CAPE ELIZABETH – Cape Elizabeth didn’t have a hit — or a base runner — through three innings in its Western Maine Conference baseball season opener Thursday.
But the Capers’ bats came alive in the fourth inning, producing five hits and four runs on the way to a 4-2 win over Falmouth at Holman Field.
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Left-hander Conor Moloney pitched three innings of one-hit relief to secure the win for the Capers. Cape trailed 2-0 before breaking loose against Falmouth pitcher Mitch Beaulieu, getting a leadoff double by Cam Brown, three singles and a tiebreaking two-run triple by Tanner Garrity.
“We weren’t looking too good the first few innings,” said Brown. “We’re a good hitting team. We knew we were going to break out eventually.”
Beaulieu mixed a good fastball and a curve to shut down Cape in the first three innings. Four of the nine outs were grounders back to the mound. He had two strikeouts in the first three innings and seven for the game.
Brown doubled to the fence in center leading off the fourth. After a fly out, the Capers grouped three straight singles. Kyle Piscopo ripped a single to center, with Brown moving to third, and an error allowed Piscopo to take second.
Kyle Danielson then hit a sharp grounder that deflected off Nick Spencer’s glove at third. The ball ended up in short left field, and both Brown and Piscopo scored to the game at 2-2.
Two batters later, Garrity drilled a ball down the right-field line for a triple that scored Danielson and Rob MacDonald, who singled after Danielson.
Moloney, a hard thrower with a good curve, relieved starter MacDonald at the start of the fifth and quieted the Falmouth bats.
“That was our plan,” said Cape Elizabeth Coach Chris Hayward. “We were going to pitch MacDonald for four innings and Moloney for three.
“The Beaulieu boy was tough. The second time through the batting order we finally got our bats going quicker through the hitting zone.”
The big hit for Cape was by Garrity, the No. 7 hitter.
“Mitch got the pitch up and (Garrity) hit it down the line,” said Falmouth Coach Kevin Winship, who is in his first season.
“It’s a game of inches. One inch the other way, it’s a long strike and those runs don’t score.
“I think Mitch is one of the best pitchers in the league. He got the ball up later in the game and Cape, which is a good-hitting team, took advantage.
“I think our pitching and defense will be strong, but we’re going to have to find some more offense.”
Falmouth’s No. 5 through 9 hitters were 0 for 15.
The Yachtsmen scored a run in the first and another in the third and looked to be in good shape with Beaulieu cruising through the first three innings.
With two outs in the first, Matt MacDowell reached on an infield single, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Beaulieu’s single to right.
In the third, Dillon Dresser and MacDowell both singled and moved up on a throwing error, and Dresser scored on a wild pitch.
Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com
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