BRISTOL, Conn. — Assured for two days a spot in the single-elimination semifinals, Bedford's 11- and 12-year-old all-stars did not need to win their final round-robin game at the Little League baseball New England Regional.

Maybe they'll welcome some must-win pressure.

“It certainly can't hurt,” Bedford manager Kevin Lavigne said Wednesday night after his standouts, despite superb pitching by Joseph Quintal, dropped a 3-0 decision at Breen Field to previously winless Scarborough, Maine.

Bedford (9-2 overall, 2-2 N.E.) entered its NESN-televised round-robin finale with a remote chance to secure the No. 1 seed for Thursday's knockout round. It includes the state champs from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.

Instead, Bedford earned the No. 3 seed – and a rematch with No. 2 Wellesley (Mass.) South. First pitch is 10 a.m. Bedford lost to the Bay State squad, 9-5, on Tuesday.

“I think if we can get off to a fast start (in the semifinals),” Lavigne said, “today's performance will be a distant memory.”

Video: Marc Thaler's Wednesday wrapup:


Bedford's summer-long sizzling offense mustered just three hits. Brennan Hughes, Joey Barrett and Peyton Murray each collected a base hit. Scarborough lefthander Jared Brooks (two hits, six strikeouts) kept hitters off-balance with a quality curveball.

“They took a lot of pitches. I had to keep on firing strikes,” said Brooks, who threw 91 pitches and exited after 4 2/3 innings. “I knew they wouldn't chase very much.”

Quintal, meanwhile, was a model of efficiency.

The righty opened the game with a five-pitch first inning. His first 12 pitches were strikes. He logged 21 pitches through three frames.

Brooks, by contrast, tossed 65 pitches in three innings.

“I've thrown (similar games) in recreational Little League, but never on a scale like this, in Bristol,” said Quintal, whose 68 total tosses included 57 strikes.

Scarborough (9-3, 1-3) snapped the scoreless tie with a fifth-inning three-spot. The key blow was a two-strike RBI blooper by pinch-hitter Nick Anderson.

Anderson's hit was the third in a four-hit rally. Quintal, whose pitch count was 35 at the start of the inning, needed 27 tosses to retire the side.

Bedford — which scored 35 runs in its previous three games — never mounted a serious threat.

Ace pitcher Grant Lavigne will start Thursday's semifinal, either at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Relief, if needed, starts with Timmy Saltzman.

“They realize now we're in do-or-die baseball,” Bedford's manager said. “We lose, we go home ... I think the fact they have to play elimination baseball will be a great motivation for them.”

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Marc Thaler may be reached at mthaler@unionleader.com.