Old Lyme — It was a sophomore wearing the life-preserver late Monday afternoon as the Fitch High School baseball team's outstanding player — an actual life-preserver on which each player writes his number in Sharpie — after a 5-3 victory over Old Lyme.

Nick Helbig, in his second varsity game, his first as Fitch's starting left fielder, broke open a 0-0 game with a solo home run to left field in the top of the seventh inning against Old Lyme, finally getting to crafty starter Jordan Warecke.

"He's a renaissance man," Fitch coach Jeff Joyce was saying of Helbig. "He's a straight-A student, an amazing jazz player (on the saxophone). It's like he's out of Shakepearean play. And he's built like a 25-year-old Mr. Universe applicant."

First, a little background on Fitch.

The Falcons endured a five-game losing streak which put their record at 3-6 for the season, in danger of not qualifying for the state tournament. During that time, Joyce's team faced Waterford left-handed pitcher Walker Sutman, who struck out 14 in a 4-2 victory over the Falcons. The next game was against Hall's Chase Jeter, also a lefty and another Division I prospect, resulting in a 2-1 loss. And on it went.

"We faced four or five college and high college starting pitchers," Joyce said. "We were getting a real education on hitting ... and not hitting, actually."

Enter, Helbig. Respectfully, he took Joyce aside and asked him for a chance. He served as the designated hitter in Fitch's 3-2 victory Thursday over previously unbeaten East Lyme, ranked fifth in the state. He walked and rifled a double.

On Monday, Helbig had two hits as the Falcons beat also-streaking Old Lyme, which won its first seven games of the season before dropping to 7-2. Helbig singled in the fifth and homered in the seventh, which sparked a five-run rally for Fitch, now 5-6.

"When I was in the dugout, I kept looking at (Warecke's) delivery," Helbig said. "I love hitting. ... My goal was start varsity and that's what I'm doing. I went to a game when I was 10 and I said, 'That's what I want to do.'

"Coach Joyce, after we beat East Lyme he said that's a good opportunity to turn our season around," Helbig added. "We knew that our bats would come around. You have to trust the process."

Still, Fitch was locked in a scoreless tie against Old Lyme, with both teams squandering baserunners. Fitch was called for an illegal slide in the second, resulting in a double play. In the fifth, the Falcons left the bases loaded and in the sixth they left the go-ahead run at third, as well.

Helbig's homer came with one out in the seventh. Ryan Tuohy then singled, Dan Clark reached on a fielder's choice, Tyler Nelli was hit by a pitch and Jake Parizo reached on an error, scoring Clark with an insurance run. Mike Williams added to the total with a three-run home run, his second hit of the day.

Connor McCrea pitched a complete game five-hitter for Fitch, although things nearly came unglued in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run single by Old Lyme's Jace Funaro, combined with two Fitch errors.

Funaro also doubled for Old Lyme, which made the third out of the inning on a baserunning error in the second, hit into a double play in the fifth and had a runner thrown out trying to steal in the sixth.

"Our baserunning wasn't good," Old Lyme coach Randy St. Germain said. "In a tight game you've got to execute. We didn't look good."

Old Lyme will now return to Shoreline Conference play, meeting Creed/Hillhouse on Wednesday and facing unbeaten Morgan (ranked sixth in the state) on Friday. St. Germain said the Wildcats' pitching has been their strong point thus far, as evidenced by Warecke.

"He mixes his pitches good and keeps the ball down," St. Germain said.

Meanwhile, Fitch has what Joyce calls "an injection of muscle" in its lineup in Helbig, who also will join the Falcons' pitching rotation.

"We were just kind of stagnant (during the five-game losing streak)," Joyce said. "It was a combination of playing an extremely difficult schedule and us not hitting. I felt like a lot of good things were going on just under the surface."

v.fulkerson@theday.com