PORTLAND — Deering baseball coach Mike Coutts said he had been waiting all season for the Rams to break out offensively.

His team gave him what he wanted Thursday night at Hadlock Field by belting out 12 hits in four innings and rolling to a 13-3 Telegram League victory over Scarborough in a game stopped after 41/2 innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

The game matched teams tied for third place in the Western Class A Heal point standings with 10-3 records. Deering played one of its most complete games of the season to separate itself from the Red Storm. And the Rams flashed the offense Coutts, in his second season, had been expecting.

“I’ve been waiting for this kind of offense all season,” said Coutts. “We scored six runs with two outs, which is a good sign.

“Emotionally, the guys were here tonight. We played with a lot of intensity.”

Deering got a strong performance from right-hander Jake Nichols, who limited Scarborough to four hits. The Rams, the three-time defending state champions but with practically a new team, jumped to a 4-0 lead after two innings, saw the Red Storm pull to within 4-3 in the top of the third, then put it away with eight runs in the bottom half.

The Rams sent 13 to the plate in the third. Nick DiBiase had a double and a triple in the inning. He drove home two runs, as did Nick Colucci, who drilled a double off the Maine Monster in left. Colucci, a junior shortstop who has verbally committed to play baseball at Boston College, also drove in two runs in the second and finished with four RBI.

“We really hit the ball tonight,” said Colucci. “We were all seeing the ball well.”

Coutts said Colucci had been struggling at the plate in recent games and hoped this game would get him back on track.

“This was a big game,” said Coutts. “Both teams were tied in the Heal point standings. This was a statement game and hopefully it will boost our confidence.”

Deering’s Sam Balzano singled to open the game, stole second and moved to third on a fielder’s choice. When the Red Storm tried to catch him off third base, they threw wildly and Balzano scored.

Balzano had an RBI single in the second prior to Colucci’s two-run base hit.

Scarborough rallied with three runs in the third as Brendan Sullivan had a two-run double. But DiBiase led off the bottom half with a line-drive double to left. He continued to third on a error. Jamie Ross plated DiBiase with a sacrifice fly to center, and the Rams continued to pour it on. Ross finished with two RBI.

“You want to be playing your best baseball of the season at this time of the year,” said Coutts.

Deering plays Bonny Eagle at 4 p.m. today at St. Joseph’s College in Standish, then closes the regular season with a home game on Tuesday against Cheverus, which beat the Rams 5-4 in the opening game of the season to snap their 50-game win streak over three seasons.

The Red Storm hope to rebound today at Thornton Academy.

“We had our best pitcher on the mound, but it wasn’t his best day,” said Scarborough Coach Jim Cronin. “Ben Wessel is only a sophomore, and I told him tonight was a learning experience.

“Deering hit the ball very well. This is our first lopsided loss of the season.”

 

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com