Lewiston got on the board quickly when catcher Alex Small hit a single and stole second. Corbin Hyde singled in Small. Windham wasted little time making their offense known as well. Calvin Field led off with a walk and stole second and third. Spencer Hodge also drew a walk. With runners at the corners, Joey Francoeur flied out deep to center and Field tagged up and scored. Hodge stole second and was driven home on Dennis Meehan’s deep fly ball to right field. After one, Windham had the 2-1 lead.
Windham held Lewiston scoreless in the second. With one out, Ethan Petty hit a single and advanced when Zach Conley reached base on an error. Calvin Field blistered a deep shot to center to drive in Petty and Conley and land him on third. Field scored on Spencer Hodge’s hit to give Windham the early 5-1 lead. Lewiston countered in the third when Corbin Hyde launched a ball over the fence to record a run for Lewiston. In the bottom frame, with one out, Tanner Laberge and Nate Boyle both drew walks. Ethan Petty batted a single in to drive Laberge in. After three, it was 6-2.
Brian Wigant of Lewiston started the fourth with a walk and quickly stole second. Mike Wong batted him in with a single. Leadoff hitter, Luke Cote, drove Wong in with a single to narrow the Windham lead to two runs. In the bottom of the fourth, Windham’s Dennis Meehan led off with a walk and Shawn Francoeur was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Tanner Laberge hit a single to drive Meehan in. Windham’s lead gap had shrunk by one at the end of the inning.
The fifth inning was not starting pitcher Cody Dube’s inning. Dube gave up three hits and Windham committed two errors to give Lewiston four runs and the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Ethan Petty reached on a single. With one out, Calvin Field drove another deep ball for a triple. The relay from center field was on the mark and Petty was thrown out attempting home. Spencer Hodge reached base on an error and Field scored to tie the game at 8.
The ninth inning saw some different baseball as Lewiston went to the short game (bunting) to create runs and take a three-run lead. In the bottom of the inning, Windham again answered the call. With one out, Ethan Petty hit a triple. Andrew Whiting and Calvin Field drew walks to load the bases. Spencer Hodge grounded into a fielder’s choice, but Petty scored. Joey Francoeur drew a walk to again load the bases. Dennis Meehan lined a single to drive in Whiting and Field to again tie the game. Due to diminished light, the game was suspended after ten complete innings.
Play continued tonight for the Zone 3 Legion championship. Nate Boyle took the hill for Windham and performed almost flawlessly. Boyle, with help from his defense kept Past-Time off the board. However, Past-Time shuffled their pitchers in and out using Luke Cote and Corbin Hyde to contain Windham. In the twelfth, Windham had bases loaded with one out and couldn’t put the winning run across.
In the top of the sixteenth, Boyle came out to pitch. After he delivered, Lewiston called timeout. After a conference with the home plate umpire, the Zone 3 commissioner was asked to come on the field. After the commission examined Windham’s books, the game was immediately ended and Windham Forfeited for using an ineligible pitcher.
Legion rules are clear about pitcher’s rest time. A pitcher my only pitch twelve innings in three days. Boyle had thrown seven on Sunday against Locke Mills. When Boyle came out and delivered in the sixteenth, he actually reached the 13 inning mark in three days.
Later Wednesday night, the State Commissioner was called in after Windham filed a protest saying the game should not have been forfeited.
Friday update: Windham will remain runners-up after the final ruling of the game should not have been forfeited and the initial call was incorrect. However, the protest had to be lodged while the umpires were still on the field and that wasn’t the case here.
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