DIXFIELD – In baseball it is essential to concentrate on the fundamentals, a lesson Dirigo learned in a Mountain Valley Conference game Friday afternoon.

Madison took advantage of some costly mistakes and pitcher Tony Fortin settled into a groove as the Bulldogs rallied for a 7-3 win over Dirigo.

It proved to be sweet revenge since Dirigo had beaten Madison last Saturday.

The blue mesh covering the fence provided the batters with a better background as the teams combined for 15 hits. But it was two critical errors that led to Madison scoring four runs in the third to take a 5-3 lead.

“We are not that bad of a team,” Dirigo coach Joe Knowlton said. “The kids just need to believe in themselves and realize that they can get the job done. The errors hurt us and allowed Madison to get back in the game.”

No. 9 batter Josh Thibodeau drew a one-out walk and Adam Huard was hit by a pitch. Dirigo starter Gary Holman (1-1) then allowed a single to Matt Stewart. Both runners scored when the ball was booted by the center fielder. Stewart then scored on an overthrow and Randy McMullin raced home on a wild pitch.

Dirigo (2-4) had taken a 3-1 lead in the second on a two-run single by freshman Spencer Berry after Brandon Elliot had been plunked and Josh Daley beat out a bunt. Troy Houghton (two hits) had singled in the first and scored on Craig Lagervin’s single.

Fortin, a righty, settled down and tossed a complete game. He struck out three, retired eight straight batters in the middle innings and stranded two Cougars at third base.

“We finally got some breaks today,” Madison coach Shawn Best said. “Dirigo had opened the floodgates for us, but then we played solid defense behind Tony. He had a rough start, but then settled down and pitched (95 pitches) a good game.”

Houghton led off the seventh with a single, stole second and advanced on Berry’s groundout. Kyle Dolloff hit a line drive to third base, but Huard snared it and stepped on the base for a game-ending double play.

Dolloff had come in to relieve Holman in the fifth.

“Gary Holman started out pitching well,” Knowlton said. “Those errors were not his fault in the third. He came to me in the fourth and said that he had lost his focus, so I had to bring Kyle in.”

Derrick Vaughn was also a repeat hitter for Dirigo.