MIDDLEBURY — The Addison County American Legion team finished what was an overall disappointing season in style on Friday at the Middlebury College field, knocking visiting Essex out of the playoffs with a 6-2 victory.
Essex needed to win a game that was a makeup of an earlier rainout to finish fourth and earn the final Northern Division playoff berth, but the pitching of AC ace Adam Whitcomb and a five-run AC fifth inning denied the perennial Legion powerhouse the chance to advance.
Whitcomb, who pitched AC to four of its six wins, tossed a complete-game two-hitter, striking out four and walking five. Neither run against him was earned, and the run Essex scored in the top of the fifth was the first he had allowed in four starts, a stretch during which Whitcomb tossed 21 consecutive scoreless innings.
AC took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on consecutive singles by Chris Wood, Devin Kimball and Dustin Whitcomb.
Essex tied the score in the fifth on an error and singles by Ryan Young and Ryder Thorton.
AC responded with its big inning. Wood walked to lead off, and Kimball sacrificed him to second before Dustin Whitcomb poked his second RBI single of the game. Adam Whitcomb then tripled him home, and he scored on an error on a ball hit by Bruce Wright. Wright moved to second on a wild pitch from starter and loser Abe Koval, and Pat Messenger doubled for his second hit of the game to plate Wright. Wyatt Cameron singled in Messenger to cap the rally.
Whitcomb walked the leadoff batter, Koval, in the sixth. The next batter, George Goldsworthy, grounded to third, forcing Koval at second. But the attempted throw for the double play went astray, and Goldsworthy reached second. He stole third and scored on a Young sacrifice fly.
Whitcomb retired the final batter of the inning on a comebacker before tossing a 1-2-3 top of the seventh to allow AC to finish its 6-15 season off on a high note.