YARMOUTH — Yarmouth baseball coach Marc Halsted said he looked good after inserting Connor Lainey at third base in the fourth inning Friday.
Lainey snared a sharp grounder on his first play and threw the runner out. In the bottom of the inning, Lainey doubled home a run that started a five-run inning and carried the Clippers to a 7-4 win over Wells in a Western Maine Conference baseball game.
The Clippers (6-4) needed a calming win after a tumultuous week and a half in which several players were suspended for a couple of games for involvement in a fight club.
“We’re keeping it in house and moving on,” said Halsted. “We’re focusing on the rest of the season.”
Athletic Director Susan Robbins didn’t return phone messages.
Lainey said: “I have no comment.”
Yarmouth lost to Poland 8-3 on Wednesday, a team it beat a month ago.
The Clippers had a 4-1 record before losing to Greely 11-2 on May 6 and to Cape Elizabeth 6-1 on May 9 with depleted squads. With the suspensions lifted, Yarmouth beat Lake Region 9-1 on Monday.
Ranked eighth in the Western Class B Heal point standings entering the game against Wells, which is ranked fourth, the Clippers are competing for a playoff berth. Ten teams make the playoffs.
“We finally beat a team that is ahead of us in the Heal point standings,” said Halsted. “Any time you can get a win like this, it’s good.”
Junior Tyler Waaler, in only his second career start, pitched six innings and scattered six hits.
“Tyler hit his spots and made the pitches when he had to,” said Halsted.
In the fourth inning, the Clippers had three doubles among five hits to erase a 2-1 deficit.
Lainey hit a liner over the left fielder’s head to score Jack Snyder. Andrew Kinsman drove in Lainey with another double and after Conor O’Donnell bunted for a base hit, Cody Cook doubled home another run. Two batters later, Jordan Brown had a two-run single to left-center.
Yarmouth added a run in the sixth on a throwing error. That helped because Wells (6-4) threatened with two runs in the seventh before the Clippers turned a double play.
“It took us a while to start hitting,” said Lainey. “I was looking to contribute.”
The Warriors, who made six errors Thursday in a 4-1 loss to Falmouth, added two against Yarmouth.
“We have to play better defense and throw strikes. We’re in the meat of our schedule,” said Coach Todd Day.
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