Brewer’s Kenzie Dore celebrates after hitting a three-run to help the Witches beat York 7-1 in the Class B softball state championship game on Saturday in Standish. John Ewing/Staff Photographer

STANDISH — Brewer High pitcher Libby Hewes didn’t strike out a single batter; nor did she have to.

“My defense came to play today,” she said. “I came to pitch. We all came to hit.”

That about sums up the Class B softball state championship game Saturday as Brewer beat York 7-1 at St. Joseph’s College.

It’s the second straight title for the Witches (18-2), who beat Greely 1-0 last year. Hewes threw a four-hitter in that game.

On Saturday, Hewes allowed five hits – never more than one in an inning – and no walks. Her defense made no errors.

Brewer collected 12 hits, including a Kenzie Dore three-run homer in the fourth inning that gave the Witches a 6-0 lead.

“Very good hitting team. They are a worthy champion,” York Coach Kevin Giannino said.

York pitcher Abby Orso struck out eight. She provided the Wildcats’ only run with a towering sixth-inning homer over the left-field fence.

The Wildcats (16-4) won the South final against Fryeburg Academy with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Saturday’s deficit was too much, especially against Brewer.

“They played a great game,” York catcher Kayla Dredge said. “We were making contact but we weren’t able to find those gaps.”

Dredge singled in the first inning with two outs and was stranded. Ellyson Bourgoine did the same in the second. Orso doubled with two outs in the third but stayed there. The Wildcats went down 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth.

“Their pitcher was great. She was ahead the whole time, threw a lot of strikes,” Giannino said.

Hewes threw only 77 pitches, 53 for strikes.

“She’s consistent, for sure,” Brewer catcher Jordan Goodrich said. “She threw a lot of fastballs but she also worked in curveballs, which seemed to throw them off a little bit. She got us easy plays on defense.”

Brewer pitcher Libby Hewes did not strike out a batter but still lead her team to the win, allowing just four hits in the Witches’ 7-1 win over York in the Class B softball state championship game on Saturday in Standish. John Ewing/Staff Photographer

Brewer took a 1-0 lead in the top of the firstg. Hewes reached on a bloop single to left and advanced to second on a wild pitch with two outs. Becca Gideon singled her in with a grounder between shortstop and third base.

The Witches scored two more in the second after loading the bases on three singles with nobody out.

Orso struck out two but two wild pitches followed.

Brewer broke it open in the fourth. After two quick outs, Goodrich fell behind 0-2. She had already struck out twice.

“I just wanted to get a hit,” Goodrich said. “I knew Libby and Kenzie were coming up.”

Goodrich lined a single to right. Hewes followed with an infield single, putting runners on first and second for Dore, a .524 hitter. In her first two at-bats, Dore struck out (in a nine-pitch at-bat), then grounded out to end the third with two runners on.

Was Dore was looking for a certain pitch?

“I was just looking to do my job and bring Libby and Jordan in,” Dore said. “I knew I wasn’t performing the way I wanted to in the first two at-bats.”

Dore jumped on the first pitch – “I don’t even know what it was,” she said – and sent it over the center-field fence, 220 feet away, for her sixth home run of the season to put Brewer up 6-0.

“The fourth inning there, two outs, two strikes. Then bang-bang-bang,” Giannino said.

“That three-run homer was a killer.”

Orso’s homer closed it to 6-1. In the seventh, Brewer added a run on two hits and an error.

Isabelle Babcock singled in the seventh, but that was it for York.

After both teams received their medals, Giannino gathered his players and emphasized the positive.

“They’ll reflect back in a couple of days and realize what they’ve accomplished,” he said.

“It’s been quite a year.”

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