The Old Town Coyotes baseball team escaped the Lawrence Bulldogs at the very last moment thanks to a clutch walk-off single from Old Town’s Preston Vose.
Old Town, which defeated Lawrence 3-2 on Saturday, will now advance to the Class B North finals. The Coyotes will face the winner of Ellsworth and Cony High School’s semifinal matchup.
Jordan Craft was instrumental in ensuring the Coyotes had a chance down the stretch, pitching a nine-strikeout complete game.
On the other side of the rubber, Lawrence’s Hunter Lee went the distance himself and struck out four batters.
The Coyotes came out swinging in the first inning, driving in a run on two hits in the process. Brendan Mahaney sent a deep shot into left field that brought Gabe Gifford in to score.
The lead didn’t last more than a half inning as Lawrence’s catcher, Cameron Dostie, reached first on a single to start the second inning. The catcher made his way to third on the back of a sacrifice bunt and stolen base, and made it home with Old Town’s infielders focused on the runner between first and second. Dostie crossed the plate before the runner was tagged out at second base to tie the game at one.
Two innings later, Lee opened the inning with a single and was driven home by way of a Benny Ryder RBI double.
Craft stayed solid, and struck out three batters in the sixth inning and forced the Bulldogs to strand a runner on base.
Heading into the seventh inning as both sides were warming up, Old Town’s Alex McCannell collapsed to the ground in pain with an apparent ankle injury. As a hush fell over the stadium, McCannell stood up under his own power and remained in the game.
Less than a minute later, McCannell put his ankle to work, leaping to snag a line drive that would’ve otherwise dropped into shallow right field to preserve the deficit at just one.
McCannell worked a four-pitch walk to start the bottom of the seventh, and was replaced by pinch-runner Ian Bouchard. Matt Brawn then sent a chopping ground ball to third base. The throw to first was off-base, and the ensuing throw to third missed as well, putting runners on second and third with one out for the Coyotes.
Batting next was Preston Vose, who sent a shot through the first and second base hole, sending Bouchard and Brawn beelining for home. Bouchard reached the plate uncontested, and while the ball did beat Brawn to the plate, Dostie was unable to corral the throw in his glove.
The mishap was just enough for the Coyotes’ winning run to cross the plate.
