FREEPORT

A first-inning foul ball crashed into the windshield of Pete LaMagna’s car.

Whether the Freeport High School pitcher’s anger over the damaged car helped his pitching, well, one will never know.

But, LaMagna’s performance on the mound in Freeport’s 5-0 Western Maine Conference victory over Gray-New Gloucester was in one word … dominant!

The righty tossed a onehitter, struck out 11 and permitted just two walks. Twice the Patriots advanced a runner to second, but never to third.

“That is the first time this year that he pounded the strikezone, and you can see how good of a pitcher he is when he does that,” said Freeport coach Bill Ridge after his Falcons improved to 3-5 and host Greely on Friday. “His first couple starts, it was the walks that hurt him, and today he walked just two.”

“It feels good throwing strikes, and is all that you really need when you have a good defense,” said LaMagna, who moments after gathering his equipment checked on his cracked windshield. “We definitely have a lot of confidence going into the game with Greely, and I feel like we are hitting our stride.”

At the plate, Jack Davenport was the hitting star for Freeport. He launched two home runs to near identical spots beyond the right-center field fence and drove in three runs.

“I felt good, and the wind was blowing out,” said Davenport, who was 2-for-3 and received an intentional walk in his final at-bat. “I knew something was going to happen.

The first pitch was right down the middle, but the second one I thought I hit it off the handle. But, I guess I didn’t.”

Freeport belted out eight hits against Patriot pitcher Justin McKenna, with Niko DiFazio going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Freeport jumps ahead

Gray-NG lead-off hitter Tyler St. Pierre reached first base to open the game on a Freeport fielding error. Moments later, LaMagna picked off the Patriot base runner, one of two pick-offs for the righty in the game. LaMagna closed the first with a pair of strikeouts.

The Falcons went to work in their first swings. DiFazio walked, advanced to second on a throwing error and to third on a groundball. LaMagna walked with two outs and stole second ahead of a two-run single by Ben Humphrey for a 2-0 Freeport lead.

LaMagna struck out the side in the second frame, and McKenna escaped a twoon, one-out jam in the bottom of the second.

The only hit for Gray-New Gloucester came in the third when St. Pierre ripped a double off the fence in leftcenter field with two outs.

Freeport grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third when Davenport launched a McKenna 0-1 pitch over the right-center field fence for a solo home run, and Davenport made it a 5-0 game in the fourth with his second home run, scoring DiFazio, who had singled.

Ridge was pleased to see his team continue to hit throughout the game.

“We have gone six games in row now scoring in the first inning. Today, we didn’t stop in the first inning. We continued that pressure throughout the game,” said the Freeport coach.

LaMagna continued to roll. He set the Patriots down in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

“He was the difference,” said Gray-NG coach Brad Smith of LaMagna. “You are not going to beat too many people if you don’t score runs. We had some uncharacteristic base-running errors at first base, things that we work on.

“But, give them credit. They played solid baseball, and it all starts with the guy on the mound and clutch hitting.”

McKenna went the distance for Gray-NG. He threw 95 pitches, struck out four and walked five.

“He pitched a good game, and a lot of balls got through the left side,” said Ridge of McKenna. “They knocked a few down that we beat out. He didn’t walk too many guys either and kept us offbalance. Just the two mistakes to Jack.”

Freeport’s Max Doughty reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks. Caiden Shea and Caleb Rice added a single each.

Freeport 5, Gray-New Gloucester 0

At		Freeport
Gray-	NG	— 000 000 0 — 0-1-2
Freeport		— 201 200 X — 5-8-1

Justin McKenna and Evan Harmer;
Pete LaMagna and Caiden Shea.
Double — (G-NG) Tyler St. Pierre.
Home runs — (F) Jack Davenport
(2).
Records — Freeport 3-5, Gray-New
Gloucester 5-4.
Up next for Freeport — Friday at
home against Greely, 4 p.m.