The third time was far from charming.

Twice in the final innings, West appeared to have its one run lead erased, only to have those scores wiped off the board, but visiting Salem eventually made the runs stick in a 6-4 come-from-behind victory at Gill Stadium on April 15.

With one out in the top of the sixth inning, the Blue Devils apparently tied the game at 4-4 on a double, but the home plate umpire ruled Salem’s runner stepped over home plate, not on it, and the Blue Knights escaped the frame with their 4-3 lead intact.

Then in the top half of the final inning, another Salem runner crossed home to seemingly tie the contest after a wild throw trickled into the right field corner, but umpires sent the runner back to third after deciding the ball left the field of play.

But Shaun Yelle and Darren Brown strung together back-toback run-scoring singles to put Salem on top for good.

“I’m a little frustrated with the loss. But the confidence is still there,” said West head coach Adam Lawrence. “We walked five guys and three of them scored. Errors killed us too.”

Beau Breton contributed a solid start for the Blue Knights, tossing five innings and giving up three runs while striking out two.

The only blemish for the junior came in the top of the third, when the Blue Devils put together three runs without a hit. Four walks, four wild pitches and an infield error made it a 3-1 Salem lead.

West bounced back in the bottom of the fifth with three runs. Darek Robertson scampered home on a passed ball, and Nathan Knoetig pounded a triple to the wall, driving in two.

Last season the Blue Knights went 9-10, following a two-win campaign in 2007 during which Lawrence’s team lost nine onerun contests.

“After that we do bunting in tryouts a lot more,” said the mentor. “The kids have come a long way. Last year we were able to get bunts down and do the little things right. Those are the things we need to do this year.”

Breton, Robertson, Andrew Klimm, Devin Greaney and Marc Russomanno are the final Bedford residents to button up the West uniform, and Lawrence is depending on his seniors.

“I have a good group of seniors, and I’m hoping they get on the other kids and hold each other accountable,” said Lawrence.

“When someone doesn’t get a bunt down, it’s one thing to hear it from the coach. But when you hear from your teammates, I think it means a little bit more.”