Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but Scarborough High’s softball team has won a Class A state championship in each of the last three odd-numbered years — or each year that the Red Storm travel to Disney World in Florida for a week of preseason work.

“I think it really does help, it really does set our defense,” Red Storm Coach Tom Griffin said after his team took a 5-0 victory Saturday over Messalonskee. “We were making so many mistakes. We were kind of an ugly defensive team down there.

“We had a lot of people playing out of position. I had to make some decisions as the year went on and I think we made some good decisions and finally settled in.

“But we were able to go (to Disney) and find out what we’re made of and what we needed to work on when we came back.”

Rather than credit the trip alone, Red Storm players gave Griffin and his staff compliments following the championship game, saying they practiced every little detail.

“I don’t know if going to Disney helps,” said Mo Hannan, who pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts and also drove in two run. “We were just so tight. We knew what we had to do to get here, and we did it.”

They certainly did the little things right. Grace Farnkoff scored on a perfectly-executed fadeaway slide in the sixth inning to make it 4-0. That’s something the team practices all the time.

“Our coaches do everything right,” said junior catcher Abby Rutt. “I’ve never had a coach like that, who works on the little things all the time. And they really add up in the game.”

SPEAKING OF Rutt, she won’t be returning to Scarborough next year. Instead, she’ll be attending New Hampton (N.H.) School, where she’ll play hockey.

Rutt is considered one of the best hockey players in the state. She had 27 goals and 14 assists last winter.

“It’s great to end my time with Scarborough like this,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team. We were just so close. This is a great experience for my last team at Scarborough.”

The Red Storm are also losing starting second baseman Lauren Aceto, who had a fantastic tournament, and first baseman Alana Peoples.

SOUTH PORTLAND saw its one-year reign as Class A softball champion end in the regional final, a 1-0 loss to Scarborough on Wednesday. But the Riots put together a tremendous two-year run, going 37-2, with both losses to Scarborough.

“I just think we had a great team, we all got along, there was no drama,” said Alexis Bogdanovich, the senior pitcher. “We all played together. Today I just think it was the nerves.”

A year ago, it was Scarborough saying that when South Portland won the regional final. This year, the Riots were the defending champs.

“Last year we knew we had nothing to lose,” said Bogdanovich. “And this year we knew we were the one on top and I think it kind of got to us.”

KELSEY SHEEHAN is one of five seniors on the Fryeburg softball team, part of a class that reached the Class B championship game four years in a row and won it three times, including Saturday’s 5-2 victory over Bucksport.

Sheehan, a three-year starter, missed all but one pitch this spring because of back surgery. In her final regular-season home game, Sheehan played the field for one pitch before Fryeburg Coach Fred Apt replaced her.

“I thought I was going to have a whole inning, but he didn’t want to risk it,” Sheehan said. “Even so, it was the best pitch of my life.”

Sheehan remained a part of the team, encouraging, sharing expertise, keeping the score book and, during the playoff run, singing the national anthem.

“I do what I can,” said Sheehan, who will attend the University of Rhode Island and, if her back allows, continue playing softball.

The other four Fryeburg seniors bidding adieu after a 20-0 season are infielders Karissa Watkins, Ashley Watkins, Michelle Rascoe and Charlotte Lewis.

“We have five seniors who are all super kids,” Apt said. “That was our concern coming into the season. I knew we’d have the talent, but wasn’t sure we’d have the leadership. That’s an underrated thing. A lot of people do not realize what it takes.”

THE CHEVERUS baseball team had a lineup of strong hitters. Right in the middle of that potent lineup was senior Peter Potthoff in the No. 3 spot. In the Class A championship game, Potthoff showed why he’s positioned where he is. The senior outfielder had two doubles, a homer and five RBI as the Stags beat Lewiston 9-1 at Morton Field in Augusta.

“He bats No. 3 for a reason,” said Coach Mac McKew. “Peter is probably our best hitter.”

In a lineup of strong hitters, that’s saying a lot. No. 9 hitter Spencer Cooke drove in the game’s first run with a single to right field. Moments later, Potthoff’s first double drove in two more runs, and Cheverus was on its way to the its first state baseball crown.

Cheverus has won its share of state championships in basketball, boys’ cross country and track and field. This school year was particularly memorable in the so-called major sports — football, basketball and baseball. The Stags won the Class A title in football, lost to Bangor in the basketball state final and now own the baseball title.

The Stags might have had other baseball state titles if the state wide playoff system had been around in the 1960s.

The 1961 baseball team was unbeaten, winning the Telegram League, which was the crowning achievement back in those days. That club was led by tall lefty Dick Joyce, who went on to star at Holy Cross and pitched briefly in the major leagues with the Kansas City Athletics.

Cheverus’ competitive schedule in the Telegram League prepared it well for Saturday’s game.

“Going into the regional playoffs, it was pretty wide open as to which team might win it,” said McKew. “Our schedule really toughened us up for this game.”

As for Potthoff, it was his last baseball game. He plans to concentrate on his studies at the University of Tampa, with hopes of being a veterinarian.

PAT FEURY, a member of the 1961 Cheverus baseball team, threw out the first pitch at the Stags’ home opener this season. Feury, who recently retired as a teacher in the Portland school system, also spoke to the team.

Said Feury: “Athletic Director Gary Hoyt asked me this spring to throw out the first pitch of Cheverus’ home baseball opener. After I did, he asked me to talk to the team. He nicely introduced me.”

“I said ‘Hey guys, it’s been 50 years.’ Then I used a title of an old Elvis song, ‘Don’t You Think It’s Time’. I guess they did.”

KENNEBUNK JUNIOR Abbey Leonardi competed in the 2-mile run at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals Friday night in Greensboro, N.C.

Leonardi placed ninth in a time of 10 minutes, 29.84 seconds. A week earlier, she set a record at the New England Championships in Burlington, Vt., with a 3,200-meter time of 10:19:09, the fastest ever run by a Maine schoolgirl.

— Staff Writers Mike Lowe, Tom Chard and Glenn Jordan contributed to this report.

 

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