BC Patriots seek first state title; Vance leads MA Erskine wants to defend 2000 crown

BANGOR – As the Bangor Christian softball team finished up a crisp, clean, mostly error-free fielding practice under a hot sun at their field Wednesday, it was hard to picture the kind of struggles that the Patriots have been through this season.

Now, Bangor Christian is peaking – the defense has been sharp, sophomore pitcher Kara Hartman has had a fine postseason, and the offense has heated up a bit. The Patriots shrugged off six straight midseason defeats, the loss of several players because of injuries and grades, and they’ve succeeded with just one player on the bench.

On Saturday the Eastern Maine champions will play for their first state title when they meet Western Maine winner Monmouth at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College Ward Field in Standish.

“We’ve had a lot of obstacles this season,” said senior shortstop Meredith Moores. “We lost a lot of girls and our team is down to one sub. So I think it makes us play hard and do things correctly because we know we don’t have someone who can do it. We have to play as hard as we can.”

All four 2000 state softball champions are back to defend their titles, including Monmouth.

In the Class C game, Mattanawcook of Lincoln star pitcher Kari Vance will lead the undefeated Lynx as they face St. Dominic of Lewiston 11:30 a.m. today at Brewer’s Coffin Field.

Western Maine Class A champ Portland will try for its second straight state crown when the Bulldogs meet Eastern Maine winner Skowhegan at 3 p.m., also at Coffin Field.

Eastern Maine Class B champ Erskine of South China and Gray-New Gloucester will face off in the Class B state final at noon at St. Joseph’s. Erskine will also be defending its 2000 state title.

Bangor Christian was in the 1999 state title game where the Patriots lost to Buckfield. Getting back to that point has been their goal.

But they’ll have to go through one of the top Class D pitchers in the state: Monmouth’s Lisa Hasch.

Like Hartman, Hasch is a lefty. Unlike Hartman, Hasch is a senior with two previous wins in state championship games.

“I think Hasch is a little physically stronger than Kara but as far as pitching, we’re as good as they are,” Bangor Christian coach Tom Obey said. “Kara will mix up her pitches and try to catch them off-guard.”

Hasch earned the win in relief in her freshman year and pitched the whole game the following season for coach Rachel Bernier’s Mustangs.

Bangor Christian’s five seniors may not remember, but they faced Hasch as freshmen in May 1998. The Mustangs swept a doubleheader 8-1 and 9-0.

Obey likes the matchup – if the Patriots can get their bats going.

“The key Saturday is going to be hitting, them hitting us, us hitting them,” he said. “And it’s going to take some smart batting. It’s going take some bunts, it’s going to take some hits. I think it’s going to be a close game. The teams are very equally matched going in. They are as afraid of us as we are of them.”

The Patriots have just one playing who has hit over .500 through the regular season, PVC first-team sophomore Danielle Miller (.529). But senior Renee Mick is over .500 for the postseason, and Bangor Christian has had timely hitting from almost everyone.

“I think the offense is a lot better,” said senior catcher Lisa Phinney, who has been hitting at a .371 clip. “Sophomore year we had two or three people that hit the ball hard. This year we have people all the way through the lineup that hit the ball really well.”

Pitching and defense – and the adjustments Obey made through the season – have really been the story for the Patriots.

During Bangor Christian’s slump, in which they fell twice each to Lee and Katahdin, and once each to Central of Corinth and Dexter, Obey tinkered with the infield. He moved two seniors who had been playing at their positions for 31/2 years to new spots. Mick went from first base to second base and Moores switched from third to shortstop.

And the result?

“Since we moved our outsides in we’re just not making any errors,” Obey said.

Not only has the mid-season position shift helped things, but Hartman’s development this year has been a big key to the Pats’ success.

Hartman saw just six innings of action in her entire freshman year. But her sophomore season has been completely different. She was named a second-team All-PVC pitcher and has 29 strikeouts in 20 innings of postseason work. She’s allowed eight runs and eight hits in three playoff games.

Hartman plans to mix up her four pitches – fastball, changeup, rise and drop – for Saturday.

“I’ll probably use them all,” Hartman said.