FALMOUTH—Jacoby Porter had himself a day.
And Falmouth’s baseball team earned another key victory Saturday against visiting Kennebunk at Croker Field.
Porter, the Navigators’ freshman sensation and first baseman, capped a two-run bottom of the first inning with a booming solo home run.
Porter then hit an RBI single during a four-run bottom of the second as Falmouth opened up a 6-0 lead.
The Rams, who threatened in just about every inning, finally broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, but in the bottom half, Porter produced yet another RBI single.
Porter’s final act saw him take the mound in relief and he pitched two scoreless innings to close it out as the Navigators prevailed, 7-2.
Falmouth, which was coming off a huge victory over South Portland, won its third game in as many days, its fifth in succession and improved to 5-1 on the season, while dropping to Kennebunk to 3-3 in the process.
“South Portland was a big win, an intense game, a pitcher’s duel,” said Navigators coach Mike D’Andrea. “We didn’t want today to be a letdown day and I’m proud of the guys. They brought it today.”
Coming to life
Falmouth, a preseason favorite, struggled in its opener, falling at Scarborough, 6-4, but the Navigators have lived up to billing since, winning at reigning Class A champion Thornton Academy (7-3), at Bonny Eagle (12-3), at Noble (5-1) Thursday and at home over South Portland Friday (2-1).
Kennebunk, meanwhile, started by blanking Deering, 9-0. After losses to Sanford (5-0) and Cheverus (9-0), the Rams defeated Portland (7-1) and Thornton Academy (1-0).
Last year, Falmouth won, 6-3, at Kennebunk.
Saturday, on a windy but gorgeous day (70 degrees at first pitch, rising to 74 degrees by game’s end), the Navigators struck early and frustrated the Rams at every turn.
Falmouth sophomore starting pitcher Isaac Laliberte deals to Kennebunk’s James DiGiovanni to start Saturday’s contest, won by the Navigators, 7-2. Hoffer photos.
Sophomore Isaac Laliberte started for Falmouth and got senior shortstop James DiGiovanni to ground out to first, then got sophomore third baseman Max Andrews to pop out foul to third on the first pitch he saw. Junior centerfielder Drew Sliwkowski then singled to center and sophomore pitcher Isaac Jensen followed with a single to left, but Laliberte got senior rightfielder Hayden Furber to watch strike three to end the threat.
Falmouth then got the jump in the bottom half.
Senior centerfielder Miles Gay led off against Jensen and drew a walk, then stole second. Sophomore shortstop Josh Polchies grounded back to the mound, with Gay taking third and when junior catcher Ethan Hendry grounded out to short, Gay came home with the game’s first run.
That set the stage for Porter, who crushed a Jensen fastball to right-center and the ball carried all the way over the wall and then some for a home run and a 2-0 advantage.
“It felt amazing,” said Porter, of his first high school home run. “It’s a dream come true. I went up there, tried to hit a line drive and it just sailed out. The wind was blowing in during (batting practice) and I didn’t hit any nearly that far. I knew I hit it far, but I wasn’t sure about the distance. My mind went blank. It was just pure happiness. It was special to have all the guys waiting for me.”
“(Jacoby) doesn’t act like a freshman,” D’Andrea said. “He’s a focused player. He’s doing what we need him to do. The wind was fighting that ball, but that was a missile.”
Sophomore designated hitter Tyler Simmons reached on an error, but junior second baseman Brennan Rumpf grounded out for the third out.
Kennebunk went in order for the only time all day in the top of the second, as Laliberte got senior first baseman Quinn MacDonald to ground out to short, junior second baseman George Lazos to fly out to center and senior designated hitter Jacke Kennie to pop out to second.
The Navigators then added four more runs in the bottom of the frame.
After Jensen got senior third baseman Mitchell Ham to ground back to the mound, he walked senior leftfielder Peyton Mitchell on four pitches, then senior rightfielder Eli Cowperthwaite reached on catcher’s interference. After the runners moved up on a double steal, Gay struck out swinging, but Falmouth produced some two-out magic, as Polchies singled the other way to left on the first pitch he saw to score both runners, Polchies stole second and came home on an RBI single through the hole off the bat of Hendry, who went to second on the throw home, then took third on a wild pitch before Porter singled to right to score Hendry to make it 6-0. Simmons bounced out to short, but the damage was done.
The Rams tried to rally in the top of the third, but couldn’t generate a timely hit.
Senior leftfielder Timmy Teguis led off with a single past first and after DiGiovanni lined out to center and Andrews flew out to left, Sliwkowski singled past first to put runners at the corners, but Jensen grounded back to the mound to strand a pair.
Rumpf led off the bottom half with an infield single to short, but Ham struck out swinging, Mitchell lined out to right, where Furber made a leaping catch, then Cowperthwaite flew out to right for the third out.
Kennebunk finally broke through in the top of the fourth and made things interesting.
Furber walked leading off, then MacDonald singled to center. Lazos was next and he singled to left-center, scoring Furber and putting runners at first and second, ending Laliberte’s outing.
Mitchell came in to face Kennie and he walked him to load the bases.
D’Andrea quickly came to the mound to make another change, bringing in Ham.
And Ham squashed the rally.
Ham got Teguis to pop out back to the mound and while DiGiovanni drove in a run on a deep sacrifice fly to center, Andrews flew out to right and Falmouth was still up, 6-2.
“When they loaded the bases and scored, we limited the damage,” D’Andrea said. “Mitch did a good job coming in and throwing strikes.”
The Navigators got a run back in the bottom of the frame, as after Gay grounded out back to the mound, Polchies beat out an infield single to short, took second on a passed ball and after Hendry struck out swinging, Porter came through again with an RBI single to right.
Falmouth freshman Jacoby Porter lines an RBI single.
Simmons bounced back to the mound, but Falmouth had a little breathing room.
Sliwkowski led off the top of the fifth by lining the ball to left, where Mitchell dropped it for an error, but Mitchell atoned by throwing out Sliwkowski trying to reach second. Jensen then struck out looking, but Furber singled to left, MacDonald singled to center and Lazos walked to load the bases before Ham got junior pinch-hitter Andrew Burnham to line out to center on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.
In the bottom half, Furber came on to pitch for the Rams and after surrendering an infield single to Rumpf, he got Ham to ground into a third-to-second-to-first double play before getting Mitchell to fly out to center.
Porter then came on in relief to start the sixth and after catching Teguis looking at strike three, he gave up a single up the middle off the bat of DiGiovanni, but Andrews grounded to second, where Rumpf fielded the ball, threw to Polchies for a force out at second, then Polchies threw on to first to complete the inning-ending double play.
Falmouth went quietly in the bottom half, as Cowperthwaite and Gay both grounded out to third and Polchies took strike three.
Porter then slammed the door in the seventh.
Falmouth freshman Jacoby Porter delivers a pitch in the final inning.
Sliwkowski was hit by a pitch leading off, but Porter struck out Jensen swinging, then Furber grounded out to Simmons at first, who made a nice play, and after Sliwkowski moved to second on a wild pitch, Porter got MacDonald to take strike three to end it and the Navigators were able to celebrate their 7-2 victory.
“I had the thought in the back of my mind that I might pitch,” Porter said. “All the pitchers got outs. When I got the call, I was excited. When I came in, I wanted to close it out.”
“I consider this a really big win today,” D’Andrea said. “Jensen’s a really good pitcher. There’s really good pitching in this league. You have to come out every day and play. (Kennebunk) swung the bats, but it’s a tough day to hit with the wind blowing in. We made plays and we threw strikes when we had to.”
Porter’s bat produced a home run and two singles, as well as three RBI. He also scored a run.
Polchies and Rumpf also had two hits.
Polchies scored twice, while Cowperthwaite, Gay, Hendry and Mitchell each touched home plate once.
Hendry and Polchies had two RBI apiece.
Falmouth left four runners on base.
Ham earned the win in relief, giving up two hits in two scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out one.
Laliberte gave up two earned runs on six hits in three-plus innings. He walked one and fanned one.
“We’re still trying to figure out who’s our number three, who’s our first go-to guy,” D’Andrea said. “Other teams are in the same boat. Isaac did his job today. He kept us in the game and gave us what he could in his first start. It was a great outing as far as I’m concerned.”
Mitchell faced just one batter and walked him.
Porter didn’t allow a run in his two innings of relief, surrendering one hit and striking out three.
Kennebunk’s offense was paced by two hits apiece from MacDonald and Sliwkowski.
Furber and MacDonald scored the Rams’ runs.
DiGiovanni and Lazos had RBI.
Kennebunk stranded 10 runners.
Jensen took the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits in four innings. He walked two and fanned three.
Furber pitched two innings of scoreless relief, striking out one.
Another tough test
Kennebunk hopes to get back in the win column Monday when it hosts Gorham.
Falmouth will seek a sixth consecutive victory Thursday, when it welcomes Portland.
“That (first game) was a beatdown, but ever since then, we’ve had the mentality of not taking teams lightly and going out and playing our best,” Porter said.
“I’m pleased with the way we’re competing and learning,” D’Andrea said. “We could use some outside practice. We still have some things to clean up.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
