Bishop Guertin catcher Kyle Lavigne tags out Nashua South's Leo Kopicko at the plate in the first inning of the Cards' 9-4 win Monday at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Yes, it’s an open tournament, so the high school regular season doesn’t include what one might call a crucial game.

But don’t tell that to the Bishop Guertin baseball team, which went into Monday’s joust at Holman Stadium with rival Nashua South at 0-4, but emerged with the season’s first win, 9-4.

You can bet it meant a lot.

“They needed it,” Guertin coach Scott Painter said of his players. “We want the guys to play as if everything matters. If they’re playing like it doesn’t matter now, then come the end of May (when the tournament begins), it’s not going to matter.”

The Cards got some good relief pitching a couple of big defensive plays, and they also flexed their muscles with nine hits, including a two-run first inning homer to left by Kyle Lavigne on a 1-0 pitch and a two-run second inning double by Dominic Monico off South starter Nolan Mederos that gave the Cards a 4-1 lead.

“We hadn’t swung them really well in the season so far, but against Mederos we swung them much better,” Painter said. “We put the ball in play, forced them to make plays, produce some runs, steal some bags, it was a good win.”

“BG had a couple of bombs, and Kyle Lavigne started it,” South coach James Gaj said. “We challenged him, wanted to see what he’s got, and he showed us. Just have to tip your cap again.”

The Cards extended the lead to 6-1 with two more runs in the four-run second on Mitchell’s RBI single and Hayden Shattuck’s sac fly. Mitchell went 4-for-4 on the day as he, Lavigne, Monico and Shattuck (RBI hit in a three-run sixth) all had two RBIs. Max Riordan (bases loaded walk in the sixth) got the other.

Still, the Panthers had their moments, closing to 6-4 in the top of the sixth, and were it not for a fabulous diving inning-ending catch by Shattuck in right with two on, they might have tied the game.

“You know something, that right fielder was my nemesis the whole day,” Gaj said. “There were a couple of balls I thought were going to fall in front of him, and he made the plays. I was pretty impressed.”

“It’s a great catch,” Painter said. “He’s a great competitor, he wants the ball, he’s excitable. That was a big out for us.”

South had other chances. The Panthers loaded the bases with no one out in the first against Guertin starter Brandon Metivier but managed only one run on Isiah Hedquist’s single, with Leo Kopicko thrown out at home. They scored their other three runs on two errant throws and a wild pitch.

It didn’t help that Guertin got good relief pitching. Colin Toohey got a key third out in the fourth, and then Kam Thibault pitched three innings, allowing only an unearned run while fanning six.

“We thought we were in the game the whole time,” Gaj said. “Baseball, you hope some of the play go your way, and they went their way today, and not ours.”