Lee, Winslow seek state softball titles Championship games set for today

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It’s been a busy year for the girls on the Lee and Winslow sports teams. Each made an appearance in the state soccer finals – and lost – but rebounded in the winter season with state basketball championships.

Now, the Class D Pandas and the Class B Black Raiders will each try for their second state crowns this school year as they travel to Saint Joseph’s College in Standish for today’s softball finals.

And Eastern Maine Class C champ Central of Corinth, also no stranger to postseason success, will play its state final Saturday as well.

Winslow will kick off the day at Saint Joseph’s with a noon Class B final against Western Maine champion Gorham, followed by Lee’s 4 p.m. Class D game against Western Maine representative Richmond.

The Class C state final will be the only title game played at Brewer’s Coffin Field Saturday at 4 p.m. The Red Devils, who are going for their first state championship since 1985, will face Telstar of Bethel. The Rebels haven’t won states since 1991.

The Class A final between Messalonskee of Oakland and South Portland was moved from Brewer to Cony High’s home field behind the high school and is set for a 4 p.m. start.

Defending state champion Winslow hopes to get a lift from its sparkling defensive effort against Bucksport in Thursday’s 4-1, 11-inning win over Bucksport. The Black Raiders have relied on defense all year, according to senior catcher and captain Brittany Morin.

“We haven’t been hitting that well this year and our defense has just carried us,” said Morin, who served as the point guard on the state championship basketball team. “… Our hitting will come and [in the regional final] we proved it.”

For first-year Winslow coach Terry Parlin, who guided Messalonskee to several Eastern Maine titles in the 1990s, Morin herself has been important this season.

She came up huge Thursday, getting a critical out at third base in the seventh inning and helping to manage starting pitcher Janelle Sylvester and reliever Brynne Davis, who earned the win.

“She calls all the plays, all the pitches,” Parlin said. “Once in a while I’ll call [a pitch] but generally every time I call one she’ll say, ‘I already had the same pitch called,’ so I guess there’s not much sense in doing that.”

Gorham, which won its first WM title since 1996, beat Cape Elizabeth 3-2 Thursday to earn its finals berth. The Rams also won states that year, beating Winslow 1-0.

Like the speedy Black Raiders, Gorham has also had success with bunts this year. The Rams used three straight in the eighth to push across the winning run against the Capers. Tammy Arsenault picked up the win, pitching a five-hitter.

The Rams have committed five errors in three playoff games.

Central coach Durice Washburn said among the keys for her squad this year has been the growth of junior pitcher Alyssa Libby.

Libby transferred to Central from Bangor Christian and is in her second year pitching for the Red Devils. She wasn’t a regular pitcher for the Patriots.

“Alyssa has gained a lot of maturity this year, which is just her second year pitching in high school,” Washburn said. “She hasn’t gotten shook up in big situations. She bears down and gets the job done. She’s got more command now, too.”

The Red Devils can also hit the ball hard, pounding out 13 hits against George Stevens of Blue Hill in the EM final.

“We played good defense and we got the offense when we absolutely had to,” Washburn said.

Telstar has outscored its opponents 29-8 in the postseason and Jessie Farrington (7-0) pitched a three-hitter against Mount Abram in the 12-4 Western Maine final win.

The Lee softball team will be up against one of the top players in the state in Richmond’s Sarah Coonradt, who was also a key member of last year’s state championship team which defeated Ashland 4-3 for the crown.

In the Bobcats’ 10-0 semifinal win over North Yarmouth Academy Coonradt tossed a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts and two walks while doubling and driving in two runs.

Richmond had a bye in the quarterfinals because of its No. 1 ranking.

Coonradt was on fire again in the Western Maine final. This time she had a no-hitter going through the first three innings – the only player she walked was thrown out by catcher Hilary Trott – and eventually allowed just two hits and seven strikeouts.

Heather Martin, Kasey Hughes and freshman Amy Russell have also been hitting well in the postseason with at least two hits apiece in each game. Russell has also proved a fine pitcher with two no-hitters to her credit this season.

Lee will counter with freshman Brooke Harris in the circle. Harris isn’t the strikeout machine Coonradt seems to be, but instead relies on solid defense behind her. The athletic Pandas also run the bases well, which should bode well for Lee if it can get the Bobcats to throw the ball around.

Just as important as the Pandas’ skills may be their experience in big games. Although many of Lee’s starters are freshmen, they’ve already won three regional titles this year (the Pandas also won a Class D cross country title with some of the same girls as played on the soccer team).

Lee is making its third state final appearance in four years and is still after its first state crown.