Plummer nationally ranked in race walking by Michelle Libby

Windham High School senior CiAnne Plummer didn’t know she’d qualified for the National Track and Field competition in race walking until her coach hung a sign telling the world.

“I didn’t think anything past states,” she said.

This was only her second season in the event. “I found out I was good at it,” she said. “It’s the hardest event in track. It’s so demanding on your body,” she said. The key to race walking is keeping one foot in contact with the ground at all times and the striking leg must be kept straight until it’s placed, according to Plummer.
Plummer is ranked tenth in the nation for the 1600 meter/1 mile race finishing at 8:24 as her best time. To qualify for nationals in race walking the athlete must finish under 9 minutes.

There are not a lot of race walkers in the State of Maine, but luckily for Plummer there is a coach in Gorham who offered to help her train with one of his athletes, who also qualified for nationals. 

One of Plummer’s friends on the team made sure that everyone key that Plummer had qualified for nationals which will be held in Greensboro, NC, June 14 through the 16. When Plummer arrived home after practice, she parked behind her father’s car so she could tell him before he left the driveway. “I ran to my dad to tell him,” she said.

“I’ll go if I can get the money for it,” Plummer said. She wasn’t sure if the school would help pay for travel to the meet. “I’ll go if I can,” she said.

She plans on attending the University of Southern Maine in the fall, majoring in environmental science, while running cross country and track. “If you go to nationals and place, it’s a really big deal,” she said.

Plummer also competes in long jump, distance running during outdoor track and cross country in the fall. She also has been on the swim and the indoor track teams.

Windham moves to 10-1 in Deering shutout by David Field

PORTLAND-Nate Boyle pitched an eight strike-out five innings and Tanner Laberge got the save as Windham defeated the Deering Rams.

In the top of the first, Windham wasted little time.  Zach Conley drew a walk.  Conley stole second and advanced on a passed ball.  Spencer Hodge hit a ground ball to third baseman Dom Martin-Espisito.  Instead of making the routine out at first, Martin-Espisito attempted to throw Conley out at the plate.  Conley was safe and Hodge was aboard.  With two outs, Calvin Field drove a shot to center field that drove in Hodge.  In the bottom frame, Nate Boyle faced four batters.  He struck out the first two batters, hit a batter, then struck out the Ram’s number four batter to end the inning.

The Eagles struck again in the top of the second.  Ethan Petty drew a walk.  Petty had a beautiful steal to put himself in scoring position.  Zach Conley hit a single to put runners at the corners.  Deering Pitcher Nick Payne balked which allowed Petty to score and put Conley on second.  Spencer Hodge grounded out to end the inning.

In the third, Jack Herzig led off with a single and stole second.  With one out, Calvin Field drove a double down the third base line to bring Herzig home.  Unfortunately, for Windham, the Rams were tired of the Eagle’s scoring and held tight for the remainder of the game.  Windham held tight as well and the game ended in the Eagles’ favor 4-0.

Windham falls to undefeated Scarborough 4-2 by David Field

SCARBOROUGH-Ben Greenburg pitched a three-hitter for Scarborough to help his team defeat the Windham Eagles 4-2.  Scarborough remained undefeated in the SMAA after the victory.

The Red Storm jumped on the board in the first when leadoff batter Aaron Ravin reached on a single.  The fifth batter, Sam Wessel batted Ravin to give Scarborough the early lead.  Windham finally scored in the top of the third inning. Tanner Laberge hit a double and advanced to third base on Zach Conley’s single.  Conley got trapped in a delayed steal which Laberge scored on. 

In the fourth, Windham broke the tie game. Leadoff batter, Jack Herzig drew a walk.  Joey Francoeur sacrifice bunted him to second.  Herzig advanced to home on Shawn Francoeur’s single to the outfield.  The Eagle’s held the Red Storm quiet in the fourth bottom frame, but it wouldn’t be for long.

With the Eagles’ bats quiet in the top of the fifth, Scarborough came to bat in the bottom.  Starting pitcher Joey Francoeur gave up three hits and the Eagle defense committed two errors and Scarborough scored three runs to take the lead.  That lead would not be relinquished as Ben Greenburg retired the next six Windham batters in order to seal the win.

Eagles roast Blazes in seventh to win 7-2 by David Field

WESTBROOK-Both teams entered this contest with records at 10-2.  After

being tied, Windham scored five runs in the top of the seventh to defeat rival Westbrook 7-2. 

Windham shuffled its lineup and former number five hitter became leadoff hitter. Calvin Field pounded a triple to start the game off.  Tanner Laberge then singled to drive Field in.  Jack Herzig reached on a fielder’s choice.  Ethan Petty hit a single to advance Herzig.  Spencer Hodge hit into a fielder’s choice but scored Herzig to give Windham the two-run lead.

Cold damp weather favors Windham pitcher Nate Boyle because he retired the first three sides in order to keep the Eagles ahead early on.  In the fourth, Kyle Heath hit a triple and Zach Bean drove him in.  Westbrook tied the game in the sixth inning when Kaleb Kent reached base on an error.  Kyle Heath hit a deep ball and drove him in. 

In the top of the seventh, with the game tied, the Eagles showed the Blazes their fiery bats.  Shawn Francoeur reached on a single and Nate Boyle dropped a sacrifice bunt.  Jake Mello substitute ran for Francoeur.  Joey Francoeur drew a walk to put runners on first and second.  Zach Conley ripped a single up the middle to drive in Mello for the actual game winning run.  But the Eagles weren’t done.  Josh Dugas took Joey Francoeur’s spot on third as a pinch runner.  Calvin Field drew a walk to load the bases.  Tanner Laberge drove a hard shot to the outfield that drove in Dugas and Conley.  With Jack Herzig up to bat, relief pitcher DJ Bruenig threw a wild pitch that Calvin Field easily scored on. 

In the bottom frame, leadoff batter Ryan Gilligan hit a double.  However, Nate Boyle struck out the next batter and the next two batters hit fly outs.  “Nate pitched great.  But I have to give credit to Jack Herzig for calling a great game,” said coach Brody Artes after the game.  “Early in the game his ball was up.  He made some adjustments as the game went on. He kept hitters off balance. This was a nice bounce back win after the Scarborough loss. “

The Eagles will face Gorham Thursday afternoon in Windham.  This matchup will be very interesting as Gorham defeated previously undefeated Scarborough 3-1 on Tuesday.

Successful spring as Monks depart until fall by Rob Donato

The Saint Joseph’s College community will remember a very competitive group of student athletes that graduated on May 11 in Standish. The Monk student athletes left their mark in the college community with very successful spring seasons.

The Saint Joseph’s College baseball team finished up their season with a 31-14 record overall and 13-3 in the GNAC conference. The Monks season fell short when they lost to Western New England 5-3 in the NCAA Tournament on May 17. The Monks finished the year ranked number 6 in the region from the final NEIBA Poll of 2013 season. Mike Pratt, Tyler Laverriere, and Alex Lorenc all earned honors for the 2013 Monks. Pratt, who earned second team D3baseball.com, third team NEIBA and a 2013 first team All-Conference honors, batted .353 (53-150) with 30 runs, 12 doubles, six home runs and 49 RBIs during his final college season. Pratt led the team in home runs, RBIs and tied for the team lead in runs scored. Laverriere (third team D3baseball.com, third team NEIBA, and 2013 GNAC Pitcher of the Year) had a 5-2 record, 63 strikeouts, 16 walks in 62 innings along with the lowest single season ERA(1.16) in program history. Opponents that faced Laverriere batted a low .199 (44-62) and he only allowed seven extra base hits all season, all being doubles. Laverriere finishes his 4-year stint with the second lowest career WHIP (1.10) and the third best ERA (2.67) in team history. He fanned 140 batters while issuing only 39 walks over 134 innings. Lorenc (second team D3baseball.com and first team All-GNAC) led the 2013 Monks with a batting average of .377(57-151), 57 hits, and seven stolen bases. The junior slugger was second on the team in home runs with five and finished the year in RBIs with 32. The Monks baseball team defeated Suffolk in the GNAC Championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Saint Joe’s has won the conference championship eight out of the last nine years. It was the seventh time in team history that it reached the NCAA tournament.

The Saint Joseph’s College softball team was almost as successful as the baseball team finishing with an astounding 34-13 record, 18-6 in conference. The Lady Monks were three wins shy of their all-time wins record of 37, ranking them with the third most wins in school history. Saint Joe’s, fifth seed, finished up their season in the NCAA Tournament with a loss to second Rowan University 2-0 on May 11 at Babson Park in Massachusetts. The Lady Monks were led by their five seniors Danyelle Shufelt, Heather Tripp, Kayla Vannah, Danielle Leavitt and Kirin Schrum. With this group of girls in uniform for the Monks over the past four years, they have posted an impressive 134-42 (.761) overall record, with a record of 83-15 in conference.

The men’s lacrosse team finished their season with an overall record of 7-10, and 6-3 in the GNAC conference. Monks Lacrosse was led by senior defender Bert Comins, senior goalkeeper Christopher Driscoll and junior midfielder Andrew Hamill who all received second team All-GNAC accolades.

Saint Joseph’s College women’s lacrosse finished their season with an overall record of 11-7 and 6-3 in the GNAC conference. In 2013, the Lady Monks were led by juniors Rachelle Messuri and Cassie Diplock. Messuri was a first team all-conference defender in 2013 and Diplock is a two-time First Team All-GNAC honoree.

Windham Tops South Portland 6-2 by David Field

WINDHAM- The Eagles came alive in the fifth inning to score five runs and despite the Riots seventh inning attempt prevailed.

Nate Boyle took the hill for Windham and wanted to continue the dominance shown in the game against Portland. South Portland’s Henry Curran made his first appearance of the season so his effect was unknown. The two pitchers battled three scoreless innings until Windham hit the board in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Calvin Field ripped a single to gain first. Shawn Francoeur hit a single to put runners at the corners. Curran balked which sent Field to home and Francoeur to second. Curran got Nate Boyle to ground out to end the inning.

Boyle continued almost flawless. In the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles came to life. Ethan Petty drew a walk. Zach Conley hit a single. Tanner Laberge dropped a nice sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Spencer Hodge drew a walk. Jack Herzig grounded a fielder’s choice that got Conley out, but scored Petty. Joe Francoeur drew a walk to load the bases. Calvin Field came to the plate and ripped a single that drove in two runs. Field stole second and advanced on Shawn Francoeur’s dropped third strike. With runners at the corners, Nate Boyle came to the plate. Boyle never faced a pitch. Francoeur went for a delayed steal and Field took home on the play. Francoeur was eventually tagged out, but well after Field scored.

Windham had a commanding lead going into the sixth and Boyle struck out two and had a pop out to end the inning. Windham went down in order in the sixth as South Portland put in a third pitcher to contain the damage. In the top of the seventh, South Portland demonstrated that they are a scrappy team and managed to put two runs on the board before Windham to could retire them. “Scrappy teams have a way of biting you.” said Coach Brody Artes.

Windham rallies to defeat the Rams 6-4 by David Field

KENNEBUNK-What do you get when you eject an Eagle coach? You get a fired up Eagle squad that comes from behind to win.

In the first five innings, Windham was flat at the plate. Spencer Hodge reached on an error in the first and that is all the offense the Eagles could muster. Kennebunk managed to get four hits off starting pitcher Joe Francoeur, but the Eagle defense did its part to keep the Rams from crossing the plate.

However, things changed dramatically in the sixth. Ethan Petty started off drawing a walk. Tanner Laberge reached on a single. Spencer Hodge hit a nice single to load the bases. Jack Herzig drove a single to center field to bring in Petty. On the play, Tanner Laberge hesitated, expecting a catch and some base running confusion happened. He was thrown out at third by the Ram pitcher on the force play. Joe Francoeur hit a single to load the bases. Calvin Field came to bat. Down in the count, Field watched a wide low pitch hit the dirt and assumed ball two. The home plate umpire called a strike and out number three much to Field’s dismay. On his way to the dugout, Coach Artes had words with the home plate umpire.

In the bottom of the sixth, Spencer Hodge came in to relieve Joe Francoeur. After his second pitch, the home plate umpire was tired of listening to the Eagle bench complain and ejected Coach Artes. Coach Artes was not happy and let the umpire know it before departing. The Rams went on a streak of hitting and scoring. They hit three doubles and scored four runs to take the lead. Down, but not out, Windham went to bat.

The Eagles, clearly upset at their coach’s dismissal fiercely came alive at the plate. Shawn Francoeur hit a single, Nate Boyle hit a double and Ethan Petty hit a double. All three eventually scored. Adding to the hit and run parade were Tanner Laberge and Spencer Hodge. Joey Francoeur hit a single and Calvin Field drew a walk before Shawn Francoeur popped out to the shortstop to end the top of the seventh. With Windham clearly back in the game, and the Eagles pumped up from running the bases, it was time for the Eagles to play defense. Spencer Hodge struck out the first batter in three consecutive pitches to set the tone. The second batter was seated after five pitches by way of the out. The final batter was retired by grounding out.
With the victory, Windham moved to 8-1 on the season.

Windham Rallies in Seventh to Defeat Bonny Eagle 6-5 by David Field

WINDHAM-The Eagles have found a way once again to pull out tight victories. Bonny Eagle fell victim to Windham’s offensive attack late in the game on Tuesday. The Scots lost 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Windham moves to 9-1 in their season with their only loss coming from opening day against Marshwood. Marshwood is still undefeated.

In the first, Bonny Eagle wasted little time in hitting and scoring two. TJ Reagan and Devin Butler both reached on singles. Brian Morin flied out deep which scored Reagan. Tom Hazelton reached on a single to put runners on first and second. Runners advanced on a passed ball. Travis Rogers hit a deep ball to left field that scored Butler.

Windham answered rapidly as well. With one out, Spencer Hodge hit a single and was followed by Jack Herzig who hit a double to drive him in. Joey Francoeur popped up to record the second out. Calvin Field reached on an error and Herzig scampered home. Shawn Francoeur hit a double that drove Field in.

The second inning was routine for both squads. In the third, the Scots put together a string of three base hits to get a run in. Windham wasn’t as productive at the plate, but still capitalized. Jack Herzig led off with a single. Joe Francoeur reached on an error. Calvin Field drove a ball deep to advance the runners and Shawn Francoeur did the same to drive in Jack Herzig after he tagged up.

The Scots struck a scoring streak again in the fifth and ended up driving starting pitcher Shawn Francoeur from the hill. With one out, Devin Butler drew a walk. Francoeur got Brian Morin to ground out. However, the middle of the order refused to go down. Tom Hazelton hit a single to drive Butler in. Travis Rogers reached on an error and Andy Martel drove a hard ball up the middle to drive in Hazelton. Spencer Hodge came in and retired Max Salevsky to end the threat. However, the Scots had taken a 5-3 lead. Windham didn’t answer until the bottom of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out, Calvin Field drove a hit into the outfield to get on base. Field stole second to put himself in scoring position. Shawn Francoeur hit a long single which Field converted into an RBI for Francoeur to tie the game. Suddenly, the tide had turned for the Windham Eagles who seemed to struggle offensively. Eli Williams came in to pinch run for Francoeur. Nate Boyle came to the plate and drove a ball to the left center gap that the Bonny Eagle outfielder’s seemed to not communicate on. Both fell to the ground and so did the ball. Williams scored the winning run and Boyle ended up on third base at the end of the game.

The Eagles were without head coach Brody Artes due to his ejection in Friday’s game. However the absence was not apparent as the Eagles continued to play their game of ball. On Saturday, the Eagles travel to Scarborough to face undefeated Scarborough in a test of the top three in the SMAA.

What to do when you hit a workout plateau by Glenn Hutchinson

Making healthy lifestyle changes can be challenging. Chances are, you'll encounter an occasional setback. But don't give up!

Try this: only focus on the day at hand. Don't allow your mind to dwell on the enormity of your goal, only the very specific lifestyle changes for today. Then wake up and do it again. Before you know it, you will have made huge strides toward achieving your goal.

It happens to all of us at some point.

Your workouts are dialed in, and your body is rapidly becoming leaner and more attractive. Friends and family notice and you feel fantastic.

And then it stops.

You are doing everything exactly the same as before except your body no longer responds.
You, my friend, have hit a plateau. It's a frustrating place to be parked, so read the following 5 steps to get your body back into results mode.

Step #1: Reduce Sugar. A very effective way to restart your results is to reel in your sugar intake. Inspect all of your food for added sugars and eliminate items that contain high calorie sweeteners. This means no sugar, corn syrup, honey or maple syrup.

If you've already eliminated processed sugars from your diet, and have still hit a plateau, then it's time to dig a little deeper by eliminating some of the natural sugars from your diet. Limit your intake of sweet fruits and eliminate dried fruits.

Step #2: Get More Sleep. We are supposed to get an average of eight hours of sleep each night. If you're not getting adequate amounts of rest, you're more likely to be hungry, overeat, and gain weight.
When you're tired, you don't feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you're more likely to opt for fast (fattening) food. Then your lack of energy causes you to skip your workouts. And to make matter worse, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, slowing or reversing your results. To beat your plateau, make sleep a priority.

Step #3: Drink Only Water. To restart your results you'll need to make some changes. Sorry, but some of the changes aren't going to be fun. If you're one of the millions hooked on soda, alcohol or other sweetened beverages, then your plateau will stay locked in place until you replace these drinks with water.
Keep in mind that your brain often confuses thirst with hunger. So at the first sign of hunger, don't grab a snack or calorie-filled drink. Instead, grab a glass of water.

Step #4: Eat a Healthy Breakfast. But not just any breakfast. Your plateau-breaking breakfast should be low in carbs and high in protein. Try eggs, lean breakfast meats, a protein shake or a mini-muffin made with almond flour.

Fitting breakfast into your busy morning may take some work, but research shows that the habit of eating a healthy breakfast is key to losing weight and keeping pounds off. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier to give yourself time to eat breakfast

Step #5: Increase Exercise Intensity. It's time to start taking your workouts more seriously. No more going through the motions, it's all-out for you. If you want to get back on track with your body transformation, and to keep the fat melting away, then increase the amount and intensity of your exercise routine.

For most people, this is the most difficult lifestyle change of all, but the benefits are enormous. Try to get 30 to 60 minutes of intense exercise on most days of the week. When exercise is a normal part of your everyday routine, you're more likely to stick with it, and your body will become slimmer and more toned.
The quickest and most permanent way to beat that plateau is through a combination of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts.

Transform your body (and your whole life!) through the power of fitness.
Glenn Hutchinson runs On the Go Health and Wellness Coaching for Busy People in Raymond. To reach him, email Columnist@TheWindhamEagle.com.

Tennis lobs into top five in the west by Michelle Libby

Coach Wayne Martin is happy with how his tennis teams are playing this year.

Boy's Tennis

The boy’s team is 7-0, with seven matches left in the regular season. “The boy’s are undefeated and we not expected to do well,” said Martin. The number one player is Jordan Crowley, a sophomore, who plays tennis year-round. He also shot up in height, according to Martin.

“I also went on a recruiting missing and picked up one football and two soccer players. The number two player in singles is soccer recruit and Italian exchange student Jacopa “Apo” Secchi. The number three player is Brandon Currier, who has had no losses this year in the number three single level.

Tennis is set up so that the number one ranked player on a team plays the number one matched player on the opposing team. First through third count and continue on to the SMAA championships, along with the two top doubles teams. For the boy’s that is Avery Topel and senior football player Brad Carpentier, and baseball player Jarron Nadeau and sophomore Nick McGoldrick.

“This next week is pretty big,” said Martin. “We’re sitting in third place.” Next week they compete against Kennebunk, Thornton Academy and will take on number one seed Gorham.

Girl’s Tennis

The girl’s team (6-1) under the direction of Martin as well, are placed third after a win against McAuley last week.
“Everybody is back this year. Kate Kneeland is playing again after an ACL tear,” said Martin. The number one singles player is sophomore Julia Richardson, who only has one loss on the season. Kate Kneeland, a junior, is number two and senior Jillian Levesque rounds out the top three.

The first doubles team is Marissa Ulmer and Sydney Tanguay, who are top in the league, according to Martin. “They made it to the semi-finals in the SMAA last year,” he said. The second doubles team is junior Bailey Pelletier and freshman Maehlah Nadeau.

The team has had a good start and looks to continue their streak with tough matches against Kennebunk, Gorham and Thornton.

Windham battles Portland at Hadlock and emerges victorious by David Field

PORTLAND-The Windham Eagles and the Portland Bulldogs battled it out at Hadlock Stadium last Thursday night.  Windham emerged the victors in a tight 2-0 contest.  Windham was led by senior pitcher Nate Boyle with nine strikeouts. 

In the first, it looked like it would be a rough night for Boyle.  He loaded the bases and got Chip Webber to ground out a fielder’s choice to end the inning.  Boyle reached base in the second on an error, but to no avail.  After the sprint, Boyle retired the next three Portland batters to give the Eagles their third at bat.
In the third, sophomore Tanner Laberge started things off with a single.  Laberge then stole second base.  Leadoff batter Zach Conley struck out.  Laberge kept his feet going and managed to get to third on a wild pitch.  Laberge found home plate and gave the Eagles the winning run on a passed ball. 

In the seventh, both teams had begun chanting and chirping and the crowd had gotten involved, too.  Windham, with the narrow 1-0 lead came to bat.  Shawn Francoeur drew a walk and coach Brody Artes put in Jake Mello as a pinch runner.  Nate Boyle took matters into his own hands and hit a single to put Mello on second base.  Mello and Boyle executed a double steal that was worth money to watch.  With runners in scoring position, Tanner Laberge hit a single to knock Mello in for the insurance run. 

Portland wasn’t ready to give up though.  In the bottom frame, the Bulldogs’ Chip Webber hit a leadoff single.  Webber stole second to put himself in scoring position.  With one out, Travis Godbout drew a walk to put the tying run on base.  Nate Boyle struck out Mike Scala to earn the second out of the inning, but Portland took advantage of a defensive lapse and both runners advanced.  So, with runners on second and third, Boyle bore down and struck out Portland’s leadoff batter to end the game in dramatic fashion.

Windham continues on winning streak in 7-4 victory over Thornon Academy by David Field

WINDHAM-Windham defeated Thornton Academy 7-4 on Tuesday.  Shawn Francoeur pitched six innings, striking out seven to earn the win. Brother Joe Francoeur got the save and struck out two.

The third inning started the big action for Windham. With one out, Zach Conley drew a walk and advanced on a passed ball.  He then would take third on a stolen base.  Spencer Hodge also drew a walk to put two men on.  Jack Herzig lined a shot that the Trojan defense attempted to put out Conley, but it failed.  Joe Francoeur stepped to the plate and put the ball in play to give Windham more runs.  Calvin Field put the ball in play and the Trojan defense attempted to put Francoeur out and failed.  Windham rang up four runs in the third to take the lead. 

Thornton answered in the top of the fourth.  Leadoff batter Drew Lavigne hit a single and Matt Rutherford followed with a double.  Shawn Francoeur sat down the next two batters with strike outs.  However, leadoff hitter Dylan Morton hit a single to drive in runs for the Trojans.  Francouer then hit batter Kenney and gave up a single to get another run in.  Windham answered in the bottom frame quickly.  Ethan Petty led off with a single.  With two outs, Spencer Hodge hit a single and drove in Petty.  Hodge stole second base and advanced on a passed ball. Jack Herzig drew a walk to reach base.  Joe Francoeur hit a timely double to score two to give Windham the final seven runs. 

In the sixth, the Trojans would manage a run.  Three batters combined for three singles to drive in that solo run.  In the seventh, Joe Francoeur struck out the first two and the final batter grounded out to end the game. 

After the game, Coach Artes gave me his thoughts: “A win is a win.  We had timely hitting especially with Joe Francoeur’s double in the fourth.  We had some base running blunders today.  It was a good game to learn from.”  Coach Artes commented on his team performance: “We came out a little flat today.  Having Saturday off broke up our routine a little bit.” 

In upcoming games Artes said, “We have to play well.  We have to fix our mistakes early and if we win, it will be a good heal point gain.  South Portland is looking for the same.”  What are the keys right now to the team success?  “We are the top in the league in defense and it is a complete team effort. We don’t have one or two kids contributing to our success.”

Windham Baseball rules on a four-game rampage by David Field

Windham Upends the Tigers in Dismal Conditions

BIDDEFORD-The Windham Eagles handled the Biddeford Tigers 9-1 in drizzly and cold conditions at St. Louis Field.

Windham’s offense was on fire as Nate Boyle had two singles and a double and Jack Herzig had a single and a double to lead the Eagles offense. Defensively, Nate Boyle pitched a solid five innings striking out ten batters and allowing only one run. Joe Francoeur came on in relief and shut the Tigers down. Biddeford used four pitchers in the game but to no avail on the Eagle hitting onslaught.

Windham Crushes Stags 11-0

WINDHAM-The Windham Eagles had two huge offensive innings to upend the Cheverus Stags 11-0. Shawn Francoeur pitched a three hit shutout in five innings. Coach Brody Artes was pleased with his team’s performance. “That is a huge heal point victory for us,” he said.

Two of the three Cheverus hits came in the first inning. However, the Windham defense turned a double play to end the inning. Windham’s offense struck hard in the second inning. Calvin Field led off with a single and stole second. Shawn Francoeur hit a double that scored Field. With two outs, the hitting parade continued as Francoeur, Tanner Laberge, Spencer Hodge, Jack Herzig would all find the plate to give the Eagles a six hit, six to zero lead to end the inning.

In the fourth, the Windham bats drove Cheverus starter Mitch Powers from the mound. Windham resident Derek Hammond took the hill to attempt to stifle the Eagle attack. With bases loaded, Calvin Field hit a double do
wn the right field line to score two. The Stags ended the inning on a nice double play. However, Windham added three more runs to seal the game.

After the game Brody Artes commented on the team. “This is our first victory against these guys in three to four years. Our focus has been on pitching and defense in practice. Our bats were hot and we needed that. We have to put the ball in play. We also have changed our batting approach. We need to be more aggressive at the plate. We averaged seven strikeouts a game coming into this one. Put the ball in play and make things happen.” Regarding Cheverus, Artes was nothing but complimentary. “Mitch Powers is probably the best pitcher in the league.”

Windham seals the deal against Massabesic

WINDHAM-The Windham Eagles extended their win streak to two games after defeating Massabesic 5-3 on Thursday, April 25.

Shawn Francoeur (1-1) led the defense with seven strike outs and no walke

d batters, despite a rough first inning. Massabesic had all their runs scored in the first inning. Caleb Campbell led off by being hit by a pitch and eventually scored. Massabesic also had all of their hits in the first.

It took the Eagles time to warm up offensively. Calvin Field reached base on a single in the second inning. Field stole second advanced to third on an error on Shawn Francoeur’s at bat. Field would then take home on Francoeur’s delayed steal.

Windham then came alive in the fifth inning. Shawn Francoeur led off with a walk. Tanner Laberge followed with the same. Ethan Petty grounded out to first to advance the runners. Nate Boyle put a ball in play and Massabesic tried to throw Francoeur out at the plate and failed. Laberge and Boyle were driven in by Spencer Hodge’s single. Hodge stole second and scored on Jack Herzig’s single. The Mustang’s pitcher Brian Wordwell threw Herzig out at first on a pick off to end the Eagle’s scoring bid. However, Windham’s four runs in the fifth were good enough to give them the win.

Coach Brody Artes was satisfied with his team’s performance after the game. “Our defense was good and we had timely hitting. Spencer and Jack put the ball in play for us and Shawn Francoeur pitched great after a shaky start.” In looking forward to Saturday’s game, Artes was cautious. “Sanford is an up and coming team. The Camire kid is really good.” Artes had this to say about his lineup changes, “We are still trying some things out. We are having some different looks. What we put on the field game one won’t be what we put on the field for game sixteen.”

Windham Defeats Sanford in an Extra Inning

SANFORD-At a great looking Goodall Field, Windham defeated the Sanford Spartans 5-4 in eight innings.

Windham worked the bats early and put three runs on the board. Spencer Hodge got on with a single and advanced on a stolen base. Jack Herzig reached base when he was hit by a pitch. Joe Francoeur stepped up and crushed a three run home run to put the Eagles on the board. Sanford answered in the first as they jumped on Spencer Hodge. They scored two runs on a single and a walk and then hit deep fly balls for outs, but advanced their runners. Windham stopped a potential fourth run when Nate Boyle fielded a ball and sent it to Joe Francoeur who relayed to Jack Herzig to get the out at home to end the inning.

In the fifth, both teams scored a run apiece. Sanford struck the tying run in the fifth. Nate Boyle had taken the hill for Windham in relief of Spencer Hodge. Despite the run, Boyle was confident. “Guys, get me a run and I will get you the win,” he said.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Eagles struck the plate. Andrew Whiting reached on a single and advanced on Ethan Petty after being hit by a pitch. Spencer Hodge hit a single and Coach Artes waived Whiting home to score the winning run.