BOX SCORE
Scarborough 3 Kennebunk 1
K- 010 000 0- 1 5 0
S- 102 000 X- 3 6 1
Bottom 1st
Seguin grounded out, Blanchette scored.
Top 2nd
Furber singled to right-center, MacDonald scored.
Bottom 3rd
Seguin doubled to left-center, Blanchette and TJ Liponis scored.
Multiple hits:
K- MacDonald
S- Blanchette 3
Runs:
K- MacDonald
S- Blanchette 2, TJ Liponis
K- Furber
S- Seguin 3
Doubles:
S- Blanchette, Seguin
Triple:
S- Blanchette
Stolen bases:
K- Jensen 2
S- TJ Liponis 3, Gower, Porter, Seguin
Left on base:
K- 6
S- 7
Schwartzman, DiGiovanni (4) and York; Seguin and Gower.
K:
Schwartzman (L, 0-1) 3 IP 3 H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 4 K 2 WP 1 HBP
DiGiovanni 3 IP 3 H 0 R 2 BB 3 K 1 HBP
S:
Seguin (W, 1-2) 7 IP 5 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 7 K 1 WP
Time: 1:39
SCARBOROUGH—Ben Seguin can make life difficult enough on the opposition when his left arm is firing strikes, which it was Thursday afternoon at the Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex.
But when Seguin, a senior, is getting the job done with the bat as well, Scarborough’s opponent, in this case visiting Kennebunk, has little chance of emerging victorious.
Seguin set the Rams down in order in the top of the first, then drove in the game’s first run with a ground ball in the bottom half.
After Kennebunk drew even in the top of the second, on a two-out RBI single from junior leftfielder Hayden Furber, Seguin struck the game’s biggest blow in the bottom of the third, ripping a two-run double that nearly went over the fence, for a two-run lead.
From there, Seguin kept the Rams off-balance and relied on his defense and while there were some anxious moments in the late innings, Seguin managed to go the distance and close out a 3-1 victory.
Seguin scattered five hits, earned his first victory of the season and helped the Red Storm improve to 3-2 on the year, while dropping Kennebunk to 3-2-1 in the process.
“I thought we played well,” said Scarborough coach Wes Ridlon. “Ben threw strikes and we played really well defensively and got timely hitting. I’m happy with the way we’re progressing early in the season.”
In the running
Both teams have had their ups-and-downs in the early going of the 2022 season.
Kennebunk started strongly with a 14-0 (five-inning) win over Windham. The Rams and Marshwood then played a scoreless game into the ninth inning before bad weather ended it as a tie. Kennebunk then edged Biddeford (1-0), before losing to Gorham (5-3) and Tuesday downing Massabesic, 5-1.
Scarborough, meanwhile, was blanked at Thornton Academy, 5-0, in its opener, then shut out visiting Windham, 9-0. After falling at home to Westbrook in five-innings (12-2), the Red Storm won at Bonny Eagle in their last outing, 9-5, Saturday.
In the team’s most recent meeting, May 23, 2019, state title-bound Scarborough eked out a 3-2 home decision over the Rams.
Thursday, on a pleasant afternoon (62 degrees and sunny at first pitch), Seguin was in command almost throughout as the Red Storm were able to prevail.
Scarborough senior pitcher Ben Seguin throws a strike to Kennebunk’s Max Andrews leading off Thursday’s contest, won by the Red Storm, 3-1. Hoffer photos.
Seguin struck out freshman third baseman Max Andrews leading off the game, then he got his opposite number, senior Landon Schwartzman, to pop out to first and senior catcher David York to pop to short.
Scarborough then struck quickly in the bottom half, as junior leftfielder Ashton Blanchette led off with a double over the head of sophomore centerfielder Drew Sliwkowski. Blanchette stayed put when senior centerfielder Thomas Donahue struck out swinging, but Blanchette moved to third on a wild pitch and after senior shortstop TJ Liponis walked and stole second, Blanchette raced home when Seguin bounced to short, sliding under the tag after junior James DiGiovanni threw home. Liponis went to third on the play and after Seguin took second on a pitch in the dirt, Schwartzman escaped further damage by fanning by sophomore rightfielder Zakary Sanders and junior designated hitter Griffin Denbow to keep the score 1-0.
The Rams then produced some two-out magic in the top of the second to pull even.
After Seguin got Sliwkowski to strike out swinging and sophomore second baseman George Lazos to bounce slowly to second, junior first baseman Quinn MacDonald singled up the middle, moved to second on a wild pitch, then raced home with the tying run when Furber’s blooper fell for a single in right-center. Seguin got freshman rightfielder Isaac Jensen to pop out foul to first, but the game was even, 1-1.
Kennebunk senior starter Landon Schwartzman delivers to the plate.
Schwartzman then set the Red Storm down in order in the bottom half, getting sophomore first baseman Mason Porter to pop out to second on a 3-0 pitch, junior second baseman Jason Liponis to ground back to the mound and senior catcher Connor Gower to bounce out to short.
Seguin returned to his effective ways in the top of the third, getting DiGiovanni to line out center before striking out both Andrews and Schwartzman.
Seguin then did some damage with his bat in the bottom half.
Again, Blanchette got the rally started with a hard-hit ball, this time a triple to deep right-center.
Scarborough junior Ashton Blanchette slides safely into third base with a triple as the ball gets away from Kennebunk third baseman Max Andrews. Rams pitcher Landon Schwartzman backs up the play.
“Ashton had a great approach at the plate today,” Ridlon said. “He put the ball in play, that’s what we want our leadoff guy to do. He’s been one of our top offensive guys this year.”
Donahue struck out swinging on a high fastball, but Schwartzman hit TJ Liponis with a pitch to put runners at the corners. Seguin then stepped to plate and got all of a fastball, sending it deep to left-center. It appeared the ball had a chance to clear the fence, but wound up bouncing a few feet shy, allowing Blanchette to score easily and Liponis to come all the way around for another run as Seguin held at second with a two-run double.
“I was sitting on a fastball,” Seguin said. “I thought was going out. It was nice to contribute with the bat.”
“He had a good approach, let the ball get deep, put the barrel to it and found the gap,” said Ridlon. “That’s what we want for a guy hitting in the middle of the order.”
Scarborough hoped to add even more, but York made a superb throw to pick Seguin off before Schwartzman caught Sanders looking at strike three on what proved to be his final pitch of the day.
Seguin made quick work of Kennebunk in the top of the fourth, getting York to line out deep to left on a 3-1 pitch, Sliwkowski to pop out to second and Lazos to fan on a 3-2 pitch.
In the bottom half, DiGiovanni replaced Schwartzman on the mound, as Schwartzman replaced DiGiovanni at shortstop. DiGiovanni debut by striking out Denbow swinging, but Porter singled to left. After Jason Liponis popped back to the mound on a bunt, Porter stole second, but he’d be stranded when Gower flew out deep to center.
MacDonald led off the top of the fifth with his second hit, a first-pitch single to right, and he was replaced by junior courtesy runner Timmy Teguis. Furber grounded the ball off Seguin, but right to Jason Liponis, who threw him out by a half-step and Teguis took second. Jensen then struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch on the inside corner before DiGiovanni ended the threat with a grounder to short.
In the bottom half, Blanchette grounded out to second and Donahue fanned on a 3-2 pitch, but TJ Liponis was hit with an off-speed pitch on the back and stole second and after Seguin walked, they pulled off a double steal. Sanders walked to load the bases, but the runners would be stranded when Denbow struck out swinging.
The Rams then threatened to not only rally, but to chase Seguin as well in the top of the sixth, but he managed to escape the jam.
Andrews lined to second leading off and Schwartzman lined out deep to right, but York blooped a single to center, junior Jack Kennie singled through the hole between short and third and Lazos walked to load the bases, bringing up MacDonald, who had two hits to that point.
Seguin stayed in and immediately got ahead of MacDonald 0-2 before inducing a grounder to short, where TJ Liponis threw to Jason Liponis for an inning-ending force out, preserving the two-run lead.
“I just made sure to get him out,” said Seguin. “I wanted to get him to hit it on the ground or pop it up.”
“We evaluated it as a staff, but (Ben’s) a gamer and he got us to that point,” said Ridlon. “We were comfortable with his competitive edge pulling it out there.”
The Red Storm had a chance to add an insurance run in the bottom half, but couldn’t do so.
Porter flew out to deep left and Jason Liponis popped foul to third, but Gower blooped a single to right and stole second (where he was then replaced by junior courtesy runner Aidan Bristol) and Blanchette reached on an infield single, his third hit, but on the play, Bristol tried to come around and score only to be thrown out at the plate.
Seguin then took the mound for the seventh, looking to close out the game.
He got Furber to ground to third, but Jensen reached when Jason Liponis mishandled his ground ball. After DiGiovanni popped out to second on the first pitch, Jensen stole second, then third, but on a 3-2 pitch, Seguin caught Andrews looking at strike three to end it and Scarborough had a 3-1 victory.
Winning pitcher Ben Seguin celebrates with his catcher, Connor Gower, following the final out.
“I wanted to finish it,” said Seguin.
Seguin allowed just one run on five hits in his seven innings, walking only one batter while striking out seven.
“I knew I had a good defense behind me, so I just had to throw strikes,” said Seguin. “My fastball felt good today and I stayed back more. My curveball worked in there too. I just had a better mindset today. I was overthinking last time out.”
“He bounced back from a tough start last week and showed a lot of resiliency coming out and throwing strikes,” said Ridlon. “He put the ball in play and let the defense make plays.”
Offensively, Blanchette had three hits and Seguin two.
Blanchette scored two runs, while TJ Liponis also touched home.
Seguin drove in all three runs.
The Red Storm stole six bases and left seven runners on base.
Kennebunk got two hits and a run scored by MacDonald and an RBI from Furber.
The Rams left six runners on.
Schwartzman took the loss, giving up three runs on three hits in three innings of work. He walked two, struck out four and hit a batter.
DiGiovanni pitched three scoreless innings of relief, giving up three hits and two walks, fanning three and hitting one.
Time to make a move
Kennebunk returns home Saturday to meet Cheverus.
Scarborough is also back in action Saturday, when Biddeford pays a visit. The Red Storm go to Hadlock Field Tuesday to face Portland.
“I feel like we’re slowly moving up, but I like the path we’re going,” said Seguin. “I feel like we can be a high-seeded team. We just have to keep battling.”
“We have good momentum,” Ridlon said. “The young guys are increasing their baseball IQ. We’re starting to play the way we want to play. All the games are going to be competitive and we’re ready to go.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
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