The Scarborough softball team didn’t want to base this year’s expectations on last year’s success. The Red Storm capped an undefeated season with a Class A state title last June. With a number of players lost to graduation and some defections to other sports, only three starters returned, so the possibility of duplicating such a feat seemed remote.
Well, midway through the 2008 campaign, the Red Storm is again perfect. Scarborough improved to 8-0 on Saturday with a 15-0 SMAA victory over Cheverus (2-5) in seven innings in Portland.
Sophomore Melissa Dellatorre pitched a one-hit complete game, striking out 12 to lead Scarborough. Melissa Bell hit a fifth-inning grand slam over the fence in center field and Grace Ledoux added a three-run shot to left in the seventh to fuel the Red Storm offense.
“We really put on a clinic,” Griffin said. “We did everything right. We did everything we needed to do and wanted to do. We put the ball in play when we wanted to. We showed some power at the plate. We had great pitching and played some good defense. Whenever they put the ball on the bat and tried to get back in the game a little bit, we were right there defensively.”
The Red Storm registered 18 hits and did not commit an error. Catie Funk went 3-for-3 with two walks, four runs scored and two RBI. Ledoux had two hits and six RBI. Kira Gordon had three singles and scored twice.
Scarborough scored in every inning but the sixth. The Red Storm tallied two in the first inning, one in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, five in the fifth and four in the seventh.
The only hit for the Stags came on Lizzie Schroeder’s single in the fourth inning. Dellatorre walked only two, one in the first and one in the sixth, improving her record to 5-0. She has started five games and also worked in relief. Her impact has been huge on a team that graduated its top two pitchers from a year ago.
“She’s been solid,” Griffin said. “She’s pitched about 30 innings and only given up five or six hits, with like 50 strikeouts.”
The second half of the schedule gets a bit tougher for Scarborough, with Biddeford, South Portland and Gorham still to come. But the Red Storm didn’t expect the first half to go this smoothly, so who knows what could happen the rest of the way?
“We didn’t think we’d be out of the box this quickly,” Griffin said. “We thought we’d build as we got towards the playoffs. We knew we’d be a strong team. We only had three returnees, but we knew the type of athlete we’d be putting on the field, and they’ve all stepped up. … I don’t think the kids even realize how good they are. I think they’re starting to realize it now, halfway through the season. They’ve opened up a lot of eyes.”
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