OLD ORCHARD BEACH – For the second time in five days, Cheverus High School’s baseball team needed eight innings to put away Westbrook. It’s been worth it — both times.

Senior right fielder Peter Pott-hoff drilled a two-out single to left to score Mitchell Powers, giving Cheverus the Telegram League title with a 3-2 victory Saturday at The Ballpark.

A 6-2 win Tuesday pushed the Stags (15-2) ahead of the Blue Blazes (14-3) and into the top seed in the Western Class A playoffs, which begin Thursday.

“It felt really nice to win this game. We really wanted (the Telegram League title),” Potthoff said. “They’re a good team.

“(There’s) a high chance we could see them again in the playoffs. I hope so. It’s always a good game, always fun to play them.”

Potthoff’s winning hit came off Westbrook starter Matt Weimer (4-1), who gave up two runs in the first inning, allowing a leadoff triple by Louie DiStasio, Potthoff’s RBI double and a run-scoring single by Joey Royer.

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Weimer retired 13 of the next 14 batters until DiStasio hit another triple to start the sixth. Weimer worked out of that jam.

Weimer’s effective start was essential for Westbrook’s playoff outlook, because the team found out this week that Maine Gatorade baseball player of the year Scott Heath will not be able to pitch again this season.

“We needed Matty Weimer, who’s now our No. 2 (starter), to pitch well (Saturday),” Westbrook Coach Mike Ruther-ford said. “If we’d gone out there and lost 8-0, 10-2, you could stick a fork in us.

“Matty had to prove to the team and to the rest of the league that, hey, even without Scotty on the mound, you’re going to have to work hard to beat us.”

Heath, a left-hander, did not allow an earned run this season. He was pulled from Tuesday’s game because of elbow soreness.

“A best-case scenario, he’s out eight weeks,” Rutherford said. “Worst case, he’s looking at Tommy John (surgery).”

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Heath’s elbow is so tender he cannot make throws from the outfield. Both of DiStasio’s triples were to right, where Heath played. Heath underhanded the relays to second baseman Zach Collett after Collett raced into the outfield.

Cheverus has a surplus of pitchers and used Saturday’s game as a high-quality tuneup. Five Stags worked at least one inning, combining on a four-hitter.

“Our goal coming in was to use five or six pitchers, get everybody some work,” Coach Mac McKew. “So a lot of good stuff for us. On top of the win we saw a lot of other good things, too.”

Powers went the final two innings. He allowed back-to-back singles to freshman Kyle Heath and Scott Heath to put runners at the corners with one out in the top of the eighth before getting a foul pop and a weak groundout to first base.

DiStasio was especially sharp, striking out three in two innings with a lively fastball.

Royer, who didn’t pitch for two weeks because of tendinitis, worked the first two innings and showed a live fastball and good curve.

Westbrook scored its runs in the third off Jack Bushey, who walked two batters before giving up a double to Scott Heath.

 


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