Walpole, n.h. — Sophomore relief pitcher Drew Grenier pitched out of two late-inning jams as Stevens High nailed down an NHIAA Division III playoff berth with a 6-5 win over Fall Mountain Wednesday night in the seventh Kirby Cup game before about 300 fans at the Hubbard Sports Complex.

It has been an up-and-down season for the Cardinals (7-7), who went into Wednesday’s game in the 20th spot in D-III. They hope to move up the ladder a little when they finish the regular season on Friday with a home game against winless Hillsboro-Deering.

Grenier entered the game in relief of Ryan Napsey with two out in the sixth inning and Wildcats on first and second in a one-run game. He got a fly ball to end the threat.

Then, with one down in the seventh, Fall Mountain threatened with a walk followed by a Bailey Cote single. Grenier got a strikeout and an infield grounder to end the game.

“When you throw the ball over the plate, good things can happen,” Stevens coach Paul Silva said of Grenier’s effort.

Fall Mountain (7-7), which has won the Kirby Cup four of the seven times it has been played, will most likely take part in the Division III postseason, entering Wednesday night’s game in 12th spot. The Wildcats have a game today with Winnisquam and a Friday clash with Mascenic to close out the season.

In D-III, the 13th through 20th teams have first-round games on Tuesday, with the four winners advancing to the second round on Thursday or Friday. Official pairings will be announced on Monday by the NHIAA.

Fall Mountain’s Kendal Heath, who was the winning pitcher during Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Cardinals, was back on the hill Wednesday, throwing 126 pitches. He gave up 10 hits in the first four innings, but zero over the final three innings. Napsey was the starting and winning pitcher for the Cardinals, giving up six hits in five-plus innings.

“They just continue to amaze me,” Silva said of his Cardinals. “This was a big game for them, and they came through. I couldn’t be happier for them.”

Or as Zach O’Brien said coming off the field, “This is amazing.”

Fall Mountain left 10 men on, and Stevens stranded nine.

The Cards’ big inning was the fourth, as they got a two-run single from O’Brien and an RBI hit from Coby Hussey for 6-3 lead.

But Fall Mountain came back with two as Napsey hit a batter, walked another, allowed a run on a wild pitch and surrendered another on a Cote single.

Stevens had three hits in the second inning, scoring twice as Login Barry and Noah Spaulding drove in runs. The Cardinals had a chance for a much bigger inning, but they left the bases loaded. Barry also drove in a run in the third inning and, along with Spaulding and O’Brien, had two hits in the game.