FARMINGTON – He’ll gladly take the win, but Mt. Blue coach Craig Collins couldn’t help fell a little bit of empathy for Lawrence coach Wally Covell.

Lawrence squandered a number of opportunities while the Cougars capitalized on theirs and held on for a 5-3 win at Hippach Field Friday.

Lawrence left the bases loaded twice and stranded 12 runners on the day, including the tying runs in the seventh inning. Mt. Blue, meanwhile, rode a four-run fourth and a couple of key two-out hits off Lawrence starter Blair Blaisdell.

“That’s the first time all year we have gotten key hits like that. We’ve been like Lawrence was today,” Collins said. “We’d get the bases loaded and then not get that hit, so I do know how Lawrence feels about that.”

“Not to disrespect (Mt. Blue), but it was a game we lost,” Covell said. “They hit the ball pretty good. (Blaisdell) is a sophomore and he’s pitched much better.”

Mt. Blue starter Tim Smith wasn’t at the top of his game, either. He gave up an unearned run in the first, then had to battle out of trouble in the next two innings, including a bases-loaded jam in the third. Collins lifted him after his sixth walk loaded the bases with two out in the fourth.

“It just wasn’t his day,” Collins said. “He’s one of our better pitchers, but that’s the worst he’s been in his two years with us. That happens,”

Alex Witt relieved Smith and needed one pitch to get Ben Violette to pop out to first and end the threat. Witt gave up a run in the fifth but left two more runners stranded by fanning Alex Leathers to earn his first career win.

“Alex has been waiting his turn,” Collins said. “He’s a junior and he’s eager to get out there. He waited his turn and it finally paid off for him.”

Blaisdell retired the first seven hitters for Mt. Blue (3-4) before the game-changing third inning. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Dylan Vining, who ripped a pitch that left fielder Leathers appeared to lose in the sun. The ball went over his head and to the fence, clearing the bases with Vining sliding in safely for a triple. After a strike out, Alex Wallace (two hits) laced a two-out single to score Vining and make it 4-1.

“We just tried to be more patient and make him work a little bit, and that’s how we loaded the bases initially,” said senior shortstop Brad Dority. “After that, we wanted to go back to being aggressive, because that’s when he’s rattled.”

Vining, a sophomore, relieved Witt in the sixth and worked around an error in that inning. A hit batsmen and RBI single by Chris Folsom pulled the Bulldogs within two, then Leathers singled to put the tying runs on base, prompting Collins to visit the mound.

“I told him ‘Be relaxed. Your girlfriend’s here.’ Then he laughed. This is baseball. You have fun,” Collins said. “He’s got what you call a heavy fastball. He’s tough to hit.”

Vining then struck out Tom Drouin to end the Bulldogs’ day, fittingly, in frustration.