AUGUSTA — Two very different errors, indirectly linked by the right field warning track, cost Oxford Hills an otherwise near-perfect Friday night at Cony.

Two Rams rounded the bases after a worst-case-scenario throwing error in the first inning. Another snuck into scoring position and was manufactured home by the grace of a dropped fly ball in the fourth.

Here in the playoffs, where every mistake is magnified, multiplied and mutated, that was all it took for No. 3 Cony to chase away No. 6 Oxford Hills, 3-2, in an Eastern Class A softball quarterfinal.

Cony (14-3) moved on to a Saturday semifinal at Messalonskee. Oxford Hills lost three games this spring to its KVAC rival by a total of four runs.

“It was a great game until the end,” Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard said. “From a fan’s perspective, it was everything you’d want to see.”

Including two plays the Vikings (11-6) would love to have back.

With two out and Emily Soule standing at first base, Cony’s Nicole Rugan hit a chopper toward the circle that appeared to end the first inning.

Oxford Hills pitcher Heather Verrier briefly struggled to find the handle, then uncorked a throw that sailed high over the head of Allyson Snow.

“I just rushed it,” Verrier said. “I felt really bad about it.”

Most of the time, the play would have put Cony runners at second and third, and Verrier and the Vikings still would have been given the opportunity to escape the inning unscathed.

Because the throw came from an unusual angle, it didn’t rattle off the fence or fly out of play. It made a beeline along the chalk, where the Vikings’ unsuspecting right fielder didn’t cut it off.

“That kind of turned it into two errors,” Goddard said.

The ball rolled all the way to the fence. Soule, who reached on an infield single, scored standing up. So did Rugan.

“I knew the first baseman didn’t have the ball,” Rugan said. “Our base coaches just told me to keep going, and I ran my life out.”

Still rattled, Verrier surrendered a double to Laina Younes before striking out Liz Barlow.

That started a string of seven straight batters and 16 of the last 17 retired by Verrier.

Rugan was the only Cony batter to reach base after the opening frame. Her deep fly ball to right field caught the edge of Abby Bernier’s glove but fell to the ground, leaving Cony’s leadoff hitter at second base in the fourth.

She advanced to third on Younes’ groundout to first and scored on Barlow’s slow roller to second, breaking a 2-2 tie.

Oxford Hills answered the bell with authority in the third inning, when No. 8 hitter Alex Rowe crushed a Soule offering over the fence in left center field.

“That turned the tide,” Goddard said. “Alex has a lot of power. She’s a sophomore, so she’s still learning how to use it.”

Verrier hit two doubles for the Vikings.

The first came with one out in the fourth. Verrier moved up on a passed ball and tied the game on Snow’s groundout.

“That’s what I wanted to do (after the error). I wanted to prove to myself that I’m a better player than that,” Verrier said.

Soule got the first two outs in the sixth before Verrier delivered her second shot to straightaway center.

Cony’s left-hander coaxed Snow into a grounder to shortstop to end the threat. Soule struck out seven and allowed only four hits.

“She pitched great,” Rugan said. “Her change-up was working really well.”

Rowe gave the Rams one more anxious moment when she lofted a loud, 200-foot foul ball in the seventh.

She then worked the count to 3-2 before popping up to Rugan at the plate for the final out.

“We knew it would be a battle,” Rugan said. “It always is when we play them.”

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