RUMFORD – The Mountain Valley baseball team has lived on the edge throughout the season.
The Falcons continued to execute with the game on the line with another late inning rally Friday in their drive to qualify for the Western Class B playoffs.
Korey Stairs hit a slow roller down the first-base line to knock in pinch-runner Kevin Capponi with the game-wining run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Falcons rallied for a 4-3 win over Jay.
Tim Turner pitched 4 2/3 of effective relief to earn the victory for the second time in a week. Turner rescued starter Richie Ross, who had walked five and had thrown 72 pitches in two-plus innings.
“I had told the team that we really needed a quality win,” Mountain Valley coach Steve LaPointe said. “Our ranking of ninth puts us on (the bubble) in terms of getting us in the playoffs. Jay is a good team and the points that we earned today will help us out. We end our regular season with four tough games and Jay represented the first step.”
Mountain Valley (8-3) controls its own destiny with its final three games against Class C playoff teams.
Mountain Valley got things going quickly in the seventh as No. 9 batter Aaron McPhee doubled to the gap. Capponi came in to run and advanced to third on a bunt single by Jason McPherson (3-for-4). The Tigers played the percentages and intentionally walked diminutive Ian Venskus to load the bases. The move almost paid off as Mike Gionet flied out and Stairs followed with his bouncer. Jay first baseman A.J. Nelson fielded the ball cleanly, however, a slight hesitation in throwing the ball allowed Capponi to race home.
“It wouldn’t be fair to say the game hinged on that play,” LaPointe said. “Both teams had plenty of chances to score in the game. The pitching was good on both sides and Turner really spotted the ball well. This was a real good played high school game.”
Jay (8-5), ranked fourth in Western Class C, had tied the game in the top of the seventh when Jake Turner (two runs) scored on a sacrifice fly by Zack Charles. The Tigers had thought they had tied the game earlier in the inning on a single by Josh Armandi, but he was called out for interfering and injuring Falcons first baseman Marcus Palmer.
Jay also received a fine pitching performance by Jake Turner, who allowed nine hits. The Tigers, the defending Class C champs, played flawless defense, but left the bases loaded in the second and fourth innings.
“It was a tight game,” Jay coach Chris Bessey said. “It usually is when two good teams get together. We left nine runners on base and haven’t been hitting the ball well for the past two weeks. We certainly didn’t get any timely hits today.”
Mountain Valley had taken a 3-2 lead in the sixth as pinch hitter Shawn Marr scored on a Gionet double and Venskus (two hits) scored on Stairs’ suicide squeeze. McPherson scored on a Stairs ground out in the third.
“We’ve had some excellent bunts this season,” LaPointe said. “The squeeze play has worked several times. Aaron McPhee’s hit was big, as was McPherson’ bunt in the seventh. We’re playing good fundamental baseball and going 90-feet at a time.”
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