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BREWER – Offense was the big show in the Senior All-Star Softball Classic at Coffin Field Friday evening. With a combined 39 hits and 37 runs in the A-B and C-D games, it wasn’t a great night to be a pitcher.
Bucksport’s Annette Caswell, who hurled the final four innings of the A-B game, had one of the better outings. She tried out her slider a few times just for fun. After all, when you’re up by 11 runs in the top of the eighth inning, you’re allowed to have a little fun.
“The girls that hadn’t played me before, they were like, that’s such a cool pitch, keep throwing that,” Caswell said. “We had some room to work with, with the 14 runs, and that was fun. I was just having a good time pitching with girls I’ve never played with, and the catcher [Jess Foster] was great.”
For the East C-D all-stars, an early deficit meant all they could do was sit back and have fun.
The East A-B all-stars rolled over their West counterparts for a 14-5 victory, while the West C-D squad beat the East 10-3.
Portland catcher Meghan Young was named Miss Maine softball from a field of finalists that included Mattanawcook of Lincoln’s Kari Vance and Chelsie Carver of Jonesport-Beals.
There was plenty of motivation for the East team to beat the West. Western Maine squads won all four state championships last weekend.
“There was stuff mentioned about it, about how the East needed a win because we’ve lost so many times before,” said Bangor third baseman Kerri Tuck, who drove in three runs on a sacrifice fly and a two-run triple, scored a run and reached base on an error and a fielder’s choice.
The East tallied four runs in the third, keyed by RBI singles from Old Town’s Emily Ouellette and Kris Burns of Skowhegan and Tuck’s sacrifice.
In the fifth the East scored six runs with two outs. Messalonskee of Oakland’s Jess Foster had an RBI single that scored Erskine of South China’s Alycia Pushard. Foster’s teammate Jen Baker singled in Foster.
Tuck’s triple to deep right-center plated Ouellette and Burns.
Brewer’s Jenny Higgins sparked the East in the first inning with an RBI single that scored Tuck.
Cony of Augusta’s Kahler Dowling pitched the first four innings and gave up two runs and seven hits. Caswell closed the game with three runs and three hits.
Caswell was tickled to see the catcher warming her up was Pushard, who had three big hits off of Caswell in the Eastern Maine Class B title game June 13.
“It was interesting to play with her,” Caswell laughed.
For Young, a two-time Southern Maine Activities Association first-teamer who is headed to Endicott College next year, the fun of Friday’s game was the chance to step out from behind the plate.
“Playing different positions is the best thing,” she said. “Usually I always have to catch. Tonight I played second and third, and caught.”
Young is the second Portland player in a row to win the award. Dee Regan, Young’s best friend, won it last year.
In the C-D game, Georgia Howe of Hall-Dale in Hallowell had plenty of fun in the circle. In five innings of work she struck out 10, gave up one hit and held the East scoreless while she was in the game.
“I just mixed it up because I wanted to practice all my pitches,” said Howe, who enjoyed playing with Forest Hills of Jackman’s Jess Brady because they play summer ball together. “I threw all of my drops and rises. I just wanted to have a good time. I just love it here. I feel at home on a softball field.”
The West had a 3-0 lead when it piled on five runs in the fifth inning. Amy Brown of Buckfield did the most damage with a two-run single, while Howe and Darcie Buzzell of Sacopee Valley in Hiram each drove in a run.
The East tried for a rally in the sixth inning. Madawaska’s Emily Lavertu doubled and scored on an error that also brought in Briley Belanger of Dexter (fielder’s choice) and allowed Narraguagus of Harrington’s Kate Farnsworth to get to first. Danielle Jipson of Lee singled to drive in Farnsworth.
Jipson said the team had more success hitting off the West’s relief pitcher, Nicole Gilmore of Richmond, who doesn’t have Howe’s speed.
“I hit stronger off a slower pitcher so I was looking forward to getting a hit the second time around,” said Jipson, who had grounded out earlier. “We started to come back and I was like, I want to hit!”
Jipson said she was looking forward to playing with Vance, who pitched a complete game. Lee and Mattanawcook are rivals, but because of a scheduling glitch the teams didn’t face each other this spring.
Monmouth’s Lisa Hasch, who has pitched wins in three state games in the past four years, had her wisdom teeth out earlier this week and did not play. She stayed in the dugout to cheer on the West.
Senior All-Star Softball Classic
A-B game
West 020 000 12 – 5 10 4
East 114 062 00 – 14 15 1
Brooks, Norton (3), Masse (5), Burns (7) and Young, Riley (3), Tibbetts (5), Day (7); Dowling, Caswell (5) and Foster
C-D game
West 020 150 20 – 10 9 3
East 000 003 00 – 3 5 7
Howe, Gilmore (6) and Belmonte, Brown (6); Vance and Farnsworth, Fergerson (5), Chambers (8)
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