Windham High School Eagles baseball opens with a win - By David Field

SANFORD - While their classmates were on vacation, the Windham varsity baseball team opened its season with an extra inning victory at Goodall Park on Monday. The Eagles went eight innings in their 4-2 defeat of the Sanford Spartans.

Defensively, the Eagles were led by Sophomore Tanner Bernier who pitched 7 innings and allowed one hit and two runs. Bernier struck out three and had a solid defense behind him. 

Windham scored first in the fourth inning. Catcher Blake Houser belted a double to get in scoring position for the Eagles. Dylan Koza (3-3) singled to put runners at the corners. Houser scored on a wild pitch and Koza advanced to second. Evan Millett sacrificed Koza to third. Evan Coughlin reached base on an error that would give Windham the 2-0 lead. 

In the fifth, Bernier allowed his first and only hit of the game. With runners at the corners, Bernier faked a throw to first to hold the runner and was called for a balk to give Sanford their first run. On the next pitch, Houser threw down to second to attempt to pick off the runner. The ball squirted away and Sanford’s Xavier Chase was on third. With one out, a deep fly ball to left scored Xavier to tie the game.

In the top of the eighth, the middle of Windham’s lineup connected again to give the Eagles the lead. The Spartans had their third pitcher take the hill to face the Eagles. Mitch Eskilson led off with a single and Blake Houser drew a walk to put two on. Dylan Koza hit a deep shot to center field and drove in Eskilson and Houser and would be thrown out trying to stretch his double to a triple. However, the Eagles took that lead into the bottom of the eighth. Relief pitcher Mike Gilman only faced three batters as he had Sanford ground out twice and pop up to seal the deal.