Maine

Baseball: Maine-Endwell outlasts Nanuet in Class A subregional extra-inning thriller

Published

2 years ago

May 31, 2024

Baseball: Maine-Endwell outlasts Nanuet in Class A subregional extra-inning thriller

PURCHASE – Everyone was on edge from the first pitch to the final out, with every ooh and ahh, cheer and groan to match the various momentum swings of Thursday night’s Class A state regional semifinals between Section 1’s Nanuet and Section 4’s Maine-Endwell.

Maine-Endwell made its grand entrance after a three-hour bus ride to SUNY Purchase, quickly taking a two-run lead to start.

Nanuet dug its heels, though, behind standout ace Aidan Kempf and a large crowd that made the trip over the Hudson River to support the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights’ resolve and a Maine-Endwell miscue led to the game-tying runs, and from there, it was a back-and-forth battle.

In the end of an extra-inning thriller, the Spartans defeated Golden Knights, 4-2, after nine innings.

Austyn Nyschot delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning, after Jack Hennessey led off with a triple.

“(Hennessey and I) kind of gave each other a look and said, ‘Let’s end this thing,’” Nyschot said of his go-ahead single. “Just stay patient at the plate, find a way to get a runner on base, which Jack did a great job. Then, just had to get the run in.

“This means a lot, because last year, we got eliminated even before the sectional championship, so this is huge for us. Huge bounce-back year after last year, which was not good at all. This has given us a lot of confidence, we see we have a chance to win this year.”

Kempf threw another postseason gem on the mound for Nanuet, before hitting the pitch count limit shortly after the Spartans took the lead in the top of the ninth.

Maine-Endwell eventually loaded the bases and scored an insurance run on a RBI bunt single by Michael Jamba.

Nanuet was able to minimize the damage, when first baseman Andrew Hastings made a crucial snag and stepped on the base to turn an inning-ending double play to get the Golden Knights out of the bases-loaded jam.

“We got ambushed, but we fought back and clawed back, and that shows their character,” Nanuet coach Carlos Fidalgo said. “We played hard and tough to the end. We were prepared for every situation, including this one coming down to the last out. We battled as best we can and tip your cap to Maine-Endwell, they played really well and the pitcher was outstanding. He shut us down at the end.”

Nanuet got its leadoff runner aboard after an error to start the ninth inning, but just as the Spartans had done whenever the Golden Knights appeared to be building momentum, they executed key plays defensively to halt their opponent.

Maine-Endwell’s Santino Michitti threw out the runner attempting to steal second, then the next two batters went down in order to seal the victory.

Defense also came in clutch for the Spartans in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Nanuet had a runner on second. Maine-Endwell executed solid bunt defense and tagged the runner out at third on a fielder’s choice.

Michitti threw out another runner attempting to steal second for the final out to push the game into extras.

“We worked on defense a bunch this year, and it’s really starting to pay off,” Maine-Endwell pitcher Liam Hadfield said. “Honestly, defense has saved our butts a lot recently, and I think it’s because we really drill it in practice.”

What it means

Maine-Endwell will play Section 9’s Marlboro in the Class A state regional finals on Saturday at Union-Endicott High School. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Nanuet made its first appearance in state regional play since 1995, after defeating Panas in the Section 1 Class A finals.

Players of the game

Liam Hadfield, Maine-Endwell, and Aidan Kempf, Nanuet: A tip of the hat to both pitchers in this thrilling duel. Hadfield was an ironman that pitched all nine innings and was efficient on the mound. He didn’t have any earned runs, and gave up just two hits and one walk. He tallied five strikeouts and kept the Golden Knights off-balanced.

As for Kempf, it was another standout performance for the Pace-committed senior. Kempf went 8⅓ innings, before hitting the pitch count limit. He gave up just one earned run on three hits, with 16 strikeouts and three walks. He also went 2-for-4 with a triple at the plate.

By the numbers

Section 4’s Maine-Endwell (19-5): Santino Michitti went 1-for-3 with a triple, RBI, and a run. Michitti was also solid behind the plate and threw out three runners attempting to steal. Austyn Nyschot had the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth, and he also scored a run. Jack Hennessey had a triple and two runs. Michael Jamba had a RBI bunt single. Maine-Endwell committed four errors.

Section 1’s Nanuet (17-6-1): Mike Cesario and Ryan Trombley each scored a run. An errant throw to third base, after Cesario successfully stole it, gave him and Trombley more than enough time to come around and score the game-tying runs after the ball rolled all the way to the fence in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nanuet committed two errors.

They said it

“(Kempf) doesn’t walk anybody. I’ve watched this guy throw and we’ve studied him a little bit. He doesn’t walk guys, he pounds the zone, and he’s good. When that game got tight like it did late in the game, we had to try and get him out of there. When we did, that is when the game changed.” -Maine-Endwell coach Matt Raleigh

“The first thing I did was thank their families and friends that have supported them all year long. I’ll keep my comments to my team private and we’ll speak on the bus, but I’m super proud of them. They’ve done a tremendous job for Nanuet baseball. Totally flipped around the season from last year, and we have a lot of great baseball ahead of us.” -Nanuet coach Carlos Fidalgo

“Especially this team, this year, it’s been a brotherhood the whole season. We didn’t really have the momentum. We were tied up 2-2, and they had that two-run inning (in the fifth).To come up on top, grind that last inning and score two in the ninth was huge.” -Maine-Endwell senior Austyn Nyschot

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

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Maine

Building Hope: A Community Film Event to End Homelessness

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Building Hope: A Community Film Event to End Homelessness

On March 2, Spurwink will join community partners for a special viewing of Building Hope: Ending Homelessness in Maine at the University of Southern Maine’s McGoldrick Hall.

Directed by Richard Kane and produced by Melody Lewis-Kane, the film shines a compassionate light on the realities of Maine’s homelessness crisis. Through deeply personal stories, Building Hope explores the challenges faced by unhoused individuals and families, while highlighting the hope that emerges when communities come together to create solutions. It’s been praised for its honesty, dignity, and inspiring message: change is possible when we work together.

Following the screening, a panel of local leaders and advocates will discuss the film and the ongoing effort in Maine to end homelessness. Panelists will include Katherine Rodney, Director of Spurwink’s Living Room Crisis Center; Cullen Ryan, Chief Strategic Officer at 3Rivers; Donna Wampole, Assistant Professor of Social Work at USM; and Preble Street staff. Catherine Ryder, Spurwink’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, will bring her expertise in trauma-informed care and community collaboration to the panel as the moderator.

This event is free and open to the public.

McGoldrick Center, USM Portland campus

05:00 PM – 07:30 PM on Mon, 2 Mar 2026

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Maine

Maine Celtics roll past Windy City Bulls

Published

13 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Maine Celtics roll past Windy City Bulls

Keon Johnson had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Maine Celtics defeated the Windy City Bulls 122-87 in an NBA G League game on Sunday afternoon at the Portland Expo.

Hason Ward scored 16 points and Jalen Bridges 14 for Maine (13-15), which had seven players score in double digits. Bridges drained four 3-pointers for the Celtics, who shot 13 for 28 (46.4%) from beyond the arc.

Max Shulga dished out 11 assists and scored nine points.

Maine led 33-18 after one quarter 72-36 at halftime.

Keyshawn Bryant scored a game-high 25 points for Windy City (12-12).

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Maine

‘Not only with tears, but with action’: Maine DOT honors two workers killed on duty

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

‘Not only with tears, but with action’: Maine DOT honors two workers killed on duty

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) – An emotional day from Fairfield to Augusta, but felt throughout Maine and beyond, as state officials, community members and loved ones honored the lives of two Department of Transportation workers who tragically died in the field.

Maine DOT Commissioner Dale Doughty described the accident as “the nightmare that commissioners worry about.”

While working on Interstate 95 in January, Maine DOT workers James “Jimmy” Brown, 60, and Dwayne Campbell, 51, died after a driver failed to brake at a stop sign and crashed into a tractor-trailer traveling on the highway.

To honor the men’s commitment to public service and their legacy as fathers, outdoorsmen and Mainers, a procession including DOT officials, family members and more traveled to the Augusta Civic Center Saturday for a memorial service.

Among those in attendance was Gov. Janet Mills, who remarked on who Brown and Campbell were and their dedication to their profession.

“Jimmy, as you know, worked for the Maine Department of Transportation for 12 years. Dwayne for more than 23 years,” Mills described. “We could count on Jimmy and Dwayne just as we could count on the 1,600 Maine dot workers who keep our roads and bridges safe every day.”

Brown was known for his humor and love of fishing, cars and his children.

Campbell got his start in the DOT by following in his father’s footsteps. Mills said at the service that Campbell loved his daughters and time spent outdoors.

For Commissioner Doughty, losses like this hit hard because of the closely bonded “family business” that DOT is.

That family expands past state lines, as departments of transportation from New Hampshire and Vermont were present to show their support.

New Hampshire DOT State Maintenance Engineer Alan Hanscom said he called Maine DOT just hours after hearing of the accident to see what his crews could do to help.

“My employees are impacted or subject to the same dangers that Maine and every other state is,” Hanscom said of the importance of his attendance. “I have an employee that was killed in a motor vehicle crash some years ago, so it kind of hits home.”

Unfortunately, Doughty says accidents happen “quite frequently.”

Saturday’s event served not only as a commemoration but also as a call to action. Despite DOT’s training, Doughty says it is rendered useless if motorists put right-of-way employees in danger through reckless or distracted driving.

Hanscom expanded: “People don’t realize that this is our office. You’re driving through our office space. We’d like you to give us some consideration and slow down and be mindful of where we are. Give us a little respect.”

Doughty mentioned that these dangers extend beyond DOT workers to everyone who does roadside work. Because of this, he says, agencies must join forces to develop solutions.

“I really think it’s time, and we have a meeting coming up in April, where we pull all agencies and all companies that work in the right-of-way, contractors, utilities, everyone to start to talk about that message,” Doughty said.

On the podium, Doughty told audiences: “Please help us carry forward their memory, not only with tears, but with action.”

On Thursday, the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation authorized the Maine Turnpike Authority to conduct a pilot program for speed enforcement in work zones. The legislation is now headed to the House and Senate.

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