POLAND — Three seniors are outnumbered by five sophomores in the Poland baseball starting lineup.

Every member of that tested trio set a resounding example in Monday’s 7-5 comeback win over WMC neighbor Lake Region.

Jed Quint stitched up a 4-0 deficit by spinning six innings of five-hit relief. He got stronger as his pitch count ascended closer to starter’s territory, retiring the final 11 Lakers.

Catcher Dillon Douglass’ two-run single to right field pulled the Knights even in the bottom of the fifth. Douglass also abbreviated Lake Region’s two most productive innings by throwing out a base runner in each.

And Patrick Summers’ double plated Kaleb Bridgham all the way from first for the go-ahead run with one out in the sixth. Summers later scored the Knights’ insurance run on a wild pitch.

“There’s a big difference,” Douglass said, “between 1-4 and 2-3.”

Poland’s second victory was a steep climb after the Lakers (0-4) sent eight to the plate in the first inning and had four make the circuit.

Two-out, two-run singles by Dakota Bush and Derek Douglass spelled a quick hook for Poland sophomore Bridgham.

“He’s coming back from the flu and he just didn’t have it today,” Poland coach Mike Connor said. “Jed knew ahead of time to be ready.”

Poland got one run back in the bottom of the first. Tyler Sturtevant singled, stole second, tagged and went to third on Mike Mageles’ diving catch and scored on Jake Simard’s hit.

Mageles made two more brilliant catches in the second, stranding two runners. The Knights left nine on base in all against Lakers sophomore Ben Chaine.

“Their center fielder got to everything.” Connor said. “But we didn’t get down and kept battling, which was nice to see.”

Quint struck out the leadoff hitter in the second inning and again in the third, leading to important goose eggs on the board.

He’d lost two previous starts, including a one-run verdict against Fryeburg.

“That’s happened a few times in past games where we got down early, and we haven’t always been able to overcome it,” Quint said.

Poland plated a run in the third on Simard’s second RBI of the afternoon — a sacrifice fly after Dan Bernier reached third on a leadoff single, a stolen base and a wild pitch. Lake Region answered with No. 9 hitter Cody Gibbons’ RBI double to the right field corner in the fourth.

Mageles’ single with two out in that inning represented the final Laker to reach base against Quint.

“He struggled with his location early, but then he settled down and started listening to me,” Douglass said, drawing a laugh from his battery mate.

Two late rallies provided all that good humor. Lake Region sandwiched the only two errors of the game around a Summers single in the fifth, loading the bases for a Quint sacrifice fly and Douglass’ line drive.

Pinch runner Brandon Fogg slid under Tucker Irish’s tag for the tying run.

Bridgham walked ahead of Summers’ double in the sixth. Summers scooted to third after another improbable Mageles grab, putting himself in position to score when Chaine’s delivery to Quint reached the backstop.

“We have two more games with Yarmouth and Sacopee Valley this week,” Quint said. “Hopefully this gives us some momentum.”

koakes@sunjournal.com

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