BIDDEFORD — Doran Field has always been one of the most difficult places for Scarborough High’s softball team to play, with Biddeford pulling off some big upsets over the years.

But Saturday the Red Storm looked pretty comfortable there.

Top-ranked and unbeaten Scarborough scored seven runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by Brittany Plowman, then relied on the pitching of Lilly Volk to beat second-ranked Biddeford, 9-1.

The victory improved the Red Storm to 15-0 and locked up the top seed in the Western Class A playoffs.

“There was some serious meaning to the game today and the kids responded really well,” said Scarborough Coach Tom Griffin.

“This was for first place, it was meaningful. It’s not a playoff game but we needed to play it as hard as we can to get that No. 1 seed and to show everyone what we’re made of.”

The Tigers (13-2) had a 12-game winning streak snapped. They end the regular season Monday at No. 3 Thornton Academy.

The Red Storm turned the anticipated showdown into a mismatch very quickly.

With one out and two on in the top of the first (an infield single and hit batter), Abbie Murrell slammed the first pitch she saw from Abbie Paquette deep into the gap in right-center to score both.

Two pitches later, Plowman lofted one high over the fence in left-center and it was 4-0 just five batters into the game.

“Her hit set the tone for the rest of the game,” said Volk. “We had scored a couple but there was … they can come back from that. Then she just crushes one over the fence, and for us it was so reassuring in our team and we had confidence from there on.”

And the Tigers were rattled. They committed three errors following that home run. Chloe Gorey drove in two more for the Red Storm with a single and later scored on the last of the Tiger errors to make it 7-0.

“We let that first inning get away from us,” said Biddeford Coach Ray Magnant. “It just wasn’t our day. Any time you make any errors against Scarborough and give them extra outs, they’re going to take advantage of them. And they absolutely did.”

Scarborough made it 8-0 in the third before Magnant brought in Kirsten Lebreux to pitch. And she settled the Tigers down. But the damage was done, especially with Volk throwing.

Volk mixed her fastball with a screwball and devastating change-up to keep the Tigers off-balance.

She allowed just three hits and one walk, striking out seven. At one point in the middle innings she set down 10 consecutive batters.

“She’s a special kid,” said Griffin. “She pitched a great game. We mixed it up a little bit and changed what we do with this team.”

Volk said the big first inning took a lot of pressure off her.

“You still have to play like it’s a 0-0 game because they’re such a good team,” said Volk. “They could have come back.”

But the Red Storm didn’t let up and set themselves up for more success in the playoffs.

“We wanted this win pretty bad,” said Plowman. “There’s nothing more that we wanted than this win. It feels great.”

 

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