Wilson pitches Biddeford into WM-A quarterfinals

GORHAM — Biddeford starting pitcher Patrick Wilson had a three-run lead in hand before he even took the mound against Gorham. Wilson then shut down the Rams with a complete game as the 11th-seeded Tigers upset No. 6 Gorham 4-0 in a Class A West baseball prelim at Gorham High School on Tuesday.

The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, on an infield hit, an error, and a hit by pitch. Bryan Gelinas then struck out to put the Biddeford offense in a situation it found itself in often this season, but with little success: Runners in scoring position with two outs, and in need of a clutch hit. But what the Tigers struggled to do all season sophomore Casey Twomey did to perfection. Twomey stroked a triple to deep right-center to clear the bases and give the Tigers an early lead.

“It was just a sight of joy,” said Twomey. “We haven’t really done that all season, two-out hits for (RBIs).”

“When you can jump out to a quick 3-0 lead like that, it just puts a lot of pressure on the other team,” said Biddeford head coach Keith Leblanc. “I don’t know if they were feeling that pressure, but it’s a lot easier playing ahead like that early in the game than behind.”

That lead gave Wilson some room for error, but he showed from the first batter he faced that he didn’t need it. Wilson struck out Spencer LaPierre looking with a nasty curveball to lead off the bottom of the first. Wilson then got Nick Greatorex to ground out before giving up consecutive singles. But he then got out of the inning by getting Elliot Speirs to ground into a force out.

“That kind of just set the tone. Usually locating my curveball is what I struggle with. And I got it done early today, staying ahead of batters, and got the job done,” said Wilson.Wilson started off the second inning in similar fashion as he did the first, getting Andrew Schmidt to look at a called third strike on another curveball. Wilson again put two runners on with two outs, but LaPierre grounded out to end the inning. A two-out single by Dylan Turner was the last hit Wilson allowed in the game.

Biddeford added an insurance run in the top of the fifth, with Wilson doing the damage. Corey Collard led off by drawing a walk, and Brady Fleurent moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Wilson then lined a double past a diving Chris Hardy in right-center to bring home Collard. After Corey Brown flew out to center, Wilson became the third out of the inning when he tried stealing third on a pitch in the dirt by Gorham starter Damon Wallace. Gorham got its best chance to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a few blunders in the field by the Tigers. Turner led off by reaching on a fielding error by Collard at short. Hardy then grounded out to Nick Leblond at first, who threw high of Collard trying to double up Hardy. Hardy then advanced to third. But the Biddeford defense redeemed itself on the next batter, as third baseman Bryan Gelinas handled a bouncer from LaPierre and gunned down Hardy at home. Brown then ended the inning by throwing out Lapierre trying to steal second.

“That play at the plate was huge,” said Wilson. “It was a big heads-up plate, and it basically kept the momentum on our side. If they score a run there you never know what could have happened.”

The Tigers got one more stellar play on defense in the bottom of the seventh, as they tried to close out the game. Matt Boynton, who came in to play right field in the sixth, made a diving catch of a shallow liner for the first out of the inning.Wilson then struck out Schmidt swinging on a curveball in the dirt, and Alex McCarthy grounded out to second to end the game.

“Patrick obviously was the main reason we did a lot today,” said Leblanc. “He really, really pitched outstanding. I just can’t say enough.”

The Tigers move on to play third-seeded Windham in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Eagles won the regular season matchup 9-1 in April.

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