NAPLES – Two weeks ago, Fryeburg Academy had to rally for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat rival Lake Region. Wednesday, the top-ranked and undefeated Raiders made sure no last-inning heroics were needed.
Playing a fairly complete all-around game, Fryeburg roared past the host Lakers, 11-1. Freshman left-hander Sarah Harriman allowed three hits and struck out nine; senior second baseman Charlotte Lewis led an 18-hit offense with four singles and three RBI; and sophomore center fielder Maddie Pearson threw a runner out at home in a momentum-shifting play.
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“I think you saw our true team,” said Pearson. “Our full potential came out.”
The victory lifted Fryeburg, the three-time defending Western Class B champion, to 15-0 with a Memorial Day game at Falmouth remaining. Lake Region, locked in at the ninth — and final — playoff spot in the Heal point standings, dropped to 7-7.
“This is tough because we came in on a roll,” said Lakers Coach J.R. Warren, whose team had won 7 of 8. “But you just can’t play a team of that caliber and give them any slack at all.
“And we gave them a little.”
Lake Region took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by pitcher Allison Clark. And the Lakers threatened again in the second, getting a runner to second with two outs. Hailey Geoghegan singled up the middle and Pearson came charging in to field the ball.
Her throw home was true, and Carla Tripp put the tag on Heidi Jewett to end the inning.
“We’ve been working a lot on that in practice and I finally perfected it in a game,” said Pearson. “Charging the ball, no hesitation. You just do it.”
Coach Fred Apt called it a game-changing play. “That was huge,” he said. “They had the momentum and we didn’t want to give them any more spark.
“Pearson doesn’t think there’s anything she can’t do. And she was determined to throw her out.”
The Raiders scored three times in the top of the third, aided by two Lake Region infield errors.
The Raiders tagged on four runs in the fourth, with Ashley Watkins driving in two, Harriman one with a triple and Lewis the final one with a single.
“We really hit the ball today,” said Apt. “We attacked the ball. And it’s been a while since we’ve done that. We did really well in the beginning of the year and then we weren’t that steady in the middle.
“We just started coming around and today was a good show of it.”
Even with the Raiders’ past success, this year’s record is somewhat of a surprise. No one expected them to be undefeated.
But, said Lewis, “We’re a team. We play well together.”
And, added Harriman, “We practice and we’re like a big family.”
And they’ll do anything for each other.
Lewis was the starting pitcher last year but moved to second — a position she never played — because Harriman was ready to step in. Lewis said the Raiders learned a lot last year and are using those lessons now.
“Last year we didn’t know,” said Lewis. “We had confidence in each other and took it a game at a time. And that’s what we’re doing this year.”
Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:
mlowe@pressherald.com
Twitter: MikeLowePPH
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