Westbrook High School starter Shawn McAlpine overcame the cold temperatures to strike out 11 and help his team to a road win as the Blue Blazes topped South Portland 8-2 last Thursday in a SMAA baseball game at South Portland High School’s Martin Memorial Field.

Fans who braved the cold, many huddled in winter gear or wrapped in blankets, got to see McAlpine’s second gem of the year. He struck out nine in a complete-game win over Sanford in his first start.

The senior hurler got plenty of run support early on as Westbrook scored twice in the first inning, once in the second, and three more times in the third to take a 6-0 lead.

“It makes you feel a lot better as a pitcher knowing you don’t have to go out and shut them down every time,” McAlpine said. “You can give up a run every once and a while.”

An RBI single by Westbrook’s Matt Foye to score Lance Ludka followed by an RBI double to deep center by Christian Hamilton to knock in Foye gave the Blue Blazes a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning.

McAlpine struck out South Portland’s leadoff hitter, and then allowed singles to Will Furbush and John Carey. Both advanced into scoring position with a double steal, but McAlpine struck out the next two batters to end the Red Riot threat.

Tyler Kelly reached on an error to start the second inning for the Blue Blazes and came around to score.

In the third inning, Westbrook scored all three runs with two outs. After Foye led off with a single, he was caught stealing. Hamilton then grounded out. Zach Collett walked and McAlpine followed with a single. Kelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tayler Clouatre cleared the bases with a 3-RBI double to deep center field, making it 6-0.

“That was big by Tayler,” Westbrook coach Mike Rutherford said. “It was 3-0, the game’s still close. Scoring those three runs with two outs, that’s a backbreaker.”

The Red Riots managed a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth as Matt Lee walked with one out. Ryan Curit and Mike Dicenso then reached on errors, the second scoring Lee. Josh Mackie grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Curit. McAlpine escaped further damage with a strikeout to end the inning.

“The big thing about that inning is maturity,” Rutherford said. “We gave them six outs in the inning – we didn’t play good defense – but instead of giving up five runs, we got out of there giving up two. If (McAlpine) let up and felt sorry for himself, all of a sudden it’s 6-5 and it’s a different game. But with him bearing down, it’s 6-2. The game’s over.”

McAlpine’s sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Hamilton, who reached on a walk, to make it 7-2. Hamilton’s sacrifice fly in the seventh scored Zach Johnson to complete the scoring. Johnson was pinch running for Scott Heath, who walked to lead off the inning.

Furbush, the South Portland starting pitcher, worked three innings and took the loss.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at Wainwright Field, but the field was still wet from rain from earlier in the week, forcing the switch.

On Saturday, the Blue Blazes (4-1) suffered their first loss of the year, falling to Bonny Eagle 4-2. South Portland lost to Gorham on Friday, 3-1 to drop to 1-4.