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BREWER – After facing Katahdin twice in the regular season – and losing to the Cougars in back-to-back games – Bangor Christian pitcher Kara Hartman had Katahdin all figured out.
Plus, Hartman said after Tuesday’s Eastern Maine Class D championship game at Coffin Field, she’s hitting her peak.
Is she ever.
Hartman fired a one-hitter, struck out 10 and walked three as the No. 3 Patriots won their second regional title, this time topping the No. 1 Cougars of Sherman Station 12-0 in a game that ended early because of the 12-run rule.
The Patriots will face the Western Maine champion at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.
“We were pumped and ready for them,” said Bangor Christian coach Tom Obey, who is in his 14th season. “We knew a lot was going to depend on Kara. It’s her first in the ring and she really did it. The 10 strikeouts kept their batters off the bases and that was the key.”
Not only did Hartman look sharp – and a little faster than she had in the regular season, Katahdin coach Terry Duffy said – but the sophomore maintained her poise with Cougars on the bases.
Katahdin got base runners to third twice in the game, but Hartman was able to stop them there. In the fourth inning the Cougars had runners at second and third with two outs but she induced a flyout to end the inning. In the fifth, speedy Morgan Anderson was stranded at third when Hartman struck out the final batter of the inning.
“I just try to look cool out there, take a deep breath and pitch the ball,” Hartman said. “I think this was the best I’ve done all season. I was at my peak.”
Hartman struck out five of the seven batters she faced in the first two innings.
The key, she believes, is her riseball, a pitch she’s developed this year.
“As her catcher, I would say her rise was awesome tonight,” said batterymate Lisa Phinney. “The last three strikeouts, all but one was a riseball.”
Katahdin’s only hit came from the ninth spot in the order, sophomore Jessica Wilson, who had a bunt single in the third.
Bangor Christian pounded out 10 hits, including a triple and a double by Phinney and two singles apiece from Renee Mick and Kendil Snow.
The Patriots had to show plenty of patience at the plate. They faced three Katahdin pitchers, including starter Megan Libby, who all hurled a slow changeup.
“Our coaches have taught us, back up in the box, wait for [the pitch], make sure you have the timing,” Phinney said.
It was Libby’s first start, although she has been part of the pitching rotation this year.
“She did real good for about four innings but they got three unearned runs,” Duffy said. “I knew we had to score some runs and she was really on the ball today. We couldn’t seem to hit that well today. That’s as good as we’ve had pitched to us all year. It was her good pitching, our lack of hitting and we made a couple of errors.”
The Patriots scored two runs in the second inning and another in the fourth. Andrea Sage hit a two-run single during a three-run rally in the fifth and six more runs in the top of the sixth put the game out of reach.
Not only were the Bangor Christian batters hitting well, but they also benefited from 11 walks and five errors. Cougar pitchers walked five in the sixth inning and the final two runs of the game were walked in.
Mick, Snow and Alyssa Wiswell each had an RBI single in the sixth.
Patriots 12, Cougars 0
Bangor Christian (13-6) Katahdin (14-5)
Player AB R H BI Player AB BI
Moores, ss 3 0 1 1 Anderson, cf-p 2 0 0
Miller, cf 2 2 1 0 Mi. Libby,lf-3b-cf3 0 0
Phinney, c 3 2 2 1 Me. Libby, p-lf 3 0 0
Mick, 2b 5 2 2 1 1 Willett, 1b 3 0
Pelletier, lf 3 1 0 0 Duffy, c-p 2 0
Sage, 1b 4 0 1 2 a-K. McAvoy 0 0
Snow, 3b 3 2 2 0 Qualey, 3b-c 1 0
Wiswell, rf 3 2 1 1 b-Arbo 1 0 0 0
Labbe, dh 3 1 0 1 S. McAvoy, 2b 2 0 0
Duffy-Stanley, ss 0
Wilson, rf 2 0
Totals 29 12 10 7 Totals 21 0 0
a-ran for Duffy in the fourth; b-struck out for Qualey in the sixth
Bangor Christian 020 136 ?12
Katahdin 000 000 ? 0
E?Mick; Qualey 2, Duffy-Stanley, Anderson, Duffy; LOB?Bangor Christian 11, Katahdin 6; 2B?Phinney; 3B?Phinney; S?S. McAvoy; SB?Labbe 2, Miller 2, Mick, Pelletier; Anderson
Bangor Christian IP H R ER BB SO
Hartman (W, 10-5) 6 1 0 0 3 10
Katahdin IP H R ER BB SO
Me. Libby (L, 0-1) 41/3 7 6 3 5 0
Duffy 1 3 6 4 4 0
Anderson 2/3 0 0 0 2 0
WP?Hartman; Me. Libby; T?1:56; ATT?250 (est.)
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