FREEPORT
There are several key points Freeport co-coaches Bill Ridge and Peter Wagner want to get across to their Falcons’ Junior American Legion team, two being hustle and learn.
For six innings in the team’s opener on Wednesday, the Falcons hung in against Tucker Ford of Yarmouth, trailing just 6-4, before an eight-run seventh for the visitors put the game on ice.
“It is too bad to finish with an inning like that because you tend to hang on to the last thing you remember. But you take away that one inning and it was a good game,” said Wagner.
With a roster mixed with varsity and jayvee players from the recently completely high school baseball season, Freeport struggled both on the field — eight errors — and with its pitchers throwing strikes — nine walks.
Case in point, Yarmouth’s (2-1) four-run third inning featured a one-out double by Max Brewer, four walks and two key errors as the visitors put up four runs to break a 1-1 tie and grab a 5-1 advantage.
Liam Holt started on the mound for Freeport. He permitted a run in the second when Jake Gaudreau singled to score Jack McGrath. Holt pitched three innings with two strikeouts, one walk, one hit batter and three hits allowed.
Freeport responded in the third against Tucker Ford starting pitcher Jason Lainey, with Shea Wagner picking up an RBI single, scoring Anthony Panciocco, who had earlier singled for Freeport’s first hit.
Yarmouth ran the bases, especially in the fourth inning with five stolen bases. In all, Tucker Ford stole 12 bases on 12 attempts. Toby Holt walked four in the frame.
Panciocco relieved in the fifth, using a double play to escape a two-on, one-out jam.
Falcons run
Gabe Wagner started Freeport’s comeback with a solo home run to right-center field to open the fourth.
Freeport made a run at the Yarmouth lead in the fifth. After Lainey went four solid innings (five strikeouts, two walks, three hits, hit batter, two runs), Aaron Belesca relieved and had trouble finding the plate. He walked four hitters, with Willets Meyers and Miles Panenka each scoring to draw the hosts to 5-4.
Gaudreau entered the game and shut the door on the Freeport rally, escaping a bases-loaded jam to close the fifth. Gaudreau was solid, pitching 2 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and one walk.
Brewer, who was 3-for-5 for
Yarmouth 14 Freeport 4
At Freeport
Yarmouth — 010 401 8 — 14-11-2
Freeport — 001 120 0 — 2- 4-8
Jason Lainey, Aaron Beleska (5), Jake
Gaudreau (5) and Max Brewer; Liam
Holt, Toby Holt (4), Anthony Panciocco (5), Gardy Converse (6) and Nick
Signarelli, Nate Davis (5).
WP — Lainey; LP — T. Holt; SV —
Gaudreau.
Doubles — (Y) Max Brewer, Gabe
Collins (2).
Home run — (F) Gabe Wagner.
Repeat hitters — (Y) Max Brewer
(3), Gabe Collins.
Records — Yarmouth 2-1, Freeport
0-1.
Up next for Freeport — Friday at
Auburn, 5:30 p.m.
Yarmouth, singled to open the sixth and later scored for a 6-4 Yarmouth lead.
“We made contact today, and we were able to hit where no one was,” said Brewer. “I had a nice shot, but after that my teammates had a lot of nice shots and hit the ball on the ground to make things happen.”
The seventh was a nightmare for the Falcons and relief pitcher Gardy Converse. Freeport committed four errors, with big Yarmouth hits coming from Beleska (two-run single), Gabe Collins (two doubles, two runs, two RBIs) and Sam Mason as Yarmouth scored eight runs on five hits, bringing 14 hitters to the plate.
“Some of the guys on the field right now and on the mound, we haven’t seen too much,” said Peter Wagner. “Many played jayvee, and most of the time varsity is in one place and jayvee is in another. We’re learning a little bit about these guys, and it is the first time these guys have been in this position together. They will get better and learn how to play with each other.”
Freeport (0-1) will look to get into the win column on Friday at Auburn (Pettingill Park, 5:30 p.m.) before hosting Oxford Hills on Sunday for a doubleheader (11 a.m. start
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