Mountain Valley starting pitcher Ethan Laubauskas delivers a pitch against Winthrop High School during the third inning in Rumford on Friday. 

RUMFORD — With two swings, Cam Godbois shut down any concerns that his hitting would be affected by the strained right tricep and lat that limited him to one plate appearance in Mountain Valley’s past two games.

Godbois ripped a triple and scored the tying run, then boomed a double to drive in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Falcons’ 4-3 win over Winthrop on Friday at Hosmer Field.

“I felt really good (after hitting the triple),” said Godbois, who suffered the injury diving for a ball in the outfield. “As soon as a I hit (the double), I knew.”

Jacob Blanchard walked with one out and scored easily from first after Godbois launched a blast over the center fielder’s head.

“In batting practice, he crushes the ball,” Mountain Valley coach Steve LaPointe said. “So I told him, ‘You know, I think in the game you’re thinking too much. Just go up there and react.’ He really has a beautiful swing.”

Godbois’ extra base hits were the only notable blemishes on an otherwise outstanding relief outing by Winthrop’s Greg Fay, who came on in the first inning to end the Falcons’ two-run rally that gave them a 2-1 lead.

Fay allowed just three hits over the next four innings, setting down eight Falcons (6-2) in a row at one point. 

“He pitched a whale of a game,” Winthrop coach Marc Fortin said. “He did the job for us. I wish we could have supported him a little better.”

Still trailing, 2-1, Godbois started the sixth with his opposite-field triple to right, then scored on Hunter Ames’ pinch-hit sacrifice fly to tie it. 

The Ramblers took the lead with two runs in sixth thanks to two-out hits by Carson Camick (RBI double) and Cameron Gaghan (RBI single).

Winthrop (5-4) had a chance to regain the lead in the top of the eighth. 

With two outs, runners at second and third and the Falcons’ infield playing in, Ryan Baird hit a sharp grounder to shortstop John Pepin. Fay, the runner at third, hesitated for just an instant at contact, then broke for the plate. Pepin’s throw to catcher Nick Newman was perfect, and the sliding Fay was called out on a very close play.

“There was a little hesitation. He shouldn’t have gone once there was that hesitation,” Fortin said. “He thought he was safe, (but) no replay.”

“That was huge,” LaPointe said. “Guys stayed positive and were talking on the bench the entire game, and it’s just infectious.”

Both starting pitchers, the Ramblers’ Matt Ingram and the Falcons’ Ethan Laubauskas, struggled with their command in the first inning.

Laubauskas allowed two hits and two walks in the top of the frame but ultimately escaped having allowed only one run. Ingram allowed four walks and also had an error committed behind him before being lifted in favor of Fay (6 2/3 innings, five hits, two runs, four strikeouts).

The first inning did drive Laubauskas’ pitch count up and shortened his outing, but he allowed only a double to Jacob Hickey (two hits) and had one other batter reach on an error in his four innings.

Garrett Garbarini picked up the win for Mountain Valley with two innings of scoreless relief.

Fischer Cormier of Mountain Valley High School celebrates after scoring a run in the first inning to tie the game 1-1 against Winthrop on Friday. 

Copy the Story Link