BREWER – The Ashland Hornets learned a lot during the course of the 2004 softball season. Among the greatest lessons was patience.

Third-seeded Ashland took advantage of its patience Wednesday night, waiting out 15 bases on balls and coming up with a handful of clutch hits while beating ninth-seeded Hodgdon 14-6 for the Eastern Maine Class D softball championship at Coffin Field.

Coach Terry Hunter’s 15-2 Hornets face the winner of Thursday’s Western Maine final of Richmond-North Yarmouth Academy in Saturday’s noon state title contest, also in Brewer. It was Ashland’s first regional softball crown since 1996.

“It’s awesome,” said sophomore Lindsey Long, Ashland’s leadoff batter. “We’ve never been No. 1 before in sports. It feels good.”

Runner-up Hodgdon closed out the season at 8-10.

Ashland, which had beaten Hodgdon twice during the regular season, knew what to expect from the Hawks. Their strategy was to be selective at the plate.

“I told them before the game to look them over,” Hunter said. “We figured we’d wait them out and hit the ones that are in there and take the walks when we had to and make things happen.”

Among the catalysts was designated player Long. She reached base four times, walking twice while stroking a single and a double.

Long drew a bases-loaded walk during Ashland’s four-run second inning, singled home a run in a two-run third, walked and scored during the Hornets’ four-run rally in the fifth, and doubled and scored in the game-clinching four-run uprising in the sixth.

“Coach helped us out. He just kept telling us to wait and wait and wait,” Long said.

In all, the Hornets worked Hawks pitcher Erin Foster for 15 walks in the contest. Hodgdon batters also demonstrated their poise, drawing 13 bases on balls against winner Pam Spooner, who struck out eight.

“I knew we had a good team coming in,” Hunter said. “[But] it’s always hard to beat a team three times.”

Beth Chamberlain singled twice and scored two runs for the Hornets.

Lindsey Stewart’s two-run single was the offensive highlight for the Hawks, who managed only five hits.

The Hornets broke a 6-6 tie in the fifth inning, working five walks, including two with the bases loaded. Amber Smith provided a sacrifice fly and Ashley Nemer posted an RBI single as Ashland made it 10-6.

Ashland stroked four hits while tacking on four more runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

The Hornets’ patience was the key to a four-run rally in the second inning. They worked five walks and benefited from three wild pitches, while Chamberlain singled for the only hit of the inning.

Hodgdon responded with two runs in the third when Tasha Dwyer singled and, after back-to-back walks to Amanda Fitzpatrick and Foster, Stewart scorched a single through the circle into center field that plated two runs.

Ashland got the two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Nemer walked, stole second and rode home on Angela Belskis’ double to right-center. Belskis scored on Long’s single to center, making it 6-2.

The Hawks bounced back to tie the game with four runs in the fourth. Jolene Ledger sparked the rally with an infield single, which was followed by four walks, a wild pitch, a passed ball, a throwing error and Samantha Williams’ RBI groundout that made it 6-6.

HORNETS 14, HAWKS 6

Hodgdon (8-10) Ashland (15-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

S. Dwyer, ss 3 1 1 0 L. Long, dp 3 2 2

T. Dwyer, 2b 2 2 1 1 Campbell, c 2 0 2

Fitzpatrick, 3b 4 1 0 0 Richmond, cr 0 0

Foster, p 2 0 0 0 Smith, rf 2 1 2

Stewart, c 1 0 1 2 Spooner, p 3 0 2

Blanchette, cr 0 0 0 0 D. Long, lf 2 1

Williams, 2b 4 0 1 1 Nemer, ss 2 2 1

Scott, lf 4 0 0 0 Chamberlain, rf 4 2 0

Ledger, rf 4 1 1 0 Belskis, 1b 3 3 1

McGary, cf 2 1 0 0 Peters, 2b 3 0 0

Brewer, ph 0 0 0 0 Clark, ph 0 1 0

Totals 26 6 5 4 Totals 24 14 8 11

Hodgdon 002 400 0 ? 6

Ashland 042 044 x ? 14

E?Campbell; LOB?Hodgdon12; Ashland 9; 2B?Belskis, L. Long, Smith; SF?Smith; SB?S. Dwyer, Foster; Nemer 2, Chamberlain

Hodgdon IP H R ER BB SO

Foster (L) 6 8 14 14 15 4

Ashland IP H R ER BB SO

Spooner (W) 7 5 6 6 13 8

HBP?Smith, D. Long by Foster; WP?Foster 6; Spooner 9; PB?Campbell 2; T?1:38; ATT?250 (est.)