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Preliminary playoffs: Windham, Falmouth, Poland victorious in round 1
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Windham scores late to beat Gorham
The Eagles win in their first playoff appearance in eight years.June 9: Windham batter Lauren Talbot watches as Katie Hunter slides into home to score as Gorham catcher Noelle Dibiase just misses the throw in the sixth inning at Windham Tuesday. Jill Brady/Staff PhotographerWINDHAM — Katie Hunter hesitated for only a second, then realized she had to go. Fast.
Hunter, on a delayed steal of third base, scored the winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the sixth inning as eighth-ranked Windham High defeated No. 9 Gorham 3-2 Tuesday afternoon in a Western Class A softball preliminary-round tournament game.
The Eagles, making their first playoff appearance in eight years, combined power pitching, power hitting and heads-up base running to advance to the quarterfinals against top-ranked Scarborough on Thursday.
“They’re going to be certainly a challenge,” said Windham Coach Travis Demmons. “We’ll see what happens.”
On Tuesday, the Eagles and Rams played a tight game, unlike their regular-season encounter, a 14-8 Windham victory. The Eagles scored seven runs in the first inning of that game.
But Gorham starter Julia Gaudette was in control early on, matching Windham’s Danielle Tardiff pitch for pitch. The Rams led 1-0 into the third when Windham’s Sadie Nelson and Olivia Mora each hit home runs; Nelson’s blast going far over the left-field fence, Mora’s clearing the center-field fence.
The Rams tied it in the top of the fifth when courtesy runner Kathryn Bertin, running for Gaudette, scored from second base on a sacrifice fly to deep right by Grace McGouldrick.
Then the Eagles stepped up in the sixth against McGouldrick, who came in relief to start the fifth.
Christina Mooradian led off with her second single of the game, and Hunter pinch ran for her. Hunter stole second, but was still there with two outs. On the second pitch to Lauren Talbot, Hunter broke for third.
“My assistants and I had been talking and noticed that their third baseman was crashing hard,” said Demmons. “We figured we could sneak her in there. I knew it would take a perfect throw, a perfect play, to make the play.”
Hunter had stopped halfway between the bases, but the throw went into left field.
“I thought that there was no chance of me getting to third because the catcher had already thrown it,” said Hunter. “But I watched for her to drop it and it just passed her so I was like, ‘I’m going home.’ ”
She slid home just before the relay throw and the Eagles led 3-2. Then it was up to Tardiff to secure the win and she struck out the first two batters, getting the final out on a foul pop to Nelson, the catcher.
“She was superb,” Nelson said of Tardiff. “She hit all her spots. She pitched an amazing game.”
Demmons was pleased with the way his young team responded to the playoffs. The Eagles have only two seniors on their roster.
“The kids showed a lot of character, a lot of heart,” he said.
The victory improved Windham to 10-7 while Gorham, which also has just two seniors on its roster, finished 7-10.
“We really do have a young team,” said Rams Coach Steve Martin. “We hope to do better in the future. The kids worked hard but give Windham credit. They hit the ball well and their pitcher threw well.
“We knew coming in she was going to throw strikes and you could see the last couple of innings she got on top of us.”
The Eagles also played well defensively as Nelson picked a runner off first and shortstop Madison Elliott turned a soft line drive into a double play.
Windham had lost its final four regular-season games. Now, said Nelson, “It’s a big change and we’re really excited for Thursday just to see what happens.”
Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:
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Poland resists Cape surge, wins 15-10
Knights freshman Morgan Brousseau's two-run homer in the fifth turned out to be the nail in Cape's coffin.POLAND — Freshman Morgan Brousseau had a home run and four RBIs, Sarah Walton collected four hits, and Poland held off a late surge by Cape Elizabeth to down the Capers 15-10 in a Western Class B preliminary playoff round game Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ve been practicing all year getting into the box with confidence, and today being such a big game we were able to do that,” Brousseau said.
“We played with great team spirit, we really came together.”
After Cape Elizabeth scored in the top half, Poland got off to a quick start off Caper starter Lily Jordan in the bottom half of the inning. Michaella Arsenault tripled, and after scoring on an RBI groundout, the Knights batted around, rattling off six hits in the inning to grab a 6-1 lead after the first.
In the second, Caper third baseman Tess Haller hit a three-run homer off Poland starter Kylie Martin to put the Capers right back in it at 6-4.
From then on, the game belonged to Poland.
In the third inning, the Knights put together another six-run inning to put the game out of reach.
Kelsey DeBurra, Haley Whitworth, Martin, and Arsenault all collected RBIs in the inning, a frame in which the Knights sent 10 batters to the plate.
But Poland wasn’t done scoring. In the fifth, already up 12-4, the freshman Brousseau connected on a two-run homer off the center field scoreboard that was the nail in the coffin.
“Morgan hit a bomb,” Poland Coach Katharine McKay said postgame. “She brought a lot of spirit.”
The Knights tagged on their 15th and final run in the sixth inning, when Madison Simard scored on an error.
The Capers, down 15-4 going into the seventh, didn’t go quietly.
Five players came around to score to begin the inning, leaving the score at 15-10 with still none out.
Here, Kylie Martin re-entered the game for Poland and recorded the final three outs to seal the victory for the Knights, who have now faced Cape Elizabeth in the playoffs three consecutive years.
“You gotta expect runs when you play Cape,” Coach McKay said. “But it was our turn.”
The Knights will continue their playoff run Thursday afternoon against Greely.
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Falmouth ends playoff victory drought
The Yachtsmen shut out Marshwood and win a postseason game for the first time since 2007.June 9: Julia Treadwell used what she felt was probably her best change-up of the season to stifle Marshwood on Tuesday.FALMOUTH — Julia Treadwell made sure the Falmouth softball team ended its eight-year playoff victory drought Tuesday.
Treadwell, a junior, limited 10th-seeded Marshwood to one hit and slammed a two-run double to break open a close game as the seventh-ranked Yachtsmen rolled to a 4-0 victory in a Western Class A preliminary-round game.
In recording its first playoff win since 2007, Falmouth (10-7) advanced to play at second-seeded Thornton Academy (14-2) in a regional quarterfinal game Thursday.
“I’ve been on this team for three years now and we hadn’t won a playoff game,” Treadwell said. “It feels good.”
The Yachtsmen had lost in the prelims each of the previous four seasons, including an 8-3 setback to Marshwood last spring.
Treadwell carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
“I was trying to hit my spots,” she said. “The change-up worked well today. It was probably my best showing of the change-up so far this season. I tried to keep them off balance.”
Treadwell struck out nine but walked seven and had to pitch out of a couple of jams.
“I was trying to keep (the pitches) off the plate, and I kept them a little too (much) off the plate,” she said.
“I try not to let it faze me when I have runners on, especially in scoring position.”
Three of those walks came in the fourth inning when the Hawks (7-11) loaded the bases with two outs, but Treadwell ended the threat with a strikeout.
“When she gets in trouble, she grooves too many (pitches) down the middle, so we’re trying to get her to work those corners,” Coach Ray Fox said. “Sometimes it puts us in a little trouble, but she did a great job of battling out of it.”
For the first four innings, Marshwood pitcher Emily Robida kept pace with Treadwell, carrying a one-hitter into the fifth inning.
“She always gives us that opportunity (to win),” Coach Chris Leclerc said. “It just comes down to our bats and putting everything together at the right time.”
Robida issued two of her five walks in the fifth. Treadwell drove in Emily Beaulieu and Elizabeth Walker with a two-out double over the head of center fielder Jill Marcus.
“It felt good to break it open and get some runs on the scoreboard,” Treadwell said. “It’s a relief for a pitcher to have some runs.”
The Yachtsmen padded their lead in the sixth. With two outs, Beaulieu and Krysia Lesniak walked before Meaghan Rouhanna launched a double into the gap in right to knock them both in.
“We couldn’t put all those little things together at the right time and Falmouth did,” Leclerc said.
Marshwood second baseman Jenn Gray led off the sixth by lining a solid single to center. She moved to second when Robida tapped back to the pitcher. Treadwell then retired the next two batters on infield outs.
“My players didn’t let down,” Leclerc said. “They didn’t hang their heads. They kept battling.”
“Credit to Marshwood,” Fox said. “They were patient (at the plate) and made Julia work a little.”
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Roundup: Noble squeaks past McCauley
Massabesic and Winslow also survive round 1.NOBLE 2, MCAULEY 1: Kasey Poligni scored from second base on an infield single by Kailey Coleman with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the sixth-seeded Knights (11-6) over the 11th-ranked Lions (7-10) in a Western Class A prelim at North Berwick.
Noble will play Thursday at third-seeded Sanford (14-2).
McAuley took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Anya Chase scored on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Whaley. Noble tied it in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Chastney that scored Katie Taylor.
Shaughnessey Gower finished with eight strikeouts and no walks while throwing a five-hitter for the Knights. Whaley scattered 12 hits for McAuley with five strikeouts and no walks.
Noble got two hits each from Taylor, Coleman, Kayla Lessard and Morgan Perillo.
Chase and Allison Tillotson had two hits apiece for McAuley.
MASSABESIC 3, SOUTH PORTLAND 1: Sarah Guimond finished with seven strikeouts and six walks in a five-hitter as the 12th-seeded Mustangs (7-10) upset the fifth-ranked Red Riots (11-6) in a Western Class A prelim at South Portland.
Massabesic will be at fourth-seeded Biddeford (13-3) on Thursday.
Massabesic got its runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Kyra Cartwright and Olivia Ducharme led off with back-to-back singles and ended up scoring.
Ducharme went 3 for 3 and Renee Dugas added a pair of singles for the Mustangs.
Sarah Micucci and Stephanie Aceto each had two hits for the Red Riots, who scored in the third.
Aceto scattered eight hits, striking out eight and walking two.
WINSLOW 15, MEDOMAK VALLEY 3: The sixth-seeded Black Raiders (12-5) scored 10 runs in the second inning and cruised to a five-inning victory against 11th-ranked Medomak Valley (7-10) in an Eastern Class B prelim at Winslow.
Winslow snapped a three-game losing streak, helped by 11 Medomak errors, including six in the 10-run inning.
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