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August 06. 2012 10:18PM

Keene falls, drops into losers’ bracket in 15-Year-Old New England Babe Ruth regional

Walks, errors and pickoffs were the Keene Babe Ruth League baseball team’s worst enemies Monday.

Waterford, Conn. took advantage of six walks and two errors to post a 6-3 victory in the winners’ bracket finals of the 15-year-old New England Babe Ruth tournament at Adams Field in Quincy, Mass.

Keene dropped into today’s 7:30 p.m. losers’ bracket finals, facing Pittsfield, Mass. Keene has already beaten both teams. Keene clobbered Quincy 14-2 in the first round and beat Pittsfield 4-3 in the second round. Pittsfield beat Quincy, 6-3, on Monday night.

Unbeaten Waterford rolled into the championship round, with the first game scheduled at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. If Waterford loses that game, a second game will start at 8 p.m.

Waterford got the early jump on Keene on Monday, taking advantage of five first-inning walks for two runs.

Keene got one back in the fourth inning when Patrick Wissell walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wissell stayed put when John Link reached on an infield hit. Cleanup hitter Stephen Bianco scored Wissell with a single that moved Link to third.

With one out and runners on second and third, batter Isaiah Singer grounded to third base. Link broke for home and was thrown out, leaving Keene runners at the corners with two outs. But the rally ended when Singer got picked off at first base.

In the fifth inning, Dallas Landry of Keene drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on a hit from Mason Blanchard, tying the game at 2-2.

Waterford broke the tie in the fifth inning with four runs, taking advantage of two errors. The leadoff hitter reached on an error and, following a strikeout, a single and walk loaded the bases with one out. That set the table for Jesse Coates, who punched a two-run single to give Connecticut the lead for good. Two more insurance runs crossed the plate on Keene’s second infield error of the game.

Down four runs, Link singled to start the sixth inning but was picked off. That eventually hurt Keene’s cause as Bianco followed with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Ben Mallet. Both runners were left stranded to end that inning.

In the seventh, Keene made some noise, scoring a run with two outs when Link singled home J.P. Crisman. With two outs and two runners aboard, Bianco was the potential tying run at the plate. But he struck out on a 3-2 count to end the game.

Bianco was the starting pitcher, allowing four hits, two runs and five walks in four innings. He struck out two. Mallet took the loss, allowing two hits and four runs in two innings. Two of the runs were unearned. He walked one and fanned five. Link had three of Keene’s eight hits.

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