DIXFIELD — Clint Brooks really want Spruce Mountain’s most recent loss to lingert.

After Friday’s disappointment, he told the Phoenix to shrug it off and move on.

“We were really discouraged after that loss,” Brooks said of a one-run defeat at Winthrop. “It was the night before the prom. I told the girls to go have a good weekend and forget about softball. I wanted them to come back fresh. Sometimes you can sense it. When they came out here tonight, you could feel it.”

The Phoenix were feeling rejuvenated and extra motivated Monday. Spruce Mountain used that energy and built a 10-run lead that held up in a  12-5 victory over Dirigo.

“When we first lost (Friday) it was upsetting,” centerfielder Ashlie Robbins said. “We came back. We had a reason to fight and that’s what we did. I’m extremely proud of my team.”

The Phoenix were able to get the bats going early and build the quick lead while Spruce Mountain also played some solid defense. Those are staples in Dirigo’s game that were lacking.

“We definitely got a late start,” Dirigo coach Sara Thurston said. “They had some really strong defensive plays. They did a great job and our bats didn’t get going. This was the first game we’ve had in which we weren’t hitting well and we had some errors. Both of those things cost us.”

Ladesta Tracy had three hits for the Phoenix (6-4) while Liz Chretien, Robbins and Lorayanna Tracy each had two hits and two RBI. Spruce Mountain finished with 13 hits against three different Dirigo pitchers.

“We have a nice team that knows how to hit the ball when we have to,” said Robbins, who delivered a key two-run double in the fourth during a five-run inning that made it 6-0.

Dirigo (7-2) rallied with five runs in the sixth. Natalie Bolduc had three bunt hits while Tasha DeRoche had a pair of hits and drove in a run. Ambyr Wilson also had two hits. Katelin Castonguay scattered 10 hits for Spruce and held Dirigo to just five hits through the first six innings.

“I’ve told them all year that we’re getting better,” said Brooks, whose team was ranked fourth in Western B. “They may not see it, but I can see it. Incrementally, they’re getting better and we’re beginning to show that we can compete with the upper echelon teams in the league. That’s a nice confidence boost for these girls.”

Spruce Mountain took a 1-0 lead in the second when Kasey Richards singled in Robbins. In the fourth, the Phoenix produced five hits to build a 6-0 lead. Robbins delivered a double that plated a pair to start the big inning.

“It felt great,” said Robbins. “It felt phenomenal to have a hit like that and bring in my teammates. That got the team going.”

Two more runs came in on a Chretien hit and an error. Then another error allowed Chretien to score.

“We haven’t really been hit early in the game this year,” said Thurston, whose team was ranked second in Western C. “So that’s kind of different.”

The Phoenix added two more in the fifth when Emily Keene scored on a wild pitch and Chretien singled in Robbins. Then in the sixth, Emily Acritelli and Lorayanna Tracy each plated runs with a fielder’s choice.

Dirigo mounted a rally in the sixth and scored five runs on five hits and two errors. After DeRoche scored on an error, Britney Ellis and Gretchen Bradbury drove in runs with a fielder’s choice. Then Ellie Wainright doubled in a run. She scored on a DeRoche infield hit.

“That sixth inning was a little shaky,” Brooks said. “The more you play through those, the more comfortable you get with it. I told them they had runs to work with and we just had to use that to our advantage.”

Spruce Mountain added two more in the seventh. Cassie Couture singled in a run and later scored on a double steal.

“I thought it was an eye-opener for them today,” said Thurston, whose team has a hectic week with three more games. “We really do need to take it game by game and see where it takes us.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

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