AUBURN – Hard to tell if Monday’s softball game between St. Dom’s and Sacopee Valley was a sequel or a prequel.

If the Saints eventually were going to experience being written out of the script at least once this season, however, you can bet they’re glad it happened in this 4-2 defeat and not in a potential playoff rematch next month.

“Everyone hates to lose,” said St. Dom’s coach Brian Kay, “but get the loss out of the way now, you know what I mean?”

St. Dom’s (5-1) and Sacopee (6-3) are historically two of the top teams in the Class C division of the Western Maine Conference. They play twice every spring knowing that round three is never out of the question.

Consider this win a counterpunch after the Saints snagged a 5-4 win in South Hiram on May 1. Sacopee’s only other losses are to Class B Fryeburg and Cape Elizabeth.

“They’ve got a good team. They always have,” Sacopee Valley coach Kelly Libby said.

The Hawks knocked their nemesis from the unbeaten ranks with two runs in the second inning and another pair in the sixth.

Consecutive singles by 7-8-9 hitters Brittany Sterling, Danika Barrows and Callie Day made it 2-0 after an error and two unsuccessful fielder’s choices set the table.

Aleece Daleo was hit by a pitch on the top of her shoe to trigger the sixth-inning rally. Barrows slapped a single, and grounders by Day and Kayla Crowley coaxed failed attempts to throw out first Daleo, then Barrows at home.

“Trying to consistently put the ball in play and keep our strikeouts down has been our motto this year,” said Libby. “Anything it takes, just put it in play.”

Sacopee Valley lashed out 10 hits, compared to four by the Saints.

Sophomore Whitney Stacey struck out eight while issuing only three walks for the Hawks. She summoned two of those whiffs after towering triples to right field by Mary Lewis and Kelsey Murphy triggered a game-tying rally in the fourth.

Murphy scored on a wild pitch to pull the Saints even. Jen Culled and Erynne Landry later walked to put a pair of potential go-ahead runs aboard. Stacey escaped the mess by sandwiching strikeouts of Heidi Nadeau and Mariah Maheux around the free passes.

The Saints also stranded Alex Hewitt (single) and Lewis (walk) in scoring position in the fifth when Stacey froze Murphy with strike three.

“Leaving those runners on second and third, that was the inning,” said Kay. “That would have been the difference right there.”

Cullen struck out four over the complete-game route for St. Dom’s.

St. Dom’s schedule gets no easier over the next two weeks. The Saints will confront ‘B’ foes Cape Elizabeth, Fryeburg and Poland and Class D champion Buckfield.