WISCASSET

The Wiscasset High School baseball team took on Western Maine Class C powerhouse Dirigo on Friday in a Mountain Valley Conference contest in the fog and cool drizzle.

The 2-0 loss to the 14-1 Cougars left Todd Souza’s Wolverines down a bit, but the coach was upbeat in telling his players how they had just showed how well they can compete against a quality opponent.

“Usually with losses we are picking things that we struggled with, but today, (Dirigo pitcher Ben) Holmes was solid, and they were able to get the couple key hits to win this game,” said Souza, whose team is 8-7 and hosts Winthrop on Wednesday in its regular-season finale. “For us it’s a believer game. We have lost games this year we should not have lost, but today is a moral victory for us, knowing we can play with a team like that.”

Holmes won the pitcher’s duel with Wiscasset hurler Jason Weatherbee. The Dirigo righty struck out 13, walked two and hit a batter, allowing only an infield single to Weatherbee in the fourth inning. Two pitches later, Cougars second baseman Hunter Ross made a nice play on a hot shot by Chandler Longfellow, starting an inning-ending double play.

Weatherbee was nearly as good on the mound. He walked five, but permitted just five hits and struck out six.

“Jason pitched a great game,” said Souza. “Walks have been Jason’s archenemy, but he’s not trying to carry the team. Yet, he is still making great pitches and relying on his teammates to make plays for him. He gives us a chance, and the boys rally around him.”

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Dirigo used a similar philosophy to score its two runs.

In the fourth inning, Holmes worked a six-pitch walk and Cody St. Germain laid down a sacrifice bunt, but managed to reach first on an error. After Holmes stole third base, Spencer Trenoweth singled to center field for a 1-0 Dirigo lead.

Wiscasset escaped further damage when first baseman Zach Ellison caught a hard liner by Tyler Frost before firing to second base to retire Trenoweth for a double play.

Holmes and Trenoweth hooked up again in the sixth frame to double the Cougars’ lead. Dirigo’s clean-up hitter walked on four pitches, was sacrificed to second by St. Germain, and scored on a single to center-field by Trenoweth.

Wiscasset threatened in the fifth. Cory Hodgdon was hit by a pitch, and Matt Craig walked with two outs. But, Holmes retired the next Wolverines hitter on strikes to escape the jam before retiring Wiscasset in order in the sixth and seventh innings.

“If we can get our sticks alive, get our small stuff together, something we didn’t do today, we can make a run,” said Souza. “If we can get on the basepaths, make things happen and continue to get good pitching and defense, we showed today that we can compete.”

Wiscasset is currently fifth in the Western Class C Heal Points Standings, while Winthrop sits in sixth place, just five points behind the Wolverines. Meanwhile,

Dirigo has a comfortable 16-point edge on second-place St. Dom’s.

Trenoweth finished 2-for-3 at the plate for Dirigo, with teammate Caleb Turner adding a single and double. Frost also singled.

WISCASSET 7

CARRABEC 3

The Wolverines traveled to North Anson on Thursday, rolling to an MVC win over the 1-12 Cobras.

Devin Grover, Weatherbee and Cory Hodgdon had two singles apiece to pace Wiscasset.

Grover earned the mound win, going the distance on nine strikeouts, one walk and three hits. Christian Miller was 2-for-3 for Carrabec. Two Cobra pitchers combined on seven hits, five strikeouts and three walks.

Dirigo 2,
Wiscasset 0

At Wiscasset High School
Dirigo — 000 101 0 — 2-5-0
Wiscasset — 000 000 0 — 0-1-2
Bven Holmes and Jake Rowland; Jason
Weatherbee and Devin Grover.
Double — (D) Caleb Turner.
Repeat hitters — (D) Spencer
Trenoweth, Caleb Turner.
Records — Dirigo 14-1, Wiscasset 8-7.
Next for the Wolverines — Wednesday
at home against Winthrop, 4:30 p.m.