GRAY – Two days after supplying the heroics in a 3-2 Cole Farms win over Poland, Louie Bernardini almost did it again on Thursday against Andy Valley.

Dustin Gilbert had other ideas.

The Andy Valley pitcher was cruising into the seventh before allowing three runs on two hits and two walks, but he clamped down to record the final out on a bunt attempt by Cole Farms’ outfielder Kyle Verrill to lead Andy Valley to a 5-4 win over Cole Farms in Zone 3 American Legion baseball action at Gray-New Gloucester High School.

“That was pretty interesting,” Gilbert said. “I got the first batter out no problem, and I was feeling pretty good, but then I hit a batter and then their good hitters came up and hit the ball pretty well. I was completely surprised by the bunt.”

According to Cole Farms coach Aaron Talon, the bunt was called by the staff, and it nearly worked.

“If (Gilbert) had pushed the throw, which he almost did, that would have come close to tying this thing up,” Talon said. “We have a young team and to come back like that and almost pull that out shows a lot about this team.”

Gilbert, meanwhile, finished his first start in more than a month with 11 strikeouts and five walks while allowing just five hits and four earned runs to record the win.

“He ran out of gas a bit at the end,” said Andy Valley coach Jeff Gilbert of his son. “The only thing negative, really, about the game for us was a miscommunication in centerfield that almost cost us the game in the seventh.”

On that play, Devin Gill of Cole Farms blooped a ball into shallow center. The second baseman, centerfielder, shortstop and right fielder all converged on the ball, but nobody came up with the ball, allowing the second Cole Farms run to score. Bernardini followed with a double, plating Gill and Sam Forbes before Dustin Gilbert recorded the final out.

Andy Valley jumped out to a 2-0 lead early against Bernardini when Dustin Gilbert and Mike Chamard both scored on a double by Scott Witherall.

“Jumping on him early was key,” Jeff Gilbert said. “We are a good hitting club, I think, and we wanted to come out and swing away. We haven’t had much of a chance yet this year to get out and swing the bats.”

Jamie Brewer came around to score in the third on a Dustin Gilbert double and again in the fifth on a Chamard triple. In all, the first five hitters in the Andy Valley lineup combined to go 8-for-16 with two walks and a fielder’s choice. Brandon Smith drove in Andy Valley’s final run with a triple in the top of the seventh, driving Gilbert home.

Cole Farms tallied its first run in the fourth inning when Gill singled and Bernardini doubled him home in consecutive at-bats.