DIXFIELD – Mark Wade went the distance, throwing a six-hitter as Monmouth topped Dirigo 7-2 in a Mountain Valley Conference game Tuesday afternoon.

The contest began as a pitcher’s duel between Wade and Gary Holman. Finally in the third inning, Monmouth utilized its speed on the basepaths to get things going.

Monmouth (10-5) scored three times as Wade and Cameron Saucier got aboard and each stole a base. Sean Holbrook had a sacrifice fly and Scot Odgen singled in Saucier. Odgen scored the eventual winning run on the front end of a delayed double steal.

“One key for us was getting people on base,” Monmouth coach Keith Morang said. “The team has not been hitting as well this year, but our on-base-percentage is very good. Today, we also got some clutch base hits.”

Wade threw just 45 pitches through five innings. He wasn’t overpowering, but his command of the strike zone kept the Dirigo batters off balance. The Mustangs turned a double play and catcher Shane Kilber tagged out Spencer Berry who tried scoring on a wild pitch. Kilber also threw out Jon Robbins attempting to steal in the third.

“We’re trying to let them swing away,” Dirigo assistant coach Wade McLaughlin said. “That hopefully will get some thing going. The team is hanging in there and hitting the ball, but one of those resulted in a double play.

Dirigo (4-11) finally broke through in the sixth when Troy Houghton doubled and scored on a wild pitch. Spencer Berry scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.

“A few mental lapses in the field have allowed teams to have big innings,” McLaughlin said. “We’ve been holding teams close, but late inning losses against Telstar and Boothbay hurt us.”

Monmouth scored an unearned run in the fifth and then added three runs in the seventh. Stu Issacson had a two-run double and Kilber added an RBI single. Saucier and Kilber each scored two runs.

Dirigo had six hits, including two singles by Bryan Knowles.

“A goal today was to get a first pitch strike,” Morang said. “We knew Dirigo is a free swinging team. I thought Mark had good command of his curve and then was able to spot his fastball in the late innings.”