WALES — After allowing 10 unearned runs in Monday’s bizarre, 10-9 loss at Winthrop, Oak Hill needed a clean game to get back on track.

A little extra fielding practice and another efficient outing from Parker Asselin got the Raiders refocused Friday against Wiscasset.

Asselin tossed a three-hit shutout with the help of his solid, and at times spectacular, defense in a 4-0 victory over the short-handed Wolverines.

“Last game, we struggled a little bit. So (Thursday) in practice we stressed defense,” said Asselin, who improved to 5-0 on the season. “We did defense for a straight hour-and-a-half. It showed today.”

“We were a lot more focused, especially at home. We play so much better at home,” said senior second baseman Brady Dion, whose team is 6-1 at Fairchild Field and 10-3 overall. “We just feel more comfortable. We get more swings at home. You know, that away thing, how you only get six swings (in batting practice) before a game.”

The Raiders had six timely swings, two hits in each of the three innings they scored. Jonah Martin led the way with a single, RBI double and two runs scored.

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Martin drove in Asselin with the game’s first run in the second inning and eventually scored the second on a balk.

Wiscasset, which is down to just nine players due to ineligibility and disciplinary losses, made some plays of its own to stay in the game. After Dion’s RBI single drove in catcher Jake Bannister to make it 3-0, the Raiders loaded the bases on a pair of walks by Wolverines starter Chandler Longfellow. But Longfellow escaped further damage by starting a 1-2-3 double play on Martin’s bouncer back to the mound.

“I told the kids I think this was the most complete game we’ve played all year,” said Wiscasset coach Mike Bowles, whose team moved down Class D this year but counts a victory against Class C powerhouse St. Dom’s in its 5-9 record. “Defensively, we were here, ready to play. Offensively, we put the ball in play against them. I think they played playoff baseball today. We’re not going to see the quality of what we saw today in the playoffs, so I think this is good for their confidence.”

Asselin (five strikeouts, two walks) showed confidence in his curve ball, throwing it for strikes and getting Wiscasset hitters out in front. Other than their double and two singles, the Wolverines got just one other ball out of the infield, a fly out to center.

“Not bad. I’m trying to incorporate it a little bit more,” Asselin said of his curve. “Jake sees them leaning and calls it.”

“That pitch has not been working for him in the past, and this year it is,” Oak Hill coach Matt Bray said. “It goes well with his splitter and his fastball. He’s doing what a senior and captain should be doing.”

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Wiscasset’s best chance to spoil the shutout came in the first after Chandler Longfellow belted a one-out double. Tyler Flavin followed with a ground ball that appeared headed for right field, but Dion ranged far to his left, dove to knock the ball down, then threw from one knee to get Flavin by a step at first.

“I was just looking to knock it down because if it got in the hole, (Longfellow) was going to score,” Dion said. “It just ended up under my belly, so threw it.”

Asselin stranded Longfellow at third by striking out the next batter swinging on an 0-2 curve.

The Raiders added their fourth run on Adam Merrill’s two-out single in the sixth.


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