FARMINGTON — After losing a doubleheader on Saturday and another game Sunday, Franklin County’s Zone 2 playoff chances were in the hands of a pitcher who hadn’t started a game all season.

But Jake Lord was the right guy on Monday night. Lord allowed three runs in five innings as Franklin earned a key 8-5 victory over Gardiner/Post 204 in American Legion baseball action at Hippach Field.

The win puts the Flyers at 8-7 and in the lead for the fourth and final playoff spot with one game remaining. South China Subway and Amato’s of Rockland are both 7-8, and play each other today in Waterville. Franklin is at Waterville, and is in the playoffs with a win.

The Zone 2 tournament will be played Saturday through Monday in Augusta. Gardiner/Post 204 is 10-5 and will be the third seed.

Lord gave up a leadoff home run to Forrest Chadwick in the first and a leadoff homer to Brett Turcotte in the second, but otherwise allowed only three hits. Tim Smith in center field and Hank Poulin at first each made nice defensive plays to save runs.

Franklin scored on a double steal in the first and a sacrifice fly by Ross Gordon in the second to tie the game at 2. The Flyers went ahead for good in the third, as Jimmy Neal doubled, Nick Hilton walked and both came home on Lord’s single and a Gardiner error.

The Flyers got four more runs in the bottom of the fifth when the first six batters reached base. Then coach Dan Stefanilo went to his bullpen.

Smith pitched a scoreless sixth, and Bradley Jackson ran into a little trouble in the seventh. Chadwick, Cody Plourde, Mike Phelps and Spencer Allen all reached to open the inning, making the score 8-5 and bringing Turcotte to the plate as the tying run with nobody out. But Jackson got Turcotte to fly out and then struck out the last two batters on 3-2 counts to end the game.

Stefanilo said he may have to piece his pitching together again this evening.

“We’ll play it inning by inning,” he said. “If we have to throw seven different guys, that’s what we’ll do.”

Madison 11, Waterville 7: Kameron Nelson hit a triple and a double, and Trevor Hisler had a double and three singles to lead Madison to the win in Madison.

Isaac Wacome hit a double and a single for Madison (2-15). Waterville’s J.T. Whitten homered and doubled, and Racean Wood had three singles.

South China Subway 5, Lincoln 3: South China Subway scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the Zone 2 win in Waterville.

Tom Grady hit a double for South China (7-8). Mark Wotton had a pair of hits for Lincoln (5-10).

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