3 min read

BRUNSWICK — The Morse baseball team played its third game in three days on Wednesday, but the Shipbuilders weren’t tired.

Their hustle and speed on the basepaths led them to a 5-4 victory over Brunswick at Bowdoin College, giving Morse its fourth straight win. Morse stole 12 bases compared to Brunswick’s four, allowing the visitors to quickly get into scoring position and extend innings.

“We harp on it,” Morse coach Garrett Olson said. “I tell all my guys, everybody loves stealing bags. If you can get good leads and good jumps, I’m gonna send them. We don’t shut our run game down no matter where we are. We’re going to run and see if that kid can throw them out.”

Senior shortstop Jackson Murray was perfect at the plate, and turned four hits into four steals and three runs.

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Neither team held a lead greater than two runs, so both sophomore starters exhausted their pitch counts. Left-hander Oscar Gallant struck out six and walked four in 6 1/3 innings for Morse (9-5), and right-hander Wyatt Aceto struck out 10 and walked one in 6 2/3 innings for Brunswick (8-5).

How it happened

• Morse established an early lead with a fielder’s choice RBI from right fielder Edward Delano in the top of the first. Then, third baseman Eli Sommers took advantage of a defensive error to score in the second. Brunswick designated hitter Ben Perry tied it up in the next inning with a two-run RBI double, and third baseman Duncan Brown drove in Perry for a 3-2 lead.

• With two outs in the top of the fifth, Morse executed a double steal to put both Murray and Caleb Harvey in scoring position. On the next pitch, Edward Delano, who caught multiple line drives in right field, singled up the middle to score the tying and go-ahead runs.

• Murray gave Morse a much-needed insurance run in the top of the seventh, stealing two bases and then crossing home on a groundout by Harvey. Harvey relieved Gallant in bottom half after Brunswick’s Liam Scholl knocked in Cam Beal to cut the margin to 5-4. The Dragons had the tying run on third and the winning run on first with two outs but grounded out to end the game.

Statistical leaders

• Brunswick: Wyatt Aceto (6 2/3 innings pitched, 12 hits, four runs, 10 strikeouts, walk), Bo Marini (2 for 3, run, walk, two stolen bases), Ben Perry (1 for 4, two RBI, run, stolen base), Cam Beal (1 for 3, run)

• Morse: Oscar Gallant (6 1/3 innings pitched, seven hits, four runs, six strikeouts, four walks), Jackson Murray (4 for 4, three runs, four stolen bases), Edward Delano (2 for 4, three RBI), Caleb Harvey (2/3 innings pitched, one hit; 2 for 4, RBI, run, stolen base)

Notable quotes

• “Morse is playing really well right now. They’re playing hot, and Coach Olson has them playing baseball the way you should play. Take the extra base, put the ball in play, play for every guy on the team, do the little things that allow you to win a game and not rely on one pitcher, one hitter, or one guy.” — Brunswick coach Matt Aceto

Up next

• Brunswick at Bangor (10-4), 4:30 p.m. Friday

• Morse at Lincoln Academy (3-10-1), 4 p.m. Monday

Cooper Sullivan covers high school and collegiate sports in Brunswick and the surrounding communities. He is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he studied at Wake Forest University ('24) and held...

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