Falmouth celebrates one of its eight runs during Wednesday’s 8-2 victory at Cape Elizabeth.
Chris Lambert photos.
More photos below.
BOX SCORE
Falmouth 8 Cape Elizabeth 2
F- 121 130 0- 8 11 1
CE- 000 002 0- 2 6 8
Top 1st
Coyne singled to center, Gee scored.
Top 2nd
Griffin Aube and Connor Aube scored on error.
Top 3rd
Tracy doubled to left, Coyne scored.
Top 4th
Connor Aube scored on Reece Armitage sacrifice fly.
Top 5th
Camelio scored on error. Connor Aube singled to center, Griffin Aube scored. Robbie Armitage singled to left, Connor Aube scored.
Bottom 6th
Tinsman scored on error. Hewitt singled to right-center, Roberts scored.
Repeat hitters:
F- Coyne 3, G. Aube
CE- O’Rourke, Roberts
Runs:
F- C. Aube 3, G. Aube 2, Camelio, Coyne, Gee
CE- Roberts, Tinsman
RBI:
F- Re. Armitage, Ro. Armitage, C. Aube, Coyne, Tracy
CE- Hewitt
Doubles:
F- G. Aube, Tracy
Left on base:
F- 9
CE- 7
Guarino and G. Aube; Peterson, Agrodnia (5), Hewitt (7) and Tinsman
F:
Guarino (W 2-0) 7 IP 6 H 2 R 0 ER 4 BB 2 K
CE:
Peterson (L, 0-1) 4 IP 6 H 5 R 1 ER 2 BB 2 K
Agrodnia 2.2 IP 6 H 3 R 0 ER 1 BB 2 K
Hewitt 0.1 IP 0 H 0 R
Time:1:46
CAPE ELIZABETH—Christmas came eight months early for Falmouth’s baseball team Wednesday afternoon at Holman Field.
Playing the role of Santa Claus was host Cape Elizabeth, which made eight errors in the rivals’ lone showdown this spring.
It’s hard enough to beat the powerhouse Yachtsmen playing clean defense, but such largesse allowed Falmouth to roll to an easy win behind junior ace Cam Guarino.
The Yachtsmen set the tone in the first inning, when, after an error kept the frame going, junior second baseman Colin Coyne ripped a two-out RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
Falmouth added two more two-out, unearned runs in the second, as sophomore catcher Griffin Aube and senior Connor Aube both scored on an error.
The Yachtsmen went ahead by four in the third when a two-out double from designated hitter Hogan Tracy scored Coyne.
After junior rightfielder Reece Armitage made a fabulous play in the bottom of the third inning to throw out a runner at the plate, Armitage hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to produce another two-out, unearned run for a 5-0 lead.
Falmouth ended all doubt in the fifth, as an error scored a run and set the stage for Connor Aube to drive in another and junior shortstop Robbie Armitage to bring home yet another for an 8-0 lead.
Guarino, who threw a no-hitter in his first outing this spring, wasn’t as dominant this time around, but still managed to go the distance, allowing only two runs in the sixth inning, one on his own throwing error and another on an RBI single from Capers senior first baseman Bryce Hewitt, as the Yachtsmen went on to an 8-2 victory.
Coyne had three hits, scored a run and drove in another, Guarino allowed just six hits and Falmouth improved to 3-0, dropping Cape Elizabeth to 2-1 in the process.
“We got things going today,” said Yachtsmen coach Kevin Winship. “I thought we hit the ball really well, hit it hard. We took advantage of some of their mistakes. We were happy to capitalize on them.”
Early showdown
Both Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth have lived up to their lofty preseason billing so far this spring.
The Capers, who were ousted in agonizing and controversial fashion by eventual repeat Class B champion Greely in the regional final a year ago, opened by defeating visiting Kennebunk, 6-1. Monday, Cape Elizabeth rolled to a 16-4, six-inning victory at York.
The Yachtsmen, who got to the Western A semifinals in 2015, only to lose to Portland, started with a 14-0, five-inning home win over Poland in a game which saw Guarino throw a no-hitter. Monday, Falmouth improved to 2-0 by downing host Kennebunk, 5-3.
Last year, the Capers beat the Yachtsmen for the first time in four years and they did so twice, first rallying for a 9-6 win at Falmouth, then prevailing at home, 3-1.
Wednesday, almost everything went the Yachtsmen’s way from the very beginning.
Cape Elizabeth junior starting pitcher Marshall Peterson started the first by getting Connor Aube to ground out to short, but leftfielder Tyler Gee singled to left. After Robbie Armitage flew out to right, Reece Armitage beat out an infield single and when Capers senior shortstop Dylan Roberts threw wildly, the runners moved up to second and third. That set the stage for Coyne to single to center to score Gee.
“We faced Marshall twice last year and we knew he was good, so we wanted to jump on him early,” Coyne said. “We battled. Two outs doesn’t mean anything to us. We wanted to get a rally going and that’s what we did.”
Armitage held at third and was stranded there when third baseman Chris Camelio grounded out to Roberts.
Guarino was sharp in the bottom half, getting senior centerfielder Nate Ingalls and senior leftfielder Jack O’Rourke to ground back to the mound and sophomore catcher Brendan Tinsman to ground out to third, with first baseman Jesse Melchiskey making a nice scoop to retire the side.
The Yachtsmen added to their lead in the second.
Melchiskey and Tracy both grounded out to short, but Griffin Aube laced a double over the head of O’Rourke, Connor Aube was walked intentionally, Gee drew a walk to load the bases and after Capers second baseman Pat Macdonald couldn’t handle Robbie Armitage’s ground ball, Griffin Aube scored and Connor Aube raced in right behind his younger brother for a 3-0 lead.
“That double by Garrett Aube was a great momentum builder for us,” Winship said. “It’s only his third varsity game and he came up with a big hit.”
Peterson got Reece Armitage to ground out first to the pitcher, but the damage was done.
“That early lead helped for confidence,” said Guarino.
Guarino got Roberts to line out to Robbie Armitage, who made a fine stab to his right, to start the bottom of the second, but senior third baseman Matt Riggle drew Guarino’s first walk of the season on a 3-2 pitch and Hewitt walked on four pitches. After Guarino got Macdonald to ground out to third unassisted, Peterson also grounded out to third to retire the side.
Coyne left off the third by beating out an infield single to third base and took second when Camelio grounded slowly back to the mound. Melchiskey struck out for the second out, but Tracy doubled to left to score Coyne with the game’s lone earned run. Garrett Aube grounded out to shortstop to end it, but Falmouth was on top, 4-0.
“Seeing insurance runs each inning was great,” Guarino said. “We hit the ball well today.”
Cape Elizabeth almost broke through in the bottom half, but the Yachtsmen’s defense came up big.
After designated hitter Sean Agrodnia grounded out Melchiskey to Guarino, Ingalls walked on four pitches and O’Rourke beat out a single to the hole between shortstop and third for the first hit Guarino had surrendered all season. Tinsman lined sharply to right, but Roberts followed with a single to right.
Enter Reece Armitage, who charged the ball and unleashed a strike home to Griffin Aube on the fly and Aube tagged out Ingalls to end the frame.
“I didn’t even see the throw until I turned around since I was backing it up,” Guarino said. “I wasn’t expecting it. That got my confidence way up there.”
Falmouth continued to score in the fourth, again with a two-out unearned run.
Connor Aube struck out leading off, but ball four got away from Tinsman and his throw to first was wild, allowing Aube to reach. Gee sacrificed back to the mound and Robbie Armitage reached on an error by Roberts. Reece Armitage’s fly ball to center was deep enough to score Aube and the lead was 5-0. Coyne grounded out to second to end the inning.
In the bottom half, Guarino had his second 1-2-3 inning, getting Riggle to ground out to short, Hewitt to fly out to right and Macdonald to ground out to third.
The top of the fifth was more of the same, although this uprising came against Agrodnia, who replaced Peterson.
Camelio reached when Ingalls couldn’t handle his line drive. Melchiskey grounded out to short with Camelio moving up and Tracy struck out, but Garrett Aube beat out an infield single and Riggle’s wild throw scored Camelio and moved Aube to second. Connor Aube followed with a single to score his brother and Gee reached on catcher’s interference, putting runners at first and second. Robbie Armitage then delivered another run with a single to left, scoring Connor Aube, and moved up on O’Rourke’s error. Gee too tried to come around and score, but was thrown out Agrodnia to Tinsman to finally end the frame with Falmouth up, 8-0.
“We all want to take advantage if they mess up,” Coyne said. “That’s what you have to do in baseball.”
Guarino made quick work of the Capers again in the bottom half, getting Peterson to ground out to second, Agrodnia to bounce out to third and Ingalls to strike out.
The Yachtsmen were finally held scoreless in the top of the sixth, as Reece Armitage grounded out to first unassisted and after Coyne singled to center and was picked off, Camelio grounded out to third.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Capers got on the board.
O’Rourke, for the second time, beat out an infield hit to start the rally, but he was picked off by Guarino. Tinsman drew a walk and Roberts singled to right to put runners at first and second. Riggle then grounded back to the mound, but instead of trying to turn a double play, Guarino threw to first, only to see his throw go wide of Melchiskey, allowing Tinsman to score and put runners at second and third.
“On that play, we wanted (Cam) to go for two, but he was looking for the safe play to just get an out up 8-0 and the ball happened to sail away on him,” Winship said.
Hewitt followed with an RBI single to score Roberts to cut the deficit to 8-2, but Macdonald struck out swinging and Peterson ended the threat with a pop fly to second.
The Yachtsmen tried to add to their lead in the seventh, but stranded two runners.
Melchiskey led off with a bloop single to right and was replaced by courtesy runner Max Fortier. Tracy struck out and Garrett Aube lined out to center, but Connor Aube walked and Agrodnia was replaced by Hewitt. Gee then grounded out to second to end the inning.
In the bottom half, Guarino slammed the door.
Agrodnia did reach leading off with a bloop single to right, but Ingalls popped out to shortstop and both O’Rourke and Tinsman flew out to right to end the game after an hour and 46 minutes.
“Cape’s a very good team,” Winship said. “They’ll go deep in the B playoffs. They had our number last year, so it’s nice to come out and get a ‘W.’ I expect this to be big Heal Points for us.”
Guarino improved to 2-0 after going the distance, allowing two unearned runs on six hits. He walked four batters and struck out two.
“I threw a few more balls than I usually throw,” said Guarino, who improved to 14-2 in his high school career. “My curveball was a little iffy in spots, but everything was OK.”
“Cam’s been pretty consistent throughout his career,” Coyne said. “We trust him and want to help him out.”
“With Cam on the mound, we usually have a great chance to win,” Winship said. “When we got those runs early, that’s all we needed. He gets more confident and better as the game goes on. He’s not a big strikeout guy, but he makes plays. They didn’t hit him very hard. He’s always around the zone and he keeps the ball down.”
“Cam’s a good pitcher,” added Cape Elizabeth coach Andrew Wood. “He’s a very smart kid. He’s a D1 prospect, possibly the best, or one of the best in the state.”
Guarino said that he’s quickly getting acclimated to his new catcher.
“I’m pretty comfortable with Garrett,” Guarino said. “We haven’t done a lot of work together in the offseason, but he’s done well catching me. I’m confident with him behind the plate.”
While Cape Elizabeth made eight errors, Falmouth committed just one.
“The guys behind me did the job,” Guarino said. “I was painting the corner and getting ground balls and they carried me today. It was all them. I felt pretty good.”
“We take pride in our defense,” Coyne said. “We know if we make plays, we’ll come out with a ‘W.'”
“I have a very good defensive outfield and infield and they made plays behind Cam which made him tough to beat,” Winship added.
Offensively, Coyne had three hits and Garrett Aube two to pace the offense. Connor Aube scored three runs, while Garrett Aube touched home twice. Camelio, Coyne and Gee had the other runs. Reece Armitage, Robbie Armitage, Connor Aube, Coyne and Tracy had RBI.
The Yachtsmen stranded nine runners.
Cape Elizabeth got multiple hits from O’Rourke and Roberts. Roberts and Tinsman both scored runs and Hewitt had the Capers’ lone RBI.
Cape Elizabeth stranded seven.
Peterson took the loss and is 0-1 on the season after giving up five runs (just one earned) on six hits in four innings. He walked two and struck out two.
“It was good to see Marshall throw,” said Wood. “He wasn’t 100 percent, but he had good velocity.”
Agrodnia gave up three unearned runs on six hits in 2.2 innings. He walked a batter and fanned two. Hewitt retired the lone man he faced.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t give them our best game,” lamented Wood. “They put the ball in play and we didn’t make the plays today.”
Onward
Cape Elizabeth will lick its wounds, then has a rematch at Kennebunk Friday, before visiting Freeport and Fryeburg Academy next week.
“We’ll go back to tomorrow and put it in the rearview mirror and get ready for Kennebunk Friday with Nate on the mound,” said Wood.
Falmouth plays again Friday when it hosts Freeport. The Yachtsmen go to Fryeburg Academy Monday and Gray-New Gloucester Wednesday, then have a home showdown against Greely Friday, May 6.
“I think we can make a run,” Coyne said. “Obviously, playing a Class B schedule isn’t what we’d like, but there are great teams in Class B, so we’ll use our schedule to get ready for the playoffs.”
“I want to stay aggressive at the plate,” Winship said. “Defensively, we can always get better. We want to be aggressive base-running. We want to build on what we have. It’s a fun group to be around.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
Falmouth junior ace Cam Guarino delivers a pitch. Guarino went the distance to improve to 2-0.
Cape Elizabeth starter Marshall Peterson throws a pitch. Peterson allowed five runs, but only one was earned.
Cape Elizabeth shortstop Dylan Roberts scoops up a ground ball.
Falmouth third baseman Chris Camelio fields a ball hit his way.
Falmouth’s Colin Coyne beats out an infield single as Cape Elizabeth’s Bryce Hewitt awaits the throw.
Falmouth senior Connor Aube dives in safely with a run.
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