OLD ORCHARD BEACH — It had the appearance of a dramatic comeback rally. In truth, it was a tease.
Old Orchard Beach wound up settling for an 11-5 thumping by unbeaten St. Dominic, Wednesday in a WMC baseball clash at Arthur LaChance Field.
But only after making matters interesting with a fifth inning eruption during which they sliced four runs off what had been an imposing 6-1 deficit.
“When OOB meets St. Dom’s,” said Seagulls outfielder Brandon Ouellette, “it’s like ”˜who’s going to win.’ It’s pretty much a dogfight anytime they come here or we go there.”
Things shaped up that way early on, when the teams swapped single runs.
The Saints (8-0) scratched out a run in the top of that inning off Old Orchard Beach starter Nick Harriman.
In the bottom of the frame, lead off man Evan Bujanowski smacked a single to center, stole his way to third, then trotted home on Ouellette’s sacrifice fly.
“We definitely felt like we could hang with them,” said Ouellette.”‚
The Gulls were stymied, however, for the next three frames by St. Dom’s starter Greg LaBonte, who at one point fanned five batters in a row, and struck out the side in the second and third.
Meanwhile, St. Dom’s eased into a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning, then tacked on another run in the top of the fifth, which seemed to signal the beginning of a rout.
But the Gulls regrouped, and sent eight men up in the bottom of the fifth, and hauled itself back into contention.
“We started feeling good,” said Ouellette. “Coach told us to have fun. And if we have fun, runs will come. We were pumped up in the dugout, and then we started hitting. We were all having fun.”
Pinch-hitter Tyler Smith got the Gulls going with a one out walk, then was followed aboard by Connor Rague and Bujanowski.
One out later, Ouellette clubbed a double down the left field line, that brought in both Smith and Rague.
“All I said to them,” said OOB coach Tom LaChance, “is that all it takes is four hits in a row. Then you realize you’re back in it.”
Rone Freidel kept the rally going with a two run single to right, which brought the score to 6-5.
However, the Gulls comeback attempt was cut short, when St. Dom’s put up five runs in the top of the sixth.
“I think we showed spurts of being young,” said LaChance, “and spurts of being really good. They put a little parade on after we came back, put a couple hits together, and took it back out.”
The Gulls will take the field again, Monday, at Waynflete.
— Contact Dan Hickling at 282-1535 ext. 318 or dhickling@gwi.net.
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