WATERBORO — The Massabesic baseball team spent the first month of the season dealing with loss after loss after loss.
That would change on Saturday afternoon as the Mustangs picked up their first win of the season with a 3-1 upset over visiting Scarborough.
Massabesic starting pitcher Jake Gregoire allowed a run in the top of the first inning, but that would be it for the Red Storm’s offense on Saturday. Gregoire allowed just two hits, struck out one and walked one as he helped the Mustangs snap their 10-game slide.
The Mustangs answered with a run in the bottom of the first and they would take the lead for good with a run in the second. Massabesic added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth — and Gregoire, along with the Mustangs’ defense, would do the rest.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I was out there just trying to throw strikes and my team was just there for me,” said Gregoire. “They were making plays all day long for me … I only had one strikeout. I had to have my team behind me and they picked me up big.”
Tyler Lambert led the Massabesic offense with one hit and two RBIs. Alex Schepis added one hit and scored twice, while Gregoire, Seth Wakefield and Braden Daigneault all had one hit. Nick Roberge produced the other RBI in the victory.
Scarborough entered Saturday’s game with a 6-6 record and a firm grasp on a playoff spot in Class A South, but the Mustangs knew they had a shot against the Red Storm.
“We had nothing to lose in this game and everything to gain. They came off the bus and we could see they didn’t want to be here because we were 0-10 and worth nothing to them, but we just played a hell of a game for ourselves,” Gregoire said.
Massabesic coach Cory Woodsome was proud of his team, which could have given up on the season after the winless start.
“I’ve been telling them all season, it’s one game at a time. It’s a one game playoff for us,” said Woodsome, who is looking for his team to finish the season strong.
“Hopefully we can keep our energy up high and just come out and battle. This league is wide open. We started 0-10, but every day we are working our butts off and getting better and you never know what’s going to happen in the last five games of the season.”
Massabesic (1-10) faces playoff teams Falmouth, Gorham, Portland, Thornton Academy and Cheverus to end the season — and with all those teams having at least 7 wins on their resume, there will be a ton of Heal Points up for grabs for the Mustangs.
“We’ve been struggling with winning here at Massabesic for a while and they’re due, they’re due. We just need to keep grinding this thing out. This league is wide open and you never know what’s going to happen,” said Woodsome. “These teams that we are about to face, these (games) mean nothing to them and it means everything to us … they’ve got to come to play because our guys are not going to quit. They are going to finish this season out.”
— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.
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