BREWER – State championship games usually pit teams against each other for the first time.

By the time Winslow and Maranacook reached Saturday’s Class B title game, they had already met three times in 2004, once in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship.

With no secrets remaining between the two teams, it came down to execution at Coffin Field.

Winslow scratched out two hits and capitalized on two errors in the first inning while scoring its only runs of the game on the way to a 2-1 victory over Maranacook of Readfield.

Coach Steve Blood’s 18-2 Black Raiders beat the 17-3 Black Bears for the third time this season to claim the state championship.

“We deserved it, I think, as a team. We worked hard for it,” said Winslow junior Brittany Morin. “What helped us a lot is we had played them three other times in the season. We knew exactly what we were going into.”

For that reason, the light-hitting Black Raiders felt compelled to play an aggressive style against talented pitcher Abby Pullen and the Black Bears.

Beth Lafountain led off the first inning by beating out an infield single with a slide into first base. Brynne Davis moved her along with a sacrifice bunt.

Morin followed with a single to right, but Lafountain rounded third too far and was tagged out in a rundown for the second out.

“That’s how we play, trying to get somebody on base and put some pressure on the other team,” Blood explained. “We get thrown out once in a while, but offense has been a relative struggle for us most of the year, so we tried to manufacture a few runs when we had the opportunity.”

Maranacook left the door open when Rachel Boutin reached on a fielding error, allowing Morin to score. Boutin scored when she took second on a passed ball and the throw from the catcher eluded the shortstop and then the center fielder.

“We were evenly matched,” said Maranacook coach Kathy Heselton. “That’s what it comes down to when you’re playing, two teams like this, it’s the team that has the least amount of errors.”

Winslow would manage only two singles the rest of the way against Pullen, a sophomore who struck out six, walked one and hit two batters.

Black Raiders senior pitcher Lafountain, who no-hit Erskine Academy in the Eastern Maine final, was in frequent trouble but was supported by strong defense.

Morin, the catcher, threw out a runner trying to steal in the first inning, right before Jordan Pruett doubled to left. In the fourth, Morin picked off Kristi Violette, who had walked, at first base.

Maranacook threatened with two out in the fourth when Pullen reached on catcher’s interference, stole second and took third on Kim Anderson’s bunt single. But Lafountain induced Melissa Piper to foul out to the catcher.

“We knew it was going to be really close,” said Lafountain, who scattered seven hits and walked one but didn’t strike out a batter. “They’re just awesome hitters. We have an awesome defense and I’m glad.”

The Black Bears made it 2-1 in the fifth. Ali Trafton stroked a sinking line drive to left field on which Cathy Sirois tried to make a diving catch. But the ball eluded her and rolled toward the fence, allowing Trafton to hustle out an inside-the-park home run.

Maranacook threatened again with two out in the sixth when Pullen singled and Anderson reached on an error, but pinch hitter Vanessa Martin lined out to Lafountain to end the inning.

Toby Martin singled twice for the Black Bears.

“Every time we play them it’s the same type of game,” Blood said, “two very evenly matched teams and whoever gets the break, and whoever plays without throwing the ball around, generally comes out on top.”

BLACK RAIDERS 2, BLACK BEARS 1

Maranacook (17-3) Winslow (18-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Denbow, 2b 4 0 1 0 Lafountain, p 3 0 0

Martin, ss 4 0 2 0 Davis, ss 1 0 0

Pruett, 3b 4 0 1 0 Morin, c 3 1 0

Violette, 1b 2 0 0 0 Boutin, 3b 2 1 0

Kenny, dp 3 0 0 0 Shorette, cf 3 0 0

Pullen, p 2 0 1 0 Byrne, 2b 3 0 0

Anderson, lf 2 0 1 0 Kimball, dp 2 0 0

Piper, rf 2 0 0 0 Albert, rf 1 0 0

Martin, ph 1 0 0 0 Drapeau, pr 0 0 0

Trafton, c 3 1 1 1 Sirois, lf 1 0 0

Mace, cf 0 0 0 0 Lapointe, 1b 0 0 0

Totals 27 1 7 1 Totals 19 2 4 0

Maranacook 000 010 0 ? 1

Winslow 200 000 0 ? 2

E?Denbow, Martin; Boutin, Morin, Davis; LOB?Maranacook 8; Winslow 4; 2B?Pruett; HR?Trafton; S?Anderson; Davis, Sirois; SB?Pullen; Morin, Shorette

Maranacook IP H R ER BB SO

Pullen (L) 6 4 2 0 1 6

Winslow IP H R ER BB SO

Lafountain (W) 7 7 1 1 1 0

HBP?Davis, Albert by Pullen; PB?Trafton 2; T?1:28; ATT?450 (est.)