BANGOR – Kyle Leeman has pitched with a starter’s mentality through three years of sub-varsity play at Bangor High School.

But with his senior season on the varsity has come a new role, and the right-hander has provided the Rams considerable relief in their 3-0 start.

Leeman has pitched in all three games, and on Wednesday earned his first victory with 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief as the Rams rallied past Hampden Academy 7-5 at Mansfield Stadium.

“To tell you the truth, I feel like I’m more pumped up coming out of the bullpen knowing that they need me,” said Leeman, who also has one save this spring. “When I get on the mound I have the mentality that they’re not going to hit me because I’m so pumped up.”

Leeman replaced starter Alex Gallant with two on and two out in the fourth and struck out Brennan Perry to end the inning and avoid a matchup against Hampden standout Ian Lee with runners in scoring position.

From there, Leeman allowed only two singles to Lee while striking out four and walking one.

“He’s effective because he can throw his curveball for a strike, he’s got good velocity and he’s a competitor,” said Bangor coach Jeff Fahey.

Leeman’s value has been all the more important early this season as Gallant and Ian Edwards – two-thirds of the starting rotation along with Jim Cox – have been brought along slowly after experiencing some arm soreness during the preseason.

Leeman anticipated there might be an opportunity to contribute, though not necessarily at the start of games.

“I kind of got the feeling from the beginning of the season,” said Leeman. “We’ve kind of got a rotation going right now, and they just said, ‘Kyle, be ready at any point of any game.’ I’m happy with that.”

No one in the Bangor dugout was happy early in Wednesday’s contest, as Hampden broke out to a 5-0 lead thanks in large part to hard-hitting leadoff batter Joel Neill. Neill opened the gamewith a double, and after Perry blooped a single to center Lee hit a slow chopper to shortstop good for an RBI single. Perry scored on a balk to give the 1-2-1 Broncos a 2-0 lead.

Neill blasted a three-run homer to left in the top of the second to give left-hander Evan Farley a five-run cushion.

But Bangor battled back, initially with a run in the bottom of the second as Edwards walked, stole second and scored on Kyle Vanidestine’s two-out double down the right-field line.

The Rams cut the gap to 5-3 in the third on an RBI triple by Gallant and a run-scoring double by Edwards.

Bangor took the lead with a four-run fifth. Scott Hackett and Gallant opened the inning with singles, and then Leeman was sent up to lay down a sacrifice bunt. He failed on two attempts, but then hit a swinging bunt back to the mound that Farley threw errantly to first base, enabling Hackett to score and leaving runners on first and third.

Gallant scored on a throwing error by Lee as Leeman stole second, and Edwards singled home Leeman to give Bangor a 6-5 lead.

Shane Walton then reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second base before scoring on two wild pitches by Hampden reliever Jon Ireland.

RAMS 7, BRONCOS 5

Hampden Acad. (1-2-1) Bangor (3-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Neill, lf 3 2 2 3 Vanidestine, rf 2 0 1

Perry, rf 4 1 1 0 Estabrook, ss 4 0 0

Lee, c 4 0 3 1 Webb, c 3 0 0 0

Smith, dh 4 0 0 0 Hackett, 1b 2 2 0

Shue, 2b 0 0 0 0 Gallant, p-lf 4 2 1

Farley, p 3 0 0 0 Seeley, lf 2 0 0

Ireland, p 0 0 0 0 Leeman, p 2 1 0

Maclean, cf 3 0 0 0 Edwards, dh 3 1 2

Hitchings, 1b 3 1 1 0 Jones, 2b 0 0

Stephens, 3b 2 0 0 0 Walton, 3b 3 1 0

Kelsey, ss 2 1 1 0 Crews, cf 2 0 0

Totals 28 5 8 4 Totals 27 7 7 4

Hampden Academy 230 000 0-5

Bangor 012 04x-7

E-Kelsey, Farley, Lee; Webb, Walton; LOB-Hampden Acad. 8, Bangor 5; 2B- Neill; Vanidestine, Edwards; 3B-Gallant; HR-Neill; DP-Walton to Jones to Hackett; SB-Neill, Perry, Lee, Stephens, Kelsey; Vanidestine 2, Leeman 2, Hackett, Edwards, Walton

Hampden Acad. IP H R ER BB SO

Farley (L, 1-1) 4 6 6 4 4 5

Ireland 2 1 1 0 1 2

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Gallant 3 2/3 6 5 5 2 4

Leeman (W, 1-0) 3 1/3 2 0 0 1 4

Farley pitched to four batters in fifth inning.

HBP-Vanidestine (by Farley); WP-Ireland 3; BK-Gallant; T-2:03; ATT-75 (est.)