Windham’s Mike Gilman is just a freshman, but he leads off in the Eagles’ batting order, and he led their offense as the team captured its first victory of the year Tuesday afternoon, going 3-4 and scoring once as the Eagles cruised to a 7-0 W over the Rams.

The road win bumps Windham to 1-3 on the season. Gorham slips to 2-3 with the result.

“We’ve been trying to get the kids to be a lot more aggressive at the plate,” said Windham head coach Brody Artes. “Especially in good hitting counts. I think they did a really good job of taking good cuts at good counts. That’s been kind of a mantra for us in the preseason.

“We struggled with that, last week, but they’re starting to come around a little bit, and they’re realizing they need to make adjustments earlier. Our philosophy of hitting is starting to come around a little more, and that’s good to see.”

Gilman kicked off Tuesday’s action with a quick single, and reached second on a Tyler Johnson sacrifice ball. The team wouldn’t catch fire just yet, however; Tanner Laberge and Tim Greenlaw both knocked into outs, leaving Gilman high and dry in scoring position.

The Rams didn’t wring much from their ups either, though. Logan Drouin belted a double into deep left, but he was third in the order, and his two predecessors had both logged outs, leaving clean-up batter Jordan Ward little room for error. Unfortunately, Ward went down swinging to Eagles starter Laberge, and Gorham’s first chance at the plate – like their next six – amounted to nothing.

Windham woke up in the second. Zach Alpern cracked a grounder toward third, reaching first when Rams baseman Kenny Tuttle bobbled the hit. Mitch Eskilson lined into leftfield for two men on, and both he and Alpern advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch by Gorham starter Sam Kilborn during Tanner Bernier’s at-bat. Alpern crossed home again when Bernier grounded out.

Alpern’s would be the only run Windham needed, but they continued to look strong as the game progressed. Johnson reached base in the third on Drouin’s just-wide throw from short, a hurl that first baseman Michael Chapin managed to grab – but not before slipping off the bag. Johnson stole second on Laberge’s at-bat, then turned one steal into two, and the 2-0 run, when the attempt to catch him at third flew just high of Tuttle’s reach.

The Eagles essentially sealed the deal in the fourth, scoring four. Eskilson reached first on another Rams error, third when Bernier launched a double down the rightfield line, and home on a wild pitch during Gio Ruotolo’s turn in the box, which also advanced Bernier to third.

Ruotolo lined out, but Josh Dugas knocked a single grounder into centerfield to bring Bernier home; Dugas grabbed second when Gilman trickled a lazy infield grounder none of the Rams could get to in time to make a play, then third on a steal during Johnson’s next ups. Johnson grounded out, but gave Dugas the chance to dash home; Laberge likewise allowed Gilman to score, dropping a single into center.

Artes praised Gilman’s play.

“Mike had a really good game at the plate as the lead-off guy; he’s done a good job stepping up; he’s a freshman, he’s got a lot of poise as a freshman. So he’s done a good job of fitting in real well,” Artes said.

Gorham finally escaped the fourth inning, and even shuttered Windham’s offense for the fifth and sixth, but despite a fairly steady trickle of batters onto base – Drouin volleyed a beautiful standing triple into deep right in the fourth and had a single in the sixth as well, for instance – the Rams just couldn’t find a groove. Windham added one more in the seventh to close the day, 7-0.

Artes was happy with the way his boys played in the field, but stressed the strength of Laberge’s pitching again as well. “Defense is something we’ve always worked on as a program,” he said, “so it’s good to see that translate to games.

“[But] you watch a lot of Gorham at-bats, they had a lot of foul balls over our dugout, so they were real late on Tanner; that had a big part to do with it. We were just trying to be strong behind him.”

After winning five games through the entirety of last year, Gorham begins 2015 on an encouraging note, going 2-2 in their first four outings. The Rams slaughtered Noble 16-1 back on April 24, then lost a 9-3 battle with Deering a few days later. They nabbed their second win against Scarborough 5-4 before suffering another defeat, this one 5-4 to Biddeford. That stretch put the team 10th in the standings, just behind Kennebunk and ahead of Marshwood.

Meanwhile, Windham – last year’s Class A State Runners-up – has so far faltered through the beginning of their 2015 schedule, going 0-3 early on. The Eagles dropped their April 28th opener, against Portland, 4-2. They fell to Marshwood 12-0 not long after, and then to Massabesic as well, 5-4. The slow start quickly plummeted them to the bottom of the Class A West standings.

“Tanner threw the ball very, very well today,” said Artes, spelling out what allowed the Eagles to turn their fortunes around. “He wasn’t real sharp in our first outing, against Portland last week. His curve ball today was as good as I’ve seen it.

“We were focused. In the past three games, we’ve lost focus at times throughout the games; maybe it was for a short time, maybe it was for a longer period. Today we didn’t; first pitch to last pitch, we were in it the entire time.”

Artes also praised Alpern, the team’s catcher. “[Zach] behind the plate had a great game; he was blocking just about everything. He’s getting better each and every game, getting a lot more confidence. Those guys, they play consistent baseball up the middle – catcher, shortstop, second base, centerfield – we’re going to win some games.”

Jack Butts started at second for the Eagles, Gilman at short, and Dugas in centerfield.

Tuesday’s heartening road win over the .500 Gorham team brings Windham good Heal Points; they can perhaps now begin the arduous ascent up the ranks. The Eagles’ next matchup is with Sanford, at home on Thursday, May 7. They then host Biddeford on the 8th and Bonny Eagle on the 12th.

The Rams will look to regroup and get back to their own winning ways. Gorham travels to Bonny Eagle on the 7th, hosts Portland on the 9th and visits Sanford on the 12th.

Windham’s Zach Alpern crosses home for the Eagles’ first run at Gorham on Tuesday.Gorham’s Jason Komulainen stretches out to capture the throw at second, but Windham’s Tyler Johnson beats the ball to the bag.Windham’s Josh Dugas dives back to first at Gorham on Tuesday.Windham’s Jack Butts catches Gorham’s Logan Drouin out at second on a 6-4 fielder’s choice.Windham starting pitcher Tanner Laberge takes a cut at the ball against Gorham on Tuesday.Gorham’s Derek Brown stepped in late in the game to relieve starter Sam Kilborn.