Every high school baseball player gets fired up for the opportunity to play at Hadlock Field, and the Cheverus Stags have been luckier than most this season, getting to play at the home of the Portland Sea Dogs twice. 

Thursday afternoon, five days after beating Deering by 13 runs at Hadlock, Cheverus again made the trip across town to meet the Rams. Thanks to a balanced attack, 12 stolen bases and a strong effort on the mound, the Stags enjoyed another decisive win – 12-2 in six innings. 

“The guys love to play here,” said Cheverus Coach Tony DiBiase. “It’s always a great experience to play here. The field was in great shape and there was a nice crowd. It was just a nice day.” 

Cheverus (4-3) got its bats and legs going in the top of the first, stealing four bases and taking a 3-0 lead on an RBI double from starting pitcher Brian Connolly and run-scoring singles from Sam Clark and Nick Giancotti. 

The Stags wasted a leadoff triple from Jackson Header in the second but added to their lead in the third. Deering starter Conner Coleman hit Clark with an 0-2 pitch with one out, then Coleman’s pickoff attempt got away, allowing Clark to take second. With Kevin Connolly at the plate, Clark stole third, and when that throw was wild, he scored for a 4-0 advantage. 

In the fourth, Richard Tremble reached on an error, stole second and third and came home on Orion Guibord’s squeeze bunt. 

Cheverus then broke it open in the fifth. Clark doubled home Brian Connolly, Guibord hit a two-run single, Brady Cormier singled in a pair of runs and Matt Connor added an RBI single for an 11-0 lead. 

“I think our pitching has gotten better and our defense and our bats are coming alive,” said Brian Connolly. 

The Rams (0-9) refused to let the game end by the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth, as one run scored on an error and another on a long double from Dempsey Brady. 

In the sixth, Header hit a two-out RBI single, and Jacob Lucier closed it out in the bottom half by setting Deering down in order. 

“We started out a little rough, but we’ve been working hard and it’s been paying off,” said Clark, who had two hits, two RBI and scored three runs. 

Brian Connolly, Cormier and Jackson Header also had multiple hits. 

Despite the setback, Deering’s first-year coach, Ryan Martin, continues to be pleased with his team’s effort. 

“These guys are keeping their energy up even in tough games,” Martin said. “We keep playing one pitch at a time. That’s all you can do. I’m pretty proud of these guys.” 


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