By Bob McPhee,Staff Writer

BETHEL – Locke Mills finally put things together and didn’t beat itself in a Zone III baseball game.

Winning pitcher Marcus Palmer performed double duty by smashing a double to score Gary Holman in the bottom of the fifth inning to lead the Mountaineers to a 3-1 triumph over Mechanic Falls on Tuesday at Gould Academy’s Lombard Diamond.

The dark clouds finally opened up, and umpire W.B. Clemens waved the teams from the field after Nate Walker made the final out in the fifth.

Locke Mills (3-11) snapped its seven-game losing streak. The team was forced to forfeit a doubleheader against Andy Valley last Saturday because of the lack of players.

“The team really needed this one,” Palmer said. “I wasn’t looking for a certain pitch, but I was just hoping (Post 150 reliever Joe Douglas) would throw one that I could put in play.”

The score was tied 1-1 when No. 9 batter Matt Marr led of with a double off Mechanic Falls starter Brent Cary.

Douglas was summoned and he retired Will Carver on a pop out. But Palmer hit the offering to left-center, and Holman, who was a pinch runner, scored easily.

The Mountaineers added insurance as Palmer promptly stole third base and raced home on a Shawn Marr sacrifice fly.

“I thought Marcus did a good job,” Mechanic Falls coach Dave Jordan said. “He kept the ball down and our hitters just weren’t picking it up. We did get some good hits (in fourth inning) but it wasn’t enough.”

Mechanic Falls (3-6) began the fourth with ground outs by Dan Lutz and Tyler Merchant, but things shifted with a trio of hits. After Alex Smith singled up the middle, Cary followed with a single. Smith then raced home on a Steve Ray RBI single.

The rally was nearly prolonged when Will Griffiths hit a high pop behind the pitching mound, but Matt Marr raced in from second base and made a shoestring catch.

Palmer finished with a four-hitter, with one strikeout and one hits batsman. Griffiths led off the third with a single, but Palmer picked him off.

“My fast ball was my best pitch,” Palmer said. “I used it to (get ahead in the count) to set up the curve ball.”

Locke Mills scored first when Gary Rumley walked and scored on Corey Devoe’s RBI single. On the same play, Brian Knowles was nailed at the plate.