WINDHAM – The Windham and Portland High baseball teams will be in the Western Class A playoffs, but at different ends of the seedings.

Their game late in the regular season reflected just how different their seasons have been.

Windham found a way to scratch across enough runs for its second win over the Bulldogs this season, this time 3-0 in an SMAA game Tuesday.

Portland, despite high expectations, has struggled on offense.

The win gave Windham a 13-3 record and likely the No. 3 seed entering the playoffs.

Portland (7-8) has one game remaining, a makeup with Biddeford on Wednesday at Deering Oaks. The Bulldogs are ranked ninth and are looking at playing a preliminary-round game. Eleven teams qualify.

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Calvin Field led the offense, and starter Nate Boyle, with relievers Shawn and Joey Francoeur, held the Bulldogs down.

Field went 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI. Boyle improved his record to a league-best 7-0.

The Eagles now wait for the June 6 quarterfinals. Before that will be the SMAA playoffs Saturday, matching the top- four ranked teams in the Heal point standings — Scarborough, Marshwood, Windham and Westbrook — at The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach.

“This is the best regular season Windham has had in the SMAA,” said Field.

The Eagles haven’t had too many stumbles, but one of them was Monday’s 5-4 loss to Noble (4-11) at North Berwick.

Still, Windham has a chance to win the school’s first league title and go deep in the playoffs.

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“I was really impressed at how we bounced back after our last game,” said Field. “We hit the ball in places. We had a lot of good singles. We hit the ball better than we did against Noble.”

All of Field’s hits were singles to left. His second one scored Joey Francoeur in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Francoeur singled with one out and went to third on a wide throw to first after a bunt by Zach Conley.

Windham made it 3-0 in the fifth. Field led off with his third hit and stole second. After two walks, Field scored on a errant pickoff throw at first. Spencer Hodge drove in the third run with a sacrifice fly to left.

Boyle went four innings. The plan was to have him throw around 50 pitches, then give the Francoeurs some work. Shawn Francoeur relieved Boyle and worked two innings before his brother pitched the seventh.

“As far as seeding for the playoffs, this game didn’t really matter,” said Windham Coach Brody Artes. “We want to keep Nate fresh while getting in some work for Shawn and Joey, which we did. Nate has had a great season. He’s definitely been a stud for us. Shawn and Joey have also pitched well. We didn’t have the pop in our bats today but we moved runners along, pecked away and got the win.”

Nick DiPalma, a junior in his first varsity start for Portland, allowed five hits in five innings.

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“We had a couple of chances to score but didn’t come through at the plate,” said Portland Coach Tony DiBiase. “That’s the way it’s been. With Boyle pitching, he’s tough. We hung in there. It was 1-0 in the fifth. If you can’t score, every play becomes magnified. The good thing is that we’re going to be in the playoffs. These kids can play the game.”

Defense has been a strength for the Eagles.

Catcher Jack Herzig twice threw out runners, one on a steal and another on a pickoff. And in the third, the Eagles threw out Ryan Ruhlin trying to stretch a single into a double.

Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH

 


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