BANGOR – With a loss and a narrow escape in its last two outings, the Bangor baseball team was in search of a more decisive performance Friday.

And while it took a couple of innings to get going, the Rams responded to that challenge in successful fashion with an 8-2 Class A victory over Brunswick at Mansfield Stadium.

Ian Edwards scattered three hits over six innings, and Tyler McDade capped off a six-run third-inning rally with a towering two-run homer as the Rams improved to 7-1.

“Before the game we were talking about playing well in every facet of the game, offense, defense and pitching,” said Edwards, who struck out six, walked two and hit two batters before Dan Taft pitched a scoreless seventh. “We really hadn’t done that yet this year, and I think everyone was pressing in the first inning or two trying to accomplish every goal.

“But after we settled down and got a couple of runs, we started hitting the ball, playing good defense and throwing more strikes.”

Edwards also contributed two singles, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs to Bangor’s 10-hit attack, while Kyle Savage singled twice, Shane Walton tripled and leadoff hitter Kyle Vanidestine walked twice, singled and scored three runs.

Bangor broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the third inning off Brunswick righthander Matt Liscovitz.

Vanidestine walked and went to third on a one-out single by Edwards before scoring on the back end of a double steal to rally the Rams to a 2-2 tie.

Jordan Clarke followed with a two-out RBI single to right-center and scored when Walton tripled to deep left-center. Savage had an RBI infield hit to make it 5-2 before McDade skied a letter-high fastball over the left field fence.

“The first at bat against him there were a couple of inside pitches and I was ahead of them, so I just had to sit on that last one and finally got a hold of it,” said McDade.

Bangor added its final run an inning later, as Vanidestine singled to center, reached third when Ryan Larochelle grounded a single to right and scored on Edwards’ sacrifice fly.

Edwards threw 25 pitches in the first inning but just 30 pitches over the next three innings.

“We went to just throwing fastballs for [the second] inning,” said Bangor coach Jeff Fahey. “I didn’t even tell him that he was going to do it. He came off after the inning and asked what was going on, and I said ‘now you can mix it up,’ and he threw four zeroes after that.”

Edwards soon began using all his arsenal, including his fastball, curve and slider, and during one stretch retired 10 consecutive batters.

“I think he just settled down,” said McDade. “He started working in more of his off-speed stuff and got into a rhythm, which is everything in pitching.”

Connor Kelly hit an RBI double for Brunswick, now 5-3.

RAMS 8, DRAGONS 2

Brunswick (5-3) Bangor (7-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Liscovitz, p-cf 3 1 0 0 Vanidestine, cf 2 0

Basquez, 3b 4 0 1 0 Larochelle, rf 2 0 0

Lowe, 2b 3 0 0 0 Warren, rf 0 0 0

Simmons, rf 2 0 0 0 Edwards, p 3 1 2

Graham, rf 0 0 0 0 Taft, p 0 0 0 0

Wilson, c 2 0 0 0 Cox, ss 2 0 0 0

Sickel, c 0 0 0 0 Hansen, ph 1 0 0

Viola, ss 3 0 0 0 Clarke, dh 0 0 0

Faherty, lf 3 0 1 0 Templeton, 1b 3 1 1

Totman, 1b 3 1 0 0 Walton, 3b 3 1 1

Kelly, dh-p 2 0 1 1 Casey-Covell, ph 1 0

Fisk, cf 0 0 0 0 Savage, lf 2 1 1

Feldman, p 0 0 0 0 Burns, lf 0 0 0

McDade, c 2 1 1 2

Brookings, c 0 0 0 0

Kelley, 2b 3 0 0 0

Susi, 2b 0 0 0 0

Totals 25 2 3 1 Totals 24 8 10 7

Brunswick 110 000 0 – 2

Bangor 106 100 x – 8

E-Faherty, Simmons; Susi; LOB-Brunswick 7, Bangor 7; 2B-Kelly; 3B-Walton; HR-McDade; DP-Brunswick 1; S-Larochelle; SF-Edwards; SB-Liscovitz; Vanidestine, Edwards

Brunswick IP H R ER BB SO

Liscovitz (L, 1-1) 2 2/3 7 7 7 3 1

Feldman 2 1/3 2 1 1 2 0

Kelly 1 1 0 0 2 0

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Edwards (W, 2-1) 6 3 2 2 2 6

Taft 1 0 0 0 0 0

HBP-Liscovitz, Lowe (by Edwards), Kelly (by Taft); WP-Edwards, Taft; T-2:02; ATT-125 (est.);