CUMBERLAND—Lauren Steinberg’s dramatic entrance helped Cape Elizabeth’s softball team produce a triumphant finish Thursday afternoon at Twin Brook Recreation Center.

Steinberg, the Capers’ junior catcher and captain, who didn’t even make it to the field until the fourth inning due to AP testing, made the most of her limited time, delivering a clutch two-run single and scoring the ultimate winning run against host Greely.

Cape Elizabeth scored twice in the top of the first, but the Rangers, thanks in part to a two-run single from leftfielder Devin Gifford, responded with four runs.

Greely added a run in the fourth, but in the top of the fifth, the Capers got their bats going and scored four times, highlighted by a two-run Steinberg single, to go on top, 6-5.

Again, Greely responded with four runs of its own to seemingly take control.

Cape Elizabeth made things interesting with two runs in the sixth, on RBI singles from sophomore first baseman Elsie Maxwell and sophomore pitcher Rylie McIntyre.

Then, in the top of the seventh, run-scoring ground outs from sophomore outfielder Savannah Griffin-Swain and junior centerfielder Grace Callahan and an RBI double from senior shortstop Sophia Chung put the Capers ahead for good and they held on for an 11-9 victory.

Cape Elizabeth improved to 3-1 on the season, winning its third consecutive game, and in the process, dropped the Rangers to 1-6.

“I was glad I made it before the end of the game,” Steinberg said. “I knew Greely had great players. I just wanted to win and I knew we could.”

New beginnings

Both programs are starting anew this spring and both are in very good hands.

The Capers, who won the 2021 Class B state title in dominant and undefeated fashion, were ousted by York in the semifinals last season and this year, welcomed Danica Gleason as coach. Gleason was a standout at South Portland (scoring the winning run in the 2010 Class A state final as a freshman and sweeping every major award as a senior), then went on to play collegiately at St. Joseph’s College and Tennessee State and she still competes at a high level.

Cape Elizabeth opened with a five-inning loss at reigning regional champion York (16-3), then beat visiting Fryeburg Academy (8-6) and Freeport (9-8), in its last outing, last Friday.

Greely has boasted a lot of great players over the years and Danielle Cimino belongs on that list. Cimino, Class of 2013, led the Rangers to the Class B state final her senior year, then went on to play at Wheaton College and served as an assistant with the program last year before taking over this spring.

Greely lost at home to Fryeburg Academy in its opener (8-4), then beat visiting Wells (8-6) before falling to visiting Brunswick in five-innings (15-2), at Gray-New Gloucester (11-7), at Edward Little in five-innings (11-1) and at Poland (9-8) in its most recent game, last Saturday.

Last year, Cape Elizabeth put up 37 total runs in beating the Rangers twice, 15-0 (in five-innings) at home and 22-7 (in six-innings) in Cumberland.

Thursday, on a chilly (50 degrees) but rain-free (hallelujah) afternoon, Greely looked to beat the Capers for the first time since May 25, 2018 (15-6 on the road), but instead, Cape Elizabeth made it seven straight wins in the series.

Barely.

Callahan, who began the game as the Capers’ catcher, led off by singling to right off Rangers’ starting pitcher Avery Butler. Freshman third baseman Phoebe Caton followed with a four-pitch walk. With Chung at the plate, the runners executed a double steal and the throw to third got away for an error, allowing Callahan to come home with the game’s first run, as Caton moved to third. Chung then singled to right-center to make it 2-0. After Maxwell flew out to right, Chung tried to steal second, but Greely catcher Haley Stewart threw her out and McIntyre ended the frame by lining out to right.

The Rangers then got four runs back against McIntyre in the bottom half.

Centerfielder Fiona MacArthur led off by slapping the ball to shortstop and beating it out for an infield single. MacArthur promptly stole second and shortstop Katie Wallace walked. After Butler flew out to right, McIntyre threw a wild pitch, moving the runners up, then walked rightfielder Samantha Santerre to load the bases. First baseman Sophie Smith was next and she drew a walk, which brought home MacArthur to cut the deficit in half. Gifford then lined a single up the middle, scoring both Wallace and Santerre to put Greely on top.

Third baseman Mia Stewart followed with a ground out to short, scoring Smith. Second baseman Lucy Axelsen bounced out to short, but the Rangers had a 4-2 advantage.

Butler protected the lead in the top of the second, getting freshman leftfielder Isabelle Pollick to line out to second, where Axelsen made a nice play, and after sophomore second baseman Molly McKibben doubled, rightfielder Audrey Gardner struck out swinging and Griffin-Swain bounced back to the mound to retire the side.

In the bottom half, McIntyre settled in and got Haley Stewart to flew to center and after MacArthur beat out another infield single, got Wallace to pop to short and Butler to pop out to second.

Cape Elizabeth threatened in the top of the third, as after Callahan grounded out to third (with Smith making a nice scoop at first for the out), Caton drew a walk and Chung singled to center, but Maxwell flew out deep to center and McIntyre lined out to left for the third out.

In the bottom half, Santerre led off with an infield single and took second on a wild pitch before going to third when Smith grounded out to second, but Gifford bounced out to second (with Santerre holding) and Mia Stewart popped out foul to third to end the threat.

In the top of the fourth, Butler got Pollick to line to first leading off, but McKibben reached on a single to left and after Gardner popped out to second, Griffin-Swain extended the inning with an infield single, but with the tying runs on, Callahan flew out to right.

Greely then added a run in the bottom half.

Axelsen led off and reached second when her liner to right was dropped. After Axelsen took third on a wild pitch, McIntyre struck out Haley Stewart. McIntyre then threw ball one to MacArthur before play was stopped, as the cavalry had arrived.

Steinberg got on her gear and took over behind the plate, with Callahan moving to center.

“I wanted to be here the whole time, but I had an exam that was hard to sit through and I wasn’t able to use my phone, so I had no idea what was going on,” Steinberg said.

“I stalled as much as I could with warmups and timeouts to wait for Lauren,” Gleason said. “She got here in the nick of time.”

MacArthur was then called out for batter’s interference, but Wallace and Butler both walked to load the bases and Axelsen was able to score on an error, but Wallace was thrown out at home by Chung, keeping the score 5-2.

The Capers then took advantage of some wildness in the top of the fifth to come all the way back, and then some.

Caton walked leading off and after Chung watched strike three, Maxwell drew a walk and McIntyre followed with a single to center to score Caton and put runners at the corners. Pollick then grounded out back to the mound, putting runners at second and third, and McKibben was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That brought up Steinberg, who made the most of her first at-bat, lining a single to score both Maxwell and McIntyre and on the throw, McKibben came all the way around as well.

“We’ve worked on hitting a lot and on focusing at the plate,” said Steinberg. “It’s showing because we’re getting big hits and hopefully, we’ll keep doing that.”

Griffin-Swain struck out swinging, but Cape Elizabeth had the lead, 6-5.

And Greely took it right back with a four-spot of its own.

After Smith lined out to right, Maia Wright, who also arrived late to the game due to testing, drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch and Mia Stewart walked as well. Axelsen followed with a single to center to score Wright to tie the score and put runners at the corners. Haley Stewart then singled to right to score Mia Stewart. After MacArthur reached on an error to load the bases, Wallace flew out to center, but a wild pitch brought home Axelsen and Butler followed with a single to center to score Haley Stewart, but on the play, Callahan threw out MacArthur at the plate to end the inning.

Regardless, the Rangers were up, 9-6, and were just six outs from victory.

But the Capers refused to fold and got two runs back in the top of the sixth.

Callahan grounded out to third leading off, then Caton watched strike three, but Chung reached on an infield single to second and took second base on a throwing error. Maxwell made Greely pay by lining a single to center to score Chung. Maxwell took second on a wild pitch, then she scored on a single to center off the bat of McIntyre. Pollick grounded into a second-to-short force out, but Cape Elizabeth had cut the deficit to 9-8.

The Capers then flashed some leather to stay within hailing distance in the bottom of the sixth.

After Santerre walked to lead off, Smith grounded into a force out, then Wright lined the ball to third, where Caton made a diving stab, then she got to her feet and threw to first to double off Santerre.

Cape Elizabeth then pushed across three runs in the top of the seventh to turn the game in its favor.

McKibben got the rally started by drawing a walk. Steinberg then lined a single to left and when the throw came to third, Steinberg moved up to second. Griffin-Swain grounded out to third, but on the play, McKibben came home to tie it and Steinberg moved to third. Callahan then grounded to short, but on the play, Steinberg raced home with the go-ahead run. After Caton drew a walk, Chung crushed the ball to deep left. It fell just short of the fence. On the play, Caton came home, but Chung was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple and the Capers took a two-run lead to the bottom of the seventh.

“I saw it go up and I was so excited because it would have been my first home run,” Chung said. “It was so close.”

In its final opportunity, Greely put the tying runs on, but couldn’t respond.

Mia Stewart grounded out to second on the first pitch she saw, but Axelsen singled to left-center. After Haley Stewart grounded into a short-to-second force out, MacArthur extended the game by beating out an infield hit, but Wallace grounded to Chung, who fired across to first to end it and Cape Elizabeth was able to celebrate its 11-9 victory.

“I wanted the ball to come to me, I was so ready,” said Chung, of the final out. “We’re never out of a game. That’s how it is this year. We’re in it to win it. You just have to have good energy and we do. We brought it today.”

“This team has a lot of fight, a lot of grit and we’ve figured out how to get it done and win games,” said Gleason. “That could be our youth and inexperience, but it’s working to our advantage right now. The girls are energetic all the time. I couldn’t ask for a better group.

“The girls are learning. We’ve done basic fundamental stuff and they’re buying in. We practiced in the pouring rain the other day just to run bases and catch pop flies. I have great leadership with Sophia, Lauren and Grace. Grace had never caught a game before, but she did great.”

Chung paced the offense with four hits, two RBI and a run scored. McIntyre, McKibben and Steinberg added two hits apiece.

Caton scored three runs, Maxwell and McKibben both touched home twice and Callahan, McIntyre and Steinberg had one run each.

McIntyre and Steinberg had two RBI apiece, while Callahan, Griffin-Swain and Maxwell had one each.

The Capers left seven runners on base.

McIntyre earned the victory, giving up nine runs on nine hits and eight walks. She struck out one.

“I just tell (Rylie) to do the best she can,” Steinberg said. “I knew she could do what she did.”

Greely got three hits from MacArthur and a pair from Axelsen.

Axelsen also scored twice, while MacArthur, Santerre, Smith, Haley Stewart, Mia Stewart, Wallace and Wright all came home once.

Gifford had two RBI, while Axelsen, Butler, Smith, Haley Stewart and Mia Stewart drove in one run apiece.

The Rangers stranded eight baserunners.

Butler took the loss, giving up 11 runs (nine earned) on 13 hits. She walked six and struck out four.

“It’s a bummer, but there were a lot of coachable moments,” Cimino said. “We didn’t execute and Cape Elizabeth did and that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes. We’ve grown a lot since the beginning of the season. We have a really, really young squad and I’m super-proud of the adjustments they’ve made. ”

Another meeting

The teams square off again next Friday in Cape Elizabeth, but both squads will see plenty of time on the diamond before-hand.

The Rangers again look for their second victory when they host Lake Region Monday. Next Wednesday brings a trip to York.

“We’d like to get some wins,” said Cimino. “We’ll make adjustments and get ready for the next game. I think we’re competitive. We have strong batters. We have to make some defensive adjustments and not make baserunning errors and I think we’ll see games start to flip. I’m very excited for the rest of the season.”

The Capers look to extend their win streak to four games Saturday when they visit Gray-New Gloucester. After hosting Wells Monday, Cape Elizabeth welcomes Old Orchard Beach Tuesday of next week.

“York was a tough first game, but we’re getting confidence,” said Chung. “We just want to keep getting better. We can only go up from here.”

“Coming into the season, I don’t know what people were expecting from us,” Steinberg said. “It’s a shock to us that we’ve come out here and held our own. We’re fighting and working together.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.

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