morin. Shortstop Joe Cronin followed with a sacrifice fly to score Ramsdell to take the lead back to 2-1, which was quickly followed by Brubach scoring on a wild pitch to give Libby-Mitchell a 3-1 lead.

The inning continued with designated hitter Lincoln Sanborn hitting an RBI double to right field, scoring Morin and giving Libby-Mitchell a 4-1 lead. Gould continued his wildness by walking both Rutt and first baseman Chris Bernard consecutively, as well as another wild pitch that scored Sanborn and giving Libby-Mitchell a 5-1 lead. Gould was then removed for pitcher Rudy Dimillo, who quickly ended the inning. 

Boyington continued to pitch strong throughout the game, giving Andrews an assortment of breaking balls, forcing hitters to hit ground balls.

“My off speed stuff was working good,” Boyington said. “I got a lot of ground balls that way. Plus I could sneak a fastball down every now and then.”

Libby-Mitchell continued their offensive attack in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Rutt blasted his second home run of the day, another solo blast over the right field wall, which appeared to bounce across Gorham Road, located beyond the right field fence. The home run gave Libby-Mitchell a 6-1 lead.

“The first [home run] was a hanging curve,” Rutt said. “The other one was down and in.”

Boyington ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth inning. After Dibiase reached first on an error, third baseman Brian Furey hit an RBI triple to right field. The hit was followed by an RBI single by shortstop Campbell Rico, making the score 6-3 in favor of Libby-Mitchell. Boyington allowed a double to right fielder PJ Brogan, but settled down by making Joe Violette fly out to center field to end the inning.

Libby-Mitchell made up for the two runs lost in the bottom of the fifth by scoring two runs of their own. After a walk to Neil Ravin and Morin hitting into a fielder’s choice, Cronin hit an RBI single, making the score 7-3. Sanborn followed with an RBI double, giving Libby-Mitchell an 8-3 lead heading into the sixth inning.

Libby-Mitchell would add three more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by an RBI double by third baseman Brendan Sullivan. Boyington shut down Andrews in the top of the seventh, securing the win.

Libby-Mitchell coach Jim Cronin said with the 15 games played this season, he knows what the team is capable of heading into the playoffs.

“We have 18 kids on the roster, plus three swing players,” Cronin said. “I think we’ve seen what each kid can do.”

Cronin said the American Legion Playoffs are also a chance for senior players to have a second chance at playoff baseball after Scarborough’s loss to Deering in the state playoffs.

“If I had to lose them at the end of the season, I would have been bummed out,” Cronin said. “But I knew we had Legion season.”

Staff writer Dave Dyer can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 219