Windham put men on base in every inning Saturday against Westbrook, but – except for Robbie Hamilton’s home run – they couldn’t bring those runners home.

Westbrook put one run across to tie the game in the fifth and brought home another in the sixth to top Windham, 3-2, in the first round of the District 6 tournament at Lowell Farm Field.

Windham pitcher Nate Boyle had been tough all game, striking out a dozen, but he seemed to get tired by the sixth. Westbrook’s DJ Breunig led off the bottom of that inning with a walk and then advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches.

With the opponents’ winning run just 60 feet away, Cody Dube took over for Boyle, but it was a tough spot for a reliever. Cameron McLain’s bouncer down the third base line was enough to do the trick.

“Today was a great game: great defense, great pitching, a clean game,” said Westbrook coach Jim Mulkern. “They’re a tough team, and we showed that we’re a little bit tougher.

Windham appeared to be the tougher team early in the game. They had solid doubles in each of the first three innings and had another runner reach third base in the third.

Each time Westbrook was able to get out of those jams, including in the second, when right fielder Ian King threw out Hamilton at home when he attempted to tag up on a fly-ball out.

Hamilton was able to avenge that play and finally get his team on the scoreboard when he launched a drive over the center field fence with Sean Francoeur aboard in the fourth. The homer came not long after Westbrook got a run of their own with a two-out rally.

Westbrook pitcher Paul Patriotti, who struck out three and walked just one, wasn’t happy with himself after the home run.

“I was mad,” said the right-handed hurler. “I was thinking, ‘I hope that kid doesn’t hit another home run off me.'”

Patriotti was able to get some payback when he tripled off the fence in right to start the bottom of the fifth. McCarthy singled again to knock his teammate in and tie the score.

Windham threatened in the sixth when Hamilton ripped his third extra base hit of the game, this one a double inside the left field line. His pinch runner went to third on a ground out, but Cody Champagne “saved the game,” said his coach.

TD O’Brien hit a hard one-hopper to Champagne’s right, but the shortstop was able to smother it and just throw out O’Brien, setting the stage for Breunig and McLain.

At press time, the Windham 11s were scheduled to meet Yarmouth Thursday. A win in that contest would put the squad in action again Saturday at 1:00 p.m., while a loss would eliminate them.

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