LIVERMORE FALLS

With a bare-bones roster of nine players, Wiscasset has already shown resilience this season.

Coming back from three runs down in the seventh against a Spruce Mountain team two classes above it, then snuffing out Spruce’s own comeback bid on a bang-bang play at the plate, Wiscasset showed it isn’t just fighting for its survival.

The Wolverines sent 11 men to the plate in a five-run seventh, then fended off a fierce Phoenix counter-punch in the bottom of the inning to win a thrilling and bizarre MVC Memorial Day matinee, 8-7, at Griffin Field.

“We’ve all been together since we were eight- or nine-years-old. It’s just been another season,” said sophomore catcher/pitcher Darren Wood, who moved from behind the plate to the mound to get the white-knuckle save. “We’ve always had, maybe, 10 or 11 kids all the way through. So, it’s no different having nine kids.”

All nine Wolverines (6-9, scheduled to host Boothbay Region on Wednesday) contributed to the win, especially in the seventh.

Sensing that Spruce Mountain starter Lucas Preble was tiring, Wiscasset got aggressive and started jumping on the first pitch. Trailing 5-2, it loaded the bases on a walk and two singles.

Brycson Grover singled on the first pitch he saw to make it 5-3. Wood, also first-pitch swinging, singled to center to tie the game.

After an error loaded the bases again, Tyler Bailey hit a low line drive right back to Preble, who caught it and tried to double-up Grover at third.

His throw went wild and Grover trotted home with the go-ahead run. Nate Howard’s single plated two runs.

“I didn’t know how they were going to react, but they surprised me today. Everyone in that last inning came through,” said Wiscasset coach Mike Bowles, whose team sits in the No. 2 spot in the Western D Heal Point standings despite losing several players for academic and disciplinary reasons. “They hit the ball with authority, put the ball in play and made things happen.”

“(Preble) said he was fine, but I think he was tiring. We didn’t make the plays we had to today to really be successful,” said Spruce Mountain coach Brian Dube, whose team committed all five of its errors in the last two innings.

Bailey, Wiscasset’s starter, was similarly fatigued when he took the mound in the bottom of the inning. The Phoenix (5-9) jumped on him for three singles in a row, the last by Ian O’Donnell (three hits) making, it 8-6.

After Wood relieved Bailey, Sebastian Lombardi hit a line drive that the second baseman dropped, then made an errant throw to first that allowed John McKenna to score and make it a one-run game. It also put the tying and winning runs in scoring position.

A strikeout brought up Noah Preble (two hits), who hit a comebacker to the mound. Wood looked O’Donnell back to third and threw Preble out at first.

But since the runner at second had inexplicably gone to third, O’Donnell had no choice but to break for home. Cass Carr fired home to Grant Hefler, who grabbed it on a hop and applied the tag on a close play to end the game.

McKenna and Bradley Hodes had two hits apiece for the Phoenix.

Hefler went 3-for-4 with three runs scored to lead the Wolverines. Wood added a single, double and three RBIs and Tyler Flavin chipped in with two hits.

“The competition we’ve faced all year long, I think it’s given these guys more confidence,” Bowles said. “Come playoff time, I think we’re going to be ready. We’ve got a good little pitching staff and if the bats come alive, we’ll be fine.”

“You have to stay together to be team that’s going win, because we definitely have a state championship team right here,” Hefler said. “Down the road, I’m not sure how it’s going to look. But this year, we’re definitely putting all of our effort in because this is the best chance we have to win a state championship.”