SOUTH PORTLAND — South Portland’s softball team wants to return to its accustomed elite status and the fifth-ranked Red Riots took a step in the right direction Tuesday afternoon at Wainwright Farms with an impressive victory over No. 12 Westbrook in a Class A South preliminary-round playoff game.
Hosting a postseason game for the first time since 2015, South Portland scored four times in the bottom of the first inning, added three runs in the second and thanks to a strong effort from freshman starting pitcher Mia Micucci and hitting production up and down the order, it eliminated the Blue Blazes with an 8-2 win.
South Portland’s Kaylee Whitten tags out Angelica Johns of Westbrook on an attempted steal. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
The Red Riots (11-6) plays No. 4 Massabesic (11-5) in the quarterfinals Thursday at a time to be announced.
South Portland won the regular season matchup 13-5 May 18 in Waterboro.
“I’m happy,” said Red Riots Coach Ralph Aceto. “We’re heading in the right direction. The kids are all buying in. The freshmen have stepped up and the seniors have come to play. I’m excited to see what’s to come the rest of this season and next.”
After Micucci struck out two Westbrook batters in a scoreless top of the first, Chloe Grant’s RBI groundout scored Grace Rende and gave South Portland the lead in the bottom half. Elise Connor followed with an RBI single off Blue Blazes starter Emily Greeley and two more runs scored on a throwing error for a 4-0 lead.
South Portland starting pitcher Mia Micucci delivers a pitch against Westbrook. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
In the second, Cortney Luce singled in a pair of runs and Kaylee Whitten followed with an RBI single to make it 7-0.
“We had some nerves, but that early lead allowed us to relax and Mia to relax,” said Rende.
Westbrook got two runs in the third as Mikayla Van Zandt laced a two-run single with two outs, but the Red Riots made it 8-2 in the bottom half on Grant’s sacrifice fly.
From there, Micucci did the rest, working around four walks to hold the Blue Blazes scoreless.
Westbrook’s Mikayla Van Zandt attempts to throw out a South Portland runner at first base. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Westbrook left two runners in scoring position in the fifth, stranded two more in the sixth, then left another in the seventh, as Micucci got Kiana Fuller to ground out to second base to end the game.
“I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Rende said. “If we stay relaxed and play like I know we can, we’ll be fine. We’re having fun.”
Rende, Whitten and Julia Connors all had multiple hits for South Portland, and Grant and Luce each had a pair of RBI.
The Blue Blazes got two hits apiece from Van Zandt and Allison Petry and a strong five-inning relief effort from Angelica Johns, but couldn’t get the timely hit as their season ended at 6-11.
“We hung around,” said Westbrook Coach Ed St. John. “I have six seniors and I have to credit them for going hard until the very end.
“This is the first time we’ve made the playoffs in six years. My seniors set the foundation and set the bar at a level to go up. This is the start of something.”
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