AUGUSTA — Their game had ended 45 minutes earlier, yet the members of Messalonskee High’s softball team and their entourage lingered on the softball diamond at Cony High as if they never wanted to leave.

And who could blame them?

The Eagles, behind the dominating pitching of junior Kirsten Pelletier and a long home run by Kristy Prelgovisk in the first inning, won the Class A state championship for the first time in 10 years Saturday afternoon, stunning previously undefeated Scarborough 1-0.

Prelgovisk’s home run was Messalonskee’s only hit off Scarborough sophomore Lilly Volk.

“This means a lot,” said Prelgovisk, one of two seniors on Messalonskee (17-3).

“We’re great friends on this team, more like sisters actually. To be able to do this together is awesome. And we’re never going to forget it.”

The Red Storm (19-1) had averaged 10.5 runs per game and scored in double-digits nine times. But they were kept off balance by Pelletier, who allowed just two hits – none after the second inning – and struck out 12 while walking three.

She changed locations and speeds, throwing her change-up more than she has in most games.

“That was the best pitcher we’ve seen this year, no question,” said Scarborough Coach Tom Griffin. “She did a great job. I thought we could make adjustments, but we just weren’t able to.

“When you have a pitcher who’s spot on and she’s bringing the ball up in the zone … a great pitcher can dominate a great offense.”

Pelletier said she knew in the first inning, when she gave up an infield single but struck out the side, that she was on.

“All my pitches were working and I could locate it,” she said.

Scarborough threatened only once, in the fifth, when the Eagles made their only error. But the Red Storm had a runner thrown out at third by Messalonskee catcher Taylor Easler, then stranded two runners when Pelletier got an inning-ending strikeout.

Volk, a sophomore, was really good, too. She struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter. But with two outs in the first, Prelgovisk hit a 3-2 pitch well over the left-field fence, about 230 feet away. It was her 10th home run of the season.

It was a no-doubter, based as much on the sound of the ball coming off the bat as anything else.

“As soon as it made the sound, you knew it was gone … It was beautiful,” said Messalonskee Coach Leo Bouchard.

Volk was trying to throw a strike – “A 3-2 pitch, you don’t want to waste it on a ball,” she said – and Prelgovisk was just trying to get the bat on the ball.

“I didn’t know what the pitch would be but I knew I had to hit it; if it was on the ground, in the air, anywhere, I just knew I had to hit it,” said Prelgovisk, holding onto her home-run ball afterward. “I heard the noise come off the bat and I knew it was going to go over.”

But it was early and the Red Storm fully expected to come back.

“You go on hoping you can get it back,” said Volk.

“We rely on each other but it just didn’t happen today.”

Not against Pelletier.

Scarborough hit only three balls out of the infield. Its hardest-hit ball – a line drive by Kaleigh Scoville leading off the sixth – was snared by Prelgovisk in center field.

“This means so much,” said Pelletier. “We get to ring the (victory) bell one more time. It’s really cool that we get to go home, have a parade and ring it one more time.”

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