LISBON

There are moments in a playoff baseball game that define the possible outcome of a contest.

For instance, take Lisbon’s 4-2 Class C South high school preliminary win over Carrabec on Tuesday. Scoreless in the third inning, Cobras hitter Tyler Reichert singled to right field, with Jacob Atwood trucking around third base. It looked like Carrabec was going to grab the early advantage, but Lisbon right-fielder Chris Normand hit the cutoff man, and the relay throw to the plate was a strike to catcher Nick Lerette, who blocked the plate and made the tag for the inning’s second out to keep the game scoreless.

Up came the Greyhounds, who took advantage of a pair of Carrabec errors to score the game’s first run.

“You have to capitalize on momentum, and that was a good play in the field all around,” said Lisbon (12-5) coach Randy Ridley of the third inning defensive play. “It deflated them in that situation, and you have to come up and respond in that next inning. It was only one run, but it got them going in the right direction.”

“That was a big play,” said Lisbon third baseman/center field Noah Austin, who was 1-for-3 at the plate, including a key RBI single in Lisbon’s three-run fifth inning. “The hit boosted my confidence as a hitter.”

Lisbon, the No. 6 seed, moves on to face third-seeded Madison on Thursday. Ridley feels his team will need to be a bit more clutch at the plate in the Class C South quarterfinal after leaving seven runners on base against Carrabec.

“We have to come through a little bit more in clutch hitting, as I think the defense will be there and the pitching will be there,” said Ridley, whose Greyhounds dropped a 6-1 decision to Madison (14-2) on May 6.

Lisbon starting pitcher Lucas Francis and Carrabec hurler Dustin Crawford pitched two scoreless innings to open the game. After the big play kept the Cobras off the board in the third, Ryley Austin reached on a Carrabec error. He stole second and moved to third when the throw sailed into the outfield, and Francis ripped an RBI single to give Lisbon a 1-0 lead.

Carrabec struck back in the fourth. Hunter Fernald (2-for-3) doubled to the fence in left field. Evan Holzworth hit a high-chop single into left field to even things.

But, Lisbon had an answer in the fifth. Tyler Halls ripped a single to right field and stole second. Ryley Austin worked a walk, and Francis was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out. On Crawford’s second pitch to Austin Fournier, Halls took off for home, forcing a balk for a 2-1 Lisbon lead.

A passed ball scored Francis, and Noah Austin singled to bring home Fournier for a 4-1 Greyhounds lead.

Ridley was not surprised by the respect Carrabec (7- 10) showed the freshman Francis, who was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double, single, RBI and run scored.

“Lucas has played a lot of baseball, and he was great on the mound and at the plate,” said Ridley. “It is not often that a freshman gets that kind of respect.”

Francis pitched the first five innings with four strikeouts, no walks and five hits.

Carrabec scored its final run in the seventh against Halls (two innings, four strikeouts, one walk). Crawford walked with two outs, stole two bases and trotted home on a wild pitch.

But, Halls struck out the final batter to pick up the save.

“I thought we played pretty good defense, and Lucas and Tyler pitched well, two things you need in the playoffs,” said Ridley.

Normand and Cole Bolduc also singled for Lisbon.

Crawford went the distance for Carrabec, throwing 91 pitches on six hits, four strikeouts and one walk.

No. 6 Lisbon 4, No. 11 Carrabec 2

Class C South Baseball Prelim At Lisbon

	Carrabec		— 000	100	1	—	2-5-3
Lisbon		—	001	030	X	—	4-6-2

Dustin Crawford and Trent Richardson; Lucas Francis, Tyler Halls (6) and Nick Lerette. Doubles — (C) Hunter Fernald; (L) Lucas Francis. Repeat hitters — (C) Hunter Fernald; (L) Lucas Francis. Records — Lisbon 12-5; Carrabec 7- 10. Up next for the Greyhounds — Class C Quarterfinal at No. 3 Madison, Thursday, 4 p.m.