Hunter Finck, Gorham baseball shut out Cheverus

Gorham’s Hunter Finck delivers a pitch during the Rams’ 8-0 win over Cheverus on Tuesday in Gorham. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image

GORHAM — Hunter Finck has shown enough skill on the pitcher’s mound to have made a commitment to the University of Alabama.

But the junior right-hander hadn’t pitched into the seventh inning since his freshman season until throwing a two-hit shutout Tuesday in an 8-0 win against previously unbeaten Cheverus.

“I felt really good out there,” Finck said, who combined a fastball in the low 90s with a sharp curveball to strike out nine while walking two. “I was happy they kept me in. I think Coach (Ed Smith) wanted me to finish the game and I’m pretty happy he let me.”

Finck threw only one inning as a sophomore because of shoulder tightness. In his first start this season, he went threw four innings of one-hit ball in an 8-1 win at Sanford.

Gorham improved to 4-0. Cheverus is 4-1.

Finck was especially economical through five innings, allowing singles to Will Baker in the second inning and Joe Mancini in the third, with good defense behind him. His two walks came after Gorham scored five runs in the fifth to take an 8-0 lead.

“It was nice to see him get tested a little and have to work through it,” said Smith.

CHEVERUS STRUGGLES WITH WIND AND CALLS

The Stags and their fans had issues with the home plate umpire almost immediately, which led to one fan ejection in the first inning and a player ejection late in the game.

Cheverus starting pitcher Colton Jewett battled some early control issues in the first inning and escaped unscathed.

Gorham scored once with two outs in the second inning. No. 8 and 9 hitters Izak Stevens and Alex Fernandez drew walks, and Cooper Whitehead floated an RBI hit to shallow right.

It was a similar story in the third. With two outs, Sawyer Smith hit a fly to left that a gusty wind kept pushing toward the foul line, with the ball eventually dropping for a two-run double.

Gorham tacked on five runs in the fifth. Jewett (5 ER, 7 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts) walked two batters before being pulled. With two outs, Fernandez turned on a fastball by reliever Ben Dumais and drilled a two-run triple. Three more runs scored on two errors (one another wind-blown ball to left) and an RBI single by Finck (3 for 3).

“We’re going to lose games. It’s part of the season,” said Cheverus coach Ryan Copp. “Bottom line, you can’t let umpires, can’t let weather dictate what’s going on. We have to make sure we handle our business, and we didn’t do that today.”