STANDISH – Thanks in large part to the pitching of Thomas Paul Fairchild, the Monmouth Academy Mustangs leave the ranks of Class D at the “Tip” of high school baseball success.

A one-hit gem by Tip Fairchild didn’t require his Mustangs to put up much offense, but their lineup was as hot as the searing temperatures at sun-drenched Mahaney Diamond as they ripped three triples en route to 10 hits and a 12-2, mercy rule-shortened victory over East champ Van Buren on the Saint Joseph’s College campus.

The Mustangs finish up their final season in Class D with a 20-0 record. Next year, they’ll play a Class C schedule. Van Buren winds up its first regional championship season with a 15-3 mark.

“We felt we were the strongest team in Class D the last couple years, but last year we didn’t even make the state final,” said coach Monmouth Keith Morang. “This year we’ve got the hardware to prove it.”

Just about the only person not complaining about the mid-90’s heat was Fairchild, who walked one batter, struck out six, and threw 53 of 73 pitches for strikes.

“I really like the hot weather to pitch in because I pitch a lot in the summer for Legion. I’m used to it and it keeps me loose,” said Fairchild, who finishes his junior year with a 7-0 record and 0.98 earned run average. “I don’t think they were able to catch up with my high fastball and my deuce [curveball] was working today too.”

No, Fairchild’s deuces weren’t wild and neither were Monmouth’s hitters, as they patiently sat on the fastballs from Van Buren ace Phil Smith, who didn’t have his usual velocity or location.

“They were eating my fastball right up,” said Smith, who was tagged for his first loss of the season. “The heat had a lot to do with it. I hate to make excuses, but it bogged me down. My performance was diminished completely.”

Smith, whose ERA went from 0.60 before the game to 1.45 after, finishes his senior season 8-1.

The Mustangs made it 2-0 in the second on a one-out walk to Matt Cyr. One out later, Jeremy Gatcomb belted a 1-0 Smith fastball down the right-field line for a triple. The ball was fair by two inches and skipped to the fence. The right fielder mishandled the ball and Gatcomb scored easily.

Kris MacCabe’s leadoff walk in the third, a stolen base, and a two-out triple by Josh Bubier made it 3-0, but the Crusaders got two runs back in the fourth. Zac Cote hit a leadoff single and went all the way to third on a botched throw to second on a fielder’s choice grounder. Smith then took second and Cote scored on a delayed double steal. Cote later scored on a one-out groundout.

The Mustangs added three runs in the fourth on five hits, the biggest of which was a two-run triple to right center by MacCabe. They blew it open in the fifth courtesy of six runs – only one of which was earned – on three hits and two Van Buren errors.

The Mustangs lived up to their name on the basepaths as they swiped six bases in six attempts.

“It was tough to slow them down. They have good speed all-around and Phil just wasn’t on today,” said Crusaders coach Brian Hews. “The evidence of that was the first three guys. It was the first inning all year I think the defense had to make three outs for Phil.”

Bubier (3-for-4) led the Mustangs’ offense as he, Gatcomb, and MacCabe each had two RBIs.

“I was just gearing up for his fastball really,” said Bubier, one of nine seniors on the team who have been out of school for a month. “We’d been hearing about it all week. We figured if we could get on him early, since probably nobody had done that all year against him, we could get to him.”

Mustangs 12, Crusaders 2

(5 innings)

Van Buren (15-3) Monmouth Academy (20-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

E.Ayotte, ss 2 0 0 0 MacCabe, cf 2 2 2

Hews, 1b-c 3 0 0 0 Stoup, lf 0 0 0

Cote, 3b-p 2 1 1 0 Palleschi, dh 2 0 1

P.Smith, p-3b-1b 2 0 0 0 Stinson, lf-rf 0 0

a-W.Smith 0 1 0 0 Fairchild, p 4 0 1

S.Ayotte, c-3b 2 0 0 0 b-Gardner 0 0

Gagnon, rf 2 0 0 1 Bubier, 1b 4 1 2

Violette, cf 2 0 0 0 Dorion, ss 3 0 0

Chasse, lf 2 0 0 0 M.Cyr, c 1 2 0

Ouellette, dh 2 0 0 0 c-Wade 0 1 0

Corbin, 2b 0 0 0 0 Webber, 3b 3 1 0

Gatcomb, rf-cf 2 3 2 2

Howard, 2b 2 1 1 1

d-A.Cyr 1 1 0 0

Totals 19 2 1 1 Totals 24 12 10 9

a-ran for P. Smith in the fourth, b-ran for Fairchild in the fifth, c-ran for M. Cyr in the fifth, d-ran for Howard in the fifth

Van Buren 000 20 ? 2

Monmouth 021 36 ? 12

E? E. Ayotte, P. Smith, Gagnon; Webber 2, Howard; LOB? Van Buren 2, Monmouth 5; 3B? MacCabe, Bubier, Gatcomb; SF? Palleschi; SB? W. Smith, Cote; Palleschi, M. Cyr 2, MacCabe, Gatcomb, Bubier

Van Buren IP H R ER BB SO

P. Smith (L, 8-1) 3 2/3 7 6 5 2 1

Cote 1 3 6 1 2 0

Monmouth IP H R ER BB SO

Fairchild (W,7-0) 5 1 2 0 1 6

HBP? Palleschi by P. Smith, Stoup by Cote; PB? S. Ayotte; T? 1:39; ATT? 337