WISCASSET — The beginning of Gregg Wood’s first season leading the Wiscasset High School baseball team was like a roller coaster ride. The Wolverines had good days and bad days, ups and downs, big wins and tough losses.
On Wednesday at home against Mountain Valley Conference rival Lisbon, Wood’s squad showed just how far it has come, taking a big 4-2 win.
The victory moves the Wolverines into playoff contention in Class C South with an 8-7 record, with Wiscasset currently 10th with a big road tilt at Oak Hill slated for Friday at 4 p.m.
“If we can win Friday, it will give these guys a lot of confidence,” Wood said. “When we played Monmouth, their coach said he knows that we have some good players.”
Lisbon suffered its second straight tough loss in a row after dropping a 1-0 decision to St. Dom’s on Monday. The Greyhounds are 10-5 and host Mountain Valley in their regular-season finale on Friday at 4 p.m.
“We just didn’t hit and wasted a good performance from Lucas (Francis),” said Lisbon coach Randy Ridley, whose Greyhounds are currently sixth in Class C South. “They got the hits that they needed to.”
Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, the Wolverines batted around. Grant Hefler (2-for-4, double, run scored) laced a single and stole second with one out. After Daren Wood walked, Conlan Ranta singled to left field to score Hefler. The Greyhounds tried to get Wood at third, but an errant throw skipped into the outfield for a 2-1 Wolverines lead. Logan Orr’s RBI single made it 3-1 Wiscasset.
“It was a slow start today, and we knew that these guys were not going to hang around, so we had to jump on them and we did that in the fifth inning,” Hefler said. “We have really dug in and are playing well. Come playoff time, I think we are right there.”
Wiscasset tacked on a run in the sixth when Ranta (2-for-3, walk, two RBIs) brought home Jake Traylor with a two-out single for a 4-1 lead.
After a 10-for-17 performance by the top of the Wiscasset order on Monday in a 9-1 win over Boothbay, the combination of Hefler, Daren Wood, Ranta and Tyler Bailey went 5-for-13 with three runs scored and two RBIs on Wednesday.
“It is huge because these top few guys are hitting over .400 and getting on base a lot,” said Gregg Wood of his top four hitters. “The top of Lisbon’s lineup is pretty tough too, and those guys are always dangerous, making me nervous all the way to the end.”
Lisbon rallies
The Greyhounds made a run in the seventh. Chris Normand, who was 3-for-3, singled to open the frame and Nick Austin rolled a single to right field with one out. Ryley Austin followed with a two-out RBI single to left field to score Normand, but a nice throw behind Nick Austin at second ended the game.
“Our seventh inning was the best that we hit, with good at-bats,” Ridley said. “It took us too long to get going, then the seventh inning, base hit, base hit, base hit. But, a guy just snuck in behind us. It was a tough way to end it.”
Daren Wood seemed to get stronger as the game progressed. Lisbon left the bases loaded in the second inning and scored its first run in the fourth when Normand singled, went to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
“Daren was quite efficient (91 pitches), and he stayed strong,” said Gregg Wood of his starter, who struck out four, walked one and allowed eight hits. “We have had guys go pretty deep this season, something that we can’t do. This was a good start.”
For Lisbon, Ridley feels his squad needs to find its confidence quickly, with the postseason coming up fast.
“We have to get mentally focused to work and get over this hump if we are going to do anything in the playoffs,” said Ridley after his team went 1-for-6 with a runner on third base in the contest.
Francis, who was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Greyhounds, went the distance, tossing 100 pitches with seven strikeouts, two hit batters and two walks.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
