The Freeport softball team may have suffered a big loss to visiting Poland on Thursday, but their baseball brethren had their backs, finding all the chinks in the Knights’ armor to mass a 12-1 win in five.

Freshman Colby Wagner swung the day’s big bat, going 2-3 at the plate and blasting a two-run homer in the first, while on the mound, resident ace Jack Davenport threw the pitches his team needed, nabbing a trio of Ks along the way and turning a handful of spectacular defensive play as well.

“That’s what we were kind of expecting at the start of the year – maybe not 12-1, but we were expecting that kind of effort,” said Freeport head coach Bill Ridge. “We were expecting to play that kind of clean baseball, and we came in rusty, we came in kind of flat.”

The win bumps the Falcons to 2-4 in 2015; the team is eighth in B West at present, just behind Morse and just ahead of Spruce Mountain. Last-place Poland drops to 2-7.

Leadoff Falcon Max Doughty belted a first-pitch single before Davenport and Pete LaMagna both grounded out. Wagner, though, then stepped into the box and aggressively launched the ball clear of the park for a quick 2-0 lead.

“We had a wakeup call yesterday over at Cape,” said Ridge. “They came in and absolutely waxed us – it was 8-1, and it felt more like one of those 15-1 games. We knew after that game, we had a conversation, that we had to come in focused today. And they did; it was all business today.”

Freeport hashed two more in the second, but the third was their definitive ups of the afternoon. Wagner began the inning with another hit – this one a grounder single to rightfield – and Bennett Hight next walked onto base.

Nate Cyr struck out, but Caiden Shea ripped a nice ball into left to bring home Wagner and move Hight to second. A wild pitch during Caleb Rice’s at-bat allowed Hight and Shea to steal 90 feet apiece, and Rice’s bunt – after Poland catcher Patrick Kuklinski erred on the throw to first – put him on as well.

That set Ben Humphrey up nicely, and the double he rocketed into right scored both Shea and Rice. Humphrey arrived home a couple batters later, when Davenport clubbed a bouncy grounder just over the barehanded attempt of Knights second baseman Adam Mocciola.

The five-run ups extended Freeport’s lead to 9-0, and while Poland did eventually get on the board – Alex Biron crossed home on a Jake Wiseman shot to center – the Falcons would add three more before the fifth inning ended and the run-rule mercifully concluded the day.

“The biggest thing was, Jack was able to go out and throw strikes for us,” said Ridge. “You start putting zeroes on the board, and we felt better. We had been getting down early; you go put those zeroes up and we score a couple, and now we’re able to get up there and swing it and we’re not tense.”

Freeport welcomes No. 13 Fryeburg (1-6) on Monday at 4 p.m., after the Tri-Town Weekly’s print deadline. The matchup could be fun watching, as Fryeburg’s lone win came against second-place Cape Elizabeth, suggesting the team has more in them than meets the eye.

“We’re looking to go win that one, get on a little win streak,” said Ridge.

Poland next faces off with visitors Wells, the league’s No. 5 outfit. That game is also scheduled for Monday at 4.

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Freeporter Bennett Hight leads off first in the Falcons’ 12-1 win against Poland on Thursday.Freeport first baseman Caleb Rice catches out Poland batter Patrick Kuklinski.Falcons starting second baseman Max Doughty watches the play at home, ready to spring into action.Colby Wagner takes a cut for the Falcons in their 12-1 win against Poland on Thursday. Wagner had a two-RBI homer in the first inning.Freeport third baseman Nathaniel Cyr waits on the play at home.