READFIELD – The Western Class B softball quarterfinal between fourth-seeded Maranacook and fifth-ranked Gray-New Gloucester had a little of everything.

It had drama. It had controversy. It had terrific individual efforts.

And Gray-New Gloucester got the biggest hit, scoring the winning run in the eighth inning on a double by Zoe Adams to beat Maranacook, 3-2.

The Patriots (13-4) will play at play top-ranked Fryeburg Academy in the semifinals Saturday.

“They just made a couple more plays than we did,” Maranacook Coach Don Beckwith said.

Adams ripped a Sarah Boynton pitch off the wall in left-center to score Maggie Chaplin with the winner.

“I was really nervous because being a freshman, you still get really shaky,” Adams said. “My coach just said, ‘show them what you can do.’ “

Chaplin, the Gray-New Gloucester pitcher, struck out Lindsay Jackson and induced a groundout by Boynton before forcing another groundout from Jessica Smith two batters later to end the game.

Early on, it was a game of missed opportunities for Maranacook. In the second, Kaitlyn Chick reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and reached third on an error. Smith hit a grounder to shortstop Alexandra Thompson moments later, and Beckwith, hesitating at first, sent Chick home. Thompson threw the ball in time to nail Chick at the plate.

“We usually play aggressively so why change, right?” Beckwith said.

The game was scoreless until the fifth, when Samantha Wilkins scored from second on an infield error for the Patriots.

The Black Bears (12-5) took a 2-1 lead in the sixth after a call was overturned at the plate.

With Boynton on third and Chick on second, Amber Ridlon of Maranacook smacked a line drive down the third-base line. Boynton scored easily, but left fielder Lindsay Nunley threw a strike to Wilkins at home, who tagged out Chick.

The umpires convened in the middle of the field after the play and determined Chick was obstructed by third baseman Maria Valente at third on the way home. They allowed the run to count, giving the Black Bears a 2-1 lead.

The Patriots tied the game in the seventh after a terrific at-bat by Sandra Ricardi. Nunley led off the inning with a single, then stole second and third. Ricardi, in a 15-pitch at-bat, eventually singled to right to drive in Nunley and make it 2-2.

“We played hard, we played ready to go,” Gray-New Gloucester Coach Amanda Harmon said. “We just made some great plays when we needed to and came back fighting.”

 

Copy the Story Link