HERMON – Improved pitching has been one key to Ellsworth High School’s fast start in the Class B baseball ranks this season.

Senior righthander Cory Smith provided emphatic evidence of that fact Wednesday, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning before settling for a one-hit shutout in a 4-0 victory over Hermon.

The win improved the veteran Eagles to 4-0 this spring heading into a doubleheader at home Saturday against Foxcroft Academy.

“Let’s face it, we only lost one person from last year,” said Smith, the team’s starting center fielder when he’s not on the mound. “We’ve all improved, and our pitching has come around, which was a weak point last year. We’re getting guys out and playing some good baseball.”

Smith struck out eight batters and walked three to earn his second win of the spring.

“He pitched a great game,” said Hermon coach Doug McGinley. “He had us off balance. He changed speeds very well and spotted his fastball extremely well, and once we were down in the hole, he set us up for his offspeed stuff and we just couldn’t catch up with it.”

The only hit off Smith came with one out in the bottom of the seventh, when Mike Merchant – who had just entered the game in the top of the inning – singled solidly to left-center field.

“It was a good pitch, a changeup,” said Smith. “He was a little out in front, but he got a good bat on it. It was a good piece of hitting on his part.”

Smith then walked Brian Perry but got a strikeout and a groundout to preserve his shutout.

“When Cory’s changing speeds and hitting spots like he did today, he’s going to be tough,” said Ellsworth coach Dana Smith. “The biggest thing is his command, and he had it today, which was good.”

Ellsworth needed a strong outing from Cory Smith, because Hermon got a solid pitching performance of its own from Travis Estes. Estes held Ellsworth scoreless on one hit through four innings and finished with 10 strikeouts and five walks in a six-inning stint.

“Travis pitched a great game, and defensively we played a great game,” McGinley said. “Cory just pitched that much better. We couldn’t hit the ball.”

Ellsworth finally broke through against Estes in the fifth. Eric Folmer grounded a double down the left field line, and Chris Baez followed with a bunt single down the third base line. Folmer scored on a Ricky Trombley groundout, and Baez scored from second on a pop infield single by Louden Jellison to make it 2-0.

The Eagles added two more runs in the sixth as Matt Homich hit an RBI single to plate Folmer and Trombley reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a wild pitch.

“We’ve gotten good at-bats throughout the year so far, that’s one thing I’m pleased with,” said coach Smith. “When we get runners on base, we seem to be doing a pretty good job.”

EAGLES 4, HAWKS 0

(Wednesday afternoon)

Ellsworth (4-0) Hermon (2-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Trombley, 3b 4 1 0 1 Deabay, ss 3 0 0

Homich, ss 4 0 2 1 Helms, lf 3 0 0

Jellison, c 1 0 1 1 Kenerson, 3b 3 0 0

C. Smith, p 4 0 1 0 Hurd, 1b 3 0 0

M. Smith, rf 2 0 0 0 Estes, p 1 0 0

Berry, 1b 3 0 0 0 Merchant, rf 1 0 0

Lupo, ph 1 0 0 0 Perry, cf 2 0 0

Hunnewell, 2b 3 0 1 0 Pratt, rf-p 2 0

Allen, pr 0 0 0 0 Jalbert, c 3 0 0

Folmer, dh 3 2 1 0 Berry, 2b 1 0 0

O. Harding, lf 0 0 0 0

Baez, cf 3 1 1 0

Totals 28 4 7 3 Totals 22 0 1 0

Ellsworth 000 022 0-4

Hermon 000 000 0-0

E-Homich; Deabay; LOB-Ellsworth 9, Hermon 6; 2B-Folmer; SB-Jellison

Ellsworth IP H R ER BB SO

C. Smith (W, 2-0) 7 1 0 0 3 8

Hermon IP H R ER BB SO

Estes (L, 0-2) 6 7 4 3 5 10

Pratt 1 0 0 0 0 0

HBP-M. Smith (by Estes); Estes (by C. Smith); WP-C. Smith 3; Estes 2; PB-Jalbert; T-1:52; ATT-35