SOUTH PORTLAND — The Maine Heat 14U baseball team improved its league record to 9-1 by sweeping a doubleheader from The Maine Mariners on Saturday and splitting with the previously unbeaten Maine Dirt Dogs of Saco on Sunday.

In the opening game on Saturday, the Heat got strong starting pitching from Austin Cox and two shutout relief innings from Drew Lashua in a 12-4 win. Jordan Williams led the 13-hit attack for the Heat, going 3-for-4, while Cox, Llewellyn Jensen and Kyle Romero each chipped in with a pair of hits.

Brandon Varney threw four stutout innings in the second game, and C.J. Jipson finished up in a 13-0 rout shortened by the mercy rule. Again the Heat bats were active, banging out 14 hits with Varney, Lashua, Jensen and Cox each picking up a pair.

Sunday’s doubleheader against the Dirt Dogs pitted the league’s two top teams both coming into the games unbeaten.

The Dirt Dogs got the better of the Heat in the first game as starting pitcher Ben Lambert went the distance in a 9-3 win. Lambert helped his own cause, smashing out a pair of doubles and collecting 3 RBIs along the way. The visiting Dirt Dogs broke open a close game in the fourth, scoring five runs on a couple of Heat miscues in the field and a Jacob Cloutier bases-loaded single. The Heat were led on offense by Lashua and Mitch Lorenz, who both collected a pair of singles.

The second game turned out to be a southpaw pitchers’ duel between the Heat’s Mitch Lorenz and Dirt Dogs’ Trevor Deliate. Each shut down the opposing team over the first four innings, using great control and spotting their off-speed pitches.

The Heat got on the board first in the top of the fifth when Lorenz led off with a single. One out later, Brandon Varney’s ground ball to second was mishandled, putting runners on the corners.

After a Varney stolen base, Jared Norcross-Plourde delivered a key two-run single. Norcross-Plourde later came around to score on a throwing error by the catcher.

The Dirt Dogs answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. They strung together a pair of singles by Isaac Patry and Tyler Burgess, and after a Heat infield miscue, Nat Moore delivered a single knocking in a pair of runs to even the score.

It remained tied until the top of the ninth, when the Heat scored what proved the winning run. Jensen and Lorenz singled and Jensen scored on an infield ground out. Brandon Knapp threw two masterful innings of relief for the Heat to pick up the win.

The teams will play anotherdoubleheader against each other in two weeks, one that  could determine which club qualifies for the New England 14U AAU playoffs.

Auburn Suburban

AUBURN — Led by the solid hitting of John Shea, Jake Jackson and Ben Talpey, Team Enefco erased an early five-run deficit to claw their way back to a 9-7 win over Dillingham and Sons in a Rookie Division, Minor League match-up in Auburn Suburban Little League play. The win lifts Enefco’s record to 9-3 on the season.

Shea led the offense with a pair of doubles and a pair of singles, while Jackson had three singles and a double. Talpey went 4-for-5 at bat and also put in a remarkable fielding performance in the top of the sixth inning helping to shut down a come-back attempt by Dillingham’s batters, making the final out with bullet of a throw to first with the tying runners on base. Adding to the Enefco tally with a hit each were RJ Nichols, Cameron Langlois, Simon Hayes and Finn Thistle.

Pitching for Enefco were Shea and Nichols. Nichols logged five strikeouts in two innings, yielding only two hits.

Dillingham remained tenacious throughout the match up with several outstanding fielding plays by Luke Josephson, Jordan Bolduc and Eli Fournier.

Hitters for Dillingham included Fournier, who went 3-for-4 on the day, including a hard-hit double in the top of second, and George Romano, who also sent one to the fence for a double in the top of the sixth.

In other action, Dillingham and Son batted through the order in three straight innings en route to a 23-4 win over Hammond Lumber. Dillingham and Son’s barrage was led by Noah Harkins, who was 3-for-3 with two doubles and 4 RBIs. Dillingham’s Jordan Bolduc and Tiger Hopkins also got in on the act by smacking two hits each to keep rallies rolling. Hammond got a double from Ryan Marston, and John Meserve had two hits.

Apple Valley

WINTHROP — Dakota Carter belted two triples to lead Winthrop past previously undefeated Monmouth, 9-5, in Apple Valley Babe Ruth baseball. Jared Hanson was the winning pitcher. Ben Allen took the save for Winthrop. Drew Stratton added a triple and Jared Hanson had two singles in the winning cause. Cody Pelletier, Tom Small and Samuel Kupiec all singled for Monmouth (5-1).

Winthrop also swept rtwo games from Sabattus, which also entered the fray unbeaten in five starts.

Allen pitched Winthrop to a 9-2 win. Stratton slapped three hits and Jacob Hickey and Adam Hachey each added two. For Sabattus, Kameron Doyon had a triple and Jonah Martin and Dalton Therrien added singles.

Matt Sekarak picked up the victory in Winthrop’s 8-3 verdict over Sabattus. Carter and Hunter Hamlin each had two singles. Derek McLaughlin added a hit. Jacob Martin, Adam Merrill and Kameron Doyon each singled for Sabattus.

Maranacook routed Leeds, 12-3, in other Apple Valley action. Skylar Webb was the winning pitcher. Matt Delmar doubled and Matt Gyorgy singled to lead Maranacook’s attack. Cooper and Quinton each singled for Leeds.