AUBURN – Darren Hartley swears that he’s tried to tone down his football tendencies in his new office as Edward Little High School baseball coach.

When the team started to develop in Hartley’s own, fiery image, though, the skipper resolved to bring back some of the energy and rah-rah theatrics.

The Eddies rewarded the boss with a first-inning touchdown, of sorts. EL’s first eight hitters reached base Tuesday, and seven eventually scored to toggle the cruise control button in an 8-5 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference victory.

Actually, seven runs in the opening frame might be the equivalent of a touchdown, a recovered onside kick and another score before the other side sees the ball again. There’s an inherent danger of taking an afternoon snooze with that kind of advantage, but Hartley thought seeing his team show a heightened alertness from the opening pitch was a worthwhile trade-off.

“It is a little blessing (and not a curse), because even though everybody gets kind of laid-back and loses that kind of intensity, we’ve worked since last Friday talking about coming out ready to play,” Hartley said. “I’ve tried to be a little more laid back, not be so football-y. We’ve kind of surmised that the team has taken that personality a little bit. Me trying to be a little more cerebral and laid back, it doesn’t suit our style.”

Six hits provided the smashmouth flourish in the first.

Shawn Hird and Devin Flynn walked to load the bases after a leadoff single by Kenzie Souders. Cody Goddard’s two-run single then started a string of five straight hits by the Eddies (11-2).

Shane Ciriello followed with an RBI single, and Ryan Arnold and Mat Gordon sliced back-to-back, chalk-kissing doubles down the right-field line to inflict the damage against Brunswick starter Matt Liscovitz.

Liscovitz delivered 44 pitches before recording his first out. Left-hander Kyle Franklin took over in the bottom of the second and pitched for the duration.

“He (Liscovitz) threw a lot of fastballs. We were able to sit on it, because I don’t think his curve ball was working that well,” said Goddard, who also stroked a single in the second inning and an RBI double in the fourth. “You miss your spot with our team, we’re good hitters one through nine. We can make you pay.”

Goddard, EL’s ace and the chief beneficiary of the hefty lead, didn’t appear to lose his concentration during the Eddies’ 30-minute hit parade.

The senior right-hander shut out the Dragons (9-5) until Conor Kelly’s two-run double in the fourth. He retired the next eight in succession before fatigue and two errors conspired to end his day in the seventh. Goddard struck out four – catching Brunswick leadoff hitter Liscovitz looking twice – and walked only two.

“We talked yesterday about coming to this ballpark and being ready to attack, about Cody getting on the mound and throwing strikes,” Hartley said. “And at the plate area, go after it. That’s what we tried to do, and I’m really proud of that, because everybody in the lineup was aggressive.”

Logan Rossignol and Ciriello each went 2-for-3 for EL.

Ciriello picked up the save after Anthony Viola’s lined Goddard’s 116th pitch to left field for two runs, making it an 8-4 deficit.

John Simmons greeted Ciriello with a single up the middle to plate another run. But the lefty coaxed Kevin Wilson into a soft liner to Kenzie Souders in left field – where he’d just shifted from shortstop after the pitching change – to ice it.

Viola and Kelly were repeat hitters for Brunswick. Franklin allowed only five hits and fanned four in his lengthy relief stint.