STANDISH – For the past week, Mattanawcook Academy softball coach Dean Libbey had his Lynx of Lincoln hit off a pitching machine to emulate a fastball pitcher.

The batting practice came in handy during MA’s regional final win, in which the team pounded out 18 hits.

Not so during Saturday’s Class C state final against Western Maine and defending state champ Jay. Instead of fastball pitchers, as Libbey said he was expecting, the Lynx faced two pitchers who stuck to off-speed pitches.

It took a while, but Mattanawcook got used to the changeups, and scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Kari Vance – who most definitely throws heat – pitched a three-hitter as MA rolled to a 12-2 victory at St. Joseph’s Ward Field.

“This means so much, especially after what happened with the football team winning [the Class C state title],” said Carly Mansur, who was Mattanawcook’s only repeat hitter. “That has really urged us to go on.”

The state softball title is the first for 18-2 Mattanawcook. Jay falls to 14-6.

Vance struck out five and walked two, and wrapped up her junior season with an 18-2 record, a 0.92 ERA and 159 strikeouts. Neither of Jay’s runs was earned.

“It was just fastballs and a couple of drops,” said Vance. “I think we were afraid that someone would crush a changeup.”

MA faced two Jay pitchers in the game. While Janna Deane and Trista Dube combined for four strikeouts, they also issued seven walks – four of which led to Lynx runs. Deane took the loss after leaving the game with a 4-0 MA lead in the second.

Mattanawcook had just one hit through the first six innings. Dube, who came in for Deane in the second inning, kept the Lynx guessing.

“[Dube] tries to keep batters off-balance because she’s not yet a power pitcher,” Jay coach Steve Hamblin said.

Mattanawcook found a way to get around its opposition until the offense came around. In the top of the second inning the Lynx scored four runs on one hit (an RBI single by Mansur, who added another in the seventh), four walks, one hit batsman, a wild pitch and a fielding error on a steal attempt.

The Tigers created a run of their own in the fourth when Christine Gagnon walked, stole second, advanced on a Dube single and scored on an error. Ashley Woodcock added another in the fifth on an RBI single by basketball standout Karyn Labbe.

MA had a 5-2 lead (Desirae Haines scored her second run of the game in the sixth) when it racked up seven runs on four singles.

“Our first pitcher got in trouble, so we had to do something and I thought she did a terrific job,” Hamblin said. “But the doors fell off in the last inning, that’s all. We just didn’t execute.”

No. 9 hitter Kylee Allen and the rest of the bottom of the order did most of the damage. Allen hit a two-run single in the seventh.

Mansur, who bats eighth in the order, reached base three times on her two singles and a fielder’s choice, drove in two runs and scored twice. No. 6 hitter Haines drew three walks, singled and scored three runs.

“I managed to buckle down and hit off of her in this game, I guess,” said Mansur.

Pinch hitters and runners did well, too. Heidi DiCenso singled and scored while hitting for Aimee Libbey in the seventh and Sara McCormick’s RBI single in the sixth plated Haines.

“I think I was able to slow [Jay] down by putting in the pinch hitters,” Libbey said. “I’ve got to admit, the bottom of the order and the pinch hitters did a whale of a job.”

Tracie Pickering added an RBI single for the Lynx.

Lynx 12, Tigers 2

Mattanawcook (18-2) Jay girls (14-6)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Pickering, c 5 1 1 1 Woodcock, cf 4 1 1 0

Rideout, 1b 3 1 0 0 Labbe, ss 3 0 1 1

McLaughlin, ss 4 0 0 0 Ouellette, c 2 0 0 0

f-Towle 0 0 0 0 Gagnon, 3b 2 1 0 0

Vance, p 4 1 0 0 C. Richards, rf 3 0 0 0

e-Leighton 0 0 0 0 Dube, lf-p 3 0 1 0

C. Carver, 2b 5 1 1 0 J. Deane, p 0 0 0 0

Haines, rf 1 3 1 0 A. Deane, lf 3 0 0 0

Libbey, lf 3 0 0 0 Roberts, 1b 2 0 0 0

a-Whitney 0 1 0 0 b-R. Richards 1 0 0 0

d-DiCenso 1 1 1 0 Leclerc, 2b 3 0 0 0

Mansur, cf 4 2 2 2

Allen, 3b 3 1 1 2

c-McCormick 1 0 1 1

Totals 34 12 8 6 Totals 26 2 3 1

a-ran for Libbey in the second

b-struck out for Roberts in the seventh

c-singled for Allen in the sixth

d-singled for Libbey in the sixth

e-ran for Vance in the seventh

f-ran for McLaughlin in the seventh

Mattanawcook Academy 040 001 7 – 12

Jay 000 110 0 – 2

E – McLaughlin, C. Carver; Leclerc LOB – Mattanawcook Academy 7, Jay 5 SB – Gagnon

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Mattanawcook Academy

Vance (W, 18-2) 7 3 2 0 2 5

Jay

J. Deane (L, 8-5) 1 2/3 1 4 3 4 3

Dube 5 1/3 7 8 6 3 1

HBP – Libbey by J. Deane; Rideout by Dube WP – Vance; J. Deane 2 PB – Pickering TIME – 1:49 ATTENDANCE – 400 (est.)