CORINTH – Central High School junior righthander Alyssa Libby said she didn’t pitch one of her better games in Monday’s Eastern Maine Class C softball semifinal against Sumner of East Sullivan.

“But the defense was excellent,” said Libby, whose teammates made several key plays behind her as fourth seed Central advanced to its third consecutive EM title game with a 6-2 triumph.

Libby threw a five-hitter, striking out five and walking one. One of the runs off her was unearned. She threw 58 strikes among her 97 pitches.

Sumner’s Jessie Daley, who has just recently returned to the lineup after missing most of the season with a knee injury, pitched well in defeat but didn’t get the defensive support Libby received. She also pitched a five-hitter.

“I was tickled to death with the way Jessie pitched. But we made some costly errors and you can’t do that against good teams,” said Sumner coach Bimbo Pinkham.

The eighth-seeded Tigers concluded an 11-8 season.

Nikki Daniel drove in two runs with a pair of safety squeezes and Traci Underhill doubled and singled and drove in a run for the 15-3 winners, who face fourth seed George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill (14-5) in Wednesday’s 3 p.m. EM championship game at Coffin Field in Brewer.

Central coach Durice Washburn said her team played well and Libby “has gained a lot of maturity. She maintained her composure.”

The Devils ran the bases aggressively and capitalized on Sumner mistakes.

Central took a 1-0 lead in the first when Jenny Rollins walked, moved to third on a groundout and wild pitch, and scored on Daniel’s squeeze.

Central added two unearned runs in the third when a Rollins liner was dropped in center, Underhill blooped a single to right, both moved up on a passed ball and both scored when Daniel’s squeeze bunt was fielded and thrown wide of first.

“We work a lot on bunting,” said Daniel. “It’s a very key part of our game. Everyone is unselfish.”

Shortstop Underhill made a gem to stymie a threat in the fourth when she threw out Morgan Traxler after Traxler’s screeching liner with two outs and two on glanced off Libby’s glove over to her.

“In practice, we always work on staying with it,” said Underhill.

Sumner scored one in the fifth but could have had more if it wasn’t for heads-up plays made by center fielder Erica Brownell and catcher Chantel Randall.

After Kristina Cummings’ one-out bunt single, Libby made a bad throw to second on Leach’s grounder but Brownell backed the play up and threw out Cummings at third.

Jody Pinkham then scorched her second triple of the game to deliver Leach. But moments later, Randall picked her off third.

Kristi Collins’ RBI single, Lindsay Mitchell’s run-producing fielder’s choice and Underhill’s RBI double down the third-base line made it 6-1 in the sixth before Seaira Robinson singled and scored an unearned run in the seventh for Sumner.

RED DEVILS 6, TIGERS 2

Sumner (11-8) Central (15-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Leach, cf 3 1 0 0 Rollins, 3b 3 2 0

Pinkham, c 3 0 2 1 Underhill, ss 4 1 1

Higgins, ss 3 0 0 0 Daniel, 1b 2 0 2

Sargent, 3b 2 0 0 0 Randall, c 3 0 0

Stanwood, rf 3 0 0 0 Libby, p 3 0 0

Robinson, lf 3 1 1 0 Voisine, 2b 2 1 0

Traxler, 1b 3 0 1 0 Brownell, cf 2 1 0

Carey, pr 0 0 0 0 Morin, pr 0 0 0

Rock, 2b 3 0 0 0 Collins, lf 3 1 1

Cummings, dh 3 0 1 0 Mitchell, rf 3 0 1

Daley, p 0 0 0 0

Totals 26 2 5 1 Totals 25 6 5 5

Sumner 000 010 1 – 2

Central 102 003 0 – 6

E-Leach 3, Daley; Daniel, Libby, Collins; LOB-Sumner 5, Central 6; 2B-Traxler, Underhill; 3B-Pinkham 2; S-Daniel 2;SB-Underhill, Brownell

Sumner IP H R ER BB SO

Daley (L,4-2) 6 5 6 4 3 2

Central IP H R ER BB SO

Libby (W,15-3) 7 5 2 1 1 5

HBP-Underhill by Daley; WP-Daley 2; PB-Pinkham 3; T-1:50; ATT-100 (est.)