Waterford — East Lyme has done baseball as well as any team in one of the state’s best baseball leagues the past three seasons.

Pedigree can only take a team so far, and East Lyme is as green as anyone in the Eastern Connecticut Conference this season. It graduated almost its entire starting lineup, and over half the team wasn’t on last season’s postseason roster.

It was a tad unsettling for the Vikings, then, when three of Waterford’s first four batters singled to load the bases during the bottom of the first inning in Monday’s season opener.

From that point on, East Lyme played like East Lyme. Senior Ryan Kane scattered four hits over 6.1 innings with five strikeouts and no earned runs as the Vikings beat the Lancers 6-2.

“This is probably one of the youngest, inexperienced teams we’ve had in a long time,” East Lyme coach Jack Biggs said. “There are two freshmen out there, a couple of sophomores, some juniors, and some seniors who have never played varsity before.”

The Vikings graduated seven starters from last season’s CIAC Class L runner-up. Nine of their 17 varsity players weren’t on last season’s 20-man postseason roster.

Kane, last year’s number three pitcher, settled down after a shaky start. He didn’t allow another hit until there was one out in the seventh inning with East Lyme’s defense backing him up.

“My team helped me out,” Kane said. “They hyped me up. I just knew today was going to be a good day.”

Senior Matt Abbey had two hits, including a double, and scored for the Vikings and Kane added an RBI single. Sophomore Matt Malcom hit a solo home run.

Senior Daniel Castelpoggi had two hits for Waterford.

“It was funny because last season, it ended on basically the same type of game (a 5-2 Class M quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Wolcott),” Lancers coach Art Peluso said. “We hit the ball (early). ... and then we didn’t do anything. We had one hit the rest of the way.

“I thought we hit the ball okay. … Give (Kane) credit. He did a great job.”

Senior Shawn Anhalt and freshman Chris Malcom received back-to-back walks to begin the East Lyme third. They advanced a base on sophomore Luke Leonard’s fielder’s choice.

Matt Malcom struck out, but the third strike was dropped. Anhalt took off for home as the ball was being thrown to first and scored.

“We might be the shortest, littlest team around, so we have to use our speed,” Biggs said. “You look across (the field), those guys (Waterford) are huge. We’re Tiny Tims out here.”

Chris Malcom scored on an error during the next at bat.

Sophomore Tommy Mason beat out an infield single to start the Vikings’ fourth and Kane and Anhalt were hit by pitches to load the bases with no outs. Chris Malcom walked to force Mason home.

Abbey and senior Trevor Delesdernier led off the Waterford fifth with singles and were sacrificed over a base by junior Jared Hunt. Abbey scored on Mason’s fielder’s choice and Kane followed with an RBI single.

Matt Malcom hit a solo home run with two outs in the sixth.

The Lancers loaded the bases on two walks and an error with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Dylan Bosco’s fly ball led to a second error and scored junior Mike Burrows and senior Tyler Yeomans.

Kane got the next two Waterford batters to fly out.

Kane started the seventh but left after giving up a double to Castelpoggi and walking Burrows with one out.

Freshman lefty Tristan Levesque came on in relief and induced a game-ending double play.

n.griffen@theday.com