Bristol — It really belongs among the baseball commandments, maybe hanging in Cooperstown somewhere: There is no problem in the world an 11-run first inning can’t fix.

And if anyone in the Waterford Little League traveling party bore even a hint of anxiety Thursday afternoon — knockout game and all — the nerves subsided with every early ping of the bats. Seven runs scored before anybody made an out, enabling the summer of their lives to continue at least one more day.

Waterford eliminated Biddeford, Maine 15-5 in the New England Regionals and advanced to Friday's knockout game against Cranston, R.I. at 11 a.m. Waterford defeated Cranston earlier this week.

“That big inning definitely got the kids to believe a little again,” Waterford coach Tim Burrows said, alluding to how his team needed to respond from Wednesday's 16-1 loss to New Hampshire. “It was like, ‘hey, we are a good team.’ We had watched all the other teams play except for New Hampshire because they had the bye. We didn’t know what we were facing and I think we were a little shellshocked at first.”

Maine could probably identify.

The first inning: Jared Burrows triple, Ryan Salvador RBI double. Luke Sokolski infield single, Ryan O’Connell walk. Trey Brennan hit-by-pitch. Pitching change. Robert Zawacki three-run triple. Ben Jerome single, Connor Podeszwa walk. Matt Sanford fielder’s choice (the first out).

But wait, there’s more: Burrows walk, Salvador RBI single. Sokolski sacrifice fly, O’Connell RBI double, Brennan two-run double, Zawacki fly to right. Waterford 11, Maine 0.

“I had a lot of confidence today,” Tim Burrows said. “When they get smacked in the mouth, they bounce back. We got mercied by Newington in the divisionals and then we turned around and mercied them. You learn more from a loss than you do from a win. Starting off with 11 runs got them pumped.”

It also prompted Burrows to remove starter Connor Podeszwa in the first inning, saving his pitches for another day. Most likely Friday.

“We have a long road. Connor has pitched a lot of big games for us,” Burrows said. “We’re very confident in him. I’d rather save him and see if he can come back (Friday).”

O’Connell earned the victory in relief.

Jared Burrows, who later hit an inside-the-park home run, finished a double short of the cycle.

“I thought I was going to stop at third,” Jared Burrows said of the homer. “I saw the outfielder dive and the ball not go in his glove. I thought I had a shot.”

Salvador had three hits and Jerome had two.

Zawacki’s triple earned some recognition on Twitter from his cousin, Los Angeles Dodgers’ prospect and former Waterford High great Nolan Long, who tweeted of Zawacki, “that’s my boy.”

And now maybe Tim Burrows can continue the tradition the coaches started Thursday.

“We told the kids that if they won,” Burrows said, “we’d go to Dairy Queen and get sprinkles.”

m.dimauro@theday.com

Twitter: @BCgenius