POLAND — Connor Aube made a shoestring catch in center field that likely prevented a big inning, and Falmouth rode the four-hit pitching of Addison Foltmer and the three-hit, three-stolen base performance of Luke Velas to close the regular season Tuesday with a 3-2 victory against Poland.

Each team will head into the postseason with high seeds and first-round byes.

Additional Images

Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer Second baseman Corey Cunliffe of Poland fields a grounder and throws to first to end an inning Tuesday as Luke Velas of Falmouth sprints by. Falmouth won 3-2 for its 10th straight victory, and Poland missed a chance to end the regular season as the No. 1 team in Western Class B.

Falmouth (14-2), which has won 10 straight, will receive a first-round bye for its first Western Class A tournament after rising in class this season.

Poland (12-4) is seeded third in Western Class B.

Foltmer, a left-hander, had four strikeouts and generally kept Poland off balance. Left-hander Lukas Johnson of the Knights gave up seven hits but walked six and didn’t get the defensive support Foltmer received.

After Poland broke through with two runs in the fifth inning, Aube got the second out of the sixth with a play Foltmer called “spectacular.”

Getting a great jump on a sinking liner hit by Jake Simard, Aube dove and caught it off the top of the grass.

After the next two Poland batters walked, right fielder Patrick Lydon ended the inning with a running catch toward the foul line.

“I just read it well,” said Aube. “I felt like I had to make a play. It was a big momentum changer.”

As he often does, Will D’Agostino relieved for Falmouth in the seventh and closed it out.

“Will throws gas and it’s a nice change of pace,” said Foltmer.

Velas scored what proved to be the winning run in the fifth. He beat out an infield single, stole second and third, then scored on Colin Coyne’s sacrifice fly to right.

Falmouth scored two unearned runs in the second on a throwing error. Coyne and Jesse Melchisky walked with one out. They moved up on an infield out and scored on the error.

Poland got back into the game with its two runs. Johnson led off with a walk and went to third on Shawn Murphy’s double against the wind to the fence in left-center.

Billy Bickford’s groundout scored one run and the other came across on a ground single through the middle by Matt Rabasio.

“We’re on a very good roll right now,” said Falmouth Coach Kevin Winship.

“To come up here and beat a very good Poland team on Senior Day is a good feeling for the guys and keeps the ball rolling for the playoffs.

“I thought (Foltmer) threw a great game. He kept the ball down. We thought his pitch count was getting up there a little and he was gettting tired so we brought (D’Agostino) in. Poland had its bottom of the order up and we thought Will could overpower them.

“(Aube) has been making plays like that for us the whole year. His catch was a big momentum shift for us.”

A victory would have given Poland the top seed in the Class B tournament.

“We knew what we were getting with Falmouth,” said Poland Coach Mike Connor. “They win a lot of close games. We were sloppy earlier and gave them two runs. We had to chip away but knew it would be tough against a team like Falmouth.

“This was the first game (Johnson) had shown any wildness. He hadn’t allowed an earned run coming into the game. He showed a lot of character. Falmouth made some nice plays. We’re fortunate we earned at least one home game in the playoffs.”

The regional playoffs begin June 10 with the preliminary round. Both Falmouth and Poland will open play in the quarterfinals June 12.

Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH

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