Old Orchard Beach rallies to beat Bangor and force Wednesday GNCBL title game

The Old Orchard Beach Bugs forced a third and deciding game in their best-of-three Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League championship series against the Bangor Babes on Tuesday night, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Babes 7-3 at the Central Maine Community College field in Auburn.

The game was supposed to be played at Sanford’s Goodall Park but rain forced the change in venue.

Bangor had won the first game on Sunday, 10-9, at the CMCC field.

The title game will be Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach.

Bangor was the league’s regular season champion with a 14-4 record, and Old Orchard Beach finished a close second at 17-6.

On Tuesday, Scarborough native and former Thornton Academy of Saco standout Nic Frink’s three-run homer in the eighth inning highlighted a decisive four-run rally.

Chris Balzano and Conor Moriarty had singled in the inning and Jack Leblond drew a walk. There was also a wild pitch.

Bangor had taken a 3-1 lead with a three-run rally in the third featuring consecutive singles by Griffin Ruffner, Tyler Annis and Jason Bartlett.

Bartlett’s base hit drove in two runs.

Balzano started on the mound for the Bugs and, after allowing the third-inning runs, he and four relievers shut out the Babes the rest of the way.

Bangor left the bases loaded three times.

Brian Riley started for the Babes and gave up three runs before relievers Jonah Baude and Sam Economy were touched up for the four runs in the eighth.

Moriarty and Dylan Firmin had a pair of singles apiece for the Bugs while Ruffner had three base hits for the Babes.

Ruffner had thrown out the potential tying run at the plate from left field for the final out to clinch Sunday’s victory.