Morse baseball ousts Freeport in B South preliminary round

Morse Shipbuilders Advance to Regionals With 8‑4 Win Over Freeport

Bath, Maine – Tuesday, June 9 – In a high‑stakes Class B South preliminary game at Bath, the Morse Shipbuilders edged the Freeport Falcons 8‑4 to secure a berth in the regional quarterfinals. The 7‑run victory was powered by a late‑inning rally that turned the tide after a tied score at the top of the sixth.

The Shipbuilders entered the game as the No. 7 seed, while the Falcons were the 10‑th seed. Morse’s 13‑4 record and Freeport’s 7‑10 record made the matchup a battle for the top of the standings. After a 1‑0 Morse lead in the first inning that came on a defensive error, the Falcons answered with a 3‑1 lead in the third on five consecutive hits, including a string of hard‑lined singles.

Morse’s starter, pitcher Oscar Gallant, gave the team a chance to claw back when he retired the first two batters of the fifth inning. However, an errant throw to first base allowed Freeport’s Liam Emmons to reach, and Andrew Thomas drove him home for the Falcons’ only run of the game. Freeport’s bullpen kept the Shipbuilders from scoring again in the top of the fifth, but the Falcons were able to tie the game at 4‑4 at the bottom of the inning, thanks to a sequence that included a run by Eli Sommers.

“It’s all about timing and execution,” said Gallant after the game. “After those first two innings of feeling out the pitcher, we just made it happen.”

The turning point came in the bottom of the sixth. Morse lined a quartet of hits from the bottom of the order—Colin Verrill, Sommers, Gallant, and Edward Delano—each finding the gap for a run. The sequence was driven by slick base‑running and the Shipbuilders’ ability to keep their cool under pressure.

“Once we’re in the swing‑and‑hit mode, we’re in the game,” said Morse coach Garrett Olson. “If they’ve got an out left, they’ve got time left. Having confidence and not panicking, we know we can hit, we know we can score runs, it’s just a matter of time. Keep on with the approach, and it’s contagious.”

Freeport coach Steve Shukie acknowledged the difficulty of playing with two outs. “We take that approach, that the pressure is really on them to get the third out,” Shukie said. “Be relaxed at the plate, and our guys did a good job with that today, getting hits with two outs.”

Morse will face second‑seeded Leavitt (14‑2) in the quarterfinals at Turner’s high‑school field on Thursday at 3:45 p.m. The Shipbuilders’ win keeps them in a position to move on to the regional championship series, while the Falcons finish the season with a 7‑10 record.

Key Player Stats

Freeport

• Dylan Meinert – 4⅔ innings, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts; 1‑for‑4, 1 run
• Andrew Thomas – 2‑for‑4, 2 RBI
• Liam Emmons – 2‑for‑3, 1 RBI, 2 runs
• Evan Holbrook – 2‑for‑4, 1 RBI

Morse

• Oscar Gallant – 5⅓ innings, 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts; 2‑for‑3, 2 RBI, 1 run
• Colin Verrill – 2‑for‑4, 2 runs
• Edward Delano – 1‑for‑4, 2 RBI, 1 run
• Eli Sommers – 2‑for‑4, 1 RBI, 2 runs

The Shipbuilders’ resilience in the sixth inning showcases why they remain a top contender in Maine high‑school baseball, and they will look to carry that momentum into the regional quarterfinals.