SCARBOROUGH – With the sun blazing on the Scarborough High baseball field for the American Legion doubleheader between Nova Seafood and Libby-Mitchell, it appeared Nova wasn’t quite awake and alert for the 9:30 a.m. start.

But by the time the second game came around

After Ryan Mancini came within one strike of a no-hitter in Libby-Mitchell’s 5-0 victory in the opener, Nova Seafood pulled away to win the second game, 11-4.

Mancini dominated the opener, striking out eight with no walks, with the only Nova runners reaching on errors. Until

With two outs and two strikes in the seventh and final inning, Jamie Ross hit a sharp grounder to third and beat the throw from Joe Davis for a single.

“I just didn’t really want to go down swinging. I already had a tough day at the plate,” said Ross, who had struck out and grounded to third. “(Mancini) pitched a hell of a game.”

Mancini said he knew he had a no-hitter going.

“I was pretty nervous. It was something all game,” he said.

“I threw more offspeed pitches during the game. I tried to keep them off-balance but I think I threw one too many to (Ross). He’s a good hitter.”

Libby-Mitchell took control in the first when Dan Wessel homered to right-center, driving in Davis, who had walked.

In the fifth, Adam Morin reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Wessel.

In the second game, Nova Seafood put it away with a five-run sixth inning, including a leadoff triple by Nick DiBiase, and shoddy fielding by Libby-Mitchell.

“It was a good win,” Ross said.

 

Staff Writer Austin Pollack can be contacted at 791-6384 or at:

apollack@mainetoday.com