Six errors led to four runs without a hit in the Vikings’ half of the fifth inning Wednesday, spelling the difference in a 4-2 KVAC baseball verdict at Austin Field.

“We didn’t hit the ball very well. We didn’t get any guys on, so when we finally could, we did make some things happen, and they helped us with that,” Oxford Hills coach Shane Slicer said. “Our team can do the same thing that happened to EL today. We’ve seen it happen.”

Armed with only two players who wielded varsity experience prior to this season, Oxford Hills (3-1) opened the day ranked No. 1 in the Class A East Heal Point standings.

Slicer’s son, Blake, a junior left-hander, scattered five hits over five innings for his second win.

He struck out Elijah Roe and Tyler Blanchard in succession to wiggle out of a second-and-third jam in a mistake-filled first. Later, he coaxed Roe into a right-at-him fly ball to Brady LaFrance in center field and left the bases loaded in the fifth.

“It was a shaky start, two errors and a base hit off quick,” Blake Slicer said. “It always helps to get out of that. It could have gone south right there. We battled back.”

Brandon Varney reached on a throwing error to open the bottom of the first. Drew Lashua’s sacrifice bunt attempt drew a wide throw to second in an unsuccessful attempt at the force play.

Jarod Norcross-Plourde dropped another bunt. Slicer pounced on it but found nobody covering first base. That set up an RBI fielder’s choice by Lew Jensen prior to the consecutive whiffs.

“That was tough in the first inning. I thought we had an opportunity to score more than one,” EL coach Dave Jordan said. “They did a good job minimizing the damage. We didn’t do quite the job we needed to.”

Oxford Hills played error-free defense thereafter. Brayden Bean, Jake Spinhirn and Tyler Curtis turned a double play in the second inning. Bailey West ended the third with a diving robbery of Norcross-Plourde.

“Our biggest moment, we came out nervous, our young kids. They had the bases loaded off the bat,” Shane Slicer said. “We didn’t execute our bunt coverage at all. I thought Blake getting out of that with one run was crucial, because it could have gone downhill real quick.”

EL padded the lead in the fourth on a one-out single by Roe, Blanchard’s sacrifice bunt and Seth Sterling’s second hit of the game.

Then came the brutal fifth for the Eddies (1-2). Oxford Hills’ 7-8-9 hitters, Tyler Curtis, Troy Johnson and Jake Beauchesne, reached base to start the rally. Each was aided by an error, the latter two after sacrifice bunt bids.

Sterling stole a hit from Spinhirn, but it was a brief respite in the defensive malaise. EL employed a shift to the right side of the infield in anticipation of a squeeze bunt attempt. Instead, Slicer swung away and bounced one at the short fielder’s shoe tops. The Eddies couldn’t make the play, and Curtis scored.

“They hit it right at him,” Jordan said. “You’ve got to be able to make the play. To Oxford Hills’ credit, they hit the ball where they had to. We’ve got to get a little better at capitalizing on opportunities.”

LaFrance plated pinch runner Chris Burns with a sacrifice fly to tie it. The go-ahead and insurance runs scored on additional errors.

Jensen was cruising along with a one-hit shutout until the implosion.

“The good thing about it is, we only have two guys in the lineup who have played any varsity ball, and we’re facing all the good pitchers and finding a way to win,” Shane Slicer said. “It doesn’t look pretty, but I’ll take it. It’s on the scoreboard.”

Will Frank retired six consecutive Red Eddies to notch his second save. Frank and Slicer combined for four strikeouts.

“The curve ball was working. When you can go there 3-2, that helps,” Blake Slicer said.

Varney’s walk, Norcross-Plourde’s second hit and a plunking of Jensen loaded the bases before Slicer squirmed free in the fifth.

Aiden Heikkinen, Johnson and LaFrance had the only hits off Jensen, who struck out five and walked two.

“That was a good fight for our team,” Shane Slicer said. “It was quite a comeback, and we finally got comfortable.”

EL’s road gets no easier with games against Bangor here Thursday and at Hampden on Friday.

“Lew pitched very well for us. He put us in position to be able to win a ballgame with his effort,” Jordan said. “We’re making an effort to make the basic play right now. Today in that one inning I think we were just a bundle of nerves. We’ll work on that and get better.”

koakes@sunjournal.com