SCARBOROUGH—Scarborough’s softball team has mastered the art of overcoming a slow start with a memorable finish.

In the regular season, the Red Storm saved their best for last with a late-season surge.

Tuesday afternoon at the Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex, sixth-ranked Scarborough was down to its final two outs against No. 11 Marshwood in a Class A South preliminary round playoff game, but again, when it mattered most, the Red Storm came through with a flourish.

And capped one of the most memorable come-from-behind tournament wins in the program’s storied history thanks to some thunder from a player, senior second baseman Jamie Kemper, who overcame an injury at the start of the year to deliver the biggest hit of the season on the big stage.

The Hawks got off to a fast start, scoring an unearned run in the top of the first, as sophomore pitcher Emily Hester helped herself with an RBI single.

Scarborough immediately answered in the bottom half, as senior shortstop Samantha Cote walked and scored on a ringing double from junior centerfielder Gabby Pelletier.

Hester drove in another run in the top of the third, but in the bottom half, Kemper blasted a two-run home to put the Red Storm in front and the home team tacked on another run, as sophomore first baseman Laine Niles hit a two-out RBI single for a 4-2 lead.

But that lead lasted only until the top of the fourth, as Marshwood sophomore shortstop Piper Catanese turned the game around with a three-run home run of her own.

Hester held Scarborough at bay in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and the first batter of the bottom of the seventh made an out as well, but senior pitcher Meghan Robinson doubled, senior catcher Alana Sawyer followed with a double of her own to tie the score, then Kemper ripped a shot down the leftfield line, good for another double to score Sawyer to end it in palpitating fashion, 6-5.

The Red Storm captured their sixth game in a row, improved to 12-5, ended Marshwood’s season at 7-10 and advanced to play at No. 3 Gorham (13-3) in the quarterfinals Thursday at a time to be announced.

“The game kind of went like our season,” said Scarborough’s first-year coach Brian Rice. “We got off to a slow start and we had to claw our way back like we did in the regular season as well. It was a fantastic job by the girls. They never gave up.”

Down but never out

Scarborough needed some time to hit its stride this season, as the Red Storm were just 2-2 at one juncture and had a record of 6-5 after 11 games, but they closed on a five-game win streak to finish sixth in Class A South (see sidebar for links to previous stories).

Marshwood, which also has players from Berwick Academy this spring, went 7-9 in the regular season, starting with three straight victories, but closing on a four-game skid.

In the teams’ regular season meeting May 24, host Scarborough held on for a 5-3 victory in the finale, as Cote drove in two runs, Niles had a pair of hits and the Red Storm erased a 3-2 deficit with a three-run fourth inning.

Scarborough had won both prior playoff meetings, 2-0 in the 2002 Western A Southwest Division preliminary round and 5-1 in the 2013 Western A quarterfinals.

Tuesday, on a pleasant afternoon (68 degrees at first pitch), the Red Storm prevailed again, but it took until the game’s final swing to produce victory.

Catanese grounded out to first to start the game, then sophomore centerfielder Laurali Shisler reached on an error by freshman third baseman Vera DiSotto, moving to second on the play. Hester wasted no time taking advantage, as she ripped the first pitch she saw up the middle to score Shisler. Robinson then settled in and got senior third baseman Lindsay Bennett to ground into a second-to-shortstop force out before catching junior leftfielder Lilly Gennaro looking at strike three.

Scarborough promptly answered in its half of the first, as Cote worked the count full leading off, fouled off two pitches, then drew a walk. That set the stage for Pelletier, who crushed the ball deep to left-center, bringing Cote around with the run. Pelletier tried to stretch a double into a triple and was thrown out, but the game was tied. The Red Storm had an opportunity to score more, as Robinson beat out an infield single to shortstop, Sawyer was plunked by a pitch and after Robinson and junior courtesy runner Bridget Dunfee pulled off a double steal, Kemper, after fouling off four pitches, drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, but Hester got sophomore rightfielder Taylor Swalla to fly out to shallow right on the first pitch, with no advancement, then she caught DiSotto looking at strike three to keep the game tied, 1-1.

In the top of the second, freshman catcher Zoe Carnes led off with a double, a bloop over shortstop, and when the ball was mishandled for an error, she went to third. The Hawks couldn’t capitalize, however, as freshman rightfielder Zoe Noonan grounded back to the mound and when Carnes was caught off the bag, Robinson threw to DiSotto and when Carnes took off for home, DiSotto threw her out, with Sawyer applying the tag. Noonan went to second on the play, but would be stranded, as Robinson fanned both sophomore first baseman Adele Smaracko and freshman second baseman Keira Keaveny.

In the bottom half, Niles popped out to second, then junior rightfielder Avery Charland tried to bunt her way on, but Hester threw her out in a close play. Cote reached by drawing ball four on a 3-2 pitch, but Pelletier lined out to center to keep the game tied.

Marshwood then retook the lead in the top of the third, but it would be unable to open up a more comfortable advantage.

Catanese drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch leading off, then Shisler lined a first pitch single down the rightfield line to put runners at first and second. Again, Hester helped herself, lining the ball over the head of Pelletier in center, but since the runners had to hold to make sure the ball wasn’t caught, Hester was limited to a single and while Catanese came home to score, Shisler had to stop at third. Robinson escaped further damage, fanning Bennett on a foul tip which Sawyer held, then getting Gennaro to ground to second and when Shisler broke for home, Kemper threw to the plate to Sawyer. Shisler tried to reverse course to third and Sawyer fired to DiSotto and after Shisler put on the brakes and tried to come home, DiSotto threw to the plate, where Robinson applied the tag for the second out. The runners moved to second and third on the play, but Robinson got Carnes to ground out to short to keep the score 2-1.

The Red Storm then loudly returned to their offensive ways in the bottom half.

On the first pitch, Robinson crushed a double to left. Sawyer popped out to second on the first pitch she saw, but Kemper wouldn’t be denied, fouling off a pitch, then launching the next Hester offering deep to left, where Gennaro could only watch the ball sail over the fence for a two-run home run and a 3-2 lead. Kemper circled the bases and was mobbed when she reached the plate.

Scarborough wasn’t done, as Swalla singled into the hole between third and short and after DiSotto was robbed of a hit by a sprawling Shisler, Swalla took second on a wild pitch and Niles delivered the run, grounding the ball past a diving Catanese into centerfield for an RBI single. Charland watched strike three, but the Red Storm had a 4-2 lead.

Which quickly evaporated in the top of the fourth.

Noonan got the rally started with a bunt single down the third base line. Smaracko then singled off the glove of Niles at first. Robinson managed to fan Keaveny on a 3-2 pitch, but on the first pitch to Catanese, the leadoff hitter crushed the ball to deep right-center and it soared over the wall for a three-run homer and just like that, Marshwood was back in front, 5-4. Shisler chased an off-speed pitch for strike three and after Hester reached on an error, she tried to take second, but was thrown out for the final out.

Cote led off the bottom half with a sharp liner to third, but Bennett was able to snare it, after an initial juggle, for the first out. Pelletier reached on an error by Catanese at short, but Robinson took a 3-2 pitch for a called strike three, then Sawyer made solid contact on the first pitch she saw, but flew out deep to center for the third out.

Robinson made quick work of the Hawks in the top of the fifth, fanning Bennett and Gennaro before getting Carnes to fly out to deep center.

In the bottom half, Hester got Kemper to pop out foul to third, then got Swalla to line out to center, where Shisler made a nice running catch, before getting DiSotto to line out to right, where Noonan made a similar, pretty running catch to retire the side.

Noonan led off the top of the sixth with a bunt single down the third base line, but after senior pinch-hitter Kaydence Wilder watched strike three, senior pinch-hitter Erin Lindgren hit the ball hard, but right on a line to Niles, who caught it, then doubled up Noonan.

Hester had her finest inning in the bottom half, striking out Niles on a 1-2 pitch, catching Charland looking at a 2-2 pitch, then fanning Cote.

The Hawks had a chance to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but weren’t able to do so.

After Robinson got Catanese to ground out to second, Shisler singled to center, then Hester singled sharply through the hole between third and short to put two runners on. Bennett worked the count full and fouled off several pitches, but then popped out to third before the frame ended in unorthodox fashion, as Gennaro’s grounder ricocheted off the glove of Kemper at second right to Cote, who, fortuitously for the home team, was right at the second base bag and she stepped on it for the final out, a call that was disputed by Marshwood but ultimately upheld, setting the stage for the fateful bottom half of the inning.

Hester got Pelletier to chase the first pitch and squib the ball along first, but the pitcher got to it in time to throw out the runner.

Marshwood wouldn’t register another out, however.

Robinson sparked the comeback, helping herself by lining an 0-1 pitch over the head of Gennaro in left, good for a double, to put the tying run on. That brought up Sawyer, who drove the first pitch she saw deep to left. Gennaro went back, almost to the wall, but the ball was over her head and in came Robinson with the tying run on Sawyer’s clutch double.

“I was just looking for a pitch to square up and get that tying run in,” said Sawyer. “It felt good off the bat, but it was nerve-wracking seeing where it was going to go. It was a great feeling.”

“If you’re going to be down, that’s who you want up,” said Rice. “These kids are four-year varsity players. They know the drill. It was just a matter of getting a good pitch to hit.”

That brought up Kemper, who got ahead in the count two balls and after fouling off two pitches, she took ball three to work the count full. Hester’s next pitch was to Kemper’s liking and she lined it down the leftfield line for another double, easily scoring Sawyer and at 4:20 p.m., Scarborough was able to celebrate its 6-5 victory.

“It’s amazing,” Kemper said. “I knew right away that was the game. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without Alana doing it right before me.

“I’m thinking, ‘Let’s get this over with.’ I didn’t want to have to go back out there. I just saw the pitch all the way into the barrel and I just swung. I had confidence in myself and I knew we could get it done. As soon as Alana touched home, I ran off second and the celebration was amazing.

“The captains told everyone that it’s senior year and we had nothing to lose. Everyone came together and was cheering for us. It just shows the chemistry on this team. We take so much pride in a win like this.”

“I had a lot of confidence in Jamie,” Sawyer said. “I saw the ball come off the bat and I’m like, ‘I’m scoring on this.’ I was just going. I came around third hard and Coach waved me in. It was an amazing feeling.

“It was just a great team effort. We just wanted to play Scarborough softball and put the bat on the ball and do what we know how to do. This shows how much we’ve grown and that we’re at our best at the end of the season which you want to see with every team. It’s been great seeing the progress everybody’s made.”

“I’m so happy for (Jamie),” Rice added. “She had some arm trouble at the beginning of the year and struggled off and on at the plate, but the game she had today, just wow.

“This is what you want. To be in a game like this. It was awesome. We played (Marshwood) last game of the regular season too, so we kind of thought we knew how this would go. This time, we had to really go all the way to the end. Kudos to Marshwood. They don’t play like their record in any way, shape or form.”

Scarborough got three hits from Robinson and two from Kemper.

Robinson scored two runs, while Cote, Kemper, Sawyer and Swalla all touched home plate once.

Kemper drove in three runs and Niles, Pelletier and Sawyer all had one RBI.

The Red Storm finished with nine hits as six went for extra bases. They left eight runners on base.

Robinson earned the win, giving up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits. She walked one and struck out nine.

Marshwood got three hits from Hester and two apiece from Noonan and Shisler.

Catanese scored two runs, while Noonan, Shisler and Smaracko had one each.

Catanese had three RBI and Hester finished with two.

The Hawks stranded six runners.

Hester took the loss, surrendering six runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings. He walked three, struck out six and hit a batter.

“It was probably our best game we played all season,” Marshwood coach Pete Eastman said. “We didn’t give them anything, we hit when we had to. You don’t want to see the last game, but it has to happen.”

Off to Gorham

Scarborough dropped a narrow 2-1 decision May 3 at Gorham.

The Red Storm won two of the three prior playoff encounters, with an 8-0 quarterfinal round victory in 2017 the most recent.

“This was a lot of fun and now, we just need to keep the energy up and keep playing the game like we know how,” Sawyer said. “We’ll go in there (to Gorham) and just play our game.”

“We have nothing to lose,” Kemper said. “That’s the mindset. If we can come together like we know how, we’ll see.”

“We’ll have some confidence going into Gorham, but they’re a different breed,” added Rice. “I hope the kids will be loose. Now we got the first playoff game out of the way, so hopefully a lot of the jitters will be gone and we can play good ball from the get-go.”

Press Herald staff writer Drew Bonifant contributed to this story.

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

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