RUMFORD — Wednesday’s windswept MVC baseball game at Hosmer Field decelerated from a pitchers’ duel into a pounding more quickly than you could burn dinner.
Lisbon didn’t have a hit until the fourth inning and failed to cross the plate until the fifth. Once the Greyhounds got into a rhythm, however, they were relentless in putting away Mountain Valley, 12-1, after six by virtue of the mercy rule.
The Falcons’ Tim Fitzgerald outdueled the Greyhounds’ Tyler Halls until five hits and two of Mountain Valley’s five errors led to five runs in the fifth frame.
“It took us almost until the third time around (the order) to get going,” Lisbon coach Randy Ridley said. “The boys made some good adjustments. We hit him hard the second time around, just at people. Then we found the holes.”
Ryley Austin was one of five Greyhounds with two hits in the outburst. He also drove in three runs, punctuated by a two-run double in the sixth.
Halls, Austin Fournier, Noah Austin and Chris Normand each were repeat offenders. The younger Austin is a freshman, while Normand did his damage from the No. 9 hole.
Lisbon (2-0) has scored 23 runs out of the gate.
“Our hitting has been a pleasant surprise, and we’ve made the plays when we were supposed to,” Ridley said. “That’s all you can ask of a team.”
Mountain Valley (0-3) mustered seven hits and worked Halls to a fistful of full counts, but the junior left-hander buckled down with 13 strikeouts to highlight his second start of the week.
Halls worked only two innings in Monday’s win over Wiscasset.
“I’m a little rusty, but they have good hitters. They took me deep into the count,” Halls said. “They kind of got used to my fastball and they jumped on it.”
Fitzgerald and freshman third baseman Garrett Garbarini each went 2-for-3 for the Falcons.
Mountain Valley took a 1-0 lead in the third on consecutive one-out singles by Jacob Blanchard and Alex Ridley, followed by a balk that allowed Blanchard to score.
The Greyhounds stranded a pair of runners in the third inning, then let a bases-loaded opportunity to go waste in the fourth when a runner’s interference call at the plate led to an inning-ending double play.
“For four or five innings we played pretty well,” Mountain Valley coach Steve LaPointe said. ”Timmy’s a battler, a tough kid. I love that about him. When he has his best stuff he battles, and when he doesn’t have his best stuff he battles. It’s a great mentality.”
Normand, Halls and Ryley Austin launched the Lisbon fifth with consecutive singles to tie the game.
Lisbon scored the go-ahead run when Mountain Valley misplayed Lucas Francis’ grounder. Fournier followed with an RBI single, and Noah Austin later knocked in a pair with a two-out hit.
“That’s a darn good hitting baseball team,” LaPointe said. “And Halls is a really good pitcher. We were able to put some balls in play against him. We out the ball in play, just not enough, that’s all.”
Three hits, three walks and two more errors victimized freshman reliever Ethan Laubauskas to the tune of seven runs in the sixth. Normand’s leadoff double and the two-bagger by Ryley Austin did the loudest damage.
Halls struck out the side in the second and fourth and had multiple whiffs in every inning except the sixth.
“I’m happy with the way we’re going,” Halls said. “People don’t really expect us to do much.”
Lisbon will send freshman Francis to the hill against St. Dom’s sophomore ace Gavin Bates on Thursday in Auburn.
koakes@sunjournal.com
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