SOUTH BERWICK – Ho hum. Another start, another gem for Scarborough High right-hander Ben Wessel.

Wessel threw a one-hit, 1-0 shutout Thursday at Marshwood in a Telegram League baseball game.

Wessel faced just 24 batters over seven innings, striking out seven and walking one against a quality opponent.

“Every outing Ben’s had, he’s thrown extremely well and today was another example of it,” Scarborough Coach Mike Coutts said. “I hate to say you come to expect it, but you want it to happen every time you go out.”

Wessel, a junior who has verbally committed to the University of Rhode Island, is 4-0 with three consecutive shutouts. He’s allowed five hits in that span, including a no-hitter against Sanford. He’s allowed one run all season.

Against Marshwood, Wessel spotted his lively fastball on both sides of the plate, setting up his breaking pitches.

“I felt comfortable on the mound,” Wessel said. “I mixed in a lot of curves. Getting on top (of the count) is key and I felt like I did that today.

“First-pitch strikes, first batter out, that’s my game plan every game. I felt like I did that pretty well today.”

Marshwood starter Ben Claus nearly matched Wessel, allowing a single run on two hits and a walk in the second inning, and two singles the rest of the way.

“Defensively and on the mound, I couldn’t have been more happy,” Marshwood Coach Eric Fernandes said. “What we finally got (Claus) to do was just that if he trusts to go after the batters and attack them, he’s going to be successful and he was.”

Scarborough (8-2) scored when Kyle Kelley stroked a two-out single to right, Nick Murphy drew a walk and Conor McCann lined a single to right.

“I got a pitch over the outer half of the plate and just went to right field,” McCann said.

The only hit for the Hawks (7-4) came in the second, a sharp ground single by Troy Pappas. Jack Verrill followed with a deep drive to right-center that Joe Viola ran down, making a superior sliding catch to rob Verrill of at least a double.

After that? Marshwood put two runners on via infield errors, one with a walk and another on a passed ball on one of Wessel’s strikeouts.

“Ben’s got great poise. Just great poise,” Fernandes said of Wessel.

“And they’re a well-coached, confident team. That’s what I get from them when they step out on the field.”

The Hawks tried to manufacture a run with runners at first and third with two outs in the third, but the delayed steal of home failed. First baseman Conor McCann pegged a throw to catcher Nick Murphy that cut down Robert Jones.

In the sixth, Jones reached on an error and Marshwood leadoff man Luke Fernandes drew a one-out walk.

“First and second with their 2, 3, 4 hitters coming up, that was definitely a key part of the game,” Wessel said.

At that point, Wessel showed his smarts as well as his stuff.

Throughout the game, both pitchers benefited from a wide strike zone. But Wessel expanded it and caught Tyler Pratt looking at called second and third strikes that Murphy had to reach out and backhand.

Then he got Matt Brenner in an 0-2 hole in similar fashion before Brenner hit a lazy fly to center.

“It was a pitcher’s zone,” Wessel said.

“I was trying to nip at the outside corners. He had a good zone. My catcher did a good job setting up and the fielders made the plays.”

 

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