SACO — After he launched a two-run homer in the first inning Friday, one might have expected Biddeford to pitch around Thornton Academy’s three-hole hitter, Alex Fallon, for the rest of the game.

Thanks to the protection of cleanup man Jeff Gelinas, though, that didn’t happen

Fallon hit another big fly in the fifth, and Gelinas added a three-run bomb in the sixth, as the Golden Trojans slugged their way past the rival Tigers 11-6 in Saco.

It was Fallon’s first two dingers of the year, and they couldn’t have come at a more important time for the Trojans (3-5), who avoided falling four games under .500 at the season’s midway point.

“It’s a good feeling, that’s for sure,” Fallon said. “Rivals, big game, had to get off the losing slide, so it was good. We came out ready to hit and firing on all cylinders.”

Both teams came out swinging the bats, with the Tigers taking a 2-0 lead in the first on a Patrick Wilson      two-run single.

But Thornton responded right away in the bottom half as Fallon deposited a Nate Huot fastball over the leftfield wall to even things up.

“The way the season’s been going, that could have went two, two and two and all of a sudden we’re down 8-0. The way we answered was great,” Thornton coach Ray Petit coach said. “That’s what we’ve lacked.”

The Trojans went on to score twice more in the inning, with Cameron Jackman doubling to score Gelinas and then scoring himself on a Drew Lavigne groundout.

“When you snatch some momentum like that early in the game, you want to get out of that first inning quick and get back up to the plate,” Biddeford coach Keith Leblanc said. “That would have really helped getting that momentum going throughout the whole game.”

The Tigers were able to keep the pressure on, scoring once in the second and getting a Corey Brown homer in the third to tie the game, before a Jackman single in the bottom of the third plated Gelinas to put Thornton back up 5-4.

But once again Biddeford battled back, getting a Bryan Gelinas sacrifice fly and Nick LeBlond RBI single in the fifth to chase Thornton starter Brandon Briggs and regain the lead at 6-5.

That’s when Fallon intervened again, leading off the Trojans’ fifth with his second home run ”“ this one on a line to left ”“ to again tie the game before Gelinas reached on an error and came around to score his third run of the game to put Thornton up 7-6.

“This game was a little up and down for both teams,” Fallon said. “Once they jumped out to a lead we wanted to come right back.”

The bash brothers then gave the Trojans a little breathing room in the sixth, when with the bases loaded and no outs Fallon just missed his third homer of the game, flying out to deep center for a sacrifice fly.

Gelinas, however, didn’t miss, sending Corey Collard’s next pitch well over the left field fence to put his team up 11-6.

“Knowing there was a runner on third I just wanted to do my job and get him in,” Fallon said. “When Jeff came up I had a feeling he might go deep, because when he gets a pitch to hit it’s usually out of here.”

“They hit the ball square,” Leblanc added. “They took some real good swings on some pitches that were over the plate and deposited them over the fence.

“Pitching-wise we just didn’t hit our spots. These guys are good hitters and if you miss they’ll make you pay for it.”

Drew Gelinas then retired the Tigers in order in the seventh, finishing up his 2.1 innings of relief work to pick up the win, dropping Biddeford to 2-6 on the year.

“We’ve had a couple tough losses,” said Leblanc. “But I have a lot of seniors, and I think they understand and they’ll be able to move past it and focus on the next game.”

— Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 323.