A solid Sam Kilborn outing on the mound and a timely Cam Smith double secured a 5-1 home W for Gorham over Bonny Eagle on Tuesday, May 3. 

“We needed a clean win like this,” said Gorham head coach Chuck Nadeau. “It starts with pitching, and Sam did a good job, stayed in the strike zone. He did a good job keeping them off-balance.”

“Kilborn pitched very well,” said Bonny Eagle head coach Ricky Hession. “He did a really good job of keeping the ball down and mixing up his change-up and his fastball. We didn’t adjust well to it. A couple mental lapses in the field lead to runs, but just the way he was throwing – we were struggling offensively, and it made a 2-1 lead feel bigger than it was.”

Bonny Eagle started the afternoon looking good; Kyle Labrecque walked onto base in the top of the first, stole second during Drake Laughlin’s at-bat, and scored the 1-0 run when designated hitter Arlo Pike trickled a grounder past Gorham second baseman Logan Drouin. 

But Labrecque ‘s tally would be the Scots’ only tally all day; the Rams seized the lead in the bottom of the third and never looked back. Nolan Brown kicked off their attack, driving a clean shot to center. Brown rounded first and even made for second, but turned back when the throw was obviously going to beat him there. 

Ben Nelson walked for two men on, and David Drew flew out to center, advancing Brown to third. For his part, Nelson opted to remain on first. 

Brown crossed home when Bonny Eagle catcher Dana McKay tried for the play on Nelson, who was finally attempting second; Troy Bogdahn lost sight of the ball, however, and it rolled into the outfield, giving Brown the time he needed. 1-1. Meanwhile, Nelson got all the way to third on the same error, and made it 2-1 when Smith blasted his double, a volley to deep center. 

“It was a first and third play,” said Hession, “and that’s the way we run first and third plays. But the second baseman kind of shielded our shortstop so he couldn’t see the ball. It’s something that, at this point in the season, shouldn’t happen.”

The Rams notched their third run in the bottom of the fifth. Brown grounded and the ball skidded past the open glove of Scots first baseman Brady Grass, allowing Brown to touch first safely. Brown stole second during Nelson’s at-bat, reached third when Drew contacted, and scored when Scots reliever Colby Lambert beaned Smith in the back. 

Gorham hashed their last two in the bottom of the sixth: Kyle King and Jason Komulainen both crossed the plate on a Nelson smash to center. 5-1 the final. 

“We haven’t really swung the bats that well this year,” said Nadeau. “After struggling in the [fifth] inning – we had the bases loaded; I thought we had the opportunity to break it open a little bit – to see Nelson come up in the sixth inning and get the big hit with a couple runners on…that was a hit we hadn’t been getting.”

The result moved Bonny Eagle to 3-3.  The Scots opened their schedule with a 3-0 loss to South Portland before picking up three consecutive wins: over Marshwood, Biddeford and Noble. Deering then snapped their streak.

Bonny Eagle hosted Thornton on Thursday, May 5; they travel to Scarborough on Saturday the 7th.

Despite the loss, Hession saw positives. “Overall, we’re playing strong defensively,” he said. “And we’re putting good at-bats together – we’re just not finishing them. We’re getting deep in counts, we’re waiting for our pitches, but we’re not getting our pitches or if we do get our pitches, we’re not taking advantage, and we’re not being good two-strike, two-out hitters.”

Gorham, meanwhile, jumped to 2-2. The Rams dropped their first two bouts, versus Massabesic and Portland, before picking up a W over Marshwood, 10-5. The Rams visited South Portland on Thursday the 5th; they welcome Westbrook on Saturday the 7th.

“This was our first home game,” said Nadeau. “We’ve started the season with three games on the road. It’s good to get back and play at home, where the kids are comfortable.”

Bonny Eagle’s veteran catcher Dana McKay manned the plate once again for the Scots on Tuesday at Gorham.

Jason Komulainen reels in a pitch at catcher for the Rams.

Cam Robinson manned second for the Scots at Gorham on Tuesday.

Bonny Eagle’s Troy Bogdahn hurls a 6-3 groundout to first.

Gorham’s Kyle King trots home as the Rams pad their lead over Bonny Eagle in the later innings.

Gorhamite Nolan Brown slides back to first at home on Tuesday.

Sam Kilborn threw nine Ks versus visiting Bonny Eagle on Tuesday.

Brady Grass dives back to first in the Scots’ matchup at Gorham on Tuesday.

Kyle Labrecque takes a cut at the ball in Bonny Eagle’s 5-1 loss at Gorham on Tuesday.

Bonny Eagle centerfielder Drake Laughlin gets under a deep fly ball.