March 29, 2024
CLASS C SOFTBALL

Tigers, Buccaneers riding offenses into state ‘C’ final Lee Academy, Skowhegan, Winslow seeking crowns

There could be a lot of offensive fireworks Saturday afternoon in the Class C softball state championship.

In the home dugout at Brewer High’s Coffin Field, Eastern Maine champion Sumner of East Sullivan got three home runs out of the park thanks to three different players in a 10-4 win over Penobscot Valley of Howland in Wednesday’s Eastern Maine final.

In the visitor’s dugout, Ashley Geel of Western Maine champ Georges Valley hit a solo homer in a 10-3 win over defending state champion Telstar of Bethel Wednesday, after hitting a grand slam in the semis.

Let the slugfest begin.

The Tigers (16-3) and the Buccaneers (16-2) meet Saturday at 2 p.m. in Brewer.

Winslow and Cape Elizabeth start the day of state championships at 11 a.m. in the Class B game at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish.

Also at 2, Skowhegan and Scarborough meet for the Class A title, while defending Class D state champ Lee Academy faces Buckfield in a rematch of the 2006 title game.

In Class C, the Buccaneers have put up some massive scoring numbers this season, including a 26-2 win over Livermore Falls on May 14 and an 18-1 victory over Boothbay on May 24.

Georges Valley has kept up that pace in the playoffs. The Bucs have recorded 35 hits, 10 for extra bases, and 28 runs in three postseason games.

Geel has three of those extra-base hits, but players such as Danielle Leavitt, Aley Watts, Megan Smith and Liz Hall have also crushed the ball in games.

Pitcher Danielle Frye has allowed 10 hits and eight runs in the playoffs. Her best postseason effort – and the Bucs’ best game – came in the semifinals against Jay when she tossed a one-hitter and Georges Valley pounded out 15 hits in a 12-0, six-inning win.

Georges Valley is playing for its first state softball crown.

The Class D teams are very familiar with each other as the 13-7 Pandas and the 13-3 Bucks meet for the third time for a Class D title since 2002.

Buckfield will likely be gunning for a win considering Lee won last year’s contest 1-0.

Kasey Farrington, who was a third baseman last year, pitched the Bucks to an 8-7 win in eight innings over rival Richmond in the WM final. Farrington is one of the few familiar faces from last year’s Buckfield team as first baseman Shayna Shackford and pitcher Desiree Brackett both graduated.

Shortstop Lindsey Neal, who drew a walk to become one of three Bucks batters to reach last year against Lee pitcher Brooke Harris, is back. Other key players for Buckfield include Ashlee Hamann and Danielle Labbe.

In Class A, the matchup – on paper, at least – favors Western Maine champion Scarborough. The Red Storm are 19-0 and feature pitcher Kelsey Griffin, the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. She had 15 strikeouts in Scarborough’s 7-1 win over South Portland in the Western Maine final.

Skowhegan, however, hasn’t been scared of teams with better records or higher seeds. The 12-8 Indians, who were ranked No. 12 at the end of the season, knocked off No. 5 Nokomis of Newport in the prelims, No. 4 Hampden in the quarterfinals, No. 9 Lawrence of Fairfield in the semis and then 2006 EM winner Cony of Augusta, the No. 6 seed, in the regional final.

Scarborough is seeking its first state crown since 1997, when the Storm won the Class B title. Skowhegan was a Class A championship in 1993.

In Class B, the 18-1 Black Raiders are appearing in their third state championship game since 2004. They won back-to-back titles in 2004 and ’05.

Cape Elizabeth (16-3) was in the state game last year but lost to Bucksport.

The Capers return several players from last year’s team, including catcher Colleen Martin, third baseman Brennan Balfour, center fielder Marla Houghton, right fielder Lisa Wolanski and second baseman Maureen Kertes.

One player not in the starting lineup last year is sophomore pitcher Tricia Thibodeau, who struck out 13 and scattered three hits in Cape’s 6-2 WM title win over Greely of Cumberland Center.

In three playoff games Thibodeau has allowed nine hits and five runs. The Capers haven’t been as consistent on defense, however, with three errors in a 4-1 quarterfinal win over Poland, five in a 10-2 win over Lake Region of Naples in the semis and just one in the WM final.

Cape has never won a state softball championship.


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