POLAND

One-run games have not been kind to the Morse High School baseball team this season.

Figure, late-season losses to Erskine Academy (3-2) and Lincoln Academy (2-1) dropped the Shipbuilders down to the No. 6 seed in Western Maine Class B and a road quarterfinal matchup with No. 3 Poland on Thursday.

A Lukas Johnson solo home run in the fourth gave the Knights the dreaded one-run lead, and Poland held on for a 3-2 win.

Poland improved to 13-4 and visits No. 2 Greely (a 4-0 victor over Yarmouth), while Morse finished 10- 7 and loses seniors Liam McDonough, Trenton Moore and Chris Paulus.

“One-run games have been our problem and have killed us,” said Morse baseball coach Garrett Olson after his team dropped to 1-4 in those close contests. “I can’t think of anything that I would change. We played errorless in the field. We just needed those one or two key hits.”

Zach Holbrook went the distance on the mound for Morse, allowing five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He threw just 72 pitches.

“They are a well put-together team, and it came down to the little things,” said Holbrook of Poland. “We played well and committed no errors. But, we have lost a lot of games by one run and it happened again today.”

Early threat

Poland opened the home half of the first with a lead-off triple by Corey Cunliffe to left field. A walk to Bill Bickford followed, but Holbrook retired Jake Simard, Kaleb Bridgham and Johnson on flyballs to keep the game scoreless.

“We talk about our situational hitting, and with a guy at third base with nobody out, consider him in, and Zach did a heck of a job getting out of that,” said Olson.

The Knights didn’t let a second chance get away. Designated hitter Matt Rabasco singled and Dan Bernier was hit by a pitch with one out in the second. After each stole a base, Cutliffe gave his team a 2-0 lead with a two-out, two-run single.

“The second inning was big, especially after not executing in the first inning,” said Cutliffe, who was the game’s lone repeat hitter (2-for-3).

“Guys have stepped up at different times, and today Corey had a huge game,” said Poland coach Mike Connor.

Poland starting pitcher Shawn Murphy ran into trouble in the third. He walked Trevor Drouin and uncorked a wild pitch to move Drouin into scoring position. Josh McDougal laid down a sacrifice bunt and Trenton Moore picked up an RBI with a sacrifice flyball.

The Shipbuilders made it a 2-2 game in the fourth. After Murphy struck out Keegan McDonough, catcher Tanner Marston fired to third as pinch runner Brandon Magliozzi tried to steal. Marston’s throw glanced off the helmet of McDonough and rolled toward the Poland bench, with Magliozzi scampering home.

Johnson put Poland ahead, driving the first pitch he saw in the fourth well past the center-field fence for a solo home run and a 3-2 Knights lead.

Murphy had a quick 1-2-3 fifth, but an error and a single by Holbrook ended his day in the sixth. Johnson came on, and picked up a fielder’s choice before Marston retired Holbrook on a steal attempt of third.

In the Morse seventh, Johnson allowed a single to pinch hitter Dakota Jacobs with two outs, but struck out the final Shipbuilder hitter to send Poland to the semifinals.

Murphy picked up the mound win, going 5.1 innings on five strikeouts, three walks and three hits. Johnson earned the save, tossing 1.2 frames on one hit and one strikeout.

Olson talked about his three seniors.

“My second year with this team, these guys were freshmen, and I took those three, athletes, and pinned our hat on them,” said Olson. “All three of them are leaders on and off the field, and just good kids. It was nice to see them succeed.”

Liam McDonough, Andrew LaCavera, Holbrook and Jacobs each singled for Morse.

No. 3 Poland 3,
No. 6 Morse 2

Western B quarterfinal
At Poland
Morse — 001 100 0 – 2-4-0
Poland — 020 100 X – 3-5-3
Zach Holbrook and Liam McDonough; Shawn
Murphy, Lukas Johnson (6) and Tanner Marston.
Triple – (P) Corey Cunliffe.
Repeat hitter – (P) Corey Cunliffe.
Records – Poland 13-4, Morse 10-7.
Up next — Poland faces No. 2 Greely in the
Western B semifinals. Morse’s season is completed.