SCARBOROUGH – When you play Scarborough High’s top-ranked softball team, you’ve got to make the most out of every scoring opportunity.

Thornton Academy missed its best chance, stranding the bases loaded in the third inning, and Mo Hannan didn’t let the Trojans have another.

Hannan, Scarborough’s sophomore pitcher, allowed only one base runner over the final four innings as the Red Storm defeated the Trojans 4-0 in a Western Class A semifinal. Hannan also drove in the final two runs with a double in the sixth.

“She took control of the game,” said Scarborough Coach Tom Griffin. “She’s a kid who rises to the occasion.”

Scarborough (17-1), the defending Class A state champion, will play No. 2 South Portland in the regional final at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph’s College in a rematch of last year’s title game, won by the Red Storm 2-0. Thornton finished 13-5.

Hannan allowed just three hits and walked only one — and that was intentionally — while striking out 12. She retired 12 of 13 batters over the final four innings, allowing only a single to Kristen Duross in the sixth.

“She did a great job keeping us off balance,” said Thornton Coach John Provost. “We had trouble with her change-up, and she was going to stick with that pitch until we showed we could hit it.”

The Trojans couldn’t. “She was nervous before the game, and I’m not sure why,” said Scarbor-ough catcher Heather Carrier. “She changed her speeds really well today, which helped a lot, and she kept the ball down.”

Sophomore Julia Geaumont allowed only five hits to Scarborough, but the Red Storm made them count. After Dominique Burnham was hit by a pitch in the second, freshman Erin Giles turned on an inside fastball and lined it to the fence in left, scoring Burnham.

With Giles on third, Alana Peoples followed with another shot to left that was caught by Duross, but Giles scored for a 2-0 lead. Then in the sixth, Hannah stroked a hard liner to right for a two-run double.

But the decisive inning was the third, when Thornton loaded the bases. With runners on second and third and two outs, Griffin had Hannan walk Geaumont — Thornton’s most dangerous hitter. Hannan got out of it with a called third strike, and the Trojans wouldn’t threaten again.

“I felt a lot better than any other game,” said Hannan, who suffered a knee injury during the winter.

 

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:

mlowe@pressherald.com