Morse baseball beats Freeport 8-4, advances in Class B South playoffs

Morse High School survived a tense playoff afternoon at Kelly Field in Bath and turned it into an 8-4 win over Freeport, a result that pushed the seventh-seeded Shipbuilders into the Class B South quarterfinals. The victory, which came in a June 9 preliminary-round game at McMann Outdoor Athletic Complex, kept Morse alive at 13-4 and set up a Thursday matchup in Turner against second-seeded Leavitt.

The final score hid how tight the game was until the end. Morse opened the scoring on an error at first base in the first inning, then Freeport answered in the third with a three-run rally built on five straight hits. Freeport’s runs all came with two outs, and Morse matched that pressure late, scoring four two-out runs of its own in the sixth inning to break a tie and pull away.

Morse did not wait long to get back into it. After Freeport moved in front 3-1, the Shipbuilders answered in the fifth with four straight hits to close the gap and keep the game within reach for the sixth. Oscar Gallant gave Morse the kind of start it needed, working to keep Freeport from turning its early advantage into a larger lead. By the time Morse strung together its last big rally, the Shipbuilders had already shown they could stay patient and keep finding baserunners when the game was under pressure.

Garrett Olson’s message to his team matched the way the game unfolded: Morse trusted its approach and did not let a deficit turn into panic because there was still time before the third out. Freeport coach Steve Shukie saw the same dynamic from the other dugout, noting that his club had been doing the right things at the plate until Morse’s late surge changed the game.

For Bath fans, the payoff was immediate. Morse not only won a postseason game at home, it also showed the kind of late-game resilience that can matter deeper in the bracket. The Shipbuilders had already edged Freeport 4-3 in Freeport on May 5, 2025, and this meeting added another close chapter to that rivalry. Freeport entered the playoff game after beating Wells 6-3 on June 1, then losing to Poland on June 4 and Brunswick on June 6, and the loss closed its season at 7-10. Morse now carries both momentum and a clear postseason path into Turner, where the next round will demand the same two-out execution that decided this one.