HODGDON, Maine — The team that shows poise at the plate is often the one that emerges victorious.
Such was the case Saturday as No. 3 Fort Fairfield upset No. 2 Hodgdon, 12-1, in a Class D North semifinal. Fort Fairfield collected five hits, and capitalized on 12 walks en route to the upset victory. The two squads did not meet during the regular season.
Jon Bernard doubled, singled and scored a run to lead the Tigers (14-2 overall).
Carter Bruce pitched a complete game and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning when Hodgdon’s Dillon Buzzell rapped a single. Bruce allowed just four hits, no walks and one hit batter, with two strikeouts.
Carter (Bruce) threw strikes, mixed up his pitches, locations well and didn’t issue a walk,” said Fort Fairfield coach John Ala. “He trusted his defense behind him and they played error free baseball.”
Fort Fairfield catcher Dalton Cassidy ended the game by catching a pop foul behind home plate.
For Hodgdon, who finished with a 14-3 record, Daden Palmer singled, stole a base and scored the lone run on Andrew Tuttle’s double. Ben Tuttle and Wyatt Foster shared pitching duties for Hodgdon, combining for five hits and 12 walks, with 10 strikeouts.
Star-Herald Sports Reporter Kevin Sjoberg contributed to this report.
