BIDDEFORD — It’s always important to start the season off strong — and that becomes even more crucial when you have a 12-day break before your next game.

The Biddeford Tigers will head into their long break on a 1-game winning streak as they scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to pick up a 5-3 victory over visiting Marshwood on Thursday.

“It’s just a good feeling to get that first win under your belt … to be able to be sitting in a position where you’re a little bit more comfortable and not pressing at all,” said Biddeford coach Keith LeBlanc.

Brice Springer helped the Tigers win their season opener as he tossed a complete game with just three hits allowed and seven strikeouts.

“It feels amazing to win the first game … hopefully we’ll go out there and win the next one,” said Springer after the victory.

Marshwood scored first when the Hawks took advantage of a walk and an error to push Ian Darmley across for a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Biddeford would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game, and the Tigers took a 2-1 lead with another run in the fifth.

The visiting Hawks used a pair of singles and an error to push two runs across in the top of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead and put some pressure on the Biddeford offense.

The Tigers’ bats got the job done in the bottom half. Biddeford would get hits from Kurtis Edgerton, Hunter Demeule and Carter Edgerton and used a pair of walks and an error to push three runs across and retake a 5-3 lead heading into the seventh.

Springer got two outs quickly in the top of the seventh — although the second came on a hot shot to the hole between first and second which second baseman Logan Magnant grabbed on a dive and threw to first for out number two.

Darmley would walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but Springer slammed the door with his seventh strikeout.

LeBlanc was thrilled to see his team fight through adversity in their first game of the season.

“The boys were competitive all game,” said LeBlanc. “They competed at the plate. They competed on the mound. They just did a really nice job of staying focused and mentally tough and not getting down when we had a couple bad plays throughout the game.”

Demeule and Kurtis Edgerton led Biddeford at the plate with two hits and one RBI each. Owen Sullivan, Magnant and Colin Lavigne also had hits for the Tigers.

Marshwood would get two hits from Nathan Curtis and Marshall Smracko came off the bench with a pinch-hit single in the sixth.

The Tigers will now have 12 days without a regular-season game before they take on Gorham on April 24.

“We’ve got three scrimmages lined up so we’ll play those. We’ll get all the pitchers a lot of work throughout the next couple weeks here until our next game. We’re at Gorham on (April 24), so we will just get prepared for that,” said LeBlanc.

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.

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