STANDISH – Narraguagus had heard all the hype about the Saint Dominic High School softball team, last year’s state champion.

The Knights refused to be intimidated.

Narraguagus pounced on Saint Dominic for three first-inning runs, then rode the superb pitching of Ashley Woodward and an outstanding defense to a 6-0 victory and the Class C state championship

“They way they talked about them, I thought that they were really tough, but they’re not too bad,” said ‘Guagus freshman Elise Dublin, who doubled and singled. “After we got the runs [we relaxed], definitely.”

Coach Elliott Noyes’ enthusiastic team, making its first state game appearance, turned in a nearly flawless performance on Ward Field at Saint Joseph’s College. Narraguagus caps a memorable season at 18-1.

“I’m so excited that we could finally get a state championship. It’s just so awesome,” Woodward said. “Saint Dom’s was expected to win it, so we really felt like we didn’t have anything to lose and we knew if we came out and played our game of softball, we would win.”

Saint Dom’s of Lewiston finished the season at 16-2.

Narraguagus didn’t relax after winning the EM title.

“They were ready, they wanted this,” Noyes said. “There was no letdown. They were pumped. I just came along for the ride,” quipped the 23-year coach.

The Knights came out swinging the bats – not to mention singing and chanting on the bench. The Eastern Maine champs seized the emotional edge early, and never let it go.

“We always say that we want to come out and jump on them, because when you do it gets the other team down and their momentum’s gone, so to come out and do that was really awesome,” said Woodward, who will attend Pine Manor College (Mass.) in the fall.

Woodward (18-1) didn’t mow down the Saints, but the West titlists couldn’t find any holes in the ‘Guagus defensive alignment. The savvy senior righthander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

With one out, No. 9 hitter Merideth Staszak hit a hard grounder to the left of Knights third baseman Brook Courchaine, who got a piece of the ball and deflected it toward shortstop MaryEva Tenan, whose throw to first base was not in time.

Staszak was the only runner to reach base for Saint Dominic after Sarah Caron drew a leadoff walk in the first inning. She was subsequently doubled off first on Sarah Caron’s soft liner.

Woodward struck out seven and was backed by errorless defense. She induced seven groundball outs.

Narraguagus scored all the runs it would need in the first against lefthander Audrey Pleau (18-1). Dublin sizzled a one-hop single past third baseman Erica Dorso to start things off.

Woodward then reached on a swinging bunt single in front of the plate.

Designated hitter Erica Mann followed with a fly-ball single to right-center and Dublin came home when the throw eluded the cutoff player at second base.

“We probably made more mistakes in our first inning than we’ve done all year long,” said Saint Dominic coach Dan Samson. “They’re a good-hitting team. We dug ourselves a hole in the first inning.”

With runners at second and third, Anne Woodsum provided a run-scoring groundout and Amanda Barbee reached on a fielding error at shorstop, making it 3-0.

It was exactly the kind of start the Knights needed.

“You dream about these things, get the lead and shut them down, and that’s exactly what we did,” Noyes said. “We’ve heard stories about this team. This is a good team.”

The aggressive Knights provided Woodward with three more runs in the fourth inning. Tenan drew a leadoff walk, took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a groundout. Jen Strout beat out a bunt single, then stole second.

Courchaine plated a run with a groundout to second base and Strout scored when Dublin hustled out a double to left-center. Woodward continued the rally, ripping a single off the chest of third baseman Dorso, whose high throw to first allowed the sixth run to score.

“It’s a good relaxer,” Woodward said of the run support. “I know all I have to do is keep [the pitches] down and keep them off-balance. It takes a lot of pressure off.”

Pleau retired the last 10 batters she faced, but the Knights had plenty of runs.

Dublin doubled, singled and scored twice to pace Narraguagus, while Mann singled twice.

The Saints committed three errors, all of which led to ‘Guagus runs.

KNIGHTS 6, SAINTS 0

Narraguagus (18-1) Saint Dominic (16-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Dublin, rf 4 2 2 1 S. Caron, ss 2 0 0

Woodward, p 4 0 2 0 Dorso, 3b 3 0 0

a-West 0 1 0 0 R. Caron, cf 3 0 0

Mann, dh 4 1 2 0 Vincent, c 3 0 0

Fitzpatrick, lf 0 0 0 0 Pleau, p 2 0

Woodsum, 1b 3 0 0 1 Schneid, dh 2 0 0

A. Barbee, cf 3 0 0 1 Harper, lf 0 0

Tenan, ss 2 1 0 0 Gray, rf 2 0 0

M. Barbee, 2b 3 0 0 0 Scammon, 1b 2 0

Strout, c 3 1 1 0 Staszak, 2b 2 0 0

Courchaine, 3b 3 0 0 1

Totals 29 6 7 4 Totals 21 0 1 0

a-ran for Woodward in the first and fourth

Narraguagus 300 300 0 ? 6

Saint Dominic 000 000 0 ? 0

E?Staszak, Caron, Dorso; LOB?Narraguagus 3, St. Dominic 1; 2B?Dublin; DP?Woodsum unassisted; SB?Strout; S. Caron

Narraguagus IP H R ER BB SO

Woodward (W, 18-1) 7 1 0 0 1 7

Saint Dominic IP H R ER BB SO

Pleau (L, 16-1) 7 7 6 5 1 7

WP?Pleau; T?1:18; ATT?400 (est.)