SACO — There is an old baseball cliché that says good teams win games with two-out hitting.

That cliché, at least Wednesday, best describes Thornton Academy’s baseball team.

The Golden Trojans scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, snapping a 5-5 tie and beating Noble 8-5 on a late and foggy afternoon Wednesday.

“Two-out hitting is the key,” Thornton Academy coach Ray Petit said. “That’s what separates the good teams from the great teams.”

Thornton used the timely hitting after Noble tied the game 5-5 with four runs in the top of the sixth inning.

With two outs and Jack Kenney on second base, Noble intentionally walked Jeff Gelinas, setting up force outs at third, second and first.

The plan almost worked, but Alex Fallon hit a blooper just out of the reach of the Noble second baseman that landed in right-center field. That scored Kenney from second and gave Thornton a 6-5 lead.

“That was a big play,” Noble coach Adam Hale said. “Our second baseman was inches away from catching that. If he can catch that, this is a different ballgame.”

Thornton took advantage as Dillon Dunbar hit a double to right that scored Gelinas and Fallon for an 8-5 Thornton lead. It was Dunbar’s second RBI double of the game.

“Thornton just hit the ball better today,” Hale said. “You have to give them credit.”

Kenney, who started on the mound for TA, cruised through the first five innings allowing one run on three hits. The lone run came in the first inning.

Noble, however, got to him in the top of the sixth inning. After cutting the score to 5-2 with no outs, Kenney dug in with runners on first and second. He induced back-to-back outs and looked poised to get out of the inning.

Noble’s Mason Della-Pianna hit a looping fly ball to center that landed just out of the reach of three Thornton players who converged on it behind second base.

That plated two runs and cut the Thornton lead to 5-2.

RBI hit forced Petit to replace Kenney with Brandon Briggs.

“I thought Jack Kenney was going to get out of that,” Petit said. “Jack was throwing the ball well, but the guy got a bloop hit. I thought we could ride him out the rest of the way, but it didn’t work out.”

Noble then tied the game a few batters later when Drew Martin laced a single into center that plated Marc Bourgeois, who came in to pinch run for Della-Pianna.

“Noble’s a good, scrappy team,” Petit said.

In the top of the seventh inning, Dunbar came in to pitch for Thornton. Noble didn’t hit Dunbar hard, but put a runner on with one out, then an error gave the Knights runners at first and second. Both runners advanced to second and third on a pitch in the dirt before Dunbar walked the bases loaded with one out.

Corey Halliday hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring a run and cutting the Thornton lead to 8-6 with two outs.

That was as close as Noble could get.

“I’m pretty proud of the guys,” Petit said. “You have a 5-1 lead going into the late innings and they tie it 5-5, we could have easily folded, but we didn’t.”

Dunbar finished the game with three RBIs. Dylan Morton had a triple, and Kenney, Fallon, Carlton Pendleton and Steve Harmon each had two hits for TA. Thornton pounded out 11 hits. Dunbar earned the win as the Trojans improved to 4-3.

— Contact Al Edwards at 282-1535, Ext. 323.