BREWER – High school softball coaches frequently talk about the importance of taking advantage of what the opposition gives you, especially when it comes to defensive mistakes.

The Cony High softball team was able to do that against No. 2 Brewer in Saturday night’s Eastern Maine Class A semifinal at a fan-filled Coffin Field.

The No. 6 Rams benefited from several Brewer errors and got clutch hitting for a 7-5 victory over the No. 2 Witches.

Cony, now 14-5, will take on No. 12 Skowhegan Wednesday at Cony’s home field in Augusta.

The Rams may have been a six seed and without graduated star pitcher Monica White, but they’re still the defending EM champs.

“We’ve all played together since we were little and we come from a winning tradition,” said Cony senior captain Allyson Cheever, who singled and scored a key run in the top of the sixth inning. “We want to keep that going as much as we can.”

Brewer jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead and Witches ace Jordan McLain was sharp early, retiring the first six batters she faced.

But the Rams didn’t stay quiet for long. Chelsea Arbour got things started for Cony in the top of the third when she led off with a home run over the 200-foot left-field fence. Maegan Cloutier added a two-run single – both runs were unearned after a two-out error that extended the inning.

Brewer errors on fielding plays and missed coverage on the bases, along with passed balls and wild pitches, helped the Rams add a run in the fifth, another in the sixth, and two more in the seventh.

“When there’s errors we just capitalize on them,” Cheever said. “We take the extra bases, try to steal. We create runs and most of the time we can score. When it comes to big situations people show up.”

Cloutier also had an RBI single in the seventh. Hopkins also singled and scored in the inning.

Those runs, along with Cheever’s in the sixth, would be important for Cony as Brewer tried to strike back in the bottom of the seventh. Jordan McLain led off for the Witches with her second double of the game and advanced to third on a groundout. She scored on an error that allowed Julie Lorenz to reach first, and Lorenz scored on a Sarah Estes double.

Two groundouts ended the game with Estes stranded at third.

The Witches left 10 baserunners. They had the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth but Cony right fielder Molly Hopkins made a running catch in foul territory to end the threat.

“The kids stayed tough,” Brewer coach Harry “Skip” Estes said. “They stayed on fighting right to the end. [Cony] made the plays when they had to.”

McLain, who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, struck out nine and walked one. Only two of Cony’s seven runs were earned.

RAMS 7, WITCHES 5

Cony (14-5) Brewer (14-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Soule, 3b 4 2 1 0 Risser, c 4 0 0

Rines, 1b 4 2 1 0 D. Defilipp, lf 3 1 0

Cloutier, c 4 0 2 3 M. McLain, 3b 3 0 0

Fecteau, pr-ph 1 1 1 0 J. McLain, p 4 1

Perry, pr 0 0 0 0 Jackson, ss 4 0 1

Golden, cf 4 0 0 0 Lorenz, 2b 3 1 1

Pelkey, lf 4 0 0 0 Estes, 1b 4 0 2

Cheever, ss 3 1 1 0 Smith, rf 4 0 0

Arbour, 2b 3 1 1 1 Gomm, cf 2 0 0

Harrington, dh 3 0 2 1 Frazier, ph 1 0

Jones, pr 0 0 0 0 A. Defilipp, ph 1 0 0

Hopkins, rf 2 0 0 0

Totals 32 7 9 5 Totals 33 5 10 5

Cony 003 011 2 – 7

Brewer 200 100 2 – 5

E-Cheever, Rines, Wilson; Estes 2, J. McLain, Jackson; LOB-Cony 4, Brewer 10; 2B-J. McLain 2, Estes; HR-Arbour (1); S-M. McLain; SB-Rines, Cloutier, Perry; Jackson

Cony IP H R ER BB SO

Wilson (W, 10-5) 7 10 5 2 2 2

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

J. McLain (L, 12-3) 7 9 7 2 1 9

WP-J. McLain; PB-Risser 2; T-1:43; ATT-350 (est.)