Mt. Ararat baseball rolls past Hampden Academy with fast start

Mt. Ararat did not just beat Hampden Academy on May 20. It showed how quickly the Eagles can turn a game into a mismatch, grabbing an 8-0 lead after two innings and finishing an 11-1 five-inning win that extended their winning streak to eight.

The start was the story. Mt. Ararat scored five runs in the first inning and added three more in the second, forcing Hampden to chase from the opening frame. Even a 45-minute delay caused by Hampden Academy’s bus trouble did not interrupt the Eagles’ rhythm, and by the time the Broncos settled in, the game had already moved past them.

Senior right-hander Colby MacFawn carried the rest of the way. He pitched a complete game, struck out five, allowed two hits and two walks, and did not let a Hampden runner reach base after the third inning. Mt. Ararat’s defense and early offense backed him up, and the Eagles closed the game by mercy rule.

What makes the result more meaningful than a one-off rout is how familiar it has become. Mt. Ararat is 10-1 overall, has scored in the first two innings of every victory this season and has already won six games by 10 runs or more. That is not just a hot streak; it is a pattern that changes how opponents have to play. When the Eagles strike early, the other team is immediately pushed into riskier at-bats, rushed pitching decisions and a scoreboard chase that rarely works.

The offense was deep, too. Every Mt. Ararat batter reached base, every starter had at least one hit, and Tyler Thibeault, Caiden Chase and Will Davis each finished with two hits. Brett Chase’s lineup has been built around putting the ball in play and stacking good at-bats from top to bottom, and that approach has translated into pressure that never lets up once the first inning starts.

The broader picture is hard to miss in Sagadahoc County and beyond. Mt. Ararat entered the week ranked No. 4 in Maine Class A and No. 2 in the Portland-Auburn region by MaxPreps, a reflection of the wins it had already piled up against Brewer, Bangor, Skowhegan, Lincoln Academy, Morse, Brunswick and Lewiston before handling Hampden. With Messalonskee, Mt. Blue, Camden Hills and Oxford Hills next on the schedule, the Eagles are building a resume that looks less like a strong regular season and more like a team preparing to matter when seeding and postseason pressure arrive.