BIDDEFORD – Windham scored four runs in the third, including two on a Jack Herzig double, as the Eagles broke open a scoreless game before cruising to a 9-1 win in Biddeford on a cold and rainy afternoon.

Windham improves to 1-1 on the season, having lost their opener to Marshwood by a narrow margin, 2-1. They were 13-6 in 2012, when they fell to Scarborough in the Class A West semifinals. Biddeford drops to 0-2. The Tigers lost their first game of the year to South Portland, 6-0, and went 9-9 in 2012, falling in the quarterfinals to none other than Windham.

“We definitely got some timely hitting today,” Windham head coach Brody Artes said, after the game. “The guys stepped up in big spots. Jack had that big two-RBI double early in the game – that was big for us, just to get us going.

“One of the big things was that we weren’t very complacent today,” Artes said. “We wanted to keep pressing, wanted to keep adding runs as we went along, and that’s something that we’ve had a problem with in the preseason and that first game, so we definitely wanted to keep the pressure on throughout the game, and the guys did a good job doing that.”

Windham kicked their offense into gear in the third, when Nate Boyle drove a standing double to deep centerfield. Zack Conley followed with a drive of his own, into left, another double that brought Boyle home again. Biddeford pitcher Corey Collard apparently then grazed Windham’s Spencer Hodge with a throw, because Hodge took a jog to first on a signal from the umpire. Herzig then stepped to the plate and belted yet another double for Windham, this one into left again. That brought Conley and Hodge home. Two batters later, Herzig stole third and then home. Collard escaped more trouble when two Eagles popped out, but the bleeding had begun.

“They hit the ball very well,” Biddeford assistant coach Shawn Descoteaux said of Windham’s performance, after the game. “We struggled pitching; we struggled making plays just, you know, 9-1, there’s a lot that went wrong for us. We made a couple errors, and they hit the ball where we weren’t, and when that happens, they’re a good baseball team, so they put the ball in play, and we’re not able to make plays on it, and next thing you know, it’s four, five nothing, and it’s tough to come back from that.”

Biddeford’s at-bat in the bottom of the third was unproductive, squashing any hopes of immediate damage control.

Defense, said Artes, has become more important since aluminum bats were outlawed before last season, replaced with less explosive bats.

“Jack’s solid behind the plate,” Artes said of Windham’s defensive success, “[and] we have a pretty solid outfield. They do a very nice job tracking the ball. We have a couple little hiccups in the infield, but things that are fixable. [Defense] is definitely something we’re going to continue to work on if we’re going to be successful down the road.

“Defense is going to be the name of the game with these new bats,” Artes said. “It’s going to be a lot of low-scoring games, even though today we got nine, but it’s going to be something we need to focus on throughout the entire season, defense and pitching. We’re off to a good start in both areas, but we definitely need some work in both areas as well.”

Windham added another run in the fifth, when Hodge slipped a grounder down the left field foul line. The Biddeford third basemen fielded the play, but overthrew his first-base counterpart, allowing Hodge to make it to second. Herzig then dropped a ball in deep center, sending Hodge to third, though only narrowly, as the throw to third nearly beat him. Joe Francoeur next stepped to the plate and also knocked a shot to centerfield. He was caught out, but Hodge tagged up and raced safely home.

The conditions perhaps started to take a toll as the game progressed. Both teams’ pitchers loaded the bases, eventually walking runs in. But in the end, Windham held on, managing to increase their lead even further on another stolen run and a shot by Calvin Field into deep center.

Boyle, who got the win on the mound, pitched well through five innings before giving way to Francouer. Collard took the loss.

Descoteaux is confident in his boys’ ability to bounce back from a big loss.

“We kind of live by a ‘take it one game at a time.’ We’ll be done with this one tonight and we’ll be moving on, getting ready for Kennebunk on Thursday,” he said. “A loss is a loss in this league; it doesn’t matter if it’s nine to one or one to nothing…same thing with wins. You just have to move past it and get onto the next one.”

The Eagles next face Massabesic at home on Thursday, while the Tigers, still stalking their first win of the season, will host Kennebunk on Thursday.

Eagle batter Jack Herzig and Tiger catcher Corey Brown await the pitch.
Windham’s Nate Boyle lands on third base.
Windham’s Calvin Field steals second. Tiger Patrick Wilson mans the base.
Windham’s Calvin Field takes a cut at the ball against Biddeford Tuesday afternoon.
Eagle Spencer Hodge slides safely into home while Biddeford Catcher Corey Brown awaits the throw.
Biddeford pitcher Corey Collard releases a throw; in the background, teammate Brady Fleurent mans third base.
Windham’s Spencer Hodge bunts against the Biddeford Tigers Tuesday afternoon.