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CAPE ELIZABETH — Solid pitching, stout defense and timely hitting carried Yarmouth to a 5-3 victory over Cape Elizabeth in a Western Maine Conference softball game Friday.

Cape Elizabeth (10-3) had a nine-game win streak snapped. Yarmouth (9-3) has won 7 of 8.

“Better (to lose) now than later,” said Cape Elizabeth Coach Joe Henrikson. “I feel good about our squad.”

Yarmouth pitcher Mari Cooper allowed three runs on four hits through the first two innings.

“Sometimes it just takes a little bit for me to adjust to something so simple as the mound itself,” said Cooper.

She then retired 14 straight batters from the end of the second inning through the sixth.

“When we make such good defensive plays behind me, that’s what gives me the confidence,” said Cooper. “Confidence is what really drives me.”

Cooper allowed three runs on four hits, walking four and striking out three. She also had two hits and scored a run.

“We really depend on Mari, maybe sometimes a little too much,” said center fielder Colleen Sullivan. “We couldn’t have won without everyone on the team. Everybody played a huge part.”

Trailing 3-2 with one out in the fourth inning, Yarmouth drew back-to-back walks followed by a single to load the bases for Sullivan, who fell behind 0-2 but battled to make the count 2-2.

“(Sullivan) is a competitor. Her (stance) has been a little crazy so we’ve been trying to work on that,” said Yarmouth Coach Amy Ashley.

On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Sullivan laced a bases-clearing double over the head of center fielder Kelly O’Sullivan, giving Yarmouth a 5-3 lead.

“I was thinking about (the stance) too much. As (the pitch) was coming in I was like, ‘stop moving your feet, just take a deep breath,’ ” said Sullivan. “And I did. Solid contact.”

“There’s no one else that we’d rather have at the plate in that situation than Colleen,” said Ashley.

The Capers put runners on first and second with nobody out with the top of the order coming up in the seventh, but a popup that turned into a double play was decisive.

“I don’t know what happened (on the double play). I have three freshmen on the field and (the runner on second base) is one of them,” said Henrikson.

The next batter lined to second to end the game.

“I was proud that we were able to finish today. Especially with runners on first and second with no outs. That was huge,” said Ashley.

Freshman Jessie Robicheaw of Yarmouth was burned by a two-run second inning and a three-run fourth.

Overall she was charged with five runs, four earned, on 10 hits, while walking four and striking out six.

The teams will meet again for the last game of the regular season May 31.