CUMBERLAND — Two-time defending Class B baseball state champion Greely completed its regular season on an upswing Friday.

The Rangers pounded 13 hits to cruise to an 8-4 win against Cape Elizabeth in a Western Maine Conference game.

“We got three good wins this week to hopefully build a little momentum heading into the playoffs,” Greely Coach Derek Soule said.

Earlier in the week, the Rangers (11-4-1) eked out a 2-1 win over Wells and then beat Lake Region 7-1.

Greely bested Marshall Peterson, who held the Rangers to one hit just two weeks ago in a 1-0 Cape Elizabeth win.

“(Peterson) shut us out this year and he shut us out the last game of the regular season last year,” Soule said. “It was a nice confidence boost.”

Left-hander Caleb Normandeau scattered seven hits in five innings to earn the win. Ryan Twitchell retired the last six batters in order to earn his second save of the season.

“The last time we played them, it was the same pitching matchup,” Soule said, “but when you’re at Cape Elizabeth and the wind’s blowing in, it’s a tough day to hit for both sides.”

Friday, the wind was blowing out.

“The ball was carrying today,” Soule said. “Total opposite of the environment the first time we met (this season).”

“They had already seen (Peterson) once, so they know how he pitches,” Cape Elizabeth Coach Andrew Wood said. “He was kind of up in the zone, and they were kind of fastball swingers, and he kind of had an off day.”

Eight of Greely’s nine batters hit safely.

“Our preparation was good,” Soule said. “We had a better idea of the approach to take. Our guys just need to be a little more aggressive when they have pitches (they can handle).”

The Rangers scored four unearned runs in the first inning. They loaded the bases on an error and singles by Normandeau and Matt Pisini. Brad Spoerri drove a two-out, bases-clearing double deep into the gap in left, then moved up on an overthrow to the plate and scored on Austin Nowinski’s infield hit.

The Capers (11-4) scored their first two runs in the second on a walk, a single by Jack O’Rourke and the only two errors committed by the Rangers.

Luke Miller led off the bottom of the second with a double, moved to third on the first of Justin Leeman’s three singles and scored on Cal Soule’s sacrifice fly.

The Rangers added two more runs in the third. Nowinski singled, Miller walked, and Leeman, Normandeau and Soule hit consecutive two-out singles to make it 7-2.

The Capers closed to within 7-4 in the fifth on singles by Nate Ingalls and Brendan Tinsman and a double by Dylan Roberts. But Normandeau avoided any more trouble by retiring the next three batters.

“Normandeau didn’t have his best stuff, but he gave us five gutsy innings,” Coach Soule said. “He did what he needed to do.”

Greely completed the scoring in the sixth on a single by Leeman and a double by Soule.

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