LIVERMORE FALLS – If it’s Monday, this must be the game that matters.

Livermore Falls High School launched a week of bizarre, backward baseball scheduling and held on for a 2-1 Western Class C preliminary playoff win over North Yarmouth Academy at Griffin Field.

Tuesday, the Andies (14-3) will travel to Thomas College and face Winthrop for the de facto Mountain Valley Conference championship. Livermore Falls will approach it much like a spring training contest, with a chuck-by-committee philosophy so as not to bankrupt its pitching options for later in the week.

No matter what happens in Waterville, the No. 4 Andies will host Monmouth or Telstar at 4 p.m. Thursday.

“All of us just want to play,” said senior shortstop and catcher Jake Marceau, whose single pushed home Livermore Falls’ pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning. “If we could play baseball every day, we would. We’re kind of psyched to be playing two games in a row. We’re pretty confident, especially after winning one like this.”

Two sophomores combined on a nearly spotless pitching performance for the Andies, sealing the first-round deal in a rapid 90 minutes.

Making only his fourth start of the season, Derrick Castonguay (4-0) retired the first 11 NYA hitters and allowed only a seeing-eye single to Dean Darian through six innings.

After Darian ripped a leadoff home run to Livermore Falls’ generous, 300-foot porch in left-center field, closer Willie Brown supplanted Castonguay and slammed the door. Brown walked Joe Warren and George Birkett to usher the potential tying run into scoring position, but he also struck out the side, whiffing Nate Major and Kyle Williams to end it.

“I felt good at the beginning, all the way through until that one pitch,” Castonguay said. “I missed my spot, and (Darian) hit it a long way.”

Livermore Falls coach Brian Dube tabbed one of his least experienced arms to start the elimination game because of Castonguay’s propensity to throw strikes.

The wiry right-hander didn’t disappoint, striking out six without issuing a free pass. Darian’s clout was only Castonguay’s 70th offering of the steamy afternoon.

“I almost brought in Willie to start the seventh, but Derrick had pitched so well that I wanted to give him an opportunity,” said Dube. “I think (NYA) played a whale of a ballgame. They were a hit away from tying it or taking the lead.”

Panthers starter Sam Hutchinson surrendered only five singles before yielding to George Birkett in the sixth.

Chris Leblanc’s strike from left field after an infield error cut down Chandler White with the Andies’ potential first run in the fifth. But Marceau’s two-out rope to center plated Caleb Baron, and a tricky hop in the outfield grass enabled Kevin Gats to race home.

“That felt good because everybody could relax,” Marceau said. “If somebody did make a mistake, it feels better because you know you have a lead.”

Williams (infield error) was the only base runner besides Darian for No. 13 NYA (5-11) until the seventh. Marceau got aboard in all three plate appearances for the Andies.

“Zach Keene, Kevin Gats, Jake Marceau, you won’t find three better young men than those guys,” said Dube. “We’ve only got three seniors, but they’re three good ones. I’m glad I’ve got them for the rest of this week.”