AUBURN

Arguably, Smith-Tobey Post 21 made better contact against Rogers Post 153 pitchers Tyler Schaefer and Nate Pushard than Rogers Post did against hurlers Trenton Moore and Aaron Barrett.

Still, Rogers Post found a way amid a flurry of bloops and infield singles for a 6-2 American Legion Zone III victory on Saturday at steamy Pettingill Park on Saturday.

Smith-Tobey hit the ball hard throughout the game, but most went directly to Rogers Post outfielders.

The loss ended Smith-Tobey’s campaign at 10-9, while Rogers Post advanced to Sunday’s Zone III semifinals (a loss to Pastime Club of Lewiston). Smith-Tobey lost all three contests this year to Rogers Post.

“Sometimes our pitchers throw really good pitches and the opponent sticks a bat out there and gets one to drop in, Such is baseball,” said Smith- Tobey coach Garrett Olson. “It was just one of those days. We had guys smoke balls to the outfield, but right at them. You just try to not get frustrated.”

Early lead

Rogers Post strung together three singles in the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Mike Hammond dropped a blooper to right, and after Nate Pushard singled, Brian Crane placed a flyball just beyond the glove of Smith-Tobey first baseman Chris Paulus and inside the right-field line for the game’s first run.

Schaefer started off well on the mound for Rogers Post. He retired the first six batters he faced on a mere 11 pitches, and his teammates staked him to a 3-0 lead in the home half of the second inning.

Evan Raymond reached on an infield single, and Corey Henderson followed with a bloop single to right field. John Simpson’s RBI single followed for a 2-0 lead, and an error on a flyball by Nate Blais made for a 3-0 contest. Smith-Tobey escaped further damage as catcher Wade Hunt threw out two runners on steal attempts.

Smith-Tobey got on the board in the third without the benefit of a hit. Aaron Barrett walked and stole second. Schaefer went for the pickoff at second base, but his throw was behind shortstop Josh DeLong and into center field. Barrett managed to score on the play as the ball eluded Blais in center field.

Smith-Tobey starting pitcher Moore found a groove, holding Rogers Post to one hit from the third to the sixth innings.

The visitors managed to claw within a run in the fourth. Zach Holbrook and Liam McDonough both walked. Pushard relieved Schaefer and induced a double play grounder for two quick outs. But, Paulus’ sinking line drive to center field glanced off the glove of Blais, allowing McDonough to score to get Smith-Tobey to 3-2.

Rogers Post managed to plate a run in the sixth as Schaefer scored on a throwing error for a 4-2 lead.

Pushard was solid the rest of the way, holding Smith-Tobey to just three hits in six innings of work. He struck out two and walked four.

“I didn’t have my best stuff, but I tried to grind, and the defense behind me was solid today,” said Pushard, who gave his team some breathing room in the seventh inning with a two-run single that landed between two Smith-Tobey fielders and kicked up chalk on the right-field line for a 6- 2 lead. “Sometimes you can hit the ball hard four times and have nothing to show for it. Bloops count.”

“We had good contact and played pretty good, but we were unlucky,” said McDonough, who lined out twice.

“I think it was a pretty good year for us, considering we had the split with Mt. Ararat baseball (Highland Green), and there were not a lot of expectations coming into the season,” said Olson. “I was very impressed with them, and it will go far into our high school season next year at Morse.”

Pushard was 3-for-4 at the plate, while Crane and Simpson both singled twice.

For Smith-Tobey, Moore was 2-for-5 with a double, while Hunt singled.

Highland Green

A play-in game at Harrison was needed to determine the Zone III No. 6 seed, with Locke Mills of Bethel coming away with a 9-6 victory in eight innings over Highland Green on Saturday.

Trailing 6-3 in the seventh, Highland Green rallied as Sam Coombs delivered a key two-run single to send the game into extra frames.

But, Locke Mills scored three runs in the eighth behind an RBI double from Ben Holmes and a two-run single by Alex Emery.

Brendan Glass and Coombs both had two singles for Highland Green, which finished 7-12. On the mound, Ryan Lathrop, Brady Murray and Torrey Charnock combined on 12 hits, two strikeouts and five walks.

Jesse Bennett and Alec Manning each had three hits for Locke Mills, which downed Bessey Motors in Saturday’s quarterfinal contest before falling to top-seeded Windham, 4-1, on Sunday in the semifinals.

Windham hosts Pastime Club today at 4:30 p.m. in the Zone III championship.