Mainville, Lindemann key East’s A-B victory Nokomis’ Grignon gets big hit

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AUGUSTA – Kaycea Grignon definitely wanted at least one hit in Saturday evening’s Maine High School Softball Coaches Association’s Senior All-Star Games.

Playing for the East team in the game for all-stars from Classes A and B schools, the third baseman from Nokomis of Newport got her hit.

She also got three RBIs on that hit – a bases-loaded double lined into right-center that provided the winning margin in the East’s 5-2 victory over the West at Cony Park.

The C/D West team rode the nine-inning pitching effort of Sacopee Valley of Hiram’s Lauren Stacey. She scattered six hits as the West topped the East 6-3 in the C/D game.

Grignon’s hit, and the pitching of Katie Mainville and Katie Lindemann made the difference in the A/B game.

Mainville, the Erskine of South China standout, and Hampden’s Lindemann, held the West scoreless through seven innings.

Mainville fanned six and walked one in three innings, while Lindemann struck out three and gave up just one hit in four innings.

“I didn’t even come to this game thinking I was going to pitch,” said Lindemann, who also played shortstop for the Broncos and was a PVC all-star as a utility player. “I warmed up with a few pitches and they threw me in. … To come here and pitch, and do a good job and win is a lot of fun.”

Presque Isle’s Sarah Belden caught the entire game.

The East was clinging to a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth. The West defense struggled and the East loaded the bases with Lindemann at third, Leavitt of Turner’s Darlene Perry at second and Mary Berry of Skowhegan at first.

Grignon said the pitch she got from Marancook of Readfield’s Alexis Pullen was just what she wanted with the bases loaded.

“It was just a right-down-the-middle fastball,” said Grignon, who will play at Johnson and Wales College in Providence next year. “It was kind of cool to come down here and show them what we could do from Nokomis.”

The number of all-stars who turned up for both games was down because some of the players chose to participate in an Amateur Softball Association tournament that was held this weekend at sites in Hermon and Brewer.

The A/B East team only had eight players, so Portland High’s Suzanne Meader was on the East team. Paige Bodwell of Gray-New Gloucester pitched the final two innings for the East.

In the C/D game, Stacey knew she would have to throw the entire game – because of the ASA tournament she was the only pitcher who made it to Augusta.

She had even thrown in a tournament game earlier in the day.

It helped that her batterymate from Sacopee Valley, Cassie McCray, caught the whole game, and Hawks coach Tim Vacchiano was on the bench.

“She’s been my catcher ever since we were like 7, so it was really sentimental,” said Stacey, who will play for UMaine-Farmington next year. “It was a good way to go out. It’s great playing with all these girls.”

Stacey finally showed some wear in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, she gave up consecutive singles to Piscataquis of Guilford’s Caterina Riitano and Heather Hruby of Searsport. Riitano scored on an error. Stacey then walked Washington Academy of East Machias’ Jennifer Savard, but got a strikeout to end the game.

“My legs were giving out. I was getting tired,” Stacey said.

She finished with 13 strikeouts.

While Stacey was the pitching hero, many of the all-stars wanted to get a live look at Narraguagus of Harrington’s Ashley Woodward, who pitched the Knights to a Class C state title last week.

She struck out seven, walked one, and gave up three unearned runs in three innings.

“[Woodward] was really good,” Riitano said. “I had wanted to see her pitch.”

The East’s runs came in the first and fifth innings. Lee’s Deidra Ham led off the first with a single, advanced to second on a groundout by Sumner of East Sullivan’s Rachel Philio, and scored on a Woodward single.

Riitano had the biggest hit of the game, a shot to right field that got her to third. An error on the relay throw allowed her to score.

“I had a little of a late swing and it went to right field,” she said. “[The pitch] was kind of on the outside so I just went with it pretty much.”

Schenck of East Millinocket’s Lynn Farrington pitched two scoreless innings for the East.

(A/B All-Star Game)

West 000 000 020 -2 4 3

East 010 003 10x -5 7 0

Bennis, Pullen (4), Stivaletta (7) and Riley, Garland (5); Mainville, Lindemann (4), Bodwell (8) and Belden

(C/D All-Star Game)

West 102 100 020 -6 4 3

East 100 010 001 -3 6 4

Stacey and McCray; Woodward, Frost (4), Farrington (6), McKenzie (8), Rideout (9) and Snow, Anderson (2), Keniston (7), Anderson (9)