RUMFORD – The Mountain Valley baseball team has lived on the edge throughout the regular season and was always one stroke away from putting the hammer down Thursday afternoon.
But the No. 3 Falcons came up short in a Western Class B quarterfinal game at Hosmer Field.
Paul Velente slapped a two-run single with two outs in the fourth innings to drive in the eventual winning run as No. 6 Greely upset the Falcons 5-3.
Sam Green earned a save after coming in from shortstop in the seventh as the Rangers benefited by some solid defensive play.
Greely will play at Poland in the semifinals Saturday.
It was deja vu for the Rangers, who also upset the Falcons in the basketball tournament last February.
Greely entered the fourth trailing 3-2, but its aggressive offensive tactics surfaced again against Falcons ace Marcus Palmer (5-2). Joe Bell and Chris Martin each singled and Jon Alley drew a walk. After Caleb Jordan hit a sacrifice fly, Velente went with the pitch and sent the ball into right-center for the game-winner.
Bell, Green and Martin each had two hits.
“We were aggressive for good reason,” Greely coach Derek Soule said. “With Palmer, we heard that he’d be around the plate and he didn’t walk very many. When (Korey) Stairs came in, we had to be patient. So, we adjusted to the situation, depending on the pitcher.”
Mountain Valley (12-3) failed in its bid to get past the first round for the third straight year. The Falcons had four of their seven hits in the first two innings and left the bases loaded in the first.
Mountain Valley engineered a two-out rally to tie the score at 2-2 in the first. Palmer singled to left, and Stairs and Andy Shorey each walked. Corey Devoe delivered a two-run single. After Kevin Capponi followed with a single, Jordan struck out Tristian LaPointe
“Greely is a good Class B team,” Mountain Valley coach Steve LaPointe said. “They certainly played a solid game, and we hadn’t seen this type of competition. I’m not bad-mouthing the Mountain Valley Conference, but it’s a Class C schedule.”
The Falcons took a 3-2 lead when Jeremy Sterling scored on a ground out in the second.
Jordan settled down and pitched into the seventh. Mountain Valley opened fast as Ben Madigan and Palmer (two hits) each reached. A pitch got away from Velente, but the catcher recovered and threw out Madigan, who tried to reach third.
“Greely made the plays,” coach LaPointe said. “We don’t see something like that where a catcher is able to track down the ball and throw a runner out. A play like that doesn’t happen in the MVC.”
Falcons pinch runner Chris Cayer was thrown out at home by Rangers third baseman Matt Reade in the fourth. Greely had made 61 errors this spring.
“It has been a roller coaster ride for us,” Soule said. “This was actually our best defensive game and there’s no better time to do it. The playoffs have given us a fresh start and we are 2-0.”
Greely pounded out six hits in the first, including RBI singles by Alley and Jordan.
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