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FREEPORT — Starting three games in three days can be tough for a softball pitcher’s arm, but it’s a lot easier when the games don’t last the full seven innings.

On Wednesday, the North Yarmouth Academy softball team won its third game in a row and its second straight via the mercy rule, beating Freeport in five innings, 14-4.

“Today, I had a lot more confidence than I did before in the last couple games, because we’ve had a rough couple games,” Panthers pitcher Lily Fortin said. “But I think we did a really good job at shaking off mistakes this time, because that’s been a common thing for us. It’s made us struggle. But I think we did really well in that today.”

Fortin has pitched 15 innings in the last three games, during which NYA (13-3) has outscored its opponents 39-5.

Freeport (11-5) recorded five hits and four errors in Wednesday’s regular-season finale.

How it happened

• The Panthers established themselves at the plate early, going through the batting order and leading 4-1 after the opening inning. The Falcons made a pitching change after the first inning, but two errors in the second inning allowed the visitors to bat through the lineup again and add five runs to the scoreboard.

“(Freeport) is a good team, we just hit the ball. We have not been hitting the ball well, believe it or not,” NYA coach Ricky Doyon said, referring to his team’s 15 hits. “Today, we were actually making some true, good contact and finding the gaps, whereas sometimes we’ll make some good contact, but we were hitting it right out to players.”

• Fortin started the top of the third with a double and was brought home on a Jordan Nash sacrifice fly to make it 10-1. NYA’s Mia Desgrosseillers almost retired the side by herself in the bottom of the third with quick grabs at second base, but Celia Cobb’s grounder bounced right past her head, putting a Freeport runner on base. Lilliana Larochelle drove in Cobb to make it 10-2.

• Fortin hit a three-run double in the top of the fourth, and Nash drove her in to give NYA a 12-run advantage. Freeport received RBI singles from Ciara Daly and Izzy George in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, but it wasn’t enough to stop the 10-run rule.

“We’ve got to do a better job of how we approach each game as it comes up,” Freeport coach Chris St. Pierre said. “And really, it boils down to the energy level of the bench, the field players, you know, all that comes into effect. Then we’ve just got to try and minimize the errors. I mean, the errors killed us today. We gave way too many outs, and I think that’s essentially what shot us in the foot.”

Statistical leaders

• Freeport: Piper Larochelle (1 inning pitched, four hits, four earned runs, two walks; run scored), Izzy George (4 innings pitched, 11 hits, six earned runs, strikeout, walk; 1 for 3, RBI), Lilliana Larochelle (2 for 3, run, RBI), Celia Cobb (1 for 3, two runs).

• NYA: Lily Fortin (5 innings pitched, five hits, two earned runs, strikeout, walk; 3 for 4, four runs, three RBI), Jordan Nash (2 for 4, two runs, four RBI), Mia Desgrosseillers (4 for 4, run, 3 RBI), Brooklyn Goodman (2 for 4, two runs, RBI).