Lynx rally to win Carver, Vance key comeback

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LINCOLN – Call it a lesson, as second baseman Cassie Carver does, or a kick in the backside, as pitcher Kari Vance did.

Either way, the Mattanawcook Academy softball team has had to figure out how to come from behind in the playoffs after rolling through the regular season.

The No. 3 Lynx rallied from a two-run deficit in their Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinal Wednesday, and they did it again in Friday’s semifinal against No. 10 Dexter at the school field here.

This time, MA rallied in the third and fourth innings and got a dominating pitching effort from Vance for an 8-2 win over the Tigers.

“We played hard, kept our heads in the game,” said Carver, who had three RBIs. “We’re just realizing we can do this. I think these playoff games are telling us that other teams have revved it up, and we have to pick it up, too.”

The win gives the defending state champion Lynx a berth in the Eastern Maine final 3 p.m. Wednesday at Brewer’s Coffin Field. They will face the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between No. 1 Calais and No. 5 Narraguagus of Harrington.

Vance upped her record to 17-0 with a five-hit, nine-strikeout effort. After mowing down the Tigers twice in the regular season, the senior had a pitching plan in mind for the third meeting.

“All I threw were fastballs,” she said. “It seemed to work well enough, but a little bit of junk would have been good.”

Dexter took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third, which the Lynx erased that thanks to RBI singles from Desirae Haines and Kylie Allen and an RBI fielder’s choice by Vance that made it 4-2 Mattanawcook.

But with Tigers pitcher Karen Nelson not giving into Mattanawcook’s dangerous offense, the Lynx needed more insurance. That’s when MA dealt Dexter its biggest blow.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Carver singled to center field to plate both runners. Carver got to second on a throw home, overran the base to try for third, then decided to head back to second. Dexter catcher Sarah Wyman overthrew the ball into center field, and Carver took off for home.

“Two outs, 0-2 pitch, backs against the wall,” she said with a sigh of relief. “I usually tend to hit better when I have to hit. I guess I like the pressure.”

Carver added an RBI single in the sixth that scored Brandi Rideout.

Angie Hogan powered the Tigers in the second with a triple to center field that scored Kristy Veazie and Cindy Koscielny. Nelson singled twice.

Nelson took the loss to finish her year with a 9-8 record. She struck out four and walked three.

“We had a few miscues in the field that hurt us … but you just have to go with what you got,” Dexter coach Paul Henderson said. “Karen has had a great season and she’s improved a lot.”

Dexter, which defeated No. 2 Lee in Thursday’s quarterfinal, wraps up its season with a 9-10 record.

“We really got it together in the playoffs,” Henderson said. “This was a tough one for us, for sure, but I think as a team we really came together.”

The game was marked by periods of dark clouds and bright blue sky, which came together in the fifth inning when a rainbow appeared above the trees behind center field.

Lynx 8, Tigers 2

Dexter (9-10) Mattanawcook (18-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R BI

B. Veazie, dh 3 0 0 0 Rideout, 1b 3 0

Wyman, c 0 0 0 0 Haines, rf 4 1

Nelson, p 3 0 2 0 C. Carver, 2b 4 2 3

Belanger, 2b 3 0 1 0 Vance, p 4 0 1

K. Veazie, 3b 2 1 1 0 a-Murchison 0 0

Koscielny, ss 3 1 0 0 Allen, 3b 2 1

Bohm, rf 3 0 0 0 Mansur, cf 2 0

Pooler, 1b 3 0 0 0 Whitney, c 3 0 0

Hogan, cf 3 0 1 2 A. Carver, ss 2 1 0

Gudroe, lf 3 0 0 0 c-Littlefield 1 0 0

Leighton, lf 0 0

b-Knights 0 0

Shorey, lf 1 0

Totals 26 2 5 2 Totals 26 8 8 6

a-ran for Vance in the third; b-ran for Leighton in the fourth; c-struck out for A. Carver in the fifth

Dexter 020 000 0?2

Mattanawcook 004 301 x?8

E?Wyman, Belanger, Koscielny; LOB?Dexter 4, Mattanawcook 5; 3B?Hogan; S?Mansur, Leighton; SF?K. Veazie; SB?Rideout 2, Haines, Murchison

Dexter IP H R ER BB SO

Nelson (L, 9-8) 6 8 8 3 3 4

Mattanawcook IP H R ER BB SO

Vance (W, 17-0) 7 5 2 1 0 9

PB?Wyman 2; Whitney; T?1:35; ATT?200 (est.)