RUMFORD – Mountain Valley has scratched out several MVC baseball victories with late-inning rallies this season. On Friday, the Falcons proved they can prevail with the help of an old fashioned big inning, also.

The Falcons scored the final 15 runs – including 10 in the fifth inning – to overcome Boothbay 17-7 at Hosmer Field.

Sophomore pinch-hitter Shawn Marr delivered the eventual game winning hit with a two-run single that scored Ian Venskus and Aaron McPhee with one out in the fifth.

Class B Mountain Valley (5-3) sent 14 batters to the plate in the marathon fifth, which featured five hits, three bases on balls, a hit batsman and two Boothbay errors.

The game was called in the bottom of the sixth by virtue of the mercy rule.

“It was quite a comeback,” Mountain Valley leftfielder Jason McPherson said. “Coach (Steve LaPointe) gave us a little talk prior to us batting in the fifth. He just reminded us about what we were capable of doing. (The team) was a little down on ourselves because we hadn’t been getting the job done. We needed to get the bats going.”

At one point, Mountain Valley trailed 7-2 and Boothbay starting pitcher Ryan Babcock was showing few weaknesses. Then McPherson singled, Marcus Palmer doubled and Mike Gionet walked to load the bases. Tim Turner was hit by a pitch to drive in a run and Craig Milledge cracked a two RBI single. McPhee added an RBI single, and Marr’s hit put the Falcons in the lead for good.

“Boothbay had us down and out,” LaPointe said. “They are a good hitting club, but our kids never gave up. We’ve come from behind in all our wins so far. A key was the hit by Shawn Marr. I thought our starter Korey Staires held Boothbay in check, and then Tim Turner came in and shut them down.”

Boothbay (2-8) appeared in control after taking the five-run lead on Ken Carver’s RBI single in the top of the fifth.

Jeff Barrett drove in a pair with a double in the second inning.

The Seahawks also scored two unearned runs because of dropped fly balls by the normally dependable Falcons outfield.

Turner was summoned in with one out in the fifth and retired the final five batters that he faced.

“This was certainly a tough loss,” Boothbay coach Bill Arsenault said. “That’s the way our season has been going. It’s the third game this week that we’ve lost after leading late in the game. It was Mount Abram on Wednesday and Monmouth (Thursday).”

Mountain Valley doesn’t have a junior varsity program this spring, but the big lead allowed 18 of 19 players on the roster to appear in the game. Gionet (four runs scored) and Palmer each had two hits.