CUMBERLAND—Mother Nature and a recent playoff nemesis were no match for the red-hot Greely Rangers Wednesday afternoon at Twin Brook Recreation Center.

The Rangers, the top seed for the Class B South baseball playoffs, faced their share of adversity before and during their quarterfinal round contest against eighth-ranked Freeport, but as they’ve done almost without exception this spring, they found a way to overcome and produce another statement victory.

Greely senior Sam Almy, who has battled injury much of the season, got the start and working through raindrops at the start, surrendered an RBI double to Falcons junior rightfielder Ben Bolduc, but Almy avoided further damage by striking out senior shortstop Harry Walker with two outs and two runners in scoring position.

The Rangers, who have been crushing the ball of late, then went ahead to stay in the bottom of the inning, as sophomore first baseman Ben Kyles blasted a go-ahead two-run double, then Almy helped himself with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

Almy was bailed out by a double play in the top of the second and in the bottom half, senior leftfielder Ryder Simpson’s two-out RBI single extended the lead.

Almy struck out two batters apiece in the third and fourth innings and in the bottom of the fourth, freshman shortstop Kyle Soule scored on a throwing error to make it 5-1.

Freeport then had its chance to get back in the game in the fifth, as it loaded the bases with two outs, bringing up Bolduc with an opportunity to close the gap with one mighty swing, but Almy, on his final pitch of the day, froze the slugger for a called strike three to end the threat.

Then, in the bottom half, Greely put it away, as two runs scored on wild pitches, senior designated hitter Ethan Robeck hit an RBI single and with two outs and the bases loaded, Simpson launched a triple to the rightfield fence to score three runs and induce the mercy rule, ending the contest, 11-1.

Almy struck out 10 and Simpson had four RBI as the Rangers improved to 15-2, beat the Falcons in the playoffs for the first time in two decades, ended Freeport’s season at 10-8 and advanced to host either No. 4 Cape Elizabeth (11-6) or No. 12 Fryeburg Academy (9-9) in the semifinals Saturday at a time to be announced.

“Some of the seniors were there for both (regional final losses to Freeport in) 2021 and 2022, so it was in the back of our minds,” said longtime Greely coach Derek Soule. “We’re both different teams, but psychologically, it’s good for me and some of the players to get over that hump.”

Our turn

Since Freeport rose to prominence eight years ago, the Falcons have made life miserable for Greely in the playoffs, beating the Rangers in 2016, 2019, 2021 and again two years ago (see sidebar for previous results) to take a 4-1 all-time edge in the teams’ postseason series.

This year, Greely emerged as the best team in Class B South (see sidebar for links to previous stories), losing twice by a run to reigning regional champion Yarmouth, but winning its other 14 contests and closing on a five-game surge, scoring 55 runs in the process, to earn the top seed.

Freeport, meanwhile, was up-and-down, starting 6-0, losing seven of eight, then capturing its final two games to finish eighth. Tuesday, in the preliminary round, the Falcons blanked No. 9 Lincoln Academy, 4-0, as senior Arlo Boutureira threw a one-hit gem and sophomore Liam Emmons and senior Will Maneikis each had a pair of hits.

The Rangers won both regular season meetings, 8-5 at home May 3 and 10-2 in Freeport two weeks later.

The quarterfinal was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was bumped up a day due to predicted rain. When the forecast Wednesday afternoon called for thunderstorms, the start time was pushed back from 4 p.m. to 5:30 and while there was some rain in the vicinity, the field was in good condition and the game began.

And once it did, Greely continued to do what has separated it from the field this season.

Crush the ball, make plays on defense and get solid pitching.

Senior leftfielder Thomas Roy got the Falcons off to an auspicious beginning when he lined a 2-1 Almy offering to centerfield for a single. Almy then struck out freshman catcher Jacob Cass on a foul tip before fanning  his opposite number, senior Aaron Converse. Almy then got ahead of Bolduc 0-2 before Roy stole second base and Bolduc worked the count full. Bolduc then drove the ball deep to right, over the head of junior rightfielder Wes Piper for a double which easily scored Roy to break the ice. Emmons, the centerfielder, then bid for another RBI single, grounding the ball into the hole, but Soule dove and knocked it down and while the play resulted in an infield single and put runners at the corners, it didn’t extend the lead. Emmons then stole second, but on a 1-2 pitch, Almy struck out Walker to keep the score 1-0.

“I’ve always had a mental block where throwing a wet baseball is tough,” said Almy. “I’ve always struggled in the first inning. The biggest thing is hitting my spots. I was throwing in the zone, but I was missing my spots and giving them good pitches to hit. Kyle’s dive in the hole, that’s what saves games. I was just trying to limit the damage.”

“Sam’s been limited because of a leg injury,” said Derek Soule. “He only had 17 innings and hadn’t started for awhile. It just took him an inning to settle in, then he made pitches. Bottom line, he’s a fierce competitor on the mound. He’s an incredibly kind, thoughtful and positive kid off the mound, but he’s a bulldog on it and that’s what I love about him.”

Greely quickly responded in its half of the first with three runs.

Junior catcher Wyatt Soucie walked on four pitches leading off, then, after Soucie moved up on a Converse wild pitch, senior third baseman Marky Axelsen got hit with a pitch. After throwing seven straight balls to start, Converse settled in and caught Simpson looking at a 1-2 pitch for strike three. With Piper at the plate, Converse balked, moving the runners up, then Converse hit Piper as well, loading the bases. That brought up the sweet swinging Kyles, who ripped the first pitch he saw to deep right-center, scoring Soucie and Axelsen and putting runners at second and third.

Almy was next and he lined a 1-0 pitch to left, where Roy made the catch, but Piper was able to race home and dive in safely for a 3-1 lead.

Kyle Soule popped out foul to Cass, but the damage was done.

In the top of the second, Almy surrendered a lead off single to Boutureira, a little bloop over Kyles at first, but senior third baseman Tristan Francis grounded the first pitch he saw up the middle to Soule, who only had to step on second, then throw to first for a momentum-turning double play.

“Kyle’s double play was just insane,” said Almy, who got Maneikis, the designated hitter, to pop out to first to end the frame.

In the bottom half, Robeck watched strike three, but Leding walked on four pitches, ending Converse’s time on the mound. Emmons came on in relief and after throwing a wild pitch, he walked Soucie. Axelsen then flew out to right, but Leding moved to third and when no one covered second, Soucie moved up as well. Simpson then lined a single to center, scoring Leding. Soucie tried to score as well, but he was thrown out by Roy, who had moved over to center, ending the inning with the score 4-1.

Axelsen, who has already been hailed far and wide this spring for his defensive acumen, was part of a nice play to start the top of the third, as he raced in on a slow roller off the bat of Roy and threw across just in time, with Kyles making a nice scoop on a ball in the dirt for the first out. Cass and Converse then struck out looking.

Emmons made quick work of the Rangers in the bottom of the inning, striking out Piper on a 2-2 pitch, getting Almy to ground out to first, then catching a foul pop off the bat of Kyle Soule in foul territory.

Axelsen stole the show again to start the top of the fourth, as Bolduc popped a 3-2 pitch down the leftfield line where Axelsen ran it down and as he went sprawling, made the catch. After Emmons was unable to hold up on a high fastball for strike three, Walker singled to right and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Boutureira watched strike three to end the inning.

Greely returned to its scoring ways in the bottom of the fourth.

Soule left off by lining a shot up the middle, off Emmons for an infield single. Soule then stole second. Emmons got Robeck to pop out to the mound on a bunt and he fanned Leding with a nice off-speed pitch, but Soucie lined a shot off the pitcher as well for an infield single and after the ball deflected to second, the throw to first was wide for an error, allowing Soucie to score. Axelsen walked on four pitches, then Simpson crushed the ball to deep center, but Roy ran it down to keep the score 5-1.

Freeport then made things most interesting in the top of the fifth before Almy saved his best for last.

Walker led off an reached on a throwing error by Soule. Maniekis struck out swinging, but Roy walked on a 3-2 pitch. After Cass watched strike three, Converse lined a single to center, loading the bases for Bolduc. Bolduc fell behind in the count, worked it full, then fouled off three pitches before Almy pulled the string masterfully and Bolduc could only watch an off-speed pitch drop in for a called strike three for the final out.

“(Bolduc’s) great,” said Almy. “He puts the ball in play. I had done a lot of research on him. Basically, he pulls everything, so I wanted to hammer the outside. He had an excellent at-bat, fouling everything off. I knew a walk would be OK, but I couldn’t give up an extra base hit. My curveball was working and I tried the backdoor outside and it went in.”

“It was a clutch performance from Sam,” said Simpson. “He didn’t have his curveball early, but he got the job done. We got fuel from that and poured it on after that.”

“That was absolutely one of the key moments of the game,” Derek Soule added. “That could have changed how the game panned out. It could have been 5-3 or even tighter and we wouldn’t have ended it in five innings.”

“(Ben’s) the guy we wanted up there, but it was a great backdoor curveball from Sam,” said Freeport coach Steve Shukie.

Almy had thrown 99 pitches, 11 shy of the pitch count limit, but his day was done, as junior Keeler Vogt was pegged to come on in the sixth.

But there would be no sixth inning, as the Rangers put up a six-spot in the bottom of the fifth to bring the curtain down.

Piper started the uprising with a bloop single to right on a 3-2 pitch. Kyles struck out looking, but with Almy at the plate, Emmons balked Piper to second, then for the third time, Emmons was drilled with a ball hit back up the middle, this one from Almy, which resulted in a single and put runners at the corners. Senior Dan Ferrilli came on to run for Almy and as Kyle Soule drew ball four, it was in the dirt and the wild pitch scored Piper and put runners at first and third. Soule stole second, then Ferrilli scored on another wild pitch, with Soule moving to third. Robeck followed with an RBI single to make the score 8-1. Junior Owen Piesik came on to run for Robeck and he stole second as Leding walked on a 3-2 pitch.

That was the end of Emmons’ gritty time on the mound, as he was replaced by Francis, who got Soucie to fly out to left on the first pitch he saw for the second out of the inning.

But there wouldn’t be a third.

After Axelsen walked on four pitches, Simpson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and quickly ended it, launching a deep drive to right. Unlike his walkoff blast against Cape Elizabeth earlier this season, this time, the ball stayed in the park, one-hopping the fence, but Piesik and Leding scored easily and Axelsen raced all the way around as well, crossing the plate at 7:23 p.m. on Simpson’s triple to make the 11-1 victory official.

“I knew the game was over,” Simpson said. “I thought it had a chance to go out. I was a little sad when it didn’t, but a playoff win is a win. I’ve watched our season end twice losing to (Freeport), so this one meant a lot.

“This just shows the team we are,” Almy said. “Even with adversity, we can come back. (Freeport’s) not the same team (that beat us), but it’s a great feeling to beat them.”

“It was getting dark and the umpires were going to call it early, but it wouldn’t have been right to call it for darkness,” Derek Soule added. “I’m thrilled we ended it the way we did.

“Ryder’s come up with a lot of big hits for us all year. He had an ankle injury in practice a couple days ago, but he worked hard to get ready and it didn’t seem to affect him at all today.”

Simpson had two hits and four RBI, as Greely’s bats remained red-hot.

“I think we had bits and pieces throughout the year and now, we’ve put it all together at once and we’re all hitting,” Simpson said.

“The biggest thing is that our defense was always on, but our offensive approach wasn’t there,” Almy said. “Now, we’re hitting the ball hard as a team.”

“It’s a combination of having talented hitters who are making progress, they’re getting in the groove and the warm weather helps,” Derek Soule added.

Axelsen, Leding, Piper and Kyle Soule all scored two runs, while Ferrilli, Piesik and Soucie each touched home plate once.

Kyles drove in two runs, while Almy and Robeck each had one RBI.

The Rangers left five runners on.

Almy gave up just earned run on six hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out 10.

“My curveball started working,” Almy said. “I hadn’t thrown in awhile, but I’m blessed I could take the ball and help the team.”

Not this time

Freeport’s run was scored by Roy and was driven in by Bolduc. The Falcons left six runners on, as they squandered chances to make the game much closer.

“We didn’t get the big two-out hit today and yesterday we had three of those and that carried us,” Shukie lamented. “Today, a different team, a better pitcher, he bore down in big situations and got us out. I was hoping maybe some momentum from yesterday would carry us and it did at first, but we gave it back to them pretty quickly. They took it from us. Outside of the first inning, it was a dominant performance by them. They earned it. Even when they didn’t hit the ball hard, they still found holes.

“We’ve only had their number in the playoffs. Different team, different pitcher on the mound this time around.”

Converse took the loss, surrendering four earned runs on just one hit in 1.1 innings. Converse walked two, hit two batters and struck out two.

Emmons pitched three innings of relief, giving up six runs (five earned) on six hits, walking four and fanning three.

Francis gave up one run on one hit in his 0.1 inning stint. He walked one.

“I don’t necessarily think we’re the eighth-best team in Class B South, but you play where the tournament puts you,” Shukie said. “We knew at some point we’d have to beat a really good team. We had a chance today and we couldn’t do it.”

Freeport has to part with Boutureira, Converse, Francis, Maneikis, Roy, Walker and five other seniors who have helped keep the program a top contender in the region.

Bolduc, Cass and Emmons lead the list of top returners, who will hope to keep the Falcons formidable in 2025.

“We have a great senior group,” Shukie said. “A big group. Some of those guys played big roles as sophomores on the team that went to states. We have some key guys coming back, but the seniors will be tough to replace for sure.”

Semifinal Saturday

Greely won’t know its semifinal round foe until Cape Elizabeth hosts Fryeburg Academy Thursday (weather permitting).

The Rangers had success with both teams this spring, sweeping the Capers (7-5 at home on Simpson’s seventh inning home run and 9-1 on the road) and beating the Raiders twice (5-1 at home and 3-1 in Fryeburg).

Greely is 8-6 all-time versus Cape Elizabeth in the playoffs, a postseason rivalry which dates to 1991. The Rangers took the most recent encounter, 2-0, in the 2022 semifinals.

Greely is 4-0 all-time against Fryeburg Academy in the postseason with an 11-1 (six-inning) triumph in the 2013 quarterfinals the most recent.

The Rangers are two victories from their first regional title since 2015 and three wins from their first state championship since that same year.

Regardless of which team occupies the opposing dugout from here on out, it will have its hands full.

“Everyone is just putting in the work now to stay alive,” Almy said. “We want to keep playing here, our favorite place in the world. We’ve been super-close in recent years. We won’t underestimate anybody. In baseball, it’s anyone’s game.”

“I’m excited,” said Simpson. “To go out senior year and get two home playoff games is awesome after not having any last year. We’ve just got to keep it rolling and keep the same mentality. We can’t let up at all.”

“I’m thrilled the seniors get to max out with 10 home games,” Derek Soule added. “Saturday will be the official last home game. It’s not supposed to be easy at this point. It’s a really competitive league. We don’t take any games for granted.

“For this club to be sitting 15-2 as competitive as it is, I’m really proud. I think we’re stronger one through nine this year. Our lineup is deeper and our pitching staff is deeper.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. 

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