Hall-Dale players celebrate their 5-0 win over Dxter in the Class C softball state championship game Saturday at Bailey Field in Standish. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Buy this Photo
STANDISH — Ashlynn Donahue and Rita Benoit combined on a six-hitter, and Hall-Dale completed an undefeated season by winning its first state championship with a 5-0 victory over Dexter in the Class C final at St. Joseph’s College.
Hall-Dale (17-0) took the lead quickly, getting three runs in the first inning.
Sarah Benner was hit by a pitch, Benoit hit an infield single and Tanley Tibbetts reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases with one out.
Lily Platt drove in Benner with a grounder to short, and Emma Soule followed with an RBI single. Platt scored on a passed ball.
In the third inning, Tibbetts tripled home Benoit and scored on Soule’s bunt single.
That was more than enough support for Donahue and Benoit. Donahue, a freshman, allowed five hits and one walk while striking out three in five innings. Benoit, a sophomore, recorded four strikeouts over the last two innings and gave up only one hit.
“Ashlynn did exactly what I wanted out of her,” said Hall-Dale Coach Steve Acedo. “Five strong innings, and you’ve got Rita standing out there in right field, she was 8-0 or whatever it was this year. That 1-2 tandem for us is big. … You couldn’t ask for it to work out any better than that.”
Dexter (15-3) finished as the runner-up for the second straight season, having lost to Madison in 2019. Like Hall-Dale, the Tigers were seeking their first state championship.
BASEBALL
ORONO 5, MONMOUTH ACADEMY 0: Zack Dill allowed just four hits through six innings, and Orono (17-3) won its second Class C state championship in four years with a victory over Monmouth Academy (16-4) at St. Joseph’s College.
The Red Riots took the lead in the first inning. Zach Needham led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on sacrifice fly by Caleb Ryder.
Dill needed just 33 pitches to get through the first three innings. In the fourth, he got some breathing room when Ryder led off with a single, stole second and eventually scored on a single by Cam Shorette.
Orono made it 4-0 in the fifth, as No. 9 hitter Ellis Spaulding singled home Dana Crocker, then stole second, took third on a groundout and scored on a double by Jason Desisto.
Javier Santiago added a sacrifice fly in the sixth after Jordan Cota singled and stole both second and third.
Shorette relieved Dill in the seventh and quickly struck out the first two batters on three pitches each.
After hitting Manny Calder with a pitch, Shorette closed it out with another strikeout.
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