WALES – Three runs, courtesy of a two-out rally and some baserunning ingenuity in the third inning, instantly transformed Oak Hill ace Mike Daggett into a more dangerous pitcher.

Employing a sidearm delivery for the final four innings of Friday’s Western Class B baseball quarterfinal against Gray-New Gloucester made Daggett virtually unhittable.

Daggett struck out 13, fanning the side in the fifth and seventh innings, and retired the last dozen hitters he faced in steering No. 2 Oak Hill to a 4-1 victory over No. 7 Gray-New Gloucester.

Oak Hill hosts third-seeded Greely in the semifinals at 3 p.m. today.

“The key to the game for us was Daggett dropping down,” said Oak Hill coach Bill Fairchild. “We decided let’s stay with it until they catch up to it. I think he went with it on (Shane) Corcoran’s second at-bat and stayed with it the rest of the way.”

Why not? That third-inning whiff represented the first of two occasions Daggett sent down the Patriots’ power-hitting senior swinging.

Jordan Yanni and Louie Bernardini scratched out back-to-back singles to lead off the G-NG fourth. Devin Gill’s sacrifice bunt moved them into scoring position, but an attempted squeeze turned into a rally-killing double play when Daggett defused Josh Bartlett’s bunt attempt with a high, outside heater for strike three and catcher Kyle Lunn tagged out Yanni.

The Patriots (11-7) only put the ball in play twice thereafter, and shortstop Adam Labbe stifled one of those bids with a diving, bare-handed snag of Ryan Dee’s shallow fly ball to center for the first out of the sixth inning.

“We both had the pitching and defense today,” said G-NG coach Aaron Talon. “I love the way (Oak Hill) plays the game. Standing here coaching third base, I was so impressed with the intensity on the left side of the infield. I enjoyed watching that.”

Daggett outdueled senior Jesse Huff, who scattered eight hits and retired the first two hitters in every inning except the sixth.

Oak Hill (14-3) avenged a 3-1 semifinal loss in Gray last June.

“We wanted to stick it to ’em so bad,” Daggett said.

With the Raiders trailing 1-0 in the third, Kyle Harrington drew a walk. Labbe singled to right, and Adam Shaffstall followed with a double off the wall in left to give Oak Hill a 2-1 lead.

After Huff plunked Duchette with an 0-2 pitch, Duchette took off for second base during Huff’s wind-up. That lured the right-hander into a balk, and Shaffstall trotted home with the third run.

The support strengthened Daggett, who had already turned away seven Patriots in a row after surrendering a first-inning run. Joe Brzozowski led off the game with a single, stole second and scored on Corcoran’s sharp single to left.

“When I dropped down after that, it seemed to keep them guessing,” said Daggett.

“We saw him last year, and he was a good pitcher,” Talon said, “but I don’t think he dropped down at all. After he did that, he was nasty.”

Jason Guerette, Daggett and Nate Eaton strung together singles for an insurance run in the sixth.

Daggett allowed only four hits, and the Raiders played error-free ball behind him.

“These kids are still awfully young. I don’t think they’re quite sure how good they are,” said Fairchild. “Labbe’s play (in the sixth) was just sensational. Our crowd was terrific.”

And Daggett, well, he was pretty good, too.

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