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High school championship roundup: Victors crowned in lacrosse, baseball, softball
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Class A boys’ lacrosse: Brunswick completes unbeaten season
The Dragons avenge a loss to South Portland in last year's state final.Brunswick celebrates its win over South Portland in the Class A State Championships at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Saturday. Jill Brady/Staff PhotographerThis time it was Brunswick’s turn.
The Dragons’ senior-dominated boys’ lacrosse team got the rematch it wanted – and the desired result. Brunswick beat South Portland 13-9 Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium to win the Class A state championship and finish with a 16-0 record.
“Beginning of the season, we wrote it down: We want to be in this game playing the same team because we knew (South Portland) would be here and we wanted to win,” said Matt Brooks, one of Brunswick’s four captains. “The record speaks for itself.”
South Portland (13-2) won last year’s title game, 10-8.
Brooks, one of 16 seniors on the Dragons’ roster, scored all four of his goals in the second half after South Portland had scored two early third-quarter goals to tie the game, 6-6.
Cam Glover, one of Coach Don Glover’s two sons on the team, scored five goals for Brunswick. T.J. Sullivan scored three first-half goals.
“So excited to bring the title back to Brunswick and that’s what we do it for,” Cam Glover said.
Brunswick last won the state title in 2007. That team was also undefeated.
Glover’s goals showcased ball-control, quick feet and shot-making abilities honed in backyard battles with his younger brother, Christian.
His third goal in the first half gave Brunswick a 5-2 lead. With multiple spin moves, Glover was able to fake South Portland defender Nicholas Mezzanotte to the ground and then beat goalie T-Moe Hellier with his shot.
A frustrated Mezzanotte slammed his stick to the ground twice, drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty. When he threw his stick on the sidelines, Mezzanotte was issued a second unsportsmanlike penalty and automatically ejected.
Red Riots defenseman Brian Elsemore was injured in the third quarter with Brunswick clinging to a 7-6 lead, further depleting South Portland’s defense.
“We lost Nick, that hurt us in the middle of the field, and then when Brian went down in close defense I was down to a freshman and a sophomore, and a sophomore who had never really played long pole before, so it made a big difference,” said South Portland Coach Tom Fiorini.
Brooks took advantage of the inexperience when he curled around goal and took a quick shot for an 8-6 lead with 28.4 seconds left in the third quarter.
South Portland faceoff specialist Lucas Michaud won the ensuing draw (Michaud edged Brunswick’s Ian Schlosser, 12-11, on faceoffs) and Christian Glover, a sophomore long-stick midfielder, began harassing him.
Glover forced a turnover, won the ground-ball battle and then heard his coaches yelling, “green.”
“Green means go,” Christian Glover said. “Just go straight to the net, not much time left. I got a little push at the end so I just whipped it in” for a goal with 0.8 seconds left in the third, giving the Dragons a 9-6 lead.
Older brother Cam made it 10-6 early in the fourth before South Portland’s Chris Mitchell scored his third of the game – and South Portland’s third man-advantage goal – with 7:52 left.
“I thought with it 10-7 we could still make a run,” Fiorini said. “We had plenty of time and I know our kids can put the ball in the cage. We just didn’t shoot well today.”
Brunswick goalie Mitchell Smith made nine saves. Kam Andrews and Andrew Whipple each scored two goals for South Portland, with Jack Fiorini adding a goal and two assists.
Brooks, Cam Glover and Brooks again scored to offset one by Whipple, building a 13-8 lead. Andrews scored in the final minute for South Portland.
“The focus element with 16 seniors out of a roster of 30 is tricky, but this is an exceptional group of young men,” Don Glover said. “They really have aspired to make the most of the program and their team.”
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Class B boys’ lacrosse: Cape Elizabeth wins third straight title
The Capers hold on to their crown with a 7-5 win over Yarmouth.Owen Thoreck of Cape Elizabeth jumps with teammate Ben Shea after a goal for the Capers during their 7-5 victory against Yarmouth in the Class B boys’ lacrosse state final Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Whitney Hayward/Staff PhotographerCape Elizabeth overcame a challenge from Yarmouth to claim its third straight Class B boys’ lacrosse state championship Saturday, pulling away to a 7-5 victory at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
Cape Elizabeth (13-2) beat the Clippers twice in the regular season, but the state final wasn’t decided until Owen Thoreck scored his second goal of the game with 15 seconds remaining.
“This game came down to possessions,” Yarmouth Coach David Pearl said. “When you have as many penalties as we did and they have that many more chances to score, a team like Cape Elizabeth is going to score.”
The Capers, who have won four state championships in six seasons, pulled into a 4-4 tie less than two minutes into the second half when Rob Sarka scored on a man-up situation.
Cape Elizabeth limited the Clippers to two shots in the first 12 minutes of the second half.
The Capers moved into a 6-4 lead when James Bottomley and Ben Shea scored six minutes apart less than 10 minutes into the second half.
“I don’t know how much of an adjustment we made,” Cape Elizabeth Coach Ben Raymond said. “We just started executing better what we were trying to do in the first half.”
While the offense was trying to get untracked, the Cape defense limited the Clippers to one shot in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
“Our defense played outstanding, especially in the second half,” Raymond said.
“The first half I think it played (just) as well. We just didn’t pick up as many ground balls. In the second half we got to a lot more ground balls.”
After Cape took the lead, it appeared to become more deliberate with the ball.
“We didn’t want (Yarmouth’s) offense with the ball and we wanted to give our defense a break,” said Griffin Thoreck, who had a goal and three assists. “By us possessing it, we were able to do those two things. We controlled the game from there.”
Matthew Beatty of Yarmouth made it 6-5 when he scored his third goal of the game with less than four minutes remaining.
Yarmouth (12-4) led 4-3 at halftime after building a 3-1 advantage in the first 15 minutes.
“What we were trying to do was be aggressive and try to be smart about it, all at the same time,” said Henry Oliva, who picked up a rare assist as a defender when he set up his twin brother Joe’s goal to make it 2-0 less than four minutes into the game.
“What we focused on this week in practice was specific matchups.”
“They had some (defensive) slides coming from awkward angles that we had to adjust to,” Griffin Thoreck said. “It took a little bit longer for us to adjust, but once we figured it out our offense can do spectacular things.”
Brothers Griffin and Owen Thoreck scored less than five minutes apart to tie the game with two minutes remaining in the half.
Beatty put the Clippers back on top when he converted Tom Pietropaoli’s pass with 45 seconds left.
Riley Pillsbury also scored for the Capers, who have won 10 state titles since the Maine Principals’ Association began holding a boys’ lacrosse state tournament in 1998.
Bill Jacobs scored two first-half goals for Yarmouth, which made its third consecutive appearance in the state final.
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Class A girls’ lacrosse: Marshwood wins first state title
Lindsey Poirier scores seven goals as the Hawks defeat Messalonskee, 13-5.Marshwood players show off the championship trophy Saturday after capturing the school’s first Class A girls’ lacrosse state title with a 13-5 win over Messalonskee. Whitney Hayward/Staff PhotographerThey may not be a championship game fixture, but there was no stopping the Marshwood High girls’ lacrosse team in the Class A state championship game Saturday.
The Hawks (13-3) won their first lacrosse title in their first lacrosse state final appearance, dominating in all facets of the game en route to a 13-5 victory against Messalonskee at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
“It feels like it was supposed to be like this, to round it out senior year,” said Marshwood midfielder Lindsey Poirier. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m so proud of this team. They’ve all worked so hard.”
Poirier, who will play field hockey at Southern New Hampshire University, capped her high school career with seven goals and one assist after collecting seven goals with three assists in a 16-3 win against Scarborough in the Western Class A final.
Poirier had played in a field hockey title game as a freshman. She and fellow senior Korinne Bohunsky were in a lacrosse regional final later that school year but had not been back to vie for trophies until this spring.
“We were like, ‘We have three more years, this is great,’ and then sophomore year passes and junior year passes. This time we had one more year to do it, and we came here and were prepared,” Poirier said.
Marshwood led 8-1 at the half and stretched it to 12-1 before Messalonskee (14-2) scored four straight goals to make the final score a bit more respectable.
“Things just kind of got away from us, and their attack is so powerful and so potent and so hard to stop, and obviously we had a hard time executing against their defense, too,” said Messalonskee Coach Ashley Pullen.
The Eagles had an especially hard time stopping Poirier.
“We knew we needed to try to contain her. There’s just only so much you can do against a player that good,” Pullen said.
The only other Class A championship won by a Marshwood girls’ team was in cheerleading in 2001. The girls’ basketball team won a Class B title in 1995.
“Making history our senior season,” Poirier said. “It’s crazy. I’m so emotional about it, it’s awesome.”
Bohunsky added two goals and Reagan Nichols scored three goals in the first half with two assists on Poirier goals.
Nichols had scored 12 goals all season, according to Coach Bernie Marvin.
“We have been waiting for that all season,” Marvin said of Nichols’ contribution.
“I figured they would mark up on Korinne and Lindsey so we would have to step up really big and it helped out a lot,” Nichols said. “It helped Korinne and Lindsey realize they could look for us, too, and they didn’t have to do it all and that we had their backs.”
Hannah Costin, a consistent contributor, added a goal and an assist.
In addition to its potent offense, Marshwood’s defense allowed only 11 goals in four playoff games – four scored by Messalonskee well after the game was decided.
Senior goalie Emily Kahler and her core defense of Gabby Bazemore, Jenna Kashmer, Kathryn Fagan and Paige Singer held tough in the early going when Messalonskee had multiple lengthy possessions.
“My defense was honestly stepping it up today,” Kahler said.
“It was 8-1 at the half. I had one other shot on in the half. That’s two shots in a half. That’s fantastic defense.”
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Class B girls’ lacrosse: Yarmouth repeats as champion
The Clippers beat Kennebunk in overtime, 11-10.Been there, done that, and so happy to do it again as Gretchen Barbera, center, and the rest of the Yarmouth girls’ lacrosse team celebrate their second straight Class B championship by beating Kennebunk. Gregory Rec/Staff PhotographerAfter seeing her team let a nearly game-long lead slip away, Yarmouth girls’ lacrosse coach Dorothy Holt knew the players were nervous heading into overtime of the Class B state championship game Saturday against Kennebunk.
So Holt told her players what she always tells them in such situations – take two deep breaths, and “play Yarmouth lacrosse.”
They did.
Lilly Watson scored her first goal of the game 37 seconds into the first overtime and Mary Kate Gunville made big saves in each three-minute extra period as the Clippers beat the Rams 11-10 at Fitzpatrick Stadium to repeat as Class B state champions.
It was the sixth state championship for Yarmouth (12-4), which lost several key players off last year’s title team and started this spring 1-3.
That included an early 10-7 loss to Kennebunk (14-2), which has lost all five of its state finals.
“We were definitely the underdogs and we knew it, but we love the underdog role,” Holt said.
“We knew we had to play our best game ever to beat them. They have poise, they have balance, they have awesome stick skills. But what we had today was that we executed our plan that we have been practicing for the past few days.”
The Clippers scored the first three goals and never trailed, leading 7-5 at halftime thanks to four first-half goals by Emma Torres.
Holt credited Torres and fellow senior captains Shannon Fallon, Mary Coyne and Lane Simsarian for settling an otherwise young team’s nerves down early.
“We were all a little worked up before the game. Getting those three goals right off the bat settled us down,” Torres said.
“From there we had the momentum and kept going.”
Yarmouth built a 9-6 lead early in the second half before Kennebunk (15-1) scored twice in 40 seconds on goals by Olivia Sandford and Kyra Schwartzman to get back within one.
Eliza Lunt struck back to restore the Clippers’ two-goal lead with 20:34 left, but that would be the team’s final goal in regulation.
Kennebunk’s defense began shutting down passing and driving lanes for Yarmouth scorers Fallon (one goal, two assists) and Torres.
“I just told them to be tighter in the second half,” Kennebunk Coach Annie Barker said of her team’s defense. “(Torres) weaseled her way in there a few times and we had to be really, really tight. We had to focus on (Torres and Fallon) and we did a really good job, especially on the crease.”
Yarmouth clung on to the 10-8 lead until Molly Parent of Kennebunk scored on a free position with 11:57 to play.
Sandford then scored on another free position four minutes later to give the Rams a tie for the first time.
Both teams had chances down the stretch, the best coming with 10 seconds remaining when Torres split a double team and had her point-blank shot stopped by Rams goalie Bella Kudas (10 saves).
But Kudas could do nothing to save Watson’s free position chance early in the opening overtime.
Schwartzman had a chance to tie it with 50 seconds left in the first overtime but was stopped by Gunville, who then came up with the save of her life on a Hallie Schwartzman free position chance 20 seconds into the second overtime, getting her knee to the ball to deflect the straight-on shot.
“I was just so nervous, but I knew all I had to do is watch the ball and get in front of the ball,” Gunville said. “I promised my defenders I was going to do everything I could to get in front of it.”
Yarmouth won the race to the end line after Gunville’s save and was able to keep possession nearly all of the remaining 2:40.
“We call it playing Yarmouth lacrosse,” Holt said. “Play like we’ve taught you, play like you know how to and test each other. That’s what they did in overtime and that’s what it took today.”
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Class A baseball: Bangor hangs on, beats South Portland in final
The Rams win their second consecutive state championship, 5-4.Bangor players celebrate a second consecutive Class A baseball state championship after the Rams held off South Portland for a 5-4 victory in Augusta.AUGUSTA — Kyle Stevenson had a game-ending double play in his sights and booted it. Two batters later, Stevenson got another chance and made it count.
Bangor held off a seventh-inning rally by South Portland to beat the Riots 5-4 and capture its second straight Class A baseball state championship Saturday afternoon at Morton Field.
Bangor (18-2) won with only three hits. Four of the Rams’ runs were unearned, all coming in the decisive fourth inning after the Riots had taken a 3-1 lead in the top half of the inning.
For two teams who pride themselves on defense, this was a radical departure from their previous games. Each team made four errors.
“This was our worst game of the season,” said Bangor Coach Jeff Fahey. “Fortunately for us, South Portland was having the same problems.
“We lost two games all season and were three hits away from being undefeated. Today, we couldn’t bunt or move the runners along. Our 3-4-5 hitters were 0-fer.”
Stevenson said he was thankful to get a chance to atone for his error.
“I wanted it so bad,” said Stevenson. “I wanted to make up for it. I took my eye off the ball.”
Stevenson got his reprieve on Jacob Brown’s soft pop that looked like it had a chance to fall in when it left the bat. The Red Riots (15-5) already scored one run and had runners on first and second with one out. Stevenson caught it and flipped to second baseman Johnny Cote, who stepped on the bag to double up pinch runner Hayden Owen.
“We had a hard time in the field, but this one feels just as good as last year’s,” said Stevenson, a junior.
With the Rams on top 5-3 in the seventh, Bangor pitcher Andrew Hillier got leadoff batter Henry Curran to fly out to left. Sam Troiano reached on an error by the normally sure-handed Cote, and Anthony Degifico then hit a sharp grounder up the middle. Stevenson moved a few steps to his left but bobbled the ball, and Owen slid safely into second while Troiano rounded third and scored.
The next batter, Nick Troiano, was intentionally walked.
“Assistant coach Dave Morris convinced me to do it,” said Fahey.
Up came Brown, the Riots’ unsung hero for most of the season. Stevenson caught Brown’s ball, and a flip later it was over.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win at the end,” said South Portland Coach Mike Owens. “Hayden got caught in a tough spot. It was a tough play to read. We tell our base runners to be aggressive.”
Leading 3-1 through in the fourth inning, the Riots seemed to have the momentum as pitcher Sam Troiano was in control. But South Portland made two errors in the bottom of the fourth, and Troiano threw two wild pitches and walked two batters, leading to four Bangor runs – all unearned. Trevor DeLaite’s two-run single made it 5-3.
“We got here because of our pitching and defense, and our defense kind of let us down,” said Owens. “The players showed a lot of class coming back under pressure.”
South Portland jumped on top in the top of the first. After one out, Beecher walked and went to third on Degifico’s single to right. Nick Troiano drove in Beecher with a sacrifice fly to left.
Bangor tied it in the bottom half when leadoff batter Jordan Derrah reached on a error, moved to third on DeLaite’s single and scored on Hillier’s groundout.
Ben Conti’s triple to center scored Brown to give the Riots a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Drew Abramson drove home Conti with a single.
For Bangor, which is 36-4 over the past two seasons, it was the 11th state championship since 1970. South Portland was playing in its first state final since 1991.
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Class B baseball: Greely wins state title for second year in a row
Ryan Twitchell throws a five-inning no-hitter as the Rangers defeat Camden Hills, 10-0.Greely’s Chaz Reade leans into the crowd to make catch a foul ball. Reade also contributed with his bat, hitting a double in the second inning as the Rangers scored six times to take a 6-0 lead.STANDISH — Greely High left the bases loaded in the first inning.
The Rangers did not squander many chances after that.
Greely cruised to a 10-0 victory over Camden Hills on Saturday to win the Class B baseball state championship at St. Joseph’s College.
The Rangers scored two runs in the fifth inning, ending the game due to the 10-run rule.
Ryan Twitchell threw a no-hitter for the Rangers.
After missing its opportunity in the first, Greely (15-5) scored six runs in the second and kept it coming to win its second straight state title and fourth in nine years.
“The guys were ready to battle in the batter’s box,” Greely Coach Derek Soule said. “It’s the best we’ve done with that all year, and the timing was nice.”
Greely recorded 12 hits, three by Calvin Soule. He singled home the 10th run to spark the Rangers’ celebration.
“We ran into a juggernaut today,” Camden Hills Coach Jeff Hart said. “They hit it hard and they hit it where we weren’t.”
Solid outfield defense by Camden Hills (13-8) kept Greely off the board in the first inning.
The Rangers had runners on first and second when Soule singled to right. The lead runner held at third as right fielder Mike Wolff fired in a strong throw. Chaz Reade then crushed a deep ball that center fielder Cam Gushee ran down.
“After that first inning, the first thought that went through my head was that we missed an opportunity,” Derek Soule said. “We were inches away from three runs.
“I hoped we would get another opportunity. Little did I know …”
But the Greely coach had to be concerned in the top of the second inning. Twitchell walked the leadoff batter, Kyle Crans. Then Wolff hit a high fly to left field that outfielder Austin Nowinski dropped, giving the Windjammers runners on first and third.
“I was just really disappointed,” Nowinski said. “But I had to buckle down. It was still 0-0 and I could still do something to help the team.”
He would. But first Greely needed to get out of the inning. Andrew Hall ripped a line drive, right to second baseman Justin Leeman, who doubled off the runner at first. Twitchell then got a groundout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second, Matt Pisini was hit by a pitch, went to second on a wild pitch and was sacrificed to third by Dylan Fried. Nowinski then tripled to deep center. He slid into third, clapping and point into Greely’s dugout.
Leeman singled home Nowin-ski. After a flyout, the rally continued with a walk to Miles Shields, a double by Will Bryant, a single by Soule, a double by Reade and a single by Pisini.
“One guy after another put together good at-bats,” Coach Soule said.
And Twitchell could relax. He went 1-2-3 in each of the last three innings.
“The first innings were tight. But once it got 6-0, all I had to do was throw strikes and be myself on the mound,” Twitchell said.
Twitchell used mostly fastballs, with an occasional off-speed pitch. He received nice defense behind him, including Leeman bare-handing a slow grounder and throwing out Crans in the fourth.
Greely added two runs in the third on RBI singles by Shields and Bryant.
Leeman led off the fifth with a walk and Caleb Normandeau followed with a single. Shields singled in pinch-runner Gabe Axelsen, and Soule ended it with his single that scored pinch-runner Jordan Merrifield.
As the Rangers jumped on each other, Hart gathered his team, ready to say goodbye to six seniors.
“The seniors will take some time and will be able to look back and be proud of what they did,” Hart said.
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Class A softball: Messalonskee edges Scarborough
The Eagles' only hit was a first-inning homer in their 1-0 win.Messalonskee players celebrate after their 1-0 win Saturday over previously undefeated Scarborough in the Class A softball state championship game at Cony High School. Gordon Chibroski/Staff PhotographerAUGUSTA — Their game had ended 45 minutes earlier, yet the members of Messalonskee High’s softball team and their entourage lingered on the softball diamond at Cony High as if they never wanted to leave.
And who could blame them?
The Eagles, behind the dominating pitching of junior Kirsten Pelletier and a long home run by Kristy Prelgovisk in the first inning, won the Class A state championship for the first time in 10 years Saturday afternoon, stunning previously undefeated Scarborough 1-0.
Prelgovisk’s home run was Messalonskee’s only hit off Scarborough sophomore Lilly Volk.
“This means a lot,” said Prelgovisk, one of two seniors on Messalonskee (17-3).
“We’re great friends on this team, more like sisters actually. To be able to do this together is awesome. And we’re never going to forget it.”
The Red Storm (19-1) had averaged 10.5 runs per game and scored in double-digits nine times. But they were kept off balance by Pelletier, who allowed just two hits – none after the second inning – and struck out 12 while walking three.
She changed locations and speeds, throwing her change-up more than she has in most games.
“That was the best pitcher we’ve seen this year, no question,” said Scarborough Coach Tom Griffin. “She did a great job. I thought we could make adjustments, but we just weren’t able to.
“When you have a pitcher who’s spot on and she’s bringing the ball up in the zone … a great pitcher can dominate a great offense.”
Pelletier said she knew in the first inning, when she gave up an infield single but struck out the side, that she was on.
“All my pitches were working and I could locate it,” she said.
Scarborough threatened only once, in the fifth, when the Eagles made their only error. But the Red Storm had a runner thrown out at third by Messalonskee catcher Taylor Easler, then stranded two runners when Pelletier got an inning-ending strikeout.
Volk, a sophomore, was really good, too. She struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter. But with two outs in the first, Prelgovisk hit a 3-2 pitch well over the left-field fence, about 230 feet away. It was her 10th home run of the season.
It was a no-doubter, based as much on the sound of the ball coming off the bat as anything else.
“As soon as it made the sound, you knew it was gone … It was beautiful,” said Messalonskee Coach Leo Bouchard.
Volk was trying to throw a strike – “A 3-2 pitch, you don’t want to waste it on a ball,” she said – and Prelgovisk was just trying to get the bat on the ball.
“I didn’t know what the pitch would be but I knew I had to hit it; if it was on the ground, in the air, anywhere, I just knew I had to hit it,” said Prelgovisk, holding onto her home-run ball afterward. “I heard the noise come off the bat and I knew it was going to go over.”
But it was early and the Red Storm fully expected to come back.
“You go on hoping you can get it back,” said Volk.
“We rely on each other but it just didn’t happen today.”
Not against Pelletier.
Scarborough hit only three balls out of the infield. Its hardest-hit ball – a line drive by Kaleigh Scoville leading off the sixth – was snared by Prelgovisk in center field.
“This means so much,” said Pelletier. “We get to ring the (victory) bell one more time. It’s really cool that we get to go home, have a parade and ring it one more time.”
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Class B softball: Yarmouth captures first state title
The Clippers hold off defending champion Hermon, 7-5.Yarmouth captain Michelle Robichaud carries the championship trophy Saturday as the Clippers celebrate their Class B softball state championship after a 7-5 win against Hermon.STANDISH — Yarmouth High brought its bats and one gutsy pitcher to the Class B title game Saturday, and the Clippers came away with their first state championship in softball.
Yarmouth kept the lineup moving with 12 hits and beat defending champion Hermon 7-5 at St. Joseph’s College.
No. 9 hitter Colleen Sullivan knocked in four runs with two singles and a triple.
Yarmouth starter Mari Cooper struck out seven and held Hermon (17-3) to seven hits. A line drive bruised the index finger on her right (pitching) hand in the fifth inning, but Cooper stayed in.
“That’s a great team standing over there,” said Hermon Coach Megan McCrum as she watched the Clippers celebrate. “They came out swinging the bat well.”
Yarmouth (17-3) took a 4-0 lead after three innings, helped by Sullivan, a junior outfielder who did not bat last year as the flex player.
“She’s worked extremely hard and she deserves this,” said Yarmouth Coach Amy Ashley, who kept Sullivan last in the order despite her .400 average.
“I love her in that spot,” Ashley said. “She sees good pitches and she puts the ball in play.”
Hermon put up three runs in the fourth, but Yarmouth scored one in the bottom half for a 5-3 lead.
In the top of the fifth, with a runner on and two outs, Cooper was hit by a line drive. It not only hit her thigh but also her right index finger. She still threw out the runner.
Cooper lay on the mound for a minute.
“I knew she would bounce back,” Ashley said. “There was no way I was taking her out.”
The injury made it difficult for Cooper to grip the ball properly.
“I don’t know how I did it,” she said of remaining in the game. “But I did it for the team.”
Two more Yarmouth runs made it 7-3.
In the sixth, Cooper walked her first batters of the game, putting two runners on, but she got out of the jam.
Two Hermon runners reached in the seventh on an error and a walk, and Hailey Perry doubled them in, closing to 7-5.
Last year Yarmouth lost a playoff game to Cape Elizabeth after being up 8-3 in the seventh.
“That Cape game was totally in my mind,” Cooper said. “I knew they could come back.”
But that memory only fueled Cooper. She induced a weak line drive to second baseman Sydney St. Pierre, who tossed to shortstop (and sister) Andrea St. Pierre at second for a game-ending double play.
“We’ve had dramatic endings all season so it’s only fitting,” Ashley said. “We believed in ourselves.”
That belief began early against Hermon’s outstanding pitcher, Karli Theberge.
In the second inning, Eleanor O’Gorman blooped a single over the shortstop. Michelle Robichaud sacrificed her to second, and then the Clippers loaded the bases when Cate Ralph was hit by a pitch and Sydney St. Pierre reached on a bunt single.
Sullivan blooped a single down the left-field line, scoring Gorman.
“It gave us the momentum,” Sullivan said.
With two outs in the third, Ralph singled home Catherine Thompson. St. Pierre worked a walk to load the bases, and Sullivan grounded a single to left, scoring two for a 4-0 lead.
Hermon got its runs in the fourth on three singles, an infield error and a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the fourth, Thompson singled and eventually scored on O’Gorman’s double down the right-field line.
The Clippers added two in the fifth, on Sullivan’s RBI triple and Kallie Hutchinson’s RBI single. Hutchinson went 3 for 4.
“We knew we had to put the ball in play and that’s what we did,” Hutchinson said.
And then the Clippers held on. And then they celebrated.
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High school roundup: Richmond keeps Class D softball crown
The Bobcats beat Stearns for their third straight championship.STANDISH — Cassidy Harriman’s two-run single capped a four-run rally in the first inning, and Richmond captured its third consecutive Class D softball state championship with a 9-4 win Saturday over Stearns at St. Joseph’s College.
The Bobcats (18-0) pounded out 10 hits on the way to their 52nd straight win. Richmond became just the second Class D team to win three titles in a row, joining Jonesport-Beals (1992-94).
“There’s a lot of confidence, even when we’re down,” first baseman Kelsie Obi said. “On and off the field we’re always talking each other up, saying we can do our best. If we do get down, we have to build ourselves up. If we let ourselves get down, then that means we’re already losing. We need to always be on our horse and ready to go again.”
Freshman catcher Sydney Tilton paced the offense with a single, a double and a triple. Obi, the only senior starter, had an RBI single and RBI double.
“This team worked very hard,” said Richmond Coach Rick Coughlin, who has guided the Bobcats to seven state titles in 29 seasons. “Of course, they were all back. They all wanted it again, and every practice they focused and worked hard.”
Richmond made Stearns (14-7) pay for each of its five errors. The Bobcats committed three errors but made up for them by throwing out two runners on the bases – one at home and one at third.
CLASS C BASEBALL
ST. DOMINIC 14, BUCKSPORT 4: Caleb Labrie and Gavin Bates each drove in four runs, and the Saints (16-5) beat the Bucks (15-5) in six innings at Bangor to win their fifth state championship since 2003.
CLASS C SOFTBALL
BUCKSPORT 9, TELSTAR 4: The Bucks (19-1) pounded out 16 hits, including eight by the bottom three hitters in their order, as they captured their third championship in four years with a victory over the Rebels (17-3) at Brewer.
CLASS D BASEBALL
SEARSPORT 4, STEARNS 3: Liam MacMillan singled home Mitchell Philbrook in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Vikings (16-4) a win over the Minutemen (16-4) in the state final at Standish.
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