The Scarborough baseball team is still looking for its first win after two tough games against Sanford and Deering.
On Thursday, it looked like the Red Storm (0-4) would break the losing streak as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead over Sanford after three innings. In the early going, it appeared that Scarborough starter Chris Bernard was going to mow down the Redskins, as the Storm pitcher was tossing a four-hitter five innings.
But then the sixth inning happened, and that’s where it all unraveled for the Red Storm.
Sanford came alive in the inning, pounding Scarborough pitching for seven hits and nine runs to help seal an 11-4 win.
Sanford’s Justin Young started the game on the mound for the Redskins, and had a tough start, giving up four runs on six hits in two-plus innings.
Scarborough jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Ian Ramsdell, who had reached on a two-out single, stole second and then took advantage of a wild pitch to move to third, where he scored on a Bernard double.
The Storm added three more runs in the third inning, as Blake Brubach, Jimmy Rouse and Ramsdell all scored, chasing Young from the game with the score 4-0.
However, Sanford reliever Ryan Langlais slammed the door on the Red Storm batters, allowing only two hits the rest of the way and earning the win for the Redskins. Young helped out the Sanford cause by scoring a run after being hit by a pitch in the sixth and then driving in the final Sanford run with an RBI single in the seventh.
But the big story was the sixth inning Redskins’ explosion that put the game out of reach.
The inning opened simply enough, with catcher Matt Matoin reaching on a leadoff walk. Then designated hitter Mike Wallingford blasted a 1-0 pitch to deep center field for a two-run homer to make the score 4-3.
The homer seemed to rattle Bernard, who had been cruising up to that point. He then surrendered a long double to Sanford’s Andrew Rothstein and walked Ryan Legere before being lifted for Logan Oliver.
Oliver retired Spencer Perkins on a sacrifice bunt, moving Rothstein to third and Legere to second. Then Alex MacKay stepped to the plate and belted a single, scoring Rothstein, tying the game at four with runners on first and third and chasing Oliver from the game.
Brendan Sullivan came on in relief for Scarborough and immediately surrendered a stolen base to MacKay, putting runners on second and third with still only one out. Brett Wallingford then put the Redskins on top for good when his two-RBI single made it 6-4 in favor of Sanford.
But the Redskins weren’t quite through yet.
After a wild pitch moved Wallingford to second, Ryan Fortier kept the hit parade going with a single and he quickly moved into scoring position with Sanford’s second stolen base of the inning. Young was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, bringing up Matoin for the second time in the inning.
Matoin smashed a solid single to the outfield, scoring Brett Wallingford and Fortier, making it 8-4. Mike Wallingford then walked, bringing up Rothstein, who smashed a two-run double to put Sanford out in front 10-4.
The Redskins added one more run in the seventh when MacKay walked, took second on a wild pitch and then scored when Young singled.
Following that game, the Red Storm had a tough loss Monday afternoon, when they lost to Deering 10-0, in a game that was ended in the sixth inning due to the 10-run rule.
It will be a busy week this week for the Red Storm as they look for their first win of the season. After taking on Portland on May 6 (a game played after the Current’s deadline), the Storm will host Marshwood on May 8 at 7 p.m. and then travel to Massabesic on May 10 for an 11 a.m. game. The Storm will also travel to Biddeford on May 13 for a 4 p.m. game and to Gorham on May 15 for another 4 p.m. game.
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