JAY — The shifts in momentum Saturday were as frequent as the changes in weather.

In a game that featured cloudy skies, drizzling showers, pouring rain and sunshine, the Spruce Mountain softball team fell behind three times — and also rebounded three times to grab the lead.

The final rally came in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Phoenix erased a one-run deficit with two runs that held up in a back-and-forth,  7-6 win over Dirigo.

“We battled hard yesterday and the kids came right back to go at it today,” said Spruce Mountain coach Gavin Kane, whose team had a rally fall short against Mountain Valley on Friday in a 7-4 loss. “A couple of times when we got down we didn’t hang our heads. We came right back and tied the ball game up.”

Sophomore third baseman Grace Ryan drove in the winning run in the sixth. Alex Bessey had tied it with an RBI double. Ryan followed with a sharp single to right.

“I knew I had to do something for us to win,” Ryan said. “It was a big game for us.”

The Phoenix (6-7) needed the victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. Saturday’s win boosted Spruce Mountain to 11th in Western Class B, just a few points out of the final playoff spot. The Phoenix finish the season with games against Wiscasset, Boothbay and Telstar.

“It will make for a much better weekend now that we know that we’re still in the hunt for a potential playoff spot,” said Kane, whose team lost to Dirigo 22-4 last Monday.

Dirigo (8-4) was coming off an impressive 1-0 win over Telstar on Friday. The Cougars had to put the thrill of that win behind them for a morning game in Jay. They played well, but instead of coming up a run ahead like they did Friday, they came up short.

“Sometimes that all that matters is one play here or there that makes a big difference,” Dirigo coach Sara Thurston said.

Both teams had solid pitching and defense and got some hits, but both clubs also made some mistakes. The rain that came through in the middle of the game didn’t help.

Emily Keene allowed just five hits and got some nice plays in the field from Destiny White in left, Kaylee Leclerc in right, Ryan at third and Ladesta Tracy behind the plate.

“It was a good character win,” Ryan said. “Emily struggled a little bit but she knows we have her back.”

Dirigo started with Ellen Wainright. Then Katelyn Olsen came on in the fourth. Olsen had earned the shutut win over Telstar.  The Phoenix managed seven hits, five in the last three innings. Spruce Mountain had been struggling at the plate, especially in clutch situations. Six of the first seven hitters in the order for the Phoenix drove in runs.

“I’m very pleased with how we came right back offensively after we got down in a lot of situations,” Kane said. “We had a lot of kids contribute.”

Bessey finished with three hits and one RBI and scored the winning run. Kailee Newcomb added two hits and drove in a run and scored the tying run. Ryan, Keene, Tracy and Hayley Doyen each drove in runs as well.

Dirigo got two hits from Wainright. Lauren Henderson and Megan Bradbury each had a hit and two RBI.

“I thought we were a little timid in our at bats,” Thurston said. “They were waiting and seeing pitches go by and were swinging at pitches they normally don’t swing at. A lot of our hits were relatively close to their players and they made some great defensive plays. You want to get hits in holes instead of right at people, we didn’t do that.”

Dirigo took a 6-5 lead in the top of the sixth on a Bradbury RBI single that scored Wainright.

Spruce Mountain answered in the bottom of the inning. Newcomb led off with a single. After a sacrifice and strikeout, Bessey drilled a double to left to tie the game. Then Ryan followed with her single.

“I just watched it all the way in and made sure I made contact,” Ryan said. “Coach told me to relax. I’ve been tense a little bit. I’ve been going to the batting cages with my dad. He’s been helping me a lot.”

In the seventh, Keene served up a pair of ground ball outs. Bryce Parent drew a walk but was stranded when a grounder to  first ended the game.

“We know now that we can beat good teams,” Ryan said. “It will hopefully push us toward the playoffs.”

Dirigo took the lead in the first when a Bradbury fielder’s choice scored Emma Lueders. Spruce Mountain took the lead in the bottom of the inning on a Keene RBI double. Keene later scored on a wild pitch.

Dirigo tied it in the second when Olsen scored on a wild pitch. She could have been called out at first when Phoenix first baseman Amber Delaney picked up a dropped ball just before Olsen reached base. Then when Olsen scored, she appeared to be tagged out before touching the plate but was called safe.

The Phoenix took the lead back in the fourth on a Newcomb RBI single. Then Dirigo rallied in the fifth for a 5-3 lead. Henderson singled in two runs and later scored on a wild pitch. Spruce Mountain tied the game again in the bottom of the frame. Tracy had a sacrifice fly that scored Bessey and Doyen’s fielder’s choice plated Ryan.

kmills@sunjournal.com