By Bob McPhee,Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – Playing fundamental baseball gave the Mt. Blue baseball team the edge on Friday.

Justin Lowe scored the eventual winning run in the sixth inning and Nick Tibbetts stayed composed by pitching a complete game as the Cougars rallied for a 4-2 triumph over Messalonskee in a KVAC game. The Cougars utilized their team speed on the well-groomed base paths at Hippach Field.

Mt. Blue (3-1) entered the sixth trailing 2-1, but the Cougars proved there was still plenty of fuel left in their tank.

“Speed is definitely our best asset,” Mt. Blue coach Gary Parlin said. “Once we get runners on the base paths, we like to get things going. I think we’ve stolen 15 bases in four games.”

Lowe led off the sixth with a sharp single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Wallace. Jordan Stevens hit a slow roller in front of home plate, but reached safely because the throw was off the mark. Lowe raced to third on the play and it set up a unique situation.

“We hadn’t been getting the runners over,” Parlin said. “The situation called for it and Adam Wallace laid down that bunt. That set things up.”

Messalonskee (2-2) took a 2-1 lead on an RBI sacrifice fly by Mark McCann, but the physical and mental mistakes exposed the Eagles’ weaknesses. With one out inn the sixth, McCann induced John Moloney to hit a ground ball, but in an attempt to turn a potential double play, shortstop Dan Colombe dropped the ball. Lowe scored on the play and Steve Wells added an insurance run with an RBI single.

Tibbetts (1-0) threw 67 pitches through six innings, but he certainly made things interesting in the seventh. The right-hander walked two batters, but induced two fly balls to end the game.

Tibbetts finished with a four-hitter and had three strikeouts. The defense made two double plays.

“I thought there was a chance that we could lose the game,” Tibbetts said, with it tied 2-2 in the sixth. “I had (luck) locating my fastball on the outside corner.”

Mt. Blue tied the game twice as Hal Robbins scored on a wild pitch and Mike Cayer (2-for-2) hit an RBI single in the fourth.