GRAY

Freeport High School spent last week playing catch-up with its schedule, so the Falcons knew their pitching rotation was going to be taxed as they made their final push for a Western Maine Class B playoff berth.

Whether it was by luck or design that the starting pitcher for Monday’s crucial Western Maine Conference regular-season baseball finale against Gray-New Gloucester was Peter LaMagna isn’t important. What was important was that LaMagna, who three weeks earlier had shut out the Patriots, saw no need to change the game plan the second time around.

Working quickly and efficiently, the junior right-hander limited the Patriots to two hits in a complete game 5-1 win. The victory clinched a playoff spot for the Falcons (7-9) and also moved them slightly ahead of the Patriots (9-7) in the Heal Points standings, although a few games remain to be played in Western B today.

“First, the defense was definitely making plays for me,” LaMagna said. “I was just throwing strikes. You could see when they hit the ball, our defense makes plays. When you’re throwing strikes, it’s easier to get good plays out there.”

“We played Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He pitched on Thursday, so of our three starters, he was the only one eligible today,” Freeport coach Bill Ridge said. “So he had to come back on short rest, and he was willing to do it because he knew this was (about making) playoffs or not.”

LaMagna struck out seven and walked one. He also starred offensively for the Falcons, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and three stolen bases.

He drove in the game’s first run in the top of the first, although some heads-up base running by Niko DiFazio helped put the pressure on G-NG starter Brandon Hubbard. DiFazio (two hits) singled with one out, stole second, then caught the Patriots napping and took third before another pitch was delivered. After a line out to first, LaMagna drove him home with a single to left.

The Falcons were 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts.

“That’s something we’ve done a lot this year because our bats haven’t been going quite as well as we want, so we’re aggressive on the bases to try and make up for that,” Ridge said.

Jack Davenport’s sacrifice fly and an error made it 3-0 in the third. LaMagna, meanwhile, didn’t allow a hit until Justin McKenna launched one over the right fielder’s head for a stand-up triple with one out in the fourth.

The Patriots were fortunate to get McKenna across for their only run, as he wandered too far off third on a safety squeeze attempt. But when the catcher’s throw sailed high over the third baseman’s head, he was able to trot home.

LaMagna surrendered a lead-off single by Evan Farmer in the fifth, then retired the final nine batters of the game. Nice defensive plays by DiFazio at shortstop and Caleb Rice in left helped him make quick work of the Patriots in 68 pitches.

“You get into a rhythm. It’s nice to be efficient and not throw too many pitches,” LaMagna said. “I don’t like throwing over 100 pitches. It’s no fun. It takes awhile, too.”

The Falcons added an unearned run in the fifth and LaMagna’s second RBI single in the seventh.