Old Town powers past Hermon in Class B baseball quarterfinals

OLD TOWN, Maine — After a slow start, the Old Town Coyotes knocked off the Hermon Hawks 9-3 Thursday afternoon in the Class B baseball quarterfinals. 

With the win, No.1 Old Town (13-4 overall) advanced to face No. 5 Mount Desert Island Trojans (11-8 overall) at 11 a.m. Saturday in Old Town for the semifinals. 

Hermon took the 1-0 lead early when Wyatt Gogan stole home after a wild pitch by Old Town’s Gabriel Gifford. By the fifth inning, Old Town scored four runs in the fourth inning and another four in the sixth, giving Old Town a comfortable 9-1 lead.

At the top of the seventh, Old Town’s Micah Betters took the mound for Gifford and Hermon’s Gogan knocked off a double bringing in two runs for the 9-3 score. Old Town’s Tanner Evans closed out the game for the Coyotes. 

Hermon’s Eli Reed lofted a shot deep to center field, but Old Town’s Gifford dove, catching the ball and rocketing it to first to tag out Hermon’s Parker Foley for a double play to end the game in thrilling fashion.

Gabriel Gifford makes a diving catch on Victory Field in Old Town June 10, 2021. Old Town will advance to play the Mount Desert Island Trojans June 12 in the Class B baseball semifinals. (Sawyer Loftus | Penobscot Times)

Peyton Vose, center, and Tanner Evans, right, celebrate after a successful inning in Old Town June 10, 2021. Old Town will advance to play the Mount Desert Island Trojans on June 12 in the Class B baseball semifinals. (Sawyer Loftus | Penobscot Times)