September 20, 2024
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Chan sparks victory Game features PVC’s all-stars

BREWER – With all of the activities planned for Tuesday night’s Penobscot Valley Conference all-star night, and with the time needed to work out lineups, defensive assignments and pitching orders for the all-star game, there wasn’t much time to work on signs.

But this was an all-star game, after all. Who needs signs?

As Ellsworth’s Hiedi Chan stepped to the plate in the fourth inning with two outs and Searsport’s Tina Barton on third base, it was an easy call. The PVC Class B Player of the Year – fresh off her win in the all-star night’s baserunning contest – knew what she had to do.

Chan laid down a bunt and beat out the throw to first, allowing Barton to score the tying run for the home team, which went on to beat the visiting team 3-1.

The home team, coached by Mike Carrier of Bucksport and Caribou’s Sue White, was made up of all the Class B players and a few Class C players. Lisa Richards of Bangor and Penquis of Milo’s Dick Martin skippered the visiting team, which was comprised of the Class A players, the rest of the Class C players, and a single Class D player.

The game featured the top players in the PVC regardless of classification or year.

“Any of the girls on any of the teams, I’d love to play with,” Bangor pitcher Shelby Soohey said. “They were all fun to be with and everyone got along.”

Chan’s bunt, along with a game-winning RBI single by Caribou’s Megan Cole-Karagory, negated any advantage the Class A players had.

“I’m just known for speed,” said Chan, who ran around the bases in 12.09 seconds to win the running contest. “We just did whatever we wanted [at the plate], and I figured since there were girls on first and third, that was something to do.”

Cole-Karagory hit a one-out single in the air to right field in the bottom of the fifth to score Mallory Patten of Ellsworth for the eventual winning run. Kelly White of Bucksport scored on an error in the sixth to add an insurance run.

The visiting team recorded its only run in the second when Brewer’s Katie Reed singled to plate Jessica Paul of Old Town.

Reed said she was looking forward to playing with some of the girls she faces in the regular season.

“I think I looked up to a lot of the Bangor girls, as well as they did against us during the season. They play really well,” she said. “And Jessica from Old Town. She’s a really good shortstop. And Briana Bruce [of Hermon], we grew up together. She got the DH award and so did I.”

Chan was eager to play with Heather Pelletier, Jana Richards, Jessica Taylor, Annette Caswell and Kelly White, all of Bucksport.

“I’m playing with them this summer, and they’re all good,” she said.

Home team pitchers Tara Lee Webster of Searsport, Annette Caswell and Kelly White of Bucksport and Ellsworth’s Mallory Patten combined for a four-hitter with eight strikeouts.

Visiting pitchers Soohey and Jen Jimmo of Bangor, Brewer’s Sherri Capponi and Mattanawcook of Lincoln’s Kari Vance (the Class C Player of the Year) fanned seven.

Paul won the throwing accuracy contest. Pelletier won the hitting contest.

Several seniors who appeared in the PVC all-star game will be back at Coffin field Friday night for the Maine High School Softball Coaches Association’s state senior all-star games. The C-D game will start at 6 p.m. and the A-B matchup will be at 8 p.m.

Richards-Martin 010 000 00 – 1 4 2

Carrier-White 000 111 00 – 3 6 1

Jimmo, Capponi (3), Vance (5), Soohey (7) and King, Whitney (5); Webster, Patten (3), Caswell (5), White (7) and Richards, White (3), Richards (5)


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