LIVERMORE FALLS – When things got intense, Dirigo’s new baseball coach, Dave Lafleur, also got caught up in this emotional baseball game under sunny skies Friday afternoon.

Aaron Fenstermacher laced a two-RBI single as the Cougars scored all their runs in the latter innings of a 6-2 win over Livermore Falls in Mountain Valley Conference action. The game was a pitchers’ duel between the Cougars Jon Smith and Willie Brown through three innings as neither offense could break loose. The tide eventually shifted, and Dirigo made the most of their opportunities.

“That was very intense,” coach Lafleur said. “The game was tight early, but Aaron Fenstermacher really came through with a timely hit and it picked (team) up. Jon Smith kept telling the coaches that he felt fine and wanted to go back out there”

Brown (0-1) encountered problems by walking and loading the bases in the fifth. and Fenstermacher promptly singled to right-center field to score Eric Bolduc and Derek Daley. Levi Hutchins added an RBI groundout.

Livermore Falls (1-1) had taken a 1-0 lead on a bizarre play in the bottom of the fourth. Kyle Stebbins and Jake Marceau each drew walks, and Ryan Jackson singled with two outs. Smith struck out Chandler White, but the ball had hit the ground first. White was still in play, but Bolduc rolled the ball back to the mound, and Stebbins scored as White beat Smith’s throw to first baseman Dave Gillford.

“I felt fine, but the mound was lower than I’m used to,” Smith said. “It was important for me to get ahead in the count, so I could mix up my pitches. But I kept getting behind and had to throw fastballs because they were the most accurate. I got tired in my legs and started to get the balls up in the zone.”

Smith (three-hitter) lobbied to continue, but the senior was lifted after pitch 105 when Brown singled sharply leading off the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Lafleur retired the final three outs, including a called third strike to end the game.

Livermore Falls, which had beat Jay on Wednesday, threatened in the sixth when Marceau doubled and scored on Jackson’s single. White walked, but Daley made a running catch in right center field to end the inning.

“That was the lay of the game,” Livermore Falls coach Brian Dube said. “If that had fell in, the score would have been 6-4, and it could have been a new ball game. Still, we walked eight and hit a batter, and its hard to beat a good team that way.”

Dirigo added insurance in the sixth as Tyler Gates, Josh Palmer and Josh Jean each walked and scored.