The Lee Academy softball team stumbled out of the gate in the Eastern Maine Class C ranks, but a 1-3 start didn’t deter a veteran team led by five seniors.

“They were very positive, they didn’t get down on each other,” said Pandas coach Ron Weatherbee, whose club earned a pointworthy, 11-inning victory Friday over Penobscot Valley of Howland.

“The seniors didn’t get down on the underclassmen. They weren’t negative toward the kids at all,” he added.

Since that tough early stretch, the Pandas have won eight of their last 10 games, and their defense has been very consistent during that stretch.

“Defensively we really struggled in the early part of the season,” Weatherbee said.

The resilient Pandas didn’t hang their heads and now are stringing together wins at the right time.

“They were very positive. They weren’t happy losing, I’m sure, but by the same token it wasn’t a matter of people ready to self-destruct,” said Weatherbee.

Brooke Harris has been dynamite in the circle for Lee, and her consistent pitching has the Pandas in a solid position to earn a home game in the preliminary round.

“Two weeks ago I was wondering if we were going to get in,” Weatherbee said. “Now if we take care of business this week we could host a prelim.”

The Pandas are one of many teams that could come out of the logjam known as Eastern Maine Class C.

Calais and Sumner of East Sullivan have played consistently all spring and Orono has been ranked among the top five teams throughout the season, while Penobscot Valley and Penquis of Milo field two of the division’s top pitchers in Casey McCloskey and Erica Lyford, respectively.

“You can’t count any of those teams out. It’s going to be a very good Class C tournament,” Weatherbee said.

Class B a tough puzzle

As expected, the top of the Eastern Maine Class B softball ranks has been tight, and a number of teams are jockeying for position as the regular season winds down.

There are few key matchups on the schedule this week: Hermon plays Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln and Old Town hosts Bucksport this afternoon while Mattanawcook defeated Central in Corinth 7-4 in 10 innings Monday.

The matchup between the Hawks and the Lynx should be a great pitchers’ duel, as Deni Nicastro and Taylor Trask have been a solid 1-2 punch for MA while Hermon ace Ashley Kelley has looked strong in her first two outings since returning from a knee injury.

“I think [Kelley] does bring something to their game. She definitely hits and she fields her position as well as pitches,” said Mattanawcook coach Dean Libbey.

Libbey’s Lynx have been ranked near the top of the Heal Point standings all spring.

“From where we’ve been and where we’ve gotten to, I think we’ve improved,” he said.

There should be some shaking up when the final points are released Thursday. Last week, John Bapst of Bangor beat Ellsworth, Bucksport beat John Bapst and Old Town beat Mattanawcook, sweeping the season series from the Lynx.

“It’s a lot easier going into the postseason with a win than it is coming off a loss,” Libbey said.

PVC Coaches of the Year

Caribou High School’s Roy Alden, Bangor High’s Joe Quinn and Jamerson Crowley of Brewer have been voted as Penobscot Valley Conference Large School Track and Field Coaches of the Year by their peers.

Alden won boys coach of the year honors while Quinn and Crowley shared the girls award.

Alden’s Vikings put forth a valiant effort at Saturday’s championship meet in Presque Isle sit in third place with the meet set to officially wrap up with the pole vault at Hampden Academy this afternoon.

Quinn’s Rams have all but wrapped up their fourth consecutive PVC girls championship while Crowley’s Witches are in second place.

John Bapst of Bangor’s Bruce Pratt earned girls honors and Adrian Stone of Bucksport took boys honors for coaches in the PVC small school ranks.

Pratt’s Crusaders won their seventh consecutive small school crown at Foxcroft Academy Friday night.

Stone’s Golden Bucks, who had only eight boys compete Friday, finished an impressive second and held the lead most of the way.

Slovenski vaults to N.E. record

Brunswick High School pole vaulter David Slovenski continued his season-long assault on the track and field record books at last weekend’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships.

Slovenski set a New England high school outdoor record in the pole vault, clearing an astonishing 16 feet, 2 inches.

Slovenski is on target to rewrite the Class A record books at Saturday’s state championships in Windham.

The Class A state record in the vault is 14-6, established by Waterville’s Kyle Irvine in 2001.

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

990-8193